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AP Govt Quick Review!. THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SYSTEM. INPUT. POLICY IMPACT. POLICY. POLICY AGENDA ISSUES. Growth of Nat’l Gov’t Powers. 1. Nat’l policy takes precedence: “ gov’t of the United States… is supreme…” McCulloch v. Maryland ( 1819) - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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AP Govt Quick Review!
THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SYSTEMPARTICIPANTS•Individuals•Groups•Organizations
INPUT
LINKAGE INSTITUTIONS•Elections•Parties•Interest Groups•Media
POLICY AGENDA
ISSUES
GOVERNMENT•Congress-statutes•President-orders/decisions•Courts-opinions•Bureaucracy-rules & regulations
POLICY
POLICY IMPACT
Growth of Nat’l Gov’t Powers
1. Nat’l policy takes precedence: “gov’t of the United States… is supreme…”McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)“necessary & proper clause” = “elastic clause”
2. Expanded definition of the “commerce clause”Gibbons v. Ogden (1824); commerce includes all
economic activity (ex. Radio & TV, internet, insurance, agric, finance, discrimination)
3. the Civil War: military version of McCulloch! 4. Racial =ity: after Brown v. Board of
Education (1954), states’ resistance led to federal laws!
Cooperative vs. Dual Federalism
Fiscal Federalism: Grants-in-Aidspending, taxing, & providing $ by nat’l gov’t to st/loc gov’ts
= influence on policy
Categorical Grants For specific purposes or
categories St/loc gov’t must apply
& meet qualifications, also “match” funds
“strings” often attached Project grants:
competitive applications (ex. NSF & college profs)
Formula grants: automatic to st/loc based on formulas using population, income, rural pop., etc. (ex. Medicare, AFDC, school lunch)
Complaints = Paperwork!
Block Grants Support broad areas like
community development, education, or social services
States have discretion; less natl control (thus, less credit claiming)
Not as much paperwork or strings
The Politics of Federal Grants The Republican
“Contract with America” called for devolution— the transfer of political and economic power to the states
For example: Welfare
Gradual application of BoR to st/local govt
(Gitlow v. New York)
(1868)
(Gitlow v. New York)
Interest Group Defined Voluntary membership association to pursue common interests, influence policy, and gain advantage for members and causesFormed when resources are inadequate or scarce
Discussed by Madison in Federalist #10; warned of need to check “factions” power by government, fear of denying rights to minority
Goals of Interest Groups
To influence parties, elections & public opinionTo supply the public with information that supports that group’s interestsBuild a positive image for the groupSupport candidates, don’t run them
Good or Bad?Another way to participate & influence policy
“watchdog” – gov’t accountability
Too many = gridlock (hyperpluralism)
Unfair advantage to those who can pay -- $$$$
Views on interest groupsTheories—–Pluralist–Elite–Hyperpluralist
Political Parties DefinedOrganizations that seek to influence public policy by putting its own members into positions of government authority.GOAL IS TO WIN. “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” ----Vince Lombardi
What is a Political Party?
An organization that seeks to influence
public policy by WINNING ELECTIONS to positions of authority
Linkage institution: translates public input into policy
“Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” ----Vince Lombardi
Party Eras in American History
1968-Present: The Era of Divided Party Government– Divided government: one party controls
Congress and the other controls White House
– due in part to:• Party dealignment: disengagement of people
from parties as evidenced by shrinking party identification
The Party in the Electorate
Why don’t 3rd Parties win??Winner-take-all system in Electoral College Single-member plurality Congressional districts (vs. proportional representation)Only get public funding if 5% pop vote previous electionElectoral rules- difficult to get on the ballot
BUT…Offer new ideas/diverse opinionsCritique major parties- force major parties to address controversial issues More opps to participate Provide solutions at local level
Conventional Ways to Participate
VoteGive $Campaign for othersPersonal contact (phone, e-mail, letter)Run for officeLitigation
Political Learning Over a Lifetime– Aging increases political participation and
strength of party attachment.
A Look at the Past…Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections270 to win
Obama=365McCain=173
Bush=286Kerry=251
Changes in Voting Eligibility Standards since 1871
Voter Turnout in Presidential and Midterm
Elections, 1990-2006
Why People Don’t Vote
Overall 51.3% Overall 55.3%
Role of Media in PoliticsLinkage institution between the people & the institutions of policymaking
Influence on elections (paid media vs. free)
$$$– 60% of presidential campaign money is
spent on advertising, 2/3 of which is negative!
