AP Gov - Semester 2

newspapers

older media, they are are fewer in number and their power has diminished. Through the Associated Press (AP), newspaper stories can be sold and shared all over the world, and the AP tries to achieve standardized, unbiased reporting. Newspapers are also known for "investigative reporting", and investigative journalists are sometimes called "muckrakers".

soft money

oney contributed to a state or local party for "party-building purposes", not for supporting specific candidates, so soft money is not regulated by the FEC. In reality, much soft money was used for candidate campaigns by creating issue ads

interest group definition

organization of people with similar policy goals who enter the political process to try and achieve this aims BUT don't run their own candidates for office

Twenty-fourth Amendment

outlawed poll taxes

strengths about political parties?

parties contribute money to campaigns, unity, Americans want labels on ballots, they recruit potential leaders, they get information out to the voters, parties in part run the government and they narrow the field of candidate

what is the easiest way to predict how someone will vote?

party identification

Mapp v. Ohio

police broke into the private home of Dollree Mapp, a woman under suspicion of harboring a criminal/fugitive. Instead they found obscene materials and arrested Mapp for possessing them. She appealed her case, because the search warrant wasn't looking for material, and she won. This case incorporated the bill of rights to state governments

Party coalitions

political parties consist of combinations of groups, which consist of combinations of individuals. The larger the coalition the more like the candidate will win. Party candidates and party positions on policy are designed to attract more groups of voters, putting together a winning coalition.

what is one negative aspect to polling?

poll lend themselves to "horse race" news coverage by the media, where main news coverage is on which candidates are in the lead in the poll, rather than on the issues or who is more qualified

public policy

all the decisions and actions of government. It includes laws, rules, regulations, court orders and executive orders that the government has implemented to address various problems.

How has Trump limited Obamacare?

although he couldn't repeal Obamacare completely, he did get rid of the mandate in the bill, so individuals no longer have to buy health insurances and are not fined if they don't have it, but people are still encouraged to buy healthcare if their job doesn't provide it.

realigning/critical election

an election that brings large change, sometimes new parties or new alignments of voters, and results in a new party system

What are political ideologies?

an ideology is a coherent set of thoughts and beliefs about political issues and the role of government.

party identification

an informal and subjective affiliation with a political party that most people acquire in childhood, a standing preference for one party over another. . If you have party identification you are more likely to do straight-ticket voting, rather than split-ticket. If someone has it, party identification is the single best predictor of how people will vote.

does the fourteenth amendment apply to the states or only the national government?

applies to the states

Griswald vs. Connecticut

at issue was an 1879 Connecticut law prohibiting the aiding, abetting, counseling or use of birth control, even by married couples. The directer of Planned Parenthood, Estelle Griswold, who was also a physician, spend a clinic in Connecticut to challenge the law. She was arrested but SCOTUS declared the law unconstitutional and that people's privacy if they uphold the law

Why is the fifth amendment important

at the beginning, the Bill of Rights only applied to the national government, so the fifth amendment extended due process protection to individuals only relative to the national government.

Partisanship

being loyal to your party

What color tends to be democratic?

blue

National Party conventions

both parties have conventions every four years the summer before the presidential election. They last four days and they mostly decided the party nominee for the election. Their business gets done but it is also a flashy party.

How do peers affect political socialization?

both teachers and peer groups can have an impact on students beliefs.

Civil Liberties vs. Civil Rights

civil liberties refers to our freedoms, mainly from the bill of rights, and civil rights refers to the right not to be discriminated against

Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act

- Created the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which lessened congressional dependence on the executive branch Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the budget-making process. This law also created the House and Senate Budget Committees. - Required the president to spend all appropriated funds, unless Congress approves the impoundment.

interest group scandals that fueled more regulations

- Former House member Randall "Duke" Cunningham plead guilty in 2005 to taking bribes to direct Pentagon military defense purchases to a particular defense contractor. - Lobbyist Jack Abramoff was jailed in 2006 for evading taxes and fraud. - FBI agents in 2005 found $90,000 in illegal cash bribes from lobbyists in Rep. William Jefferson's home freezer (disguised as food in frozen food containers) .

policy implementation

Carrying out a policy through government agencies and courts. It differs from politics in that policy is not about deciding what ends the government should purse, instead, it is about how government ought to achieve those ends

What are the three most common political ideologies in the United States?

Conservative, Liberal and Independent

Near v. Minnesota

court followed through on Gitlow, preventing states from violating press rights against printing obnoxious material and thus beginning the incorporation process

Brown v. Board of Education

court overturned the separate but equal standard that was in place since please v. Ferguson. the Supreme Court said that local and federal courts were in charge of school desegregation, and ordered school boards to proceed with "all deliberate speed to desegregate public schools at the earliest practical date". Still some southern schools dragged their heels or openly defied the Brown decision, and in 1957 President Eisenhower famously sent troops to Arkansas to escort "the Little Rock nine" African American students into high school—a good example of a president enforcing a court order

In blue states, they tend to have a larger percentage of what?

democrats, liberals, younger voters, college graduates, singles, catholics and jews, union members, people who don't regularly attend a place of worship.

civil liberties protected by the original constitution

denied the government to suspend the writ of habeas corpus, pass ex post facto laws, and issue Bills of Attainder

fiscal policy

Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling taxing and spending.

narrow interest in interest groups

Interest groups sometimes are called "special interests" in a negative sense, as they often push the interests of their members over more general interests, which may not be the interests of most Americans.

Plessey v. Ferguson (1896)

Involved the legality of separate railroad cars for blacks and whites. Plessy's lawyers claimed that separation of the races violated the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause. But he lost because SCOTUS ruled that "separate but equal" facilities for the different races were legal. By sanctioning segregationist Jim Crow laws, Plessy opened the door to decades of overt discrimination in schooling and public accommodations.

What was the first party system?

It was dominated by the Federalist Party in the 1790s (Hamilton, Washington, Adams)

News magazines

Most print-magazine have gone out of business and they compete with online news magazines

What are some barriers to closing loopholes and other reforms?

People argue that it is a violation of free speech, because donations are symbolic free speech.

What is the problem with our primary system?

