U.S. Government Final Exam Review

U.S. Government

Final Exam Review

Government

Unit 1

Government

• The formal body(ies) that conducts the policy, actions, and affairs of a state or community

Purposes of Government

Mrs. Amelung

1. Maintain Social Order

• Examples:– System of regulations (FDA, USDA)– System of laws (local, state, and federal)

2. Provide Public Services

• Examples:– Roads– Schools– Trash & Sewage

3. Manage Resources• Examples:

–Preserve natural areas (forests, wetlands, wildlife)

–Regulate energy sources (fossil fuels, soil, food)

–Protect the environment (EPA)

4. National Defense & Security• Examples:

– FBI (Internal security & intelligence)– CIA (External security & intelligence)– Military (Armed defense)

5. Establish and Administer Justice

• Examples:– Public court system (laws, defense, and judgment)– Prison system (protection, punishment,

rehabilitation)

Constitutional Vocabulary

• Enumerated/Delegated Powers: powers given to the national government alone

• Reserved Powers: powers given to the state government alone

• Concurrent Powers: powers shared by the national and state governments (not listed in Constitution)

Constitutional Vocabulary continued

• Legislative Branch: makes the laws; consists of Congress (Senate and House of Representatives); ARTICLE 1

• Executive Branch: enforces the laws; consists of the President and his Cabinet; ARTICLE 2

• Judicial Branch: interprets the laws; consists of the Supreme Court and all other federal courts; ARTICLE 3

Horizontal Organization

Vertical Organization

• Federal

• State

• Local

Federalism

• Federalists: stronger national government and weaker state governments

• Anti-Federalist: stronger state governments and weaker federal government

Political Beliefs and Behaviors

Unit 2

Social Issues

• Liberal: individuals make their own choices on social issues

• Conservative: government steps in to help individuals make moral decisions

Economic Issues

• Authoritarian: Government should intervene and regulate the economy

• Libertarian: Government should stay out of economic affairs altogether—individuals and private businesses can make their own decisions

Centrist

• Mid-level numbers in social and economic issues.

• You believe in some amount of government intervention in both social and economic issues.

• You are middle-of-the-road in your opinions.

The Gender Gap

Women vote for the Democratic candidates at higher rates than Republican candidates.

Low Voter Turnout Reasons

• Electoral college: votes not “counted”• No national holiday on election day• Voter ID laws• Gerrymandering• 2-party system• Registration/Access issues• Ballot length: referenda, initiatives, etc

Demographics and Voter Turnout The following increase the chance that someone will vote: Higher income Older Well educated White Northerner Union member Government employee

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Seneca Falls, New York 1848

• In the early 1800s, many women were involved in the abolition (anti-slavery) and temperance (no alcohol) movements

• A group of women and men gathered at a conference in Seneca Falls, NY in 1848

• This conference was led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott

• Conference attendees wrote the Declaration of Sentiments

Declaration of Sentiments

• Why did the women at the Seneca Falls Convention choose to copy the Declaration of Independence?

• What were 3 things they complained about?

• Are you surprised by any of the grievances?

• Do any of the grievances seem like they’re still true today?

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Fifteenth Amendment, 1871

• Granted African-American men the right to vote

• Disappointed many women who thought African-American men and women would be enfranchised together

• African Americans were split over whether men should get vote before women

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19th Amendment, 1920

Tennessee was the 36th state to ratify, and it passed by only 1 vote.

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United

States or by any State on account of sex.

Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

How Americans Participate in Politics

Political Participation: All the activities used by

citizens to influence the selection of political leaders or the policies they pursue.

Conventional Participation Voting in elections Working in campaigns /

running for office Contacting elected officials

How Americans Participate in Politics

Protest as Participation Protest: A form of political

participation designed to achieve policy changes through dramatic and unconventional tactics.

Civil disobedience: A form of political participation that reflects a conscious decision to break a law believed to be immoral and to suffer the consequences.

Measuring Public Opinion

How Polls Are Conducted

-Random Sampling: The key technique employed by sophisticated survey researchers; operates on the principle that everyone should have an equal probability of being selected for the sample-Representative Sample: Draws from all groups-Sample size ~1500-Sampling Error: The level of confidence in the findings of a public opinion poll, +/-3%

Study Guide #1 & 2• Linkage institutions: those things that connect

people to their government– Mass media: any means of popular communication;

e.g. TV, radio, Internet– Elections: citizens voting for candidates or policies;

e.g. primary, general, and special elections– Interest group: Organization of people with shared

policy goals entering policy process at one of several points; e.g. AIPAC-American Israeli Public Affairs Committee

– Political parties: organization of people seeking to control the government through elected office; e.g. Democratic, Republican, and Independent.

#3: Functions of Political Parties

– Parties Nominate Candidates– Parties Run Campaigns– Parties Give Cues to Voters– Parties Articulate Policies through their platforms– Parties Coordinate Policymaking

• Parties sponsor grassroots mobilization, energizing members to support a candidate or proposal.

