AP Government LO's
Describe the roles of administrative discretion and rule-making authority in the execution of administrative policymaking
- the authority of administration actors to select among various responses to a given problem - discretion is greatest when routines, or SOPs, do not fit a case
Describe the organization of the executive branch, the role of the civil service, and the bureaucracy's responsiveness to presidential control.
1. Command-and-control policy: the government tells business how to reach certain goals, checks that these commands are followed, and punishes offenders. 2. Incentive system: regulatory strategy that rewards individuals or corporations for desired types of behavior, usually through the tax code. 3. Defenders of the command-and-control system of regulation compare it to preventive medicine; it is designed to minimize pollution or workplace accidents before they become too severe. 1. Cabinet Departments: Manages specific policy areas, and each has its own budget and staff. 2. Regulatory Agencies: Responsibility for some sector of the economy. 3. Government Corporations: Provide a service that could be handled by the private sector. They typically charge for their services, though often at cheaper rates than the consumer would pay a private sector producer. 4. Independent Executive Agencies: Not part of the cabinet departments and generally do not have regulatory functions; they usually perform specialized functions.
Describe the function of the electoral college and formulate arguments for and against the electoral vote system.
1. It protects minority interests. The Electoral College preserves the voice of states with lower populations and more rural areas, Occupy Theory noted. Especially in contemporary times, urban areas tend to be more populated, but the Electoral College saves the interests of farmers and those found in less bustling locations. 2. It facilitates a two-party system. Some political activists may not be fans of the two-party system, but the Republican verses Democrats structure creates more stability, according to the Asia-Pacific Economic Blog. The small number of political parties allows for generalized platforms instead of parties focused on specific issues. 3. It directs more power to the states. States are given the power to select the delegates to the Electoral College, allowing them to participate in the selection of a president. It maintains the representative form of government, according to the U.S. Election Atlas. Cons 1. The person a majority of Americans favor may not win. Certain smaller states have a larger percentage of Electoral College votes than their percentage of population of the United States. This is because the minimum number of Electoral College votes for a state is three. Some consider this to not be democratic. 2. It's complicated and dissuades people from voting. A popular vote is a simple majority, but the Electoral College consists of redistributing votes every 10 years because of population changes and electing delegates. There are many more steps involved, which may give citizens the feeling that their vote does not matter, encouraging them to stay home instead of visiting the ballot box on election days, according to the U.S. Election Atlas. 3. Small states and swing states get more power. One man does not equal one vote. California's 55 Electoral College votes mean there are 705,454 people per vote while there are only 194,717 people for each of Wyoming's three electoral votes, according The Green Papers.
Analyze the factors that affect the way voters elect members of Congress
1. Political parties 2. The president 3. Constituents 4. Interest groups
Defend the argument that "Presidential Power is the power to persuade".
A part of a president's power is hos power to persuade. A president's relationship with the public is highly influenced by Americans' evaluation of his performance in office. A president's ability to get things done is largely contingent on political factors, particularly the relative division of the two parties in Congress.
Analyze how incrementalism and bureaucratic culture affect policy-making.
A rational-comprehensive model of administrative policymaking is unrealistic. Instead, agencies make policy through incremental steps. The behavior of bureaucrats is shaped by bureaucratic culture-- the norms and informal practices that characterize the internal workings of the organization.
Discuss how U.S. citizens compared with those of other countries in their political attitudes.
A. Tocqueville on American democracy 1. No feudal aristocracy; minimal taxes; few legal restraints 2. Westward movement; vast territory provided opportunities 3. Nation of small, independent farmers 4. "Moral and intellectual characteristics" - today called "political culture" B. Definition of political culture 1. Distinctive and patterned way of thinking about how political and economic life ought to be carried out. 2. For example, stronger American belief in political than in economic equality Elements of the American political system Liberty,Equality,Democracy,Civic duty, Individual responsibility
Identify the principles of responsible party government and evaluate their role in majoritarian democracy.
According to the four principles of responsible party government, parties should present should present clear programs to voters and voters should choose candidates on the basis of party programs. The winning party should carry out its program, and voters should hold the party responsible for the doing so. However, citizens tend not to pay attention to platforms when voting.
Identify the factors that affect political participation, especially voting.
According to the standard socioenomic model, increasing political participation is linked to increases in education, wealth. and occupational status. Voting turnout in the United States presents a puzzle, because voting turnout has remained flat or even declined while education has increased. Cited causes of low voting turnout are registration requirement, lack of strong parties to mobilize votes, and too frequen elections
Trace the expansion of suffrage in the United States and assess the impact of expanded suffrage on voting turnout.
Although the United States was the first country to hold elctions with mass suffrage, only white male property holders could vote initially. Constitutional amendments after the Civil War gave blacks the right to vote , but they were systematically blocked from voting until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and subsequent court decision. Women did not get the right to vote nationwide until the 19 passed in 1920. Progressive reforms-- the initiatives and referendum--facilitated voting on state policies, but citizens cannot vote on national policies in a referendum.
Describe how conditions at the founding of the United States have influenced the nation's struggle to expand civil rights.
American civil rights movement, mass protest movement against racial segregation and discrimination in the southern United States that came to national prominence during the mid-1950s. This movement had its roots in the centuries-long efforts of African slaves and their descendants to resist racial oppression and abolish the institution of slavery. Although American slaves were emancipated as a result of the Civil War and were then granted basic civil rights through the passage of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments to the U.S. Constitution, struggles to secure federal protection of these rights continued during the next century. Through nonviolent protest, the civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s broke the pattern of public facilities' being segregated by "race" in the South and achieved the most important breakthrough in equal-rights legislation for African Americans since the Reconstruction period (1865-77). Although the passage in 1964 and 1965 of major civil rights legislation was victorious for the movement, by then militant black activists had begun to see their struggle as a freedom or liberation movement not just seeking civil rights reforms but instead confronting the enduring economic, political, and cultural consequences of past racial oppression.
Identify the free-expression clauses and describe the scope of their protection.
Americans enjoy a wide protections for expression, both spoken and written, including symbolic and commercial speech. Free expression is protected even when it clicks with other rights such as the right to a fair trial. However, the First Amendment does not protect some expression, such as libel, fraud, obscenity, and incitement to violence, and government has more leeway to regulate expression on the public airwaves.
Explain the procedures required to amend the Constitution.
An amendment needs to be proposed first, and then it needs to be ratified. They can be proposed by a two-thirds vote in the house and Senate, or by a national convention summoned by Congress at the request of two-thirds of the state legislatures. The ratification happens following the vote of the legislatures of three-fourths of the states, or by a Constitutional convention with a vote of three-fourths of the states.