People think that the Iowa and New Hampshire Caucuses "make or break" contests, especially since these are relatively sparsely populated states that do not reflect America's racial and ethnic makeup.

political institutions and the media

Presidents have become the stars of the media, and the media often covers them hoping for a story - new bills, foreign policy etc. - with the exception of the Trump Administration, the worst the media was was neutral.

parties in the executive branch

Presidents select almost all senior White House staff and cabinet members from their own party. Occasionally a president will choose one or two advisers or cabinet members from the opposition party, as a bipartisan gesture,

the second amendment

Right to bear arms

DC v. Heller

SCOTUS overturn a DC handgun ban. Heller ruled individuals have rights to self-defense and to own a handgun but this applied only to the federal government, so it didn't incorporate the second amendment to the state government.

de facto segregation

Segregation that arises as a result of social and economic conditions or from individual choices, such as housing patterns.

interest groups as "watchdogs"

Some interest groups act as watchdogs over government officials and act as "whistleblowers" when violations of ethics occur in government

Schenk v. United States (1919)

Speech may be punished if it creates a clear-and-present-danger test of illegal acts

the USA Patriot Act of 2001

Strengthens the federal government's power to conduct surveillance, perform searches, and detain individuals in order to combat terrorism.

Schnek v US (1919)

The US was entering WW1, Schnek published pamphlets that opposed the US's law to draft a military. Freedom of Speech

welfare programs

The array of programs that government provides to alleviate poverty.

What are the three types of primaries

closed, open, blanket

the media's educational function

it helps to inform and educate the public on issues

How was selective incorporation involved in Gitlow v. New York

it incorporated the first amendment's freedom of speech

What is the problem with Medicare

it is expected to rise 331% from 2005 to 2030, and it has become one of the largest part of the United States' budget

Bills of Attainder

laws that punish a person without a jury trial

Is capital punishment cruel and unusual punishment?

no, 36 states allow it

district conventions

off of local cauces, delegate attend conventions held in the congressional districts to select some or all of the state's delegates to the party's national convention.

state convention

off of local sauces, delegates attend a convention held that the state level to choose some or all of the state's delegate to the party's national convention

actual malice

press knew it was false but publishes it anyway

libel

press makes a false accusation

substantive information

such as the impact of proposed laws might not be available from any other source.

How was selective incorporation involved in Mapp v. Ohio

the exclusionary rule

benefits of interest groups (pluralist theory_

- Groups provide linkage between people and government. They allow people's voices to be heard in ways that otherwise would be lost. - The existence of many groups means that any one group can't become too powerful because others counterbalance it.

what are some reason that US turnout for voting is low?

- difficulty registering -apathy/laziness -weaker political parties -26th Amendment - lack of political efficacy -voter ID laws

religious practices not allowed (free exercise clause)

- polygamy/bigamy by Mormons (Reynolds v. US) - Native Americans smoking peyote during religious practices

positive aspects to interest groups, lobbyists and political action committees

- providing valuable info to busy legislators - providing valuable info to the public - providing linkage - watchdog

Habeas Corpus

An order to produce an arrested person before a judge.

McDonald v. Chicago

Incorporated the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms to the states

biased in favor of incumbents

Interest groups give money mainly to incumbents, making them more secure and making it harder for someone new to unseat an incumbent

trade policy

due to compromise made at the constitutional convention Congress cannot tax exports, but Congress can tax imported goods coming from other countries through levying tariffs.

The Internet

It became available to the public in 1990. It hurt newspapers and other print media sources, and those that survived developed a strong internet presence.

26th Amendment

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18

Americans with Disabilities Act

Modeled on the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it forbade discrimination in public accommodation on the basis of disability.

media ownership and the growth of media conglomerates

Newspapers and TV have become large businesses that need to create conglomerates. For example, The Gannet corporation owns several newspapers including USA Today.

religious practices allowed (free exercise clause)

No compulsory education for Amish kids after 8th grade (Wisconsin v. Yoder)

Keynesian economics

Theory based on the principles of John Maynard Keynes, stating that government spending should increase during business slumps and be curbed during booms.

Defense of Marriage Act overturned

There were rumors that Hawaii was going legalize gay marriage, so congress passed the DOMA - making gay marriage illegal for the states. However, Obama and SCOTUS overturned this law.

strict scrutiny test

This is the test applied to government laws or actions that treat people of different races and national origins differently.

15th Amendment (1870)

U.S. cannot prevent a person from voting because of race, color, or creed

conglomerate

a group of diverse companies under common ownership and run as a single organization

con arguments for term limits

enforce experienced lawmakers to resign, the democracy is only maintained if citizens vote, they are technically unconstitutional, and would create congressional land ducks

Medicare

health care for the elderly

who were the original elctorates?

in 1789, the ecltorate was only property-owning white males, so this and the fact that until the 17th Amendment only members of state legislatures could vote for senators illustrates the elite model of our democracy in the early republic

how does family affect our political beliefs?

known as the #1 source, we are influenced by our parents, siblings, grandparents etc. Most people identify with the same party as our parents

what is the most reliable way to measure public opinion?

public opinion polls

elctorate

qualified voters

symbolic speech

expressing opinions without the use of words, nonverbal behavior such as wearing certain clothing or an arm band, or hand movements such as "giving someone the finger"

political socialization

the process by which people gain their political attitudes and opinions

Impoundment

when a president refuses to spend money appropriated by Congress

Actions taken to increase voter turnout

"Moter-Voter law" many states allow early voting, and some states allow 17 year olds to vote in primary elections if the voter will be 18 by the November general electron

National Voter Registration Act

"Motor voter Act"- required states to allow voters to register when they get their driver's license

Fourteenth Amendment due process clause

"nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law"

social conservatives

"religious." They want to overturn laws that permit abortion, same-sex marriage, and affirmative action programs. They favor the return of organized prayer and teaching creationism in public schools, and oppose policies like job quotes or busing to achieve racial balance in the workplace or schools.

delegates

for nomination at summer convention of who running for their party

how has congress regulated the influence of interest groups?