Media: Good or Bad?
Checks & balancesGov’t watchdogProvide information to public
Popular perception of corruption leads to mistrustDriven by profitResponds to what they perceive the people wantIf media identify a problem, force
government to address it, which expands the scope of government
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
1. Banned soft money contributions
2. Increased the amount that individuals could give to candidates from $1,000 to $2,000 (and indexed for inflation 2010=$2400)
3. Barred groups from running “issue ads” within 60 days of general election if refers to federal candidate and not from PAC
But…Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission (2010) – under the 1st Amend. corporate funding
of independent political broadcasts in candidate elections cannot be limited.
– struck down ban on corporations and unions from broadcasting “electioneering communications” in the 60 days before the general elections
– http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/guide-to-political-donations
Constitutional Differences
HouseTwo-year termAt least 25 years old7-year US citizenLegal residence of stateMust initiate revenue billsInitiates impeachment and votes on impeachment billsApportioned by population: 435 members– Elected by single-member
districts– Represent ~650,000
people (orig. 65 members rep ~30,000 each)
SenateSix-year termsAt least 30 years old9-year US citizenLegal resident“advice & consent” power over many presidential appointmentsTries impeached officialsRatifies treatiesEqual representation: 100 members– Elected “at large”
17th AmendmentNo term limits
Differences in OperationHouse
More centralized; procedures more formal; high party loyaltySpeaker’s assn of bills to committee hard to challengeRules Committee fairly powerful in controlling time & rules of debateNongermane amendments forbiddenMajority party controls schedulingMembers are highly specializedEmphasizes tax and revenue policyLess political prestige Seniority more importantDischarge petitions
SenateLess centralized; less formal procedures, weaker leadershipAssignment of bills to committee appealableNo rules committee; limits on debate through unanimous consent or cloture of filibusterNongermane amendments permittedSchedule & rules negotiated between majority and minority leadersMembers are generalistsMore foreign policy responsibilitiesLess subject to public pressureLarger constituencies
Mr. Smith\
LeadershipSpeaker of the House (HoR)– Most influential position-Rules Comm; elected by majority
party– Presides over sessions, makes committee assignments, assigns
chairs, assigns bills to committee, counts votes; 3rd in line to presidency
President of Senate (VP)– Votes only if a tie
President Pro Tempore (Senate)– Presides if VP absent; mostly honorary
Majority Leader (in both HoR & Senate)– Schedules bills for votes; determine party strategy
Majority Whip (in both houses)– Determines vote counts before floor votes; communicates
between leaders & members of party; persuasion!– Named after the “whipper in,” the rider who keeps the hounds
together in a fox huntMinority Leader (both houses)Minority Whip (both houses)TheCapitol.Net > 111th Congress, 2nd Session, > Leadership > with portraits
I’m 87!
Gerrymandering
Packing concentrates opposition votes
into a few districts to gain more seats for the majority in
surrounding districts
Cracking Splitting up groups of voters so they do not
constitute a majority in any district
Fiscal Policy: The Federal Deficit
Economic PolicyFiscal Policy
Government policy that attempts to
manage the economy by controlling taxing and spending (budget
process)
Monetary PolicyGovernment policy that attempts to
manage the economy by controlling the money
supply and thus interest rates
Main agency= Federal Reserve System
The Budget Process
II. Presidential RolesChief CitizenChief of PartyChief LegislatorChief DiplomatCommander-in-Chief of Armed ForcesChief of StateChief Administrator/Executive
How Is the Bureaucracy Controlled?
By the President– Appoint the
“right” people– Remove agency
heads– Issue executive
orders– Budget (OMB)
By Congress– Influence the
appt process (Senate)
– Funding (through budget legislation)
– Hold hearings (oversight)
– Rewrite legislation (create, destroy, reorganize)
• By the Judiciary– Rule on
whether bureaucrats have acted w/in the law
– Force the bur. to respect the rights of individuals (through hearings)
– Rule on the constitutionality of all challenged rules & regs
Federal Questions Only!
Their Authority
How Do Cases Rise to the Supreme Court?
Accepting cases– Use the “rule of four” to choose cases– Issues a writ of certiorari to call up the case
Predictions on Free Response
Something on campaigns…Electoral College?President and Congress- balance of power…Gerrymandering because reapportionment yeaFederalism/grants (because Healthcare…)