Critique polling as a method for measuring public opinion and identify skewed, bimodal, and normal distributions of opinion.
At their best, public opinion polls represent the views of the American population as a whole, but there are many challenges to ensuring that polls are generalizable. The shape of the distribution of opinion indicates how sharply the public is divided. Bimodial distributions harbor the greatest petantial for political conflict. The stability of a distribution over time indicates how settled people are in their opinion.
Explain the procedures followed in the nomination of both congressional and presidential candidates
Before an individual can become a candidate to run for Congress, this person must first make sure that they meet the minimum requirements to run for Congress. A candidate for the United States Senate must be 30 years of age, a citizen of the United States for 9 years and an inhabitant of the state that he is elected from at the time of the election. A candidate for the House of Representatives must be 25 years of age, a citizen of the United States for 7 years and an inhabitant of the state that he is elected from at the time of the election. If that person meets these minimum requirements, then let's see how he goes about becoming a candidate!
Explain how the Supreme Court interpreted the Ninth Amendment to broaden the individual's constitutional protection of personal privacy beyond the language in the Bill of Rights
Beginning in the 1960's, the Supreme Court articulated a right to privacy, as implied by the Bill of Rights. This right has been applied in various domains and is the basis for a woman's right to an abortion under most, but not all, circumstances.
Distinguish between supportive acts and influencing acts of political participation
Citizens often unconsciously participate in politics, for example by reciting the Pledge of Alligiance and flying the flag on holidays, which constitute supportive behavior. More consciously, citizens engage in high-initiative influencing behavior when they seek to modify or reverse government policy.
Describe the process by which the national budget is prepared and passed into law and the reforms undertaken by Congress to balance the budget.
Congress alone prepared the budget until 1921, when it thrust the responsibility onto the president.In the 1970s, congress sought to regain control of the process, creating a Congressional Budget Office and a new house and Senate budget committees. Congress produced huge budget deficits in the 1980s fueled by tax cuts, increased military spending. Then the budget ceiling was raised and has been raised multiple time since then.
Examine the impact, influence, and acceptance of decisions on issues of national importance by an institution unaccountable to the electorate.
Courts inevitably fashion policy, for each of the states supreme courts deals with issues that often reflect deeply felt values or political beliefs, the impact of its decisions often extends well beyond the parties in dispute. The crafting of a majority decision often means that justices must moderate their arguments and compromise in their opinions, which can reduce their overall impact on policy implementation. The relationship between the UUSC and the public opinion is rarely highly contentious. In fact, the court's decision tend to come in line with views of the general public over time.
Compare the strengths and weaknesses of reform efforts aimed at increasing the effectiveness of the bureaucracy's performance.
Deregulation is a reduction in the level of supervision of a business market or other activity by a government bureaucracy. Recent efforts by government to improve the performance of bureaucracies include competition and outsourcing and setting performance standards.
Analyze the role of the media in political socialization and acquisition of political knowledge
Despite heavy exposure to news , the ability of most people to retain much political information is low. the media's most important effect on public opinion is in setting the country's political agenda. The media play more subtle, contradictory roles in political socialization.
Consider how indirect democracy diverges from direct democracy
Direct democracy features direct participation in government from all people, while indirect can feature participation from Representatives on behalf of people.
Compare and contrast two key theories of federalism used to describe the American system of government.
Dual federalism features the responsibilities of the national government and the states to be completely separated, and Cooperative Federalism features the responsibilities of both to be mixed together.
Define the ways in which elite theory differs from pluralist democracy.
Elite theory doesn't feature minorities in the same sense. Minorities in elite theory are people with powerful connections, influence, and money.
Describe the role of ideology in shaping federalism.
Federalism is always changing because of the changes in ideology that is happening all the time.
Evaluate the relationship between the values of freedom, equality, and order and political participation in American democracy.
Freedom holds that people should be able to participate in politics as much as they want and should be able to use all their resources in the process. Equality holds that each citizen's ability to influence government should be no greater than any other's, which is formally true in voting but not in influencing how others vote. Order is generally promoted by conventional participation but undercut by unconventional participation.
Analyze the inherent conflicts between freedom versus order and freedom versus equality.
Freedoms must be upheld by order, however equality can be compromised in order to uphold order, and freedoms can be compromised in order to uphold order, and freedoms may be given to certain people, directly contradicting equality.
Identify the purposes that government serves and trace their historical roots.
Government requires citizens to surrender some freedom as part of being governed. People do so to obtain the benefits of gevernment: maintaining order, providing public goods, and - more controversially- promoting equality.
Define judicial review, explain the circumstances under which it was established, and assess the significance of the authority it gave the courts.
Historical Background The Supreme Court did not have the power of judicial review under the initial provisions of the Constitution as drafted in 1787. This important power was acquired through the landmark case, Marbury v. Madison in 1803. The case was rooted in the divisions between the Federalist and Republican parties following the election of 1800. During this election, Thomas Jefferson (Republican) defeated President John Adams (Federalist), who was seeking a second term. While Adams lost the election in November of 1800, his term of office did not expire until the following March. Adams used this period to appoint several federal judges to the bench. Some of these appointments were made during the final hours of his presidency, earning the dubious title, 'the Midnight Judges.' A judge could not assume a position until a commission was officially delivered by the Secretary of State. Since many of Adams' appointments were made in the final days of his presidency, many of the commissions were not delivered when he left office. The new president, Thomas Jefferson, ordered his new Secretary of State, James Madison, not to deliver the commissions. Portrait of James Madison James Madison William Marbury, who expected his commission, requested that the Supreme Court issue a writ of mandamus (an official order to a government official) to Madison forcing him to deliver the commission. Marbury argued that the Supreme Court had the power to issue the writ under the provisions of the Judiciary Act passed by Congress in 1789. Portrait of William Marbury William Marbury In 1803, the Supreme Court ruled that Madison should not have withheld Marbury's commission. Chief Justice John Marshall argued for the court that since the commission was signed and sealed it was rightfully owed to Marbury. However, Marshall also ruled that the Supreme Court did not have jurisdiction in this matter and could not force Madison to deliver the commission. Marshall went on to note that the provisions of the Judiciary Act of 1789 that gave the court the power to issue such writs and orders was unconstitutional. In this significant case, the court established the important precedent of judicial review by declaring the Judiciary Act of 1789 illegal. Marshall affirmed this with, 'The particular phraseology of the Constitution of the United States confirms and strengthens this principle...that a law repugnant to the Constitution is void' ('Marbury v. Madison () 100 U.S.,'). Portrait of John Marshall John Marshall Procedure The Constitution is especially vague in detailing the powers of the Supreme Court. Article III, Section I of the Constitution stipulates that the court has original jurisdiction only when there is a dispute between the states or among high ranking officials. This means that the court is the first and last to hear and decide on the case. However, these circumstances are rare and in most cases, especially those involving judicial review, the court decides on cases based upon its appellate jurisdiction. In these situations, the court has the power to review and decide upon cases that are appealed (seeking additional review) from the lower courts. When the court hears cases involving constitutional issues (judicial review), decisions in these matters are final. These decisions can only be overturned by having an amendment added to the Constitution or through another Supreme Court decision. Supreme Court Supreme Court When exercising the power of judicial review the court is expected to act with judicial restraint. This means that they can only decide on the constitutionality of an issue. In most cases, the court respects the precedent, or past decisions, of lower courts. Justices on the court cannot use a case to inject their own political feelings on a particular issue. This form of judicial activism is usually discouraged. Judicial review gives them the power to only decide if a particular law or action by a government official was legal based upon the Constitution.