- Registration requirement for lobbyists--lobbyists must register with the government before being able to lobby - Limitations on campaign contributions from interest group PACs--cannot exceed $5,000 per candidate per election, or $10,000 per election cycle = primary + general election. - Disclosure required to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for campaign contributions by interest group PACs. - Limitations on independent expenditures by interest groups: for example, an issue advocacy ad cannot explicitly endorse a candidate. - Restrictions on former members of Congress: for example, a two-year "cooling-off' period before the former senator can lobby Congress.

examples of religious practices ruled unconstitutional violations of the first amendment's establishment clause

- Teacher or administration-led prayer at public schools -posting the Ten Commandments on classroom walls or inside government buildings - government sponsorship or financial support or active involvement in religious activity

What 5 basic liberties are protected in the First Amendment?

freedom to assemble, petition, religion, speech and press

current possible reforms to elect College

- abolish the electoral college (would require a constitutional amendment) - keep E.C. but have more states not do the "Winner takes all"

what are the general rules of the FECA

- all federal election contributions must be disclosed and reported to Federal Election Commision - no cash contributions over $100 -no foreign contributions -no ceiling on the amount a candidate can spend on a campaign -can fund by giving $3 of your income tax to campaign

negative aspects to interest groups

- corruption - elitism - selling access - adding to gridlock - bias - narrow interests - biased in favor of incumbents - "ghost-writing" legislation - iron triangles - pulling each party to be more extremes

Obamacare highlights

- it bans insurance companies from denying health care insurance to people with pre-existing conditions - yearly "wellness" exams by the doctor are "free" - provides coverage to many of the millions of people who were uninsured. -people were required to have health insurance or pay a fine each year. -people can stay on their parent's insurance until they are 26 -exchanges were created -employers with 100+ employees had to offer insurance

Influences of third parties

-Can draw attention to controversial issues and at times have been the conscience of the nation -Sometimes in order to attract the votes of those in a 3rd Party, a major party will incorprate items from the 3rd Party's agenda into its agenda. -Can play "spoiler" role

discriminations gay couples faced under DOMA

-Could not file joint tax returns. - During retirement they would not have been entitled to Social Security spousal benefits the way heterosexuals are. - Could not necessarily get the same medical, death or next-of-kin benefits (or be considered family for things like hospital visitations).

types of third parties

-One type is those that arise around a charismatic candidate and usually don't last long (disappear when the candidate does -Another type is those organized around an ideology, which usually persist over a longer time but usually don't win. -Another type is single-issue parties, such as the environmentalist Green Party (also pro-social justice). -Another type are splinter parties that break off from a major party -

How do interest groups try to shape policy in court?

-Representing clients—some interest groups have attorneys, most famously the NAACP (lawyer Thurgood Marshall represented the Brown family in Brown v. Board of Ed) -Writing and sending amicus curiae "friend of the court" briefs, attempting to persuade SCOTUS to accept a case and/or side with a particular party in a case.

Why do third parties don't usually win elections?

-U.S. election laws make it hard to get on the ballot (thousands of signatures needed in each state). -Hard to qualify for presidential public money (need 5%). -Not usually invited to debates. -Single-member districts with winner-take-all / plurality elections - The candidate who gets the most votes wins, and coming in 2nd or 3rd place gets you nothing.

examples of religious practices ruled constitutional and not violations of the first amendment's establishment clause

-voluntary, student-led prayer clubs (if not endorsed by school authority) - "moments of silence" in school - "In God we trust" on national currency

closed primaries

. This is the most common type of primary. In a closed primary, voting is. Voters may vote only for candidates running for the nomination of their declared party. In a closed presidential primary, Democrats choose among the candidates for the Democratic nomination, while Republicans choose among Republican hopefuls.

interest groups providing valuable info to busy legislators

give information of two important types, political and substantive. Lobbyists often provide technical assistance on the drafting of bills and amendments, identify persons to testify at legislative hearings, and formulate questions to ask of administration officials at oversight hearings. Lobbyists are experts in their issues and have details on technical issues most members of Congress can't possibly have due to the large numbers of bills they must deal with. Providing this information on technical issues is one of the main ways lobbyists try to influence legislators.

What amendment nationalized the Bill of Rights?

14th amendment

Second Party System

1800-1824. Caused by the realigning/critical election of 1800. Power shifted away from the Federalists (Hamilton), and the Democratic-Republicans (Jefferson) dominated.

Third Party System

1824-1860.Caused by the realigning/critical election of 1824. Democrats (A. Jackson) vs. Whigs. Democrats dominated and became party of the common people.

Fourth Party System

1860 to 1932. Caused by the realigning/critical election of 1860. Democrats (party of southern whites) vs. Republicans (party of northerners + southern African-Americans). Republicans dominated, and got nickname "Grand Old Party" GOP.

Fifth Party System

1932 to present. Caused by the realigning/critical election of 1932. FDR changed the Dems to be pro-larger federal government, which still remains true (reg's on businesses, Soc. Security, anti-poverty programs, etc). In contrast the GOP is the party of smaller fed. gov. FDRs "New Deal coalition": low income, minorities (blacks, Jews), Catholics, blue-collar workers, union members, southern whites, immigrants.

When did the Brady Bill expired

1998. At first there was a 5 day waiting period (cool down period) but with the creation of computer, it takes about 20 minutes.

Reynolds v. US

government can limit religious practices the impair the public interest

interest groups and the judicial branch

: Interest groups have less to do with this branch compared to the other two. Federal judges are not elected and cannot accept donations from PACs, and lobbyists don't try to woo judges over lunch.

Political Parties vs. Interest Groups - supporting causes

: Political parties focus on a broad range of issues to appeal to a wide range of the electorate while interest groups take a narrow focus on a specific issue, such as gun control or the environment.

Texas v. Johnson

A 1989 case in which the Supreme Court struck down a law banning the burning of the American flag on the grounds that such action was symbolic speech protected by the First Amendment.

Libertariansim

A political ideology based on skepticism or opposition toward almost all government activities.

the exclusionary rule

A rule that provides that otherwise admissible evidence cannot be used in a criminal trial if it was the result of illegal police conduct

third parties

A small political party that often rises and falls with a charismatic candidate or, if composed of ideologies on the right or left, usually persists over time.

focus groups

A strategy to obtain data from a small group of people using interview questions

Communism

A theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state.

24th Amendment

Abolishes poll taxes

Race and Ethnicity Demographic

African Americans have often been extremely Democrat (90%). Hispanics have been around 2/3 democrats (except Cubans, who have traditionally been Republican). Asian-Americans have been more conservative than other minority groups, but since 2012 have been more democratic.

policy formulation and adoption

government considers various solutions and formally approves a particular one. Sources include rules enacted by regulatory agencies of the bureaucracy or precedent-setting Supreme Court decisions.

Entitlements

government services Congress has promised by law to citizens

Gitlow v. New York

Benjamin Gitlow was a communist who had been convicted in the state of New York's courts of criminal anarchy for making several speeches and publishing a pamphlet calling for the violent overthrow of the U.S. government. Although upholding his conviction because he had made violent calls for action, the Court announced that it assumed "that freedom of speech an of the press-which are protected by the first amendment from abridgment by congress - are among the fundamental personal rights and liberties protected by the due process clause of the fourteenth Amendment. This case is the revolutionary because it is the first time that the Bill of Rights protecting rights from abridgment by state governments, not just the national one \

corruption in interest groups

Big money leads to interest groups having too much influence over political parties, candidates and elections, and sometimes have been guilty of corruption.

