2018 A Quick Review Thru the U.S. Government Not all of this will be on the exam Knowing this will definitely help you out! 1/1/2018
Foundations Article 1 Legislative make laws Power of the Purse Article 2 Executive enforce laws Power of the Sword Article 3 Judicial interpret laws Power of the Law Override presidential veto Establishes Courts/sets number Impeachment: House brings the charges; Senate holds trial House: Budget control Senate: Advice and Consent Ratifies Treaties Confirms Appointments Proposes laws Appoints judges Grants pardons Veto bills Call special session of Congress [Line-item veto governors only] Federal judges appointed for life Judicial Review-can declare laws and executive orders unconstitutional Bill of Rights: 1. Freedom of Speech, Press, Religion 2. Right to bear arms. 4. No Search and Seizure 5. Rights of the Accused 6. Court Proceedings. Right to an Attorney 8. No Cruel or Unusual Punishment 10. Reserved Powers 14 th Amendment: Due Process: Procedural/Substantive Equal Protection Privileges and Immunities Articles of Confederation Declaration of Independence Popular Sovereignty Separation of Powers Checks and Balances Enumerated Powers Reserved Powers Great Compromise Habeas Corpus Bill of Attainder Ex Post Facto Federalist 10, 51 Selective Incorporation Exclusionary Rule Miranda Warning Amendment Process: 1. Congress Propose/States Ratify 2. National Convention Propose State Conventions Ratify Civil Rights: Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Baker v. Carr (1962) Civil Rights Act of 1964 Voting Rights Act of 1965 Title IX Roe v. Wade (1973) De jure vs. de facto segregation 2
Federalism Delegated Powers of the National Government Concurrent Powers (Shared) Powers Reserved to the States Powers Denied to the National Gov t Powers Denied to both National and State Gov t Powers Denied to the State Gov ts The framers envisioned through federalism more government would mean less government. Were they right? Do we have a limited gov t? Supremacy Clause Interstate Commerce Clause Growth of government McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) Marble Cake/Cooperative Federalism 10 th Amendment Devolution Mandates Block Grants Categorical Grants Sticks and Carrots Referendums Reserved Powers As seen in the Amendment process 3
Public Opinion Constitutional limits on public opinion Public policy vs. public opinion Political socialization. Role of family? Conservatives Liberals Democrats Republicans Demographic group preferences (age,gender,race,religion,region,class,education) Cross cutting cleavages Political ideology Political elites Pluralism Wedge Issues How is public opinion measured? Scientific Polling/Random Samples Left Wing Liberals Democrats Moderate Conservative Republicans Right Wing The Political Spectrum 4
Participation Linkage Institution Expanding the Vote Jacksonian Democracy. Expansion to most white males 15th Amendment (1870) - African-American Vote 19th Amendment (1920) - Women Vote 23rd Amendment (1961) - D.C. Vote Civil Rights Act of 1965 - Banned literacy tests 26th Amendment (1971) - 18 Year Olds All voting is a sort of gaming,... I cast my vote, perchance, as I think right; but I am not vitally concerned that that right should prevail. I am willing to leave it to the majority. Its obligation, therefore, never exceeds that of expediency. Even voting for the right is doing nothing for it. It is only expressing to men feebly your desire that it should prevail...cast your whole vote, not a strip of paper merely, but your whole influence. Henry D. Thoreau Voting is for old people. Ballot Ballot Box Time to Vote. Political activism Political elites Suffrage/Franchise Types of political participation: Voting Contacting elected officials Donate time or money to campaigns Litigate Having political discussions Running for office Protest Voting rates/turnout tendencies Devices that kept blacks from voting: Grandfather clauses Poll Taxes Literacy Tests 15 th, 19 th and 26 th Amendments What factors encourage political participation? What factors discourage political participation? Split-ticket voting Referendum Single-member district Winner-take-all 5