Identify obstacles to effective policy implementation.
Implementation is the process by which policies formulated by bureaucracies are put into practice. Lack of clarity in policy directives, involvement of many agencies at different levels of government, time constraints, and the sheer complexity of public policy problems are some of the challenges to effective implementation.
Identify the leadership structure of the legislative branch and assess the rules and norms that influence congressional operations.
In the House of Representatives the majority party's leader is Speaker of the House. The majority party in the House also has a majority leader, who helps the Speaker guide the party's policy program and a majority whip, who keeps track of the vote count and rallies support for legislation on the floor. The minority party is led by the minority leader who is assisted by the minority whip. The Constitution makes the vice president of the United states the president of the Senate. The president pro tempore, elected by the majority party is supposed to chair the Senate in the president's absence, but the position is solely honorary. They are typically the most senior leader of the majority party. The real power in the Senate lies in the majority leader. As in the House, the top position of the minority party is the minority power. Rules in each chamber are mostly matters of parliamentary procedure. For example, they govern the scheduling of legislation, outlining when and how certain types of legislation can be brought to the floor. Rules also govern the introduction of floor amendments. Both houses have codes of behavior that help keep them running. These codes are largely unwritten norms, although some have been formally adopted as rules. Members of Congress realize that they must minimize personal conflict. One of the most celebrated norms is that members show respect for each other in public deliberations. Probably the most important norm of behavior in congress is that individual members should be willing to bargain with each other
Compare and contrast different types of lobbying.
Indirect lobbying occurs when the interest group communicates with the people who then get in touch with the people who make the laws. An example of this would be if there were a gun control law proposed and the NRA encouraged its members and other people in the community to write to or call their Congresspeople to urge them not to support the bill.
Identify the various resources available to interest groups and evaluate their role in interest group performance.
Interest groups are any organization of people with policy goals who work within the political process to promote such goals. Groups attempt to influence policy in various ways including: • Lobbying government. Organized interests hire representatives to advocate on behalf of the group's interests. Lobbying activities include contacting members of Congress and the executive branch to disseminate information about the positive or adverse effects of proposed legislation. • Engaging in election activities. Interests may attempt to influence elections in order to help get people who support their issues elected or reelected. Electioneering techniques include giving money to candidates, endorsing candidates or issues, and conducting grassroots activities such as get-out-the-vote drives. • Educating various publics. Interest groups work hard to educate the public at large, government officials, their own members, and potential interest group members. • Mobilizing various publics. To influence policy-making, many groups rely on the efforts of people who are motivated to act on behalf of their issues and causes. So-called grassroots activities might include writing letters, making phone calls, contacting policy-makers, and demonstrating.
Identify the different roles that interest groups play in our political system.
Interest groups play an important role in the American political process. Interest groups and political parties play an important role in our political system. Political parties are important because they identify issues that are important to them, and they work to achieve goals related to those issues.
Differentiate among the types of congressional committees and evaluate the role of the committee system in the legislative process.
It's just like any other company, not everyone is an expert on everything, so they use committees to research the bill and the issues surrounding the bill in order to get to know it the best. Each bill requires expertise that may have little to do do with the other parts. Those who are not on a particular committee depend on committee members to examine the issues thoroughly, make compromises as necessary, and bring forward a sound piece of legislation that has a good chance of being passed
Compare and Contrast the four theories of market economics
Laissez faire economics holds that government should keep off the economy. Keysian theory holds that government should take an active role in dealing with the economy. Supply side economics focuses on controlling the supply of goods and services. Monetary policy is when the government controls how much money is leaving.
Compare and Contrast the different roles that the president plays as national leader.
Leadership is structured by vision and vision reflects a president's ideological orientation. Over time, presidents have come to play a critical role in preparing a package of proposals ( an agenda) for introduction in Congress. They then lobby for those proposals. Presidents are also leaders of their party, offering direction in terms of policy as well as engaging in more mundane activities, such as raising campaign money for congressional allies
Explain how liberals, conservatives, libertarians, and communitarians view the role of government.
Liberals want government to protect equality over order, Conservatives want order over equality, Libertarians want none, and Communitarians want both.
List the contributions to U.S. political culture made by the Revolution, by the nation's religious heritages, and by the family. Explain the apparent absence of class consciousness in this country.
Liberty, the needs to assert rights, the adversarial of culture, and opposition parties recognized (just from the revolution). Absence of an established religion leads to absence of political orthodox, the puritan heritage lead to the protestant work ethic , and miniature political systems were produced in churches, congregational organizations (just from the religious). The contributions of the families were great freedom for the children, equality among families members, each person had rights and each person internet are considered.
Describe the role of local government in a federal system and illustrate how national, state, and local governments sometimes interact.
Local governments are charged to handle certain things a state won't deal with, an example of when they all interact is during presidential elections.
Compare and contrast the majoritarian and pluralist models of democracy.
Majoritarian focuses on people participation in government, and pluralist focuses on participation through Representative interest groups.
Compare and contrast the effects of education, income, region, race, ethnicity, religion, and gender on public opinion.
Members of the same social group tend to experience similar socialization processes and thus to adopt similar values, which means people in different social groups tend to ahve different opinions
Define the concept of ideology, describe the liberal-conservative continuum, and assess the influence of ideology on public opinion.