Brady Bill

Bill Clinton signed this bill. Jim Brady was paralyzed during an assassination attempt of Ronald Reagan. The Brady Bill required background checks before a firearm could be purchased (can be denied if a felony conviction). there are loopholes to this bill (gun shows).

what are the the 5 significant loopholes used to get around the current campaign finance reforms and rules

Bundling, Soft money, issue ads, 527 committees, and Super PACS

blanket primary

By far the least common type of primary, blanket primaries use the same procedure as the general elections. In blanket primaries, voters may vote for candidates of either party. They may vote for only one candidate per office.

photo ops

Candidates schedule campaign events to maximize the number of "photo ops", such as reading to kids at schools, or ribbon-cutting ceremonies which will look good on TV.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy

Clinton's policy that said individuals in the military who kept their sexual preference a private matter could not be discriminated against.

issue ads

Commercial advertising on radio and television advocating a particular position on an issue, paid for by interest groups and designed to influence voters' choices on election day. . Money spent on issue advocacy ads is unlimited because it presumably deals with issues, not candidates. So phrases such as "vote for" or "vote against" are not permitted, although much of this activity is in reality about electing or defeating candidates.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Congress barred discrimination in public accommodations or employment on the basis of race, gender, national origin, or religion.

Why is congress more likely to get negative coverage than the White House or Supreme Court

Congress is a fragmented body unable to act quickly. Unlike the presidency, it lacks an ultimate spokespersons single individual who can speak for the whole institution.

What were factions according to James Madison?

Constitution framer James Madison did not distinguish between interest groups and political parties when he negatively referred to both as "factions".

How does geographic location affect our political beliefs?

growing up in a majority-liberal area such as the North East or West Coast vs. growing up in the more conservative south or Midwest could have an impact.

Medicaid

health care for low income people of all ages

Hyperpluralist Theory

here are so many interest groups vying for control that government cannot operate. It is almost like gridlock, without any means of compromise. Government becomes paralyzed in an effort to please competing interests

Which demographics are more likely to vote?

highly educated are more likely to vote over lesser educated. African Americans and Hispanics turnout at lower rates than white voters. Women are more likely to vote than men, and senior have a higher turnout rate than younger people

bias in interest groups

hile valuable, the information and expertise they provide to members of Congress may be biased. They often use propaganda to try to promote their beliefs and distort their opposition in their attempt to win support and sway people to their position.

heightened scrutiny test

his test is applied when the government is treating the genders differently, and is not as hard to pass compared to the "strict scrutiny test" that is applied when government is treating people of different races or national origins differently.

Barron v. Baltimore ruling

in 1833, this case ruled that the Bill of Rights did not apply to the states.

Transgender Civil Rights

in 2016 North Carolina state legislature passed a state law that required students to use the bathroom and locker of the gender listed on their birth certificate. In mid-2016 Obama sent a directive to public schools requiring them to allow transgender student to use the school bathrooms and locker rooms of the gender they now identify with. In 2017 reversed this, making a state decision.

electors

in electoral college, they select the president and VP after November general election

when were property owning requirements dropped?

in the 1830s all white males could vote

Primaries vs. Caucuses

in the early 1900s, all states did caucuses, but starting with WI, states transitioned into primaries. 42/50 states do primaries., this leads to a weakling in party control over nominations, as party leaders are more important in sauces, and sauces are cheaper than primaries.

free exercise clause

in the first Amendment, it allows people to worship as they please.

establishment clause

in the first amendment, it prohibits the government from establishing an official church

the role of congress in the federal budget

in the spring the president's budget proposal is sent to to Congress where the Appropriations Committees, Ways and Means Committee review and revise the budget. The two Budget Committees propose a concurrent resolution on the budget to the full bodies of each chamber, where changes are made, and the budget is sent back to the committees. A final, binding budget resolution must be passed by September 15, just two weeks before the October 1st beginning of the next fiscal year.

Social Security

income for retired people

political information

information provided by lobbyists that includes such matters as who supports or opposes legislation and how strongly they feel.

exchanges

insurance marketplaces where uninsured or self-employed people and small businesses can compare prices and plans designed to meet some basic requirements

difficulties for voter registration

it is the #1 reason why voter turnout is low. Registration helps prevent fraud. Some states registration to be completed up to 30 days. before an electron, and some forget or don't have the proper ID

What do the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments guarantee?

Due Process

the presidents role in the federal budget

Each executive branch department and bureaucratic agency submits a "wish budget" to the Office of Management and Budget, the president's budget-making agency. The OMB reviews the proposals , revises them, and sends them to the president, who makes further re¬visions and sends the final executive branch budget proposal to Congress in late January or February.

How many electoral votes are there total

Each state is allotted by the Constitution as many electoral votes as it has senators and representatives in Congress. Thus no state has fewer than three electoral votes. Since there are 535 members of Congress, and the District of Columbia gets three electoral college votes eve n though it has no members of Congress, there are a total of 538 electors Electoral College votes.

elitist theory

Elitist theory argues that just a few interest groups have most of the power. Although many groups exist, most of them have no real power. The government is run by a few big groups trying to preserve their own interests. Elite theory revolves around the wealthy economic strata of society controlling the policy agenda. An upper class, the wealthy of society, is recognized as the elite and controls the linkage institutions.

Griswold v. Connecticut

Established that there is an implied right to privacy in the U.S. Constitution

interest groups providing valuable information to the public

Examples include Ralph Nader's consumer protection interest groups providing warnings on the dangers of exploding gas tanks, the American Lung Association on smoking, and Common Cause on the huge role money plays in politics.

The Eighth Amendment

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Current Major Federal Campaign Finance Reforms and Rules

FECA (Federal Election Campaign Act—a law Congress passed), and its Watergate-inspired 1974 amendments, in order to limit the influence of the affluent and special interests, put controls on spending, and require transparency by publishing the contribution sources

pro Arguments for term limits

it keep competent people from serving in congress, democracy can't be maintained wit public offices aren't rotated. New ideas would be present and members that serve a long time would be susceptible to losing touch with their constituents.

money allowed to use during the general presidential election

Federal government will provide public funding for all campaign costs of major-party candidates and part of the costs of minor-party candidates. If you accept the federal matching funds, however, there is a limit on what you can spend, which in 2008 meant spending no more than $84 million in the general election No candidate ever turned this down before the 2008 presidential election, but Barack Obama became the first in 2008 (John McCain accepted public financing). In 2012 both President Obama and Mitt Romney turned down this public financing.