#4 & #5: Political Parties• Democrats:

– More liberal (more open to change)– Donkey symbol

• Republicans:– More conservative (less open to change)– Elephant symbol

• Third Parties:– Splinter parties (e.g. Bull Moose Party)– Economic protest parties (e.g. Populist Party)– Charismatic leader parties (e.g. Rent is too damn high)– Ideological parties (e.g. Communist Party)

#6: Mass media

• Mass media:– any means of popular communication; e.g. TV, radio,

Internet• High-tech politics:

– A politics in which the behavior of citizens and policymakers and the political agenda itself are increasingly shaped by technology and mass media.

#7: Bias

• Liberal Bias: positive language about Democrats and negative language about Republicans; more coverage of “liberal” issues; putting more emphasis on the “liberal” opinion

• Conservative Bias: positive language about Republicans and negative language about Democrats; more coverage of “conservative” issues; putting more emphasis on the “conservative” opinion

• Structural bias occurs when stories are chosen to attract the largest audience.

#8: Political Parties vs. Interest Groups

Political Parties• Policy generalists (address a

wide range of issues)• Run candidates for office

Interest Groups• Policy specialists (focus on

one issue/area of issues)• Do NOT run candidates for

office

#9: Elections

Primary Elections• Take place in the spring• Involve a political party

choosing among nominees a candidate for office

• Lower voter turnout• Strategy: campaign to the

extremes of the party

General Elections• Take place in the fall• Involve the electorate

(voters) choosing among candidates an official for office

• Higher voter turnout• Strategy: campaign to

moderates to get as many votes as possible

#10: Special Elections

• Referendum- ratifying a policy proposed by the state legislature

• Initiative petition- citizens proposing legislation• Recall-removing a state or local official before the

end of his or her term

US Opening Journal 5.9.14

• Today: Reviewing Units 3 & 4.

#11: To Vote or Not To Vote?– Legitimacy- the people’s belief that the government has the right to

rule– Political Efficacy: The belief that one’s political participation really

matters.– Civic Duty: The belief that in order to support democratic

government, a citizen should always vote.

• These factors increase the likelihood of voting:– Age (older)– Income (higher)– Education (higher)– Marriage– Caucasian (white)– Female– Union Member– Government Worker– Northerner

#12: Electoral College

•Electoral College actually elects the President- founders wanted him chosen by the elite of the country

•States choose the electors•Winner-Take-All system gives bigger emphasis to more populated states battleground states

#13: Voting Strategies

• The Mandate Theory of Elections is the idea that the winning candidate has a mandate (widespread support) from the people to carry out his or her policies.

• Policy voting is the idea that electoral choices are based on voters’ policy preferences and where the candidate stands on policy issues.

• Retrospective voting is the idea that incumbents who have provided desired results are rewarded with a new term and those who fail are not reelected. “What have you done for me lately”?

#14: Campaign Finance

Federal Election Commission– FEC: Created by law in 1974 to administer

campaign finance laws for federal elections.• Super PAC’s: Officially known as “independent

expenditure only committees,” Super PACS may engage in unlimited spending independent of candidate and parties. They can raise funds from corporations, unions, and other groups without limits.

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

• Corporations are people with the same First Amendment rights as individuals.

• Independent expenditures (money spent that is unrelated to a political candidate or party) are protected by the First Amendment right to free speech.

US Government Review Unit 4:Institutions

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Requirements for House of Representatives

• Must be at least 25 years of age.• Must have been a citizen of the United States

for at least 7 years.• Must be a resident of the state in which

he/she is chosen.

Requirements for Senate

• Must be at least 30 years of age.• Must have been a citizen of the United States

for at least 9 years.• Must be a resident of the state in which

he/she is chosen.

How Congress is Organized to Make Policy

The House 435 members, 2 year

terms of office. Initiates all revenue

bills, more influential on budget.

Limited debates.

The Senate 100 members, 6 year

terms of office. More influential on

appointments and foreign affairs.

Unlimited debates, including the filibuster to talk a bill to death.

Bicameral: A two-house legislature

House-Senate Differences House

Debate limited to 1 hour Members are policy

specialists Emphasizes tax & revenue

policy More formal & impersonal Special Rules Committee

Senate Unlimited debate Members are policy generalists Filibuster Cloture requires a vote of 51

Members Emphasizes foreign policy More informal & personal

Leadership Positions in Congress

http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/

The House– Led by Speaker of the

House- elected by House members.

– Major role in committee assignments and legislation.

– Majority leader, minority leader, and whips

The Senate– Officially lead by Vice

President.– Actually led by Majority

Leader- chosen by party members.