Most people do not think about politics in ideological terms but readily classify themselves along a liberal-conservative continuum, with many choosing the middle category, moderate. Others choose the moderate category because they have liberal views on some issues and conservative views on others. Their political oreintation is better captures by a two-dimensional framework that analyzes ideology according to the values of freedom, order, and equality, which classifies people as liberals, conservative,libertatrians, and communitarians.
Discuss how the Supreme Court has interpreted the right to bear arms.
Most people have a right to possess firearms and use them for traditionally lawful purposes. However, government may limit this right to a certain classes of people, certain areas, he certain weapons, and may require qualifications for purchasing firearms.
Define political participation and distinguish among types of participation.
Most people participate in politics in convention ways-- voting and using established institutions of representatives government. Some participate in unconventional ways that challenge established institutions.
Identify and explain each of the four forces that stimulate changes in the relationship between the national and state governments.
National crises and demands stimulate the changes by expanding the power of the federal government in most crises. Judicial interpretations can either expand the federal powers, or expand state powers, depending on the outcome, and court justice. Grants-in-aid contribute to certain programs being directly funded and encouraged to be done in states by the federal government. The states may also request money for their own programs. Professionalization of state governments leads to states being able to become much more powerful, however, they experience increased demands from the national government, and the people, thus actually weakening.
Describe the victories won and challenges remaining for advocates of expanding civil rights protections for gay people.
Obergefell vs. Hodges Legalization of same-sex marriage
Analyze the international dimensions of federalism in the United States and other nations around the world.
Our federalism exists in a republic, meaning we get represented by chosen officials. Since our ideologies are always changing this means we need to hold elections every few years to keep the people happy.
Explain the influence of the agents of early socialization—family, school, community, and peers—on political learning.
People form their vales through the process of political socialization. THe most important socialization agents in childhood and young adulthood are family, school, community, and peers. Among adults, the workplace is a powerful socialization agent.
Identify the major social policies of the US and trace their origins, evolution and continued use.
Pluralist democracy as practiced in the United States has allowed well-organized, well influenced interest groups to manipulate taxing and spending policies in the United States are tipped in the direction of freedom rather than equality.
Analyze the American election campaign process in terms of political context, financial resources, and strategies and tactics for reaching voters.
Political advertising, especially negative advertising, is a prominent feature of contemporary political campaigns in the United States. Campaigns use advertising strategically to persuade citizens their candidate is preferable to the alternatives; to mobilize like-minded supporters to get out to the polls to cast a ballot for their candidate; and to acquire citizen-personal information, so they can more effectively target individuals with appropriate persuasive or mobilizing messages. Online advertising is growing, but television advertising volume has largely been on the rise, too, with 2014 being a plateau. Evidence about trends in advertising content and effects of advertising on citizens come from television advertising in particular. Over the past decade, candidates have consistently sponsored a majority of advertising on the airwaves although their share does appear to be declining in legislative races. Interest group sponsorship of political advertising has grown, especially in Senate and presidential races, taking advantage of recent legal changes in the campaign finance landscape. Negativity is the dominant form of television advertising, constituting more than 65% and as much as 75% of all congressional general election ads (and as much as 87% of presidential ads) on air since 2006. Parties and interest group sponsors are more likely to air negative advertising by candidates, but candidates do not refrain from going negative. In fact, candidate negativity comprises roughly half of all negative ads on air. Negative ads are more likely to cite specific sources and therefore are generally considered more substantive. TV advertising is unlikely to contain partisan or ideological cues, in part, because it is targeted at swing voters. Early studies of advertising cast doubt on their effectiveness, but more recent work suggests that advertising effects are small (mattering at the margin in the most competitive contests) and often conditional. That is, advertising effects often vary in relation to characteristics of the messages being aired, the individuals who view them, and contextual factors relating to the campaign more generally. Scholarship suggests that advertising has persuasive but short-lived influence on citizens and that advertising volume and negativity may aid mobilization efforts (although the influence of negativity may be conditioned upon ad characteristics and timing). Technological advances in the way TV advertising is deployed is increasing campaigns ability to target citizens in a fashion similar to online advertising, which has implications for how well researchers can continue to study it. Scholars have made considerable progress in studying 21st-century advertising effects, but a number of logistical hurdles and unanswered research questions remain.
Describe how political scientists use concepts to structure events and promote understanding.
Political concepts are generalized ideas about governmetn and politics. THey provide broader views than those offered by examining specific political events. Our conceptual framework consists of five concepts organized into two groups: concepts that identify values pursued by government: freedom, order, and equality; and concepts that describe models fdemocratic government: majortarian and pluralist democracy.
Appraise the components of the legislative environment that affect decision making in Congress.
Political parties, the president, constituents, and interest groups all influence how members of Congress decide issues. Political parties and the president push Congress toward majoritarianism; interest groups exercise a pluralist influence on policymaking; constitiuents can push representatives in both directions.
Analyze the role of the president within the context of the changing natures of global politics
Presidents not only lead the United States but also are important leaders of formal and informal alliances among democracies. The president sits atop a vast set of bureaucracies that aid him in making foreign and defense policy decisions.
Distinguish between the two theories of democratic government used in political science: procedural and substantive.
Procedural democracy is based around decision making, who can participate, and how equal is it politically. Substantive democracy is based more on the policies and things provided by the government.
Distinguish the various roles played by public opinion in majoritarian and pluralist democracy.
Public opnion is more important to the majoritarian model of democracy than the pluralist model.
Assess the impact of the media on democratic values and politics in the US
Reporters from the national media tend to be more liberal than the public while editors and publishers tend to be more conservative.
Explain the structure and powers of Congress as envisioned by the framers and enumerated in the Constitution.
Shared powers- declare war, raise and army and navy, borrow or coin money, regulate interstate commerce, create federal courts, establish rules of naturalization of immigrants, and "make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carry into Execution the foregoing Powers House- power of impeachment, power to create revenue bills, chooses president Senate- ratifies treaties, approve appointments, try impeachments
Describe the influence of federalism on elections at the state and national levels.
Since federalism is always changing so are our national and state governments, who we want to represent us is always different.
Identify the major areas of government outlays and explain the role of incremental budgeting and uncontrollable spending on the growth of government spending
Social Security, Medicare and health institutes, and the rest is distributed to the national debt. Since these are etitilements, the government must give them money to function.
Explain why some observers are quite concerned about the growth of mistrust in government and why others regard this mistrust as normal and healthy.
Some people are fearful of the decline of trusts because it isn't good if the politician doesn't listen to the people. Other people say that the distrust is normal because in the past it was higher and now its averaged out.
Evaluate whether the interest group system biases the public policymaking process.