Money allowed to use during presidential primary

Federal matching funds, dollar for dollar, are available for all money raised by candidates from individual donors giving $250 or less. To be eligible a candidate must raise $5,000 in each of twenty states, in contributions of $250 or less. If you accept the public funding, however, there is a limit on what you can spend, which in 2004 meant spending no more than $45 million in the pre-convention period.

media bias

For decades conservative critics have claimed they have a liberal bias. Research has shown that a solid majority of mainstream journalists are liberals/Democrats. This lead to conservative media such as Fox News

pulling each party to be more extreme

For example, on the right the Tea Party has forced many mainstream Republicans to take more conservative positions by challenging them in Republican primaries and pressuring them not to compromise with Democrats on issues like government spending, immigration reform, and the ACA

negative advertising

For negative advertising, know that it is seen to usually work, meaning it can help you beat your opponent.

19th Amendment (1920)

Gave women the right to vote

Nineteenth Amendment

Gave women the right to vote

open primary

In open primaries, voters may vote only in one party's primary, but they may vote in whichever party primary they choose. Voters select the party primary in which they wish to participate in the privacy of the voting booth.

McGovern-Fraser Commission

In response to African Americans not being treated fairly at the 1968 Democratic convention, this commission mandated quotas for minority and female delegates at future Dem conventions.

iron triangles

Interest groups can also be criticized for their role in iron triangles (bonds between interest group lobbyists, members of a congressional committee, and a bureaucratic agency) and issue networks

interest groups providing "linkage"

Interest groups provide linkage between people and government. They allow people's voices to be heard in ways that otherwise would be lost. They provide a mouthpiece for American citizens who would not otherwise have much of a voice. Interest groups provide collective strength that the individual lacks. Some people defend lobbyists as a kind of "third house" of Congress. Whereas the Senate and House are set up on a geographical basis, lobbyists represent people on the basis of interests and money. Small but important groups can sometimes get representation in the "third house" when they cannot get it in the other two. In a nation of vast and important interests, this kind of functional representation, if it is not abused, can be a useful supplement to geographical representation.

reasons for the rise of interest groups and decline of political parties?

Interest groups take a narrow focus on a specific issue, and are thus better able to articulate specific policy positions than are political parties.

the press as watchdogs/ investigative journalism

Investigative reporters look for government corruption, scandal, or inefficiency. The most famous and consequential example of investigative reporters were Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post, who served as watchdogs by in 1972 uncovering the Watergate burglary scandal, which eventually led to Pres. Nixon resigning.

what does the due process clause in the fifth and fourteenth amendment deny?

It forbids any government in the USA to deny any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law

Jim Crow laws and voting restrictions

Jim Crow laws were discriminatory and segregationist laws passed by southern states. they also moved to deprive blacks of their voting rights by imposing poll taxes and literacy tests. to allow poor, illiterate whites to vote, some states passed "grandfather clauses" that exempted them from the restrictions

interest groups and executive branch

Leaders of major organizations visit the White House and gain access to the president. More often, liaisons from powerful interest groups connect with White House staffers to discuss policy. Bureaucratic agencies write and enforce specific policies that regulate industries, so lobbyists also target agencies.

elitism in interest groups

Lower-income people are very underrepresented among interest groups and don't have this type of influence, so interest groups can be guilty of a form of elitism.

Image-making and media consultants

Many candidates hire media consultants to provide them with advice. The increase in candidates seeking advice from media consultants instead of party leaders is one of the reasons the power of the political parties has declined in recent decades.

contributions by individuals

May not exceed $2,000 per candidate per election, or $4,000 per election cycle (primary and general elections). This amount is raised every year to keep up with inflammation

contributions by interest groups/PACs

May not exceed $5,000 per candidate per election, or $10,000 per election cycle (primary and general elections) This amount is raised every year to keep up with inflammation

Miranda v. Arizona

Miranda confessed to a crime that he committed because he was unaware of his rights to remain silent (The Fifth Amendment). He was arressted an spoke out about how he was unaware of his rights. Officers are now forced to read the "Miranda rights" anytime they arrest someone.

How is Trump shaping a new conservative party?

More nationalistic, stricter on immigration, more populist, more protectionists and has imposed tariffs on goods from certain nations, less in favor of free trade, less "politically correct"

Shaw v. Reno

NO racial gerrymandering; race cannot be the sole or predominant factor in redrawing legislative boundaries; majority-minority districts.

Citizens United v. FEC

it opened the floodgate and declared that corporations, labor unions, and other organizations have a similar right to free speech as individuals. So they can use funds from their treasury to endorse or denounce a candidate at any time, provided ads are not coordinated with any candidate. It also paved the way for Super Pavs, which can raise and spend as much money as they want. The slightly different 501(c)(4) groups do not need to disclose donors, so critics call them dark money groups - because you don't know where the money comes from - and dark money contributions increased tenfold over the 2012 amount

same-sex marriage

it was first made legal in 2004 in Massachusetts, followed by other states. However, WI went in the opposite direction and tried to amend the constitution to define marriage as between a man and women. However, in 2015 SCOTUS ruled that the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment require a state to issue a marriage to two people fo the same sex, striking down the gay marriage bans.

Has there been nationwide party realignment since 1932?

No, but there has been regional realignment. The south used to be democratic but southern whites have switched to the GOP. This happened during 1948-1968 where democratic began to support civil rights more than republicans. Catholics are no longer solidly democratic, and white males began to be more pro GOP since Reagan in the 1980s.

Has there been party dealignment since the 1960s?

Nothing national, but people believe that there are several signs of disengagement. compared to 60 years ago, less people identify with a party.

what kind of healthcare do moderate democrats support?

Obamacare

Political Parties vs. Interest groups - legislation

Political parties compete for control of the legislative branch by trying to win the majority of the seats in Congress while interest groups compete for influence over elected officials so that they decide public policy issues in the interest group's favor

Political Parties vs. Interest Groups - candidates running for elections

Political parties nominate candidates to run for elective office while interest groups may support certain candidates for office, but they do not nominate their own candidates.

Issue Framing

Politicians, like everybody else, try to frame issues to win arguments, and they try to influence the "spin" the media will give to their actions or issues.

Roe v. Wade

Roe wanted an abortion but Texas didn't allow abortions. SCOTUS ruled in Roe's favor

citizens united v. FEC

Ruled corporations + unions are like citizens and have 1st Amend. free-speech rights. Undid McCain-Feingold ban on corps + unions spending $ directly from their treasuries (as opposed to their PACs) on TV issue ads within 60 days of elections. Still a ban on direct corporate contributions to federal candidates (must do through their PACs and thus be subject to the limits), but now no limit on $ spent for independent campaign expenditures (ex: issue ads) as long as don't formally coordinate with a candidate.