– Minority leader and whips

How a Bill Becomes a Law…simplifiedI. A bill begins as a proposal.II. Bill gets debated in a committee.III. Bill gets debated in House of Representatives and passed.IV. Bill gets debated in Senate and passed.V. Bill goes to Conference Committee to resolve differences

between the House form of the bill and the Senate form of the bill.

VI. President can 1) sign the bill; 2) veto the bill; or3) leave the bill:

A)After 10 days, if Congress is still in session, the bill becomes law.

B) After 10 days, if Congress is not in session, the bill dies (pocket veto)

President - Requirements

• Must be at least 35 years of age.• Must be a natural-born citizen of the United

States.• Must have been a permanent resident in the

United States for at least fourteen years.

President as Chief of State• The President as ceremonial head of the U.S.

Example of Chief of State

• Awarding medals to the winners of college scholarships.

• Congratulating astronauts on their journey into space.

• Greeting visitors to the White House.• Making a patriotic speech on the Fourth of

July.

President as Chief Executive• The President as

holder of the executive power of the U.S.

Examples of Chief Executive

• Appointing someone to serve as head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

• Holding a Cabinet meeting to discuss government business.

• Reading reports about problems of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

President as Chief Administrator• The President as the leader of the executive

branch of the federal government.

Examples of Chief Administrator

• Managing executive agencies• Carrying out public policies• Managing employees in the federal

government

President as Chief Diplomat

• The President as the main architect of American foreign policy and the nation’s chief spokesperson to other countries.

Examples of Chief Diplomat

• Traveling to London to meet with British leaders.

• Entertaining Japanese diplomats in the White House.

• Writing a message or a letter to the leaders of the Soviet Union.

President as Commander-in-Chief

• The top person in charge of the nation’s armed forces.

Examples of Commander-in-Chief

• Inspecting a Navy yard.• Deciding, in wartime, whether to bomb

foreign cities.• Calling out troops to stop a riot.

President as Chief Legislator

• The President as the main author of public policy.

Examples of Chief Legislator

• Inviting members of Congress to lunch in the White House.

• Signing a bill of Congress.• Making a speech in Congress.

President as Chief of Party

• The President as the leader of his or her political party.

Examples of Chief of Party

• Choosing leading party members to serve in the Cabinet.

• Traveling to California to speak at a rally for a party nominee to the U.S. Senate.

President as Chief Citizen

• The President as the representative of all the people.

Examples as Chief Citizen

• President making a speech to the people.• President performing the State of the Union

Address.

Theory of Critical Elections

• V.O. Key• Some presidential elections are more

important than others!

Critical elections

• Begins a new party era = realignment of coalitions

• Coalitions: group of different entities united by a common purpose

• OR a new coalition may form, get bigger, or people switch coalitions

Maintaining elections

• New or old candidates, but same party wins

Deviating Elections

• Temporary shift to the opposite party, but does NOT end the era

Reinstating Elections

• After the deviating election, back to the party era

Bureaucracy

• What is bureaucracy?• The institutions that take laws and policies

and put them into action.• There are four categories of Bureaucratic

Institutions

First Category of Bureaucracy

The Cabinet Departments 15 Cabinet departments 14 headed by a secretary Department of Justice

headed by Attorney General

Each has its own budget, staff and policy areas

Republicans have been trying to eliminate several departments

Second Category of Bureaucracies

Regulatory Agencies Independent:

Responsible for some sector of the economy making rules and judging disputes to protect the public interest.

Headed by a commission of 5-10 people.

Rule making is an important function watched by interest groups and citizens alike.

EPA, SEC

Third Category of Bureaucracies• Government

Corporations– Business like-

provide a service like private companies and typically charges for its services

– Postal Service, Amtrak are examples

Fourth Category of Bureaucracies• Independent Executive Agencies

– The agencies that don’t fit anywhere else– NASA is an example

Budget

• President may propose a budget plan.• Congress may propose a budget plan.• Budget must be passed by both houses of

Congress and signed by the President (just like any bill).

• If no budget is passed, appropriations bills will be passed to fund various programs separately.

Marbury v. Madison (1803) Part 1

• End of John Adams’ Presidency• Federalist-controlled Congress• Last-minute laws establishing new federal

courts and a new position called “justice of the peace.”

• 42 new justices, some without commissions• Thomas Jefferson elected• New Republican-controlled Congress fails to

deliver all commissions and abolishes most of the new courts

Marbury v. Madison (1803) Part 2

• William Marbury—did not receive his commission—along with 3 others

• Took it to the Supreme Court!• Asked for a “writ of mandamus” from the Supreme

Court• Writ of mandamus: an order that a public official carry

out a specific duty• Judiciary Act of 1789• U.S. Constitution: Article III, Section 2• THIS CASE ESTABLISHES JUDICIAL REVIEW

Rights vs. Liberties

• Civil Liberties: the freedoms guaranteed to each citizen by the Bill of Rights

• Civil Rights: the rights of a group of people to receive equal protection of the law