Winning Elections! Winning Elections! Political Parties Linkage Institution Republicans Democrats What about 3 rd Parties? Big Tent Political parties (different from Interest Groups) strengths and weaknesses Party machine Caucus vs. Convention vs. Primary Primary elections Open vs. Closed Primaries Initiatives Referendums Personal followings Two-party system Third parties are like bees. Explain. Plurality elections Winner-take-all elections Democrats vs. Republicans (demographic types/issues/organization) Divided Government Gender Gap Activists Base Rank and File Platform Patronage Party caucuses 6
Advocating for policy outcomes Interest Groups Linkage Institution Primary goal of interest groups. Their most important commodity? Who gets access? Root causes of interest groups? What protects them? Who joins interest groups? Check on interest groups? Lobbying Access points Grassroots Single-issue Chamber of Commerce NAACP Green Peace K Street Most effective strategies? 7
Campaigns/Elections Types of elections/turnout Handlers. Consultants/Experts Critical elections Realignments Frontloading Presidential campaigns vs. Congressional campaigns Winning nomination vs. Winning general election Campaign tactics and strategies Saturation Coverage Campaign finance: Hard Money Soft Money Independent Expenditures/527s PACs Public vs. Private campaign funding Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act (2002) Incumbent advantages Primarys vs. Caucuses Horserace Journalism Cattleshows Motor Voter Bill (Making registration easier) Approval Ratings Bush v. Gore (2000) Turnout Coattails Franking 8
Congress Bicameralism Gerrymandering Differences between the House and the Senate Constitutional powers of Congress Franking privilege Incumbency advantages Demographic composition of Congress Filibuster/Cloture Marginal districts Types of voting behavior in Congress: trustee, organizational, representational Congressional leadership positions: Speaker, Majority Leader, Whip Congressional caucuses Where is most of the work done in Congress? Committee Chairman? Standing committees, Conference committees House Ways and Means Committee Appropriations/Power of the Purse House Rules Committee/Closed rule vs. Open rule Congressional staff General Accounting Office How does a bill become a law? Mark-up. Discharge petition Congressional ethics/corruption Constituent Service Single Member District INCUMBENCY C-Span Cup and Saucer? 9
Presidency Monarchy vs. Anarchy Electoral College. Winner-Take-All. Electoral Mandates. 22nd Amendment Institutionalized Presidency Formal Powers of the President Informal Powers of the President Litmus Tests Rule of Propinquity White House Office Cabinet. Relationship with President Presidential Public Approval. Image. Veto/Pocket Veto/Line Item Veto? Executive Privilege Executive Orders/Agreements Federal Bureaucracy U.S. vs. Nixon (1974) Presidential Impoundment Vice President Presidential Succession Impeachment Procedures Iron Triangles Revolving Doors Fiscal vs. Monetary Policy Federal Reserve Board Office of Management and Budget Entitlement Programs Independent Regulatory Commissions Public officials vs. Media Electronic Journalism Big Three Networks Roles of the Media: Gatekeeper/Scorekeeper/Watchdog First Amendment Equal Time Rule Media Bias. Spin Negative Ads Freedom of Information Act (1976) Bully Pulpit 10
Supreme Court Stevens would be replace by Elaina Kagan on the left Rule of Law Limited Government Secrecy Consistency Continuity Courtesy Marbury v. Madison (1803) McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) Barron v. Baltimore (1833) Schenck v. U.S. (1919) Gitlow v. N.Y. (1925) Texas v. Johnson (1989) Everson v. Board of Education (1947) District of Columbia v Heller (2008) Mapp v. Ohio (1961) Miranda v. Arizona (1966) Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) Roe v. Wade (1973) Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) Brown v. Board of Education (1954). Note role played by commerce clause Baker v. Carr (1962) Regents of Univ. of Calif. v. Bakke (1978) Dual Court System Judicial Review Selective Incorporation Docket Justice is blind Opinion of the Court. Concurring Opinion. Dissenting Opinion Per Curiam Opinion Borked Amicus Curiae Jurisprudence vs. Jurisdiction Commerce Clause Voting blocs Oral Arguments. Conference. 11
12
13