Bethel v. Fraser

Schools can punish speech that administrator find lewd or offensive

Social Media

Social Media has taken the Internet to a new, interactive level and has quickly become a primary vehicle for the news, organizing political events. Online news is now rivaling television as far as which the #1 source for news is, with radio and print newspapers far behind.

What are the two largest entitlements?

Social Security and Medicare

Tinker v. Des Moines

Students have the right to symbolic speech at school as long as it is not disruptive. Tinker was a student and her, along with her brother and other students organized an anti-violence protest by wearing black armbands to school. hen the school learned this, they suspended the students for potential distraction. Students sued and on because they never caused actual danger or disruption.

Lemon v. Kurtzman

The 1971 Supreme Court decision that established that aid to church-related schools must (1) have a secular legislative purpose; (2) have a primary effect that neither advances nor inhibits religion; and (3) not foster excessive government entanglement with religion.

New York Times v. US

The Pentagon Papers (relating to the US's involvement with Vietnam) was leaked to the New York Times, which as published in excerpts. The government tried to hold further publication, claiming that national security was at stake and thus it could exercise prior restraint (censorship). The court ruled that the publication was okay because the public's need to be well-informed outweighed the national security issues raised.

TV

The big three networks were ABC, CBS, NBC, and it emerged in the 1960s. In the 80s, cable news was born, and CNN became the first 24-hour news channel. Fox News followed in 1996. MSNBC aired in 1996 as well.

civil rights

The constitutional right not to be discriminated against by governments because of race, ethnic background, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. These civil rights are constitutionally protected by the due process and equal protection clauses of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, and by the civil rights laws of national and state governments.

time zone fallout

The election polls close three hours earlier on the east coast than the west coast. So some west coast Americans complain that they are discouraged from voting when their polls are still open, but the media is already reporting that one candidate is way ahead in the east coast states.

Voter ID laws

laws requiring that voters show government made ID at polls, done by Republicans to decrease voter fraud but also deters lots of Democrats from voting because elderly and poor are less likely to get a good enough ID

The rise in media power has meant a decrease in the power of politics

The general public as well as candidates are not anywhere as dependent on the parties to inform them about elections or other political matters. we get information about candidates from television and the Internet. Although party identification is the best way to figure how someone will vote, the internet and tv have increased voting on the basis of the candidate's personality.

Labor Policy

liberals are usually supportive of organized labor and labor unions, and support rules requiring workers at unionized employers to join the union and pay union dues. Conservatives are usually more negative about labor unions and support "right tow roe" laws which forbid employees from being forced to join unions or pay union dues

which party tends to support Keynesian economics?

liberals/democrats

Consumer-driven media

like-minded circles of "friends" exchange political information and reinforce their own and other group members' beliefs and even accepting as true statements that have been proven false as long as they fit in with their own beliefs.

pluralist theory

The interests of the diverse population of the U.S. compete to create public policy that addresses as many group concerns as possible. Pluralist theory claims that interest groups benefit American democracy by bringing representation to all.

linkage institution

The means outside of government by which individuals can express preferences regarding the development of public policy. Examples include: interest groups, PACs, political parties and the media. They provide linkage/connections between citizens and their government. They allow people's voices to be heard in ways that otherwise could be lost.

How does a president candidate choose their running mate?

The presidential nominee often has chosen a running mate who will "balance the ticket," or provide added appeal to voters. This may mean a Vice President who differs in philosophy, age, or gender, or is from a different region of the country.

national vs. state party leadership

local party leadership is separate from national. Each party has a national party convention the summer before a presidential election. This is the national meeting of delegates elected in primaries, caucuses, or state conventions who assemble once every four summers to nominate candidates for president and vice-president, ratify the party platform, elect officers, and adopt rules. Both the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee have a national committee chair as its top official

Fourteenth Amendment

made African Americans citizens of the nation and of their home states, overturned Dred Scott v. Sanford. equal protection clause

equal pay act of 1963

made it illegal to base an employee's pay on race, gender, religion, or national origin.

horse race journalism and the media as scorekeeper

meaning they focus on who's ahead or behind in the latest polls, and by how much or the day-to-day campaign activities rather than on the issues.

parties in the legislative branch?

members of congress' power and influence are determined by whether their party is in control of the House or Senate;

what is the problem with Social Security

more people are retiring than working, which makes the retirement checks smaller

"free rider" problem interest groups have

most interest groups have member fees but nonmembers who pay nothing often benefit from the efforts of interest groups. Groups that push for a collective benefit for a large group inevitably have free riders

freedom of assembly guidelines

must get a permit ahead of time in order to protest, and must t a reasonable time, place and manner. No spontaneous protest or violence

de jure segregation

The various Jim Crow segregation laws in southern states that made it a crime for black or white people to go to school together, be served together in public places,

the use of focus groups

These are small groups of people who you might gather to test out how a speech or commercial "plays", before going before the whole country.

interest groups adding to gridlock

They can hinder the legislative process and add to gridlock by trying to prevent action on bills they don't like

parties in the judicial branch

Today party identification remains the most important consideration in the naming of federal judges. The judicial branch of the national government, with its lifetime tenure and political independence, is designed to operate in an expressly nonpartisan manner. Judges, unlike Congress, do not sit together by political party. But the appointment process for judges has been partisan from the beginning. Today

Korematsu v. US

Upheld WWII Japanese relocation into internment camps, so a setback to civil rights. Although SCOTUS applied strict scrutiny, it found the government's interest during wartime sufficiently compelling to limit individual liberties even of a selected group of people (Japanese-Americans).

selling access in interest groups

While outright bribing rarely happens anymore, if interest groups deliver votes and money they do often then expect access to political parties and candidates.

What is a priority of political parties?

Winning office and power. They often don't focus that much on ideals.

the annual federal budget process

With the help of the OMB (office of management and budget) the president prepares the budget and submits it to Congress in late January or early February. Congress then reacts to the President's pro¬posals over a period of several months, and appropriates money to various programs.