Strong growth in the citizen group sector has brought more effective representation on behalf of environmental and consumer interests. business mobiliazation as enhanced the advantages already possessed by business in the political system. Little meaningful reform has been enacted to try to change the status quo of interest groups politics
Outline the organization of the US Court System and identify the principal functions of courts at each tier of the system
Supreme Court The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. Article III of the U.S. Constitution created the Supreme Court and authorized Congress to pass laws establishing a system of lower courts. In the federal court system's present form, 94 district level trial courts and 13 courts of appeals sit below the Supreme Court. Learn more about the Supreme Court. Courts of Appeals There are 13 appellate courts that sit below the U.S. Supreme Court, and they are called the U.S. Courts of Appeals. The 94 federal judicial districts are organized into 12 regional circuits, each of which has a court of appeals. The appellate court's task is to determine whether or not the law was applied correctly in the trial court. Appeals courts consist of three judges and do not use a jury. A court of appeals hears challenges to district court decisions from courts located within its circuit, as well as appeals from decisions of federal administrative agencies. In addition, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has nationwide jurisdiction to hear appeals in specialized cases, such as those involving patent laws, and cases decided by the U.S. Court of International Trade and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Learn more about the courts of appeals. Bankruptcy Appellate Panels Bankruptcy Appellate Panels (BAPs) are 3-judge panels authorized to hear appeals of bankruptcy court decisions. These panels are a unit of the federal courts of appeals, and must be established by that circuit. Five circuits have established panels: First Circuit, Sixth Circuit, Eighth Circuit, Ninth Circuit, and Tenth Circuit. District Courts The nation's 94 district or trial courts are called U.S. District Courts. District courts resolve disputes by determining the facts and applying legal principles to decide who is right. Trial courts include the district judge who tries the case and a jury that decides the case. Magistrate judges assist district judges in preparing cases for trial. They may also conduct trials in misdemeanor cases. There is at least one district court in each state, and the District of Columbia. Each district includes a U.S. bankruptcy court as a unit of the district court. Four territories of the United States have U.S. district courts that hear federal cases, including bankruptcy cases: Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. There are also two special trial courts. The Court of International Trade addresses cases involving international trade and customs laws. The U.S. Court of Federal Claims deals with most claims for money damages against the U.S. government. Bankruptcy Courts Federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction over bankruptcy cases involving personal, business, or farm bankruptcy. This means a bankruptcy case cannot be filed in state court. Through the bankruptcy process, individuals or businesses that can no longer pay their creditors may either seek a court-supervised liquidation of their assets, or they may reorganize their financial affairs and work out a plan to pay their debts. Article I Courts Congress created several Article I, or legislative courts, that do not have full judicial power. Judicial power is the authority to be the final decider in all questions of Constitutional law, all questions of federal law and to hear claims at the core of habeas corpus issues. Article I Courts are: U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces U.S. Tax Court
Assess the impact of knowledge, self-interest, and leadership on political opinions
Surveys show that the public does moderately well on quizzes of political facts, but people sometimes misunderstand critical issues in public policy and can reject evidence that runs counter to their beliefs. Citizens use party labels and cues from elected officials to compensate for their lack of detailed politcal knowledgable. Citizens also respond to the way in which issues are framed when forming their views. The way in which issues are presented to the public through the media can therefore be very important in shaping the relationship between public opinion and political action.
Evaluate the effect of privately owned mass media on the quality of political communication in the US.
THe mass media in the US are privately owned and in business to make money, which they do mainly by selling or airtime to advertisers. The concern with profit leads both print and electronic media to determine which events are newsworthy on the basis of audience.
Explain the significance of candidate-centered as opposed to party-centered election campaigns for majoritarian and pluralist democracy.
THe way that nominations campaigns and elections are conducted in America is out of keeping with the ideals of responsible party government that fit the majoritarian model of democracy. In particular campaigns and elections do not function to link parties strongly to voters, as the model posits. American parties are better suited to the pluralist model of democracy, which sees them as major interest groups competing with lesser groups to further their own interest.
Identify the objectives of tax policies and explain why tax reform is difficult.
Tax policies have several objectives: adjust revenue to meet budget outlays; to make the tax burden more equitable for taxpayers and to help control the economy by raising taxes. Even thoug people complain about the taxes being too high, they are relatively low compared to other countries. Also since there is an uneven distribution of wealth, tax reforms are hard.
Explain the role of the Bill of Rights in protecting civil liberties and civil rights.
The Bill of Rights applies mostly to the federal government, so citizens were not protected from the states' encroaching on their civil liberties. The Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868, protects citizens against state infringements of the rights and liberties guaranteed in the Constitution.
Identify the amendments and development of Supreme Court decisions that protect individuals who have been accused of committing a crime.
The Bill of Rights provides descendants with many rights, including protections against unreasonable searches and seizures, self-incrimination, entrapment, and cruel and unusual punishment (although the death penalty is not inherently constitutionally acceptable). defendants also have a right to be brought before a judicial officer when arrested, to have the services of counsel, to receive a speedy and fair trial (including by an impartial jury), and to confront witnesses who testify against them. They also must be told of their rights. Nevertheless, the implementation of each of these rights requires judges to make nuanced decisions about the meaning of relevant provisions of the Constitution.
Identify examples of unconventional participation in American history and evaluate their effectiveness.
The Boston Tea Party of 1773 that protested British rule was an early instance of uncovetional participation in AMerica. Citizens who marched for civil rights in the late 1950s and early 1960s succeededin changing laws through unconventional political participation.
Explain how advocates for African Americans have achieved civil rights victories in the courts and the legislative process, despite sometimes fierce resistance.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the most comprehensive civil rights legislation ever enacted by Congress. It contained extensive measures to dismantle Jim Crow segregation and combat racial discrimination. •The Voting Rights Act of 1965 removed barriers to black enfranchisement in the South, banning poll taxes, literacy tests, and other measures that effectively prevented African Americans from voting. •Segregationists attempted to prevent the implementation of federal civil rights legislation at the local level.
Explain the contribution of the Constitution to the American political tradition and the principles it establishes.
The Constitution advocates for a government to hold together the states and protect the states and maintain order.
Evaluate the extent to which the Constitution reflects and embodies the principles of majoritarian or pluralist democracy.
The Constitution caters towards equality and voting by the people in most circumstances, thus catering to Majoritarian views, however it also doesn't say anything about interest groups or political parties, this catering to pluralist views.
Describe the actions taken to ensure the ratification of the Constitution.
The Federalists, or people in support of the Constitution wrote federalist papers, or newsletters to convince people of it's goods, and to ratify it.
