Friday, November 21, 2014

12/5 homework

Homework for 12/5, SCA to follow.

chs. 13 and 14


1. What are the 8 basic roles of the President? (354-5)

2.What are the qualifications and term for President? (356-7)

3. What are the pay and benefits for the President? (358)

4. What amendment to the Const. adjusted the line of succession to the Presidency in 1967 and what is the line of succession? (359)

5. What is the absolute length of term can a President serve? (Me, in class!)

6. What is the importance of the Vice-Presidency? (361-2)

7. What does the term Imperial Presidency mean? (392)

8. What was William Howard Taft's view of Teddy Roosevelt? (392)

9. What are the executive powers of the President? (393-6)

10. What are the diplomatic and military powers of the President? (399-403)

11. What are the provisions of the War Powers Act of 1973? (403)

12. What is a line-item-veto and what supreme court case invalidated it? (407)

13. What is a "boondoggle"? (407 and me in class)

14. What is amnesty? (408)

12/12 homework

Homework due 12/12, SCA to follow.

The Court System Ch. 18

Answer the following:
1. What is meant by the dual court system? (506)
2. What is original and appellate jurisdiction? (509)
3. What is judicial activism? (510)
4. How many federal judicial districts are there and what is their jurisdiction? (512)
5. How many circuit judges sit on the appellate courts and what is to sit en banc? (514)
6. What is judicial review and why is it central to the Rule of Law? (517)
7. Give a brief of the Marbury v. Madison case and explain why it set the precedent for judicial review? (518)
8. What is a writ of certiorari? (520)
9. What are Majority opinions, precedents, concurring opinions and dissenting opinions? (522)

Study guide

I will explain how to utilize this study guide in class, listen carefully. Your final exam is 20% of your total grade. Be diligent and careful!


Gov’t study guide

Chapter 1
Public policyLegislative,executive,judicial powersConstitutionDictatorship,democracy, state, sovereignAutocracy,oligarchy,plutocracyUnitary, federal, confederalPresidential, parliamentary

Chapter 2
Limited gov’t, representative gov’tMagna carta, petition of rights, English bill of rights 1689Charter, proprietaryUnicameral, bicameralAlbany plan of union, popular sovereigntyArticles of ConfederationVirginia (Randolph), NewJersey (Patterson), Connecticut (Sherman)-Great {Compromises}Three-fifths, commerce and slave trade compromisesFederalists, Anti-Federalists, Federalist papers, quorum

Chapter 3
Six basic principles of gov’t.Preamble, articles, amendmentsRule of law!Separation of powers, checks and balances, veto, judicial reviewMethods of amending the Const., bill of rights!Treaty, electoral college, cabinet, senatorial courtesy

Chapter 4
Federalism, division of powerDelegated power, exclusive power, expressed power, implied power, inherent power, concurrent power, reversed powerRevenue sharing, block grants, categorical grants, grants-in-aidFull faith and credit clause! Privileges and immunities clauseExtradition

Chapter 5
Political partiesPartisan, partisanshipParty in power vs. party out of powerTwo party systemMinor partiesSingle member districtSimple majority, majority, pluralityBipartisan, consensus, coalitionIncumbent, factions, electorate, sectionalismIdeological,single-issue,economic protest, splinter {parties}Ward, precinct, Party organsation

Chapter 6
Suffrage, electorate, transient, poll books, literacy tests, poll taxGERRYMANDERINGPresidential vs. off year electionsPolitical efficacy and socializationParty ID, straight-ticket voting, split-ticket votingWhere do people get their political ideology?

Chapter 7
Declaration of nomination, primaries, CAUCUS.!Direct primary, closed primary, open primary, blanket primary, runoff primaryAbsentee voting, types of ballots, coattail effectPOLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES (PACS)Soft vs hard money

Chapter 8
Public opinion vs. public affairsMass mediaPeer groups, opinion leadersMandateInterest groups, straw votes, quota samplePublic agenda

Chapter 9
Interest group and public policy, public affairsTrade associations, public-interest groupsPropaganda, single-interest groupsLOBBYINGGrass roots

Chapter 10
Term vs. sessionQualification for house and senateApportion, apportionment, reapportionment, GERRYMANDERINGSingle-member districtsIncumbent, constituencyOversight function!Franking privilege.