Danger of biased news sources/"fake news"

now the lines between objective and biased presentations have blurred, and the line between what is factual news and what is commentary/opinion has blurred. While the First Amendment allows people to read or watch whatever they want, the growth of biased media sources that paint the other side as "the enemy" is not helpful in developing consensus policy or finding the best solutions for America's problems, nor is it helpful in understanding the alternative viewpoints.

voting rights act of 1965

a law designed to help end formal and informal barriers to African-American suffrage

Procedural Due Process

a law must be carried out using fair procedures (fair trial, right to an attorney etc.)

ex post facto

a law that would allow a person to be punished for an action that was not against the law when it was committed

527 committees

a loophole to get around 2002 McCain-Feingold Law's soft money ban—527s are groups that are tax exempt organizations created primarily to influence the nomination, election, appointment, or defeat of candidates for public office. 527s are not regulated by the Federal Election Commission because they are not supposed to coordinate their activities with a candidate or party and are not subject to the same contribution limits as PACs. Can't say "vote for" or "vote against."

bandwagon effect

a phenomenon in which some undecided people support the candidate who appears to be the winning only because other people are doing it, and they want to be on the winning side.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

a policy designed to reduce the barriers such as literacy tests, to voting for those suffering discrimination.

straw poll

a sample of people polled were not necessarily representative

political efficacy

a sense that your vote makes a difference

Super PACs

a type of independent political action committee which may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, and individuals but is not permitted to contribute to or coordinate directly with parties or candidates.Although political ads still must express the name of the group behind them, often they have generic names it's extremely hard to trace who is in these groups or exactly where this money comes from—such hard-to-trace money is sometimes called "dark money".

search warrant

a warrant issued by a magistrate that authorizes the police to search a particular place or person, specifying the place to be search and the objects to be seized.

Thirteenth Amendment

abolished slavery

What is the difference between progressive and moderate democrats?

progressive democrats are more extreme with their beliefs than moderates.

Equal Rights Amendment

prohibit discrimination based on gender in the fell several states short of winning ratification in the 1970s, so never went into effect. A big reason it failed was the fear that it would have led to women being drafted

Equal Protection Clause

prohibited state governments from denying people equal protection of the laws and became the most important foundation for civil rights for racial/ethnic minorities, women and LGBT

What do polls measure?

public opinion, or the presidents "approval rating"

radio

radio has survived TV, but it still has a smaller audience. NPR is an example.

proposed reforms to the looming crises of our social security and medicare entitlements

raising the retirement ages, reducing benefits, minimal social security payroll tax increases, upping the amount of salary that can be taxed snf privatizing the program

Bipartisanship

reaching out an working with the other party

which color tends to be more republican?

red

the republican coalition included which groups of people in recent years?

religious conservatives (support school prayer, evangelical Christians), white males, military veterans and supporters, people who are pro-life, people who are not as supportive of LGBT rights, people who live in rural areas, opponents of affirmative action, supporters of the development of natural resources (oil drilling, etc) on public lands, wealthier citizens, older voters

In red states, they tend to have a larger percentage of what?

republicans, conservatives, rural dwellers, born-again christians, daily or weekly attendees at a place of worship, gun owners military veterans, married voters

Betts v. Brady

right to a lawyer in special circumstances

Affirmative Action Programs

seek to take remedial action designed to overcome the effects of past discrimination against minorities and women. Usually this involves create special opportunities for certain racial minorities and women in employment or admission to universities.

party system

set of political parties, issues and voter alignments that endure over time

Gender Demographics

single women are more democratic than married women, but women overall are more democratic than republican

what kind of healthcare do progressive democrats support?

single-payer system

Socialism

socialism promotes government ownership of land and industry.

single-payer system

socialist system where all citizens receive a health insurance card and virtually all health care is free.

how does religion affect political socialization?

someone growing up Jewish, a religion where two thirds of the members typically vote Democratic, might have a different experience than someone growing up going to a conservative evangelical protestant church.

independant expenditures

spending by political action committees, corporations, or labor unions to help a party or candidate but done independently of them

Lawrence v. Texas

state law may not ban sexual relations between same-sex partners

Miller v. California

states can prohibit obscene speech that lacks literary, artistic, political or scientific value

electoral college

step five: each state's electors meet in their state capitals on the Monday following the second Wednesday in December. they cast their electoral votes, one for president and one for Vice President. The votes are sealed and transmitted to the president o the senate, who reads them before both house of the congress on the following January 6th. the candidate for president with the Mose electoral votes is declared as the president-elect.

Election Day

step four: Election Day is the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. Voters do not elect the president directly. their votes are for the electors, who collectively are known as the electoral college. In effect, whichever presidential ticket gets the most popular votes in a state wins all the electors of that state.

person declares candidacy

step one: two main paths are taken to win delegates at the national nominating convention of a candidate's party - one in states that choose delegates through primaries, and others choose by party sauces/conventions

inauguration

step six: the newly elected president is sworn into office by the chief justice at noon on January 20, swearing faithfully execute the office of president and preserve, protect, and offend the constitution of the United States.

national convention

step three: the major parties hold national conventions at which delegates choose the party's ticket. It's presidential and vice presidential candidates. The names of the candidates are submitted to each state's chief election official so that they will appear on the ballot.

presidential primary

step two: in states with primaries, each party's voters select some or all of the national conventions delegates and/or express a preference among various contenders for the party presidential nominee

local caucuses

step two: party voters gather to choose delegates to attend conventions at the congressional and/or state levels.

Tea Party Conservatives

tea party conservatism is a movement that began in 2009 and favors a small government, reducing te debt and much lower taxes. They strongly opposed Obamacare

Which agency helps the government achieve monetarism

the Federal Reserve Board (the Fed)

What happens if no candidate wins the majority of electoral college?

the House of Representatives chooses the president from among the three leading candidates, with each state casting one vote. By House rule, each state's vote is allotted to the candidate preferred by a majority of the state's House delegation. The House has had to decide two presidential contests (in 1800 when Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied in the electoral college, and in 1824 when the House chose John Quincy Adams over Andrew Jackson).

Engel v. Vitale

the New York school boards required resisting a nonsectarian prayer at the start of each school day . A groups filed suit against the required prayer, claiming that it violated the first amendment's establishment clause. SCOTUS found New York's actors to be unconstitutional, and struck down state-sponsored prayer in public school.

selective incorporation

the U.S. Supreme Court's gradual application of the Constitution's Bill of Rights to the states on a piecemeal, case-by-case basis through the use of the fourteenth Amendment's due process clause; the process by which provisions of the Bill of Rights are brought within the scope of the fourteenth amendment and so apply to the state and local governments.