Describe the process by which cases are both accepted for review and decided by the US Supreme Court and analyze the role played by the judicial restraint and judicial activism in judicial decisions
The Supreme Court hears three types of cases: 2/3 are cases appealed from lower federal courts 1/3 are cases appealed from state supreme courts Rarely they hear cases that have not been previously heard by a lower court, such as between one state's government and another. The justices decide which cases they will hear, about 80 out of 7000 a year through writ of certiari If they decide not to hear a case, the decision of the lower court stands.
Consider whether members of Congress should vote according to the majority views of their constituents and assess the elements that characterize Congress as a pluralist or majoritarian system.
The U.S. Congress is often criticized for being too pluralist and not majoritarian enough. The federal budget deficit provides a case in point. Americans were deeply concerned about the big deficits, however, Congress didn't really make any efforts to address those concerns. Members of Congress try to win projects and programs that will benefit their constituents and thus help them at election time. To win approval of such projects, members must be willing to vote for others projects. Such a system obviously promotes pluralism. The growing partisanship in Congress illustrated a trend toward greater majoritarian. In short, the modern Congress is characterized by both elements of majoritariansim and pluralism
Identify the factors that led to the failure of the Confederation.
The articles were weak because they couldn't tax, couldn't raise an army, and they couldn't maintain order.
Define Political Party and list the functions performed by parties in democratic government.
The basic purpose of political parties is to nominate candidates for public office and to get as many of them elected as possible. Once elected, these officials try to achieve the goals of their party through legislation and program initiatives
Follow the evolution of government regulation of the media and identify the challenges that new media technologies present to existing regulations
The broadcast media can operate under technical, ownership, and content regulations imposed by the government. the regulation of media content is minimal and has largely been confined to broadcast media. Comprehensive policy regarding regulation of Internet news has yet to be developed, resulting in clashes between the FCC, Congress, and media corp.
Analyze the role played by entrepreneurs in interest group formation.
The bulk of the literature on group mobilization focuses on why individuals join groups and virtually ignores the group leader (entrepreneur). Thus, we argue that there is a gap in the literature on group development: while entrepreneurs are critical in the process of group mobilization, little is known about what they do and why and how they do it. Studies of group mobilization continue to focus on group supporters — the patrons and members who provide groups with the resources they need. We take a different approach. We examine the process of group mobilization from the perspective of the entrepreneur. Utilizing data from a survey of public interest group founders we test the effectiveness of three theories of group formation. Our analysis leads to four basic conclusions: 1.We should reject any strong version of Jack Walker's argument about the importance of patrons in group mobilization. While many public interest groups do form at the behest of patrons, most do not. 2.Most public interest groups form because aggressive, independent entrepreneurs form them. The large number of groups which cannot trace their origins to patrons or disturbances attests to the importance of entrepreneurs in group formation. 3.Many public interest group founders form groups in response to specific and easily identifiable events or series of events. Disturbances may not spur individuals to join groups, but they play an important role in stimulating entrepreneurial activity. 4.The "free-rider" problem is not operative for most groups "just starting out." Our data suggest that individuals-especially entrepreneurs and their friends-are the driving force behind public interest group formation.
Explain the reasons for the colonies' declaration of independence from British rule.
The colonies were fed up with not being represented and taxed. Also, they felt like they didn't have any rights.
Assess whether the constitutional powers of the president form a strong basis for the modern presidency.
The constitutional powers of the president form a strong basis for the modern presidency by expanding the powers of the president to a whole new level with all the expansions made by presidents that came before the modern presidents. With the power of the executive order, which let the president to gain even more power than what the five powers the constitution gave the president.
Evaluate the decision making authority of the federal judiciary within the context of both majoritarian and pluralist democracy
The courts provide multiple points of access for individuals to pursue their preferences. Furthermore, class action enables people with small individual claims and limited financial resources to pursue their goals in court, reinforcing the pluralist model. As the U.S Supreme court marches in a more conservative direction, some state supreme courts have become safe havens for more liberal policies on civil rights and liberties and for legal innovations generally. The state court systems have overlapping state and national responsibilities offering groups and individuals additional access points to present and argue their claims.
Illustrate how claims of inherent powers augment the formal powers of the presidency
The executive order increased the legislative power of the president. Allowing more freedom for the president to bypass congress. Thomas Jefferson increased the power of the commander in chief by making the president be able to move troops anywhere they want.
Define the concept of bureaucracy, explain the role of organizations on the administration of the nation's laws, examine the reasons for the growth of the bureaucratic state, and assess arguments for and against its continued expansion.
The federal bureaucracy performs three primary tasks in government: implementation, administration, and regulation. When Congress passes a law, it sets down guidelines to carry out the new policies. Actually putting these policies into practice is known as implementation. Often, policy directives are not clearly defined, and bureaucrats must interpret the meaning of the law. The bureaucracy often has some flexibility, known as administrative discretion, in actual implementation. The routine of bureaucracy — collecting fees, issuing permits, giving tests, and so on — is the administration of its defined purpose. The federal bureaucracy makes regulations (the rules by which federal and state programs operate) through an administrative process known as rule making. Regulations can be challenged in court, and they are not put into effect until the legal issues are resolved.
Analyze how contemporary debates about civil rights push new boundaries but have roots in earlier eras.
The federal courts also carved out a judicial beachhead for civil rights activists. In Smith v. Allwright (321 U.S. 649, 1944), the U.S. Supreme Court, by an 8 to 1 vote, outlawed the white primary, which by excluding blacks from participating in the Democratic Party primary in southern states had effectively disfranchised them since the early 1900s. A decade later, the high court under Chief Justice Earl Warren handed down a unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education (347 U.S. 483, 1954), a case that tested the segregation of school facilities in Topeka, Kansas. Brown sparked a revolution in civil rights with its plainspoken ruling that separate was inherently unequal. "In the field of public education, separate but equal has no place," the Justices declared. Then, in the early 1960s, the Supreme Court rendered a string of decisions known as the "reapportionment cases" that fundamentally changed the voting landscape for African Americans by requiring that representation in the federal and state legislatures be based substantially on population. Baker v. Carr (369 U.S. 186, 1962) upheld the justiciability of lawsuits that challenged districts apportioned to enforce voting discrimination against minorities. Gray v. Sanders (372 U.S. 368, 1963) invalidated Georgia's county unit voting system, giving rise to the concept "one man, one vote." Two decisions in 1964, Wesberry v. Sanders (376 U.S. 1) and Reynolds v. Sims (377 U.S. 533), proved seminal. The court nullified Georgia's unequal congressional districts in Wesberry while validating the 14th Amendment's provision for equal representation for equal numbers of people in each district. In Reynolds, the Supreme Court solidified the "one man, one vote" concept in an 8 to 1 decision that expressly linked the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause to the guarantee that each citizen had equal weight in the election of state legislators.