Chapter 11
Expressed, implied, inherent {powers}Strict vs. liberal (loose) constructionalistTaxes-direct, indirectPublic debt, bankruptcyEminent domain, copyrightElastic clause-necessary and proper clause.Impeachment (House Judiciary Committee is the first step)

Chapter 12
House leadership, Senate leadershipCAUCUS, seniority rule, committee chairmen (committee is the answer!)Standing, select, joint and conference committeesResolutions, rider, Christmas tree bill, discharge petition, engrossedFilibuster, rule 22 of the senate, cloture motion.Veto, pocket veto.
Chapter 13
Roles of the President (8)25th amendment, succession of the PresidentElectoral college!Powers of the President!War Powers Act of 1973Line-item veto

Chapter 18
Diagram of the court structureInferior courts, jurisdictionCriminal vs. civil casesAdversarial structure


Free Response study guide

Electoral College
1. Electoral math= # of representatives in the HOR + both senators to equal the number of electors for each state. California has 53 HOR members + 2 senators= 55 electors.
2. Census taken every 10 years on the 0 year to count all of the people to reallocate the seats in the HOR based on population.
3. Selection of Electors is done by the state political parties (Democrat, Republican, Green, etc.) and usually are people who have helped their party for a long time and this is a payoff for that work.
4. Election Day! popular vote [you and me vote] we really are voting for the elector from the political party of the candidate selected.
5. Count the popular vote:
a. winner take all-simple majority of the popular vote gets all electors in the state
b. at large-split the vote by Congressional district with one vote for each. Candidate who wins the most districts also gets the 2 senatorial electors. Nebraska and Maine are the only two that use this system.
6. Slate of Electors: Each party has their own electors equal to the # of HOR members and senators. Following the election, the electors from the candidates party who won get the "call" to go to their state capitol for the official Electoral vote.
7. Monday after the second Wednesday in December the electors meet in the respective state capitals for a roll call vote. The “POTUS” is officially selected and is designated President Elect by the HOR.

Gerrymandering
1. Gerrymanding is the redrawing of Congressional district lines that favor one party over the other.
2. Census every 10 years on the 0 year to chart the population movement.
-reapportion the HOR after the census.
3. State Legislatures are in charge of redrawing the lines.
4. Named for Elbridge Gerry who redrew the district lines in Mass. after the 1810 census.

How a Bill Becomes a Law
House of Reps:

Intro a bill/ first read
Hopper-give bill a number and send to correct committee
goes to committee for action
sent to subcommittee
sent back to full committee with mark-ups
discharge petition
sent to Rules Committee-set the limit for debate in the HOR.
sent to the whole HOUSE for debate
The whole HOUSE votes
Votes yes, then goes to the Senate

Senate:
Intro the bill/ first read
Senates version of the hopper to decide to what committee the bill should go
goes to committee for action
sent to subcommittee
sent back to full committee with mark-ups
discharge petition
sent to the whole Senate (no Rules Committee)
debate in the "well" of the Senate
filibuster/cloture motion
Whole Senate votes yes
sent to Conference Committee to "tiddy up" the bill for the POTUS to sign.


Presidential Succession
The 25th Amendment changed succession to:

The Vice President Joseph Biden
Speaker of the House John Boehner
President pro tempore of the Senate Patrick Leahy
Secretary of State John Kerry
Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel
Attorney General Eric Holder
(extra credit for any that follow below)


Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewel
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker
Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez
Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Mary Mathews Burwell
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan
Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx
Secretary of Energy Dr. Ernest Moniz
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki
Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Charles Johnson 

Friday, November 14, 2014

Chapter 12
Homework 11/21 project and SCA on Friday! Remember your Political Cartoon Projects Due Dec. 5!

Answer the following:

1. What are the most desirous standing committee assignments in the (a) house and (b) senate? (p. 329)
2. How are the chairpersons selected for each of the committees in congress? (330)
3. What is the purpose of the Rules Committee, what does it do? (331)
4. What are select committees and what is their purpose? (331-2)
5. What is a joint or conference committee and what is their purpose? (333)
6. Where in the Const. does it state that all appropriation bills must start in the house? (334)
7. What is the difference between a bill and a resolution?
8. What is a joint resolution?(335)
9. What is a concurrent resolution?
10. What is a rider?
11. *In class project! Fully explain how a bill becomes a law. That means every step a bill must pass in both houses to become law by the President's signature. READ carefully pages 335-346.

Friday, November 07, 2014

11/14 homework

Homework due 11/14 SCA to follow.