Gideon v. Wainwright

the case involved Clarence Earl Gideon, who was given five years in jail by a Florida court for robbing a vending machine of mall change. He was too poor to hire a lawyer, and the state court did not provide him one. Forced to defend himself, he lost. Using the prison library, Gideon researched his rights in prison and wrote a pauper's petition the Supreme Court. SCOTUS used this opportunity to reverse their decision in the Betts. v. Brady case. Gideon was ordered to be released, and retried with the benefit of counsel. His retrial resulted in an acquittal.

Who do union members typically vote for?

the democratic candidate

What did supporters of the due process clause believe?

the due process clause limited states in the same way that the bill of rights limited the national government.

How did the Bill of Rights come to apply to all states

the due process clause of the fourteenth amendment and selective incorporation.

How come the federal government is involved with voting?

the framers made determining suffrage requirement and managing elections state powers. But because of so much discrimination by states against African-Americans and other groups voting, there are national laws and constitutional amendments that states cannot violate, so nowadays almost all citizens age eighteen or older have the right to vote.

Civil Liberties

the freedoms of all persons that are constitutionally protected and cannot be denied by governmental power.

roll call at party conventions

the highlight of the nomination of the candidate. The roll is called alphabetically, state by state. majority of delegates is required in order for a candidate to secure his or her party's nomination.

keynote adress at party conventions

the keynote is chosen carefully, usually an up-can-coming star, or someone popular with a group that the party wants to influence.

interest groups and legislative branch

the legislative branch is a huge target for interest groups because they are the ones that draft the bills, and interest groups want influence over it. Interest groups will hire lobbyists to sway members of congress to be in their favor.

Which region is more republican?

the lower midwest, the rockies and south

the media as the "gatekeeper"

the media determines what is newsworthy and therefore deciding what information the public will receive as well as what topics will become the subject of public debate and legislation.

how does mass media exposure affect our political beliefs?

the media you are exposed to can affect the development of your political views. for example, CNN is more liberal where Fox is more conservatives

revolving door

the movement from the job of legislator or bureaucratic regulator to a job with an interest group as a lobbyist, where after a "cooling off" period (one year for former House members; two years for former senators) they can lobby the government that they recently were part of.

what is the most popular election for voters?

the presidential election gets around 605 percent voters, 35-40% of citizens vote in the midterms and off year elections get the lowest amount of voters

monetary policy

the process by which the government attempts to use the money supply and the interest rate to encourage economic growth and restrain inflation.

substantive due process

the substances of a law cannot violate a basic right such as life, liberty or property (Roe v. Wade etc.)

Which region(s) is more democratic?

the upper midwest, the northeast and the west coast

Confirmation Bias

these programs don't provide alternative viewpoints, so they become self-reinforcing for audiences already inclined to agree with one another. This helps create both liberal and conservative "bubbles."

basic beliefs of a liberal

they believe that the national government should be used to remedy the social and economic injustices of the marketplace. They tend to support government regulations for the economy, protecting the environment, regulations of gun ownership and more money for public schools. they support civil rights for minority groups and gov. efforts to redress past social injustices through programs like affirmative action. they believe that the government should be separate from the church. tend to be apart of the democratic party.

Why didn't the framers apply the Bill of Rights to all states and not just the national government?

they believed that each state constitution would, in one way or another, protect an individual's liberties.

NRA

they have been successful in defeating many attempts at gun control - they claim gun restrictions are unconstitutional.

what do social conservatives support?

they make up a powerful wing of the conservative movement, they support government action on social issues in order to protect core values, even if doing so intrudes on some individual freedoms.

Basic beliefs of a conservative

they stress that individuals should be responsible for their own well being, and should not rely on government assistance. They believe that the government should be smaller. They oppose government interference in the private sector and with gun ownership. They are against wasteful spending and favor a strong national defense. Tend to support the Republican party

traditional fiscal conservatives

they support lower taxes, wanting smaller government (leave more things up to the states), fewer government rules and regulations on business etc., and they support a reduction on government spending.

term limits for congress

they were proposed in the 90s, there have not been any limits enforced because it requires a constitutional amendment

basic beliefs of an independent

they're in between conservatives and liberals. They view themselves as pragmatics who apply common sense rather tan philosophical principals to political problems. They can lean a little bit to either party but some are in the very middle. Most Americans identify as Independents.

Title IX of Education Act of 1972

this law prohibits gender discrimination by colleges that receive federal funds. Title IX has most famously been used to force equal sports opportunities to women as to men, as well as equal financing.

big idea of interest groups

this opportunity for multiple access points for people to have their voices heard and influence government policy is a key benefit of interest

How can the president influence the fiscal and monetary policies?

through his appointment power

What is the best way for pollsters to get accurate data

to ask questions with no bias

New York Times v. Sullivan

to win a libel law suit, the accusing party must prove defendant issued intentional falsehoods, with malicious intent, and caused actual damage

what are some weakness of political parties?

too moderate, primaries replacing caucuses and conventions lead to party leaders losing control of nominating, increase in non-partisan elections, elections are more candidate centered than party centered, decrease in party identification and dealignment from the parties, Americans can be indifferent about parties.

Welfare Reform Act

under this law, social welfare programs are funded by both the state and federal governments, with the federal government contributing the greatest share in the form of block grants to the states.

What does the fourth amendment protect?

unreasonable searches and seizures, must have a search warrant to reach a house

Public Opinion polls on Social Security

up to now Social Security and Medicare have been considered politically "untouchable" in Washington D.C., nicknamed the third rail of politics that will electrocute you if you touch it. No one wants to touch it because it affects the elderly and they have the largest voter turnout

The Media's frequent use of "sound bites"

voters now rely more on short news stories or television/Internet commercials at election time for information about candidates and issues. To get their message across to TV audiences, both politicians and reporters increasingly communicate with citizens through "sound bites" that are vivid in presenting an issue through the news media to the public

crossover voting

voting for a candidate in the opposing candidate because they believe that they are more likely to loose.

What is the most common form of political participation

voting, "sufferage" "the franchise"

What is the major citizen of the American system of justice?

we overprotect criminals and place too much of a burden on the criminal justice system not to make any mistakes. This allows too many loopholes, delayed justice, encourage disrespect for the law and allow guilty persons to go unpunished.

Religion Demographic

white evangelical Christians are more republican, and white Catholics are more democratic. 2/3 of Jews are democratic

How does someone win the electoral college

winner take all, need 270

the democratic coalitions consisted of which groups of people in recent years?

women, people who re pro-choice, people who support of LGBT rights, people who live in cities/urban areas, environmentalists, people with lower incomes, younger voters, labor unions, jews, feminists

age demographics

younger voters tend to be democrat whereas senior citizens tend to be more republican