Explain the major points of contention in the writing of the Constitution.
The major points of contention were in how representation would be dealt with by the government, specifically that smaller states could be underrepresented.
Identify the purposes elections serve and explain the relationship between elections and majoritarian and pluralist models of democracy
The majoritatrian model assumes that government responds to popular demands expressed through conventional participation, primarily elections. The pluralist model encourages oter forms of participation to influence government including well-financed efforts to persuade both voters and officials.
Trace the evolution of the mass media in the US and evaluate the impact of new technologies on journalism.
The mass media transmit info to large heterogeneous, and widely dispersed audience through print, broadcast, and the Internet. The mass media have traditionally been divided into print and broadcast formats, but the rise of digital communications has created a more complicated landscape, rendering this traditional distinction problematic.
Describe the ways in which issues get on the congressional agenda.
The policy agenda is greatly influenced by the news media. By choosing what issue to cover, the news media affects which issues the voters think are important, which, in turn, influences policy agenda. For instance, the media's heavy coverage of the current immigration debates has caused this to be one of the top priorities on the government's policy agenda.
Assess the role played by the various executive branch institutions as resources for an effective president.
The president is surrounded by a staff of advisors who provide support and analysis of pending decisions and of broader strategic direction. The primary component of the presidential advisory system, the Executive Office of the President, the vice president, and the cabinet.
Assess the effects of party identification, political issues, and candidate attributes on voter choice.
The role of candidates in shaping voting choice has generated much research—and at least as much controversy—since modern electoral behavior research began in the 1960s. Much of the controversy surrounds the personalization of politics and whether political systems—and especially parliamentary systems—are becoming more leader-oriented. Three fundamental changes in electoral behavior underpin the study of candidates and voting choice behavior: the declining impact of social structure on the vote; partisan dealignment, with voters drifting away from their traditional party attachments; and the decline in the mass memberships of political parties. Researchers argue that because of these changes, fostered by the growth of television, candidates have assumed a greater role in structuring the vote. While there is impressionistic evidence that leaders have become more important, empirical evidence of an underlying change in voter behavior is more difficult to identify. Accordingly, this essay focuses mainly on changes in the political context within which candidates operate, since we expect this to be the source of any change. The design of political institutions shapes the level of attention that candidates receive, and that is especially the case with electoral systems. Electoral systems with fewer parties are more likely to focus voters' attentions on candidates when compared to systems with larger numbers of parties. Weak party organizations coupled with partisan dealignment within the electorate can also alter the role and profile of candidates, although their impact is difficult to quantify. Changes in the mass media—and particularly the advent of television in the 1960s and the visual images on which it relies—are often viewed as the major cause of the personalization of politics. A new disruptive technology, the Internet, looks likely to stimulate additional political change for candidates and voting in the 21st century. Finally, what voters look for in their candidates appears to be stable both over time and cross-nationally and can be reduced to two overarching qualities: character and competence.
Define internal and external feelings of political efficacy, and explain how the level of each of these has varied over the past generation
The sense that one has a say in what government does and that politics is understandable Internal:he belief that one can understand politics and therefore participate in politics External: that the government will respond to one's demands. declined for external efficacy, remained unchanged for internal efficacy, Americans' sense of political efficacy compared to that of most Europeans is significantly higher.
Define freedom, order, and equality and discuss the various interpretations of each value
The terms freedom order and equality have varied connotations in AMerican politics. Freedom and equality are positive terms that mean different things to defferent people at different times. Order had a negative connotations for many because it symbolizes governmetn intrusion into private lives. Freedom can be used in two major senses: freedom of and freedom from. We use it in the freedom of speechf means freedom to speak. Order in politics means more tahn preserving life and property. It also means established patterns
Explain why two parties dominate the history of American politics.
There is no incentive to form a party that consistently gets votes but cannot win an election. As a result, two political parties usually dominate plurality electoral systems to the disadvantage of smaller third parties, just as the Democrats and the Republicans dominate the American political system
Evaluate the challenges facing countries trying to move toward a democratic form of government.
These countries are not able to move to Democratic governments because sometimes the military can take control to maintain order, however it only becomes authoritarian afterwards due to uncontested military control.
Compare and contrast the Democratic and Republican parties on the basis of ideology and organization.
This comparison examines the differences between the policies and political positions of the Democratic and Republican parties on major issues such as taxes, the role of government, entitlements (Social Security, Medicare), gun control, immigration, healthcare, abortion and gay rights. These two parties dominate America's political landscape but differ greatly in their philosophies and ideals.
Outline the history of the US political party system.