Chapter 11 Congress "The Powers of Congress"

answer the following:

1. Define the following as they pertain to the powers of Congress:
a. expressed powers
b. implied powers
c. inherent powers

2. What is strict constructionalism?
3. What is liberal or loose constructionalism?
4. What is consensus?
5. What are the purposes of taxation?
6. What is the difference between a direct and indirect tax?
7. What is public debt?
8. What is the commerce power of congress?
9. Explain why the Gibbons case is important.
10. Explain the currency power of congress.
11. What does legal tender mean?
12. What is bankruptcy?
13. What are the foreign relations powers of congress?
14. What are the WAR POWERS OF CONGRESS?
15. What is eminent domain?
16. What is the necessary and proper clause and why is it so vital to the congress?
17. What is the McCulloch case and what powers did it settle?
18. What are the steps in an impeach case?

Friday, October 31, 2014

11/7 homework

Homework for 11/7, read and study for the SCA!

Chapter 10 THE CONGRESS

Answer the following fully:

1. What is the difference between a term and session of congress? (263-4)
2. How many members are there in the House of Reps.? How many Reps. does California have? What is the total number of members in Congress (House and Senate combined)?
3. Why does Ca. have so many Reps.?
4. What is reapportionment and how does it work? (267-8 fully explain)?
5. Look at the map on page 268 and answer the following:
a. Which States have only one Rep.?
b. Which States lost Reps?
c. Which States gained Reps?
d. Why have the "Rust Belt" states lost and the "Sun Belt" states gained Reps. (Listen carefully in class and I'll tell you!)?
6. What date is given for congressional elections (269 be specific)?
7. What is a single-member district vs. voting at-large for Reps.? (270)
8. Literally, what is Gerrymandering? (271)
9. What are the qualifications to be a member of the House? (272)
10. Prior to the 17th Amendment, how were Senators "selected"? (276)
11. What are the qualifications to be a member of the Senate? (277-8)
12. Look at the cartoon on page 278 and explain, according the the cartoon, how Senators were selected in the late nineteenth century?
13. What is the oversight function of Congress and WHY is it soooo important? (281)
14. Make a list of the salary and other compensations or benefits members of Congress are offered. (282-4)

Political Cartoon Project

Political Cartoon Project
Due: December 5 at the beginning of class.


The project:
Collect 50 political cartoons and give a one to two sentence analysis for each cartoon. The cartoons you use should come from this semester (no earlier than August 11, 2014). ***this is an individual project!!! (Lexie rule).
Create a project around your cartoons (look all around the classroom for examples from past projects). I will give many examples of what you may attempt. Listen carefully to instructions (this is true for most things in life!). If you have any questions or ideas you want to check out, see me! Don't procrastinate, remember projects are 20% of your grade in this course.

Bon chance

Thursday, October 23, 2014

10/31 homework

Homework due 10/31
Be sure not to miss the Interest Group simulation! Points will be awarded and siezed to and from your groups grade. Points awarded to the winners. Pay attention and be participate.

Chapter 9
Read pages 236-54
Special Interest Groups
Complete the following:

1. What is the underlying purpose of interest groups?
2. What do Madison and de Tocqueville say about interest groups in the U.S.? (238-9)
3. What are 5 valuable funtions of interest groups? (239)
4. What are 4 criticisms of interest groups? (240)
5. What are economic interest groups? (243-4)
6. What are public-interest-groups? (247)
7. What are PACs and how do they operate? (250-4)

Friday, October 03, 2014

10/17 homework

Homework due 10/17, SCA to follow.
Chapter 7
Read pages 179-202

Ch. 7 Elections

Define the following terms:

1. caucus
2. direct primary
3. closed primary
4. open primary
5. blanket primary
6. runoff primary
7. absentee voting
8. coattail effect
9. Australian ballot
10. office-group ballot
11. party column ballot
12. bedsheet ballot
13. Political action committee
14. subsidy
15. Hard v. soft money

Monday, September 29, 2014

10/3 homework

Homework due Oct. 3 with an SCA to follow
Read and answer the the following...
Chapter 6 Voting Rights:

1. What do Suffrage and Franchise mean?
2. What is the electorate and what is the approximate number in this country?
3. What are the current voter qualifications in this country?
4. What is a poll tax and how were they used?
5. READ page 158 and explain why voter apathy is dangerous to our democracy?
6. How did the 15th amendment affect former slaves and why was it not enforced?
7. What is gerrymandering?
8. What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 effectively do for blacks in America?
9. What was preclearance and how did it work?
10. Create a list (10) of reasons why people don't vote.