Timeline U.S. Political Parties 1789 Independent Party George Washington becomes the 1st President of the United States. He was not formally affiliated with any Political Parties during his two terms in office and therefore classed as an Independent. All members of the new government supported him as an impartial president and wanted to give the Constitution a fair trial Timeline U.S. Political Parties 1797 Federalist Party Federalist Papers John Adams is elected president for the Federalist Party who believed that the new central government, and the well-educated, wealthy classes, should be given the greatest power of government. The Federalist Papers explained the Constitution to the American people and promoted the concept of Federalism Timeline U.S. Political Parties: 1797 Anti-Federalist Party Adams and the Federalist party were opposed by the Anti-Federalist Party who believed that the vast majority of ordinary, less educated people, had the skills and common sense required to run the government. Timeline U.S. Political Parties: 1798 Republican Party The Anti-Federalist party was re-named as the Republican Party reflecting the ideals of Republicanism supporting states' rights and a strict interpretation of the Constitution Timeline U.S. Political Parties: 1798 The Democratic-Republican Party Jeffersonian Republicans The Federalists tried to discredit the Republican Party by naming them Democratic-Republicans to convey the extreme and radical actions taken in the name of democracy during the French Revolution. However, the Jeffersonian Republicans admired the strong anti-monarchist sentiments of the French and their belief of the principle of government by the people - so the name "Democratic-Republican" stuck. Timeline U.S. Political Parties 1800 Democratic-Republican Party Thomas Jefferson, leader of the Democratic-Republican Party, was elected the third president of the United States. The Democratic-Republican Party adhered to the Constitution in order to limit the powers of the federal government and was strongly opposed to aristocracy, monarchy, corruption and elitism Timeline U.S. Political Parties 1809 Democratic-Republican Party The James Madison followed Jefferson as leader of the Democratic-Republican Party Timeline U.S. Political Parties 1815 Fall of the Federalist Party The Federalists bitterly opposed the rising power of the Democratic-Republicans and held secret meetings at the Hartford Convention to air their views reproaching Madison's administration and the War of 1812, some delegates favored secession. The War of 1812 ended with a sense of victory and sealed the destruction of the Federalist party. The secrecy of the Hartford Convention discredited the Federalists who were seen as too extreme and disloyal and even branded as "traitors". Timeline U.S. Political Parties 1817 Democratic-Republican Party As there was now only one political party (Democratic-Republican) this led to are more stable government and heralded the "Era of Good Feelings" during the two term presidency of James Monroe. Timeline U.S. Political Parties 1824 National Republican Party The Democratic-Republican party split into several factions, taking the names of their party leaders: the Adams men (supporting John Quincy Adams), the Clay men (supporting Henry Clay). The Adams and Clay factions began to act together and to call themselves National Republicans, because they wished to build up the nation's resources, specifically National Defense, following the War of 1812. Refer to the National Republican Party Timeline U.S. Political Parties 1825 Democratic-Republican Party John Quincy Adams became the last President under the Democratic-Republican ticket. During this time it split into the northern-dominated Republicans and the southern-dominated Democrats Timeline U.S. Political Parties 1829 Democrat Party Andrew Jackson was elected president. The Democratic Republican party of Andrew Jackson dropped the word "Republican" and called themselves simply Democrats and so began the formation of the Democrat Party Timeline U.S. Political Parties 1832 Whig Party The National Republicans completely changed their name and adopted the name of the British liberal party and became the Whig Party because they also favored reform Timeline U.S. Political Parties 1837 Democrat Party Martin Van Buren was elected president on the Democrat ticket. The party lost its popularity due to the Panic of 1837, the president was given the nickname 'Martin Van Ruin' and the electors turned their affiliation to the newly formed Whig party. Timeline U.S. Political Parties 1841 - 1845 The Whig Party The Whig Party achieved power through the election of William Harrison and John Tyler but both died in office before being able to make the party's impact on the nation. Timeline U.S. Political Parties 1845 Democrat Party James Knox Polk was elected president as leader of the Democrat Party and added a vast area to the U.S., but its acquisition precipitated a bitter quarrel between the North and the South over expansion of slavery Timeline U.S. Political Parties 1853 Fall of the Whig Party Free Soil Party The Whig Party came into power again with the election of Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore. The policies of Fillmore led to division in the Whig party. The anti-slavery faction of the Whigs, including members of the "Barnburners" anti-slavery faction and the Free-Soilers successfully prevented the re-nomination of Fillmore and destroyed the Whig Party in 1853. Timeline U.S. Political Parties 1853 Democrat Party The election of Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan brought the Democrats into power Timeline U.S. Political Parties 1854 National Union Party The National Union Party was formed to further the beliefs of national interest above sectional interests and states' rights. It was organized in 1854 in opposition to the extension of slavery and eventually emerged as the Republican party. Timeline U.S. Political Parties 1860 National Union Party Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860 as the first leader of the National Union Party. Upon Abraham Lincoln's death in 1865, Andrew Johnson became the only other National Union President. The 'National Union Party' then changed its name to the Republican Party. Timeline U.S. Political Parties 1869 Republican Party Ulysses Grant was elected President and the first leader of the re-named Republican Party. Timeline U.S. Political Parties 1869-present Two Party System United States has two major political parties: the Democrats and the Republicans who share almost all the political power in the country to the present day.
Distinguish among these terms: totalitarianism, socialism, capitalism, libertarianism, and anarchism.
Totalitarianism has authoritative rule, socialism is where the government is in control of most things, Capitalism promotes free market values, libertarianism only mandates government intervention to preserve life, and anarchism features no government at all.
Categorize different types of public policies and outline the process by which policies are formulated and implemented.
Underlying policy choices are basic values-the core beliefs about how government should work. The basic objectives of government policy tend to be distributional, redistributional, and regulatory. The policymaking process consists of four broad stages: agenda setting, formulation, implementation, and evaluation. All three branches of the national government formulate policy, along with policy experts, interest groups, and trade organization, which together form issues networks. Formulation often involves one of the following tools to achieve objetives: incentives and disincentives, direct provision of services, or rule setting. Implementation and evaluation influence agenda building because program shortcomings become evident during these stages. Thus, the process is circular, with the end often marking the beginning of a new round of policymaking. Policymaking stages are often marked by fragmentation and by efforts intended to achieve coordination.
Define globalization and explain how globalization affects American politics and government.
We live in an era of globalization a term for the incresaig interdependence of citizens and nations across the world. Globalization infringes on national sovereignty, the right of governments of to govern their people as they wish. Global forces generate pressures for economic trade, observance of human rights, and governance by international law. More than ever before, foreign affairs affect AMerican government, and AMerican politics affects government in other nations.
Define what scholars mean by political culture, and list some of the dominant aspects of political culture in the United States.
What scholars mean by political culture is a distinctive and patterned way of thinking about how political and economic life ought to be carried out. The five most dominant aspects of political culture in the United States are Liberty, equality, democracy, civic duty, and individual responsibility. Americans view liberty as freedom from government restraints and protection of rights. They view equality as an equal vote and an equal chance to participate and succeed. They view democracy as government officials should be accountable for the people. They view civic duty as people are obligated to take part in community affairs. Finally, they view individual responsibility as barring disability and individuals are responsible for their own actions and well-being. These are the five aspects of political culture in the United States.
Explain how judges at different levels of the federal court system are nominated and confirmed to the federal branch.
When a vacancy opens up, the corresponding senator(s) from that state where the vacancy lies will suggest one or more names for nomination to the attorney general or the president. If neither one of the senators is of the president's political affiliation, congressmen and other state party leaders may make suggestions. Other senators may try to suade certain choices. The White House Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation will then conduct competency and background checks on suggested persons. Presidents usually select from the surviving suggestions.
Explain why a certain level of political tolerance is necessary in the conduct of democratic politics, and review the evidence that indicates just how much political tolerance exists in this country. Agree or disagree with the text's conclusion that no group is truly free of political intolerance.
You need some level of political tolerance otherwise you wouldn't be able to have a change in democracy because only 1 person belief would be able to stay
Describe how election campaigns have changed over time.
campaigning has evolved from a party-centered to a candidate-centered process
Identify the mechanisms that guarantee freedom of religion.
freedom to exercise practice and cannot establish religion
