AP Exam Review forAP Government and Politics

AP Exam isTuesday, May 12, 2015

The Constitution-Path to independence:Reasons: British expense of defending new territory won in the French and Indian War in 1763 led to new taxes on colonists-Influences of Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke (wrote Second Treatise of Civil Government). Belief in natural rights.-Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

The Constitution-Continental Congress appointed committee to create a more formal union. Result was Articles of Confederation-Articles of Confederation created a unicameral legislature, each state had one vote, limited legislative powers, no judicial branch, powerless executive. State legislatures had most power.

-Weaknesses: no powers to tax, regulate commerce, handle disputes between states.

The Constitution-Shays Rebellion in 1786 further revealed weaknesses of Articles of Confederation.-Constitutional Convention convened in 1787 to revise Articles of Confederation-Constitutional Convention’s 55 delegates were mostly young, wealthy planters, lawyers or merchants.

The Constitution-Constitutional Convention’s difficult issues:

-Representation-Slavery-Voting-Economic issues-Individual rights

The Constitution-James Madison was primary architect of Constitution. His proposals included:

-Separation of powers-Checks and balances-Limits on the majority-Federalism

Delegates knew it was impractical for citizens to make all decisions. Constitution creates a republic, in which representatives make decisions.

The Constitution-Ratification of the Constitution:

- Supporters were federalists (or nationalists)- Opponents were anti-federalists (or states’ righters)

-Federalist papers written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay, to support ratification.

-Federalist #10 (Madison) – warns about factions

- Federalist #51 (Madison) – checks and balances as solution to factions

The Constitution-Antifederalists feared a strong national government would be too distant and abusive, Congress would tax too heavily, Supreme Court would overrule state courts, President would lead a large standing army-Antifederalists wanted more protections for individual liberties in the Constitution. Later provided for in the Bill of Rights (first 10 amendments)-First states ratified original Constitution in 1787

The Constitution-Changing the Constitution

- Formal process – (Article V) – 2/3 vote in both houses of Congress, or national convention, ¾ of the states. Formal amendments have tended to emphasize equality and expand voting rights.

- Informal process – Judicial review by the Supreme Court, growth of political parties, expanded role of the president

FederalismFederalism – a political system in which power is shared between local units of government (states) and a national government-Federalism can allow state governments to block important national actions, prevent progress, protect local interests.-Supporters say it creates a unique, beneficial separation of power between national and state governments.

Federalism-Constitution provides “full faith and credit” be given by each state to laws, records and court decisions of other states.-Founders’ goal: divide power between national state government to prevent hindering runaway power and assuring personal liberty.-10th Amendment – “powers not delegated to U.S. by Constitution…reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”-Court interpretation of the 10th Amendment has been inconsistent

Federalism-Relationship between national government and the states in Constitution:

- states can’t make treaties, coin money- Article 1 (elastic clause) – Congress has

power “to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers)-Hamilton viewed national government as superior with broad powers. Jefferson viewed national government as having narrower powers.

Federalism-Evolution of federalism

-McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)-Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)-Nullification controversy until Civil War-Post-Civil War - Dual federalism - national

government supreme in its own sphere, state supreme in its own sphere

-United States v. Lopez (1995) – Congress cannot ban guns from schools under the commerce clause

Federalism-Evolution of federalism

-Recent trend has been toward devolution – more state sovereignty has been

reestablishedA recent exception to this….

-Affordable Care Act Cases (2012) – While Congress cannot require people to purchase health insurance under the commerce clause, it may assess a penalty for failure to do so under its authority to tax.

Federalism-Some argue dual federalism is outdated and cooperative federalism now prevails-Federalism and state money

-Categorical grants-Block grants

-Mandates – conditions of aid can be attached to grants in aid. These are the primary ways the federal government pressures state governments to do what it wants.

Theories of Democratic Government

-Distribution of political power – policy reflects views of those motivated to participate actively in policy-making.-Views to explain actions of the political elite:

-Class view-Power elite view-Bureaucratic view-Pluralist view

American Political Culture-Def.: distinctive and patterned way of thinking about how political and economic life ought to be carried out.-Americans tend to believe in the following about the political system

-Liberty-Equality-Democracy-Civic duty-Individual responsibility

American Political Culture-Americans tend to believe everyone should be equal politically, but not necessarily economically

-Liberty – Americans support free enterprisewithin certain boundaries-Equality – Americans tolerate economic

inequality more than political inequality-Individualism – Americans believe

individuals have a personal responsibility to take care of themselves.

American Political Culture-American political culture also influenced by religion.

-Gallup – 54% of Americans attend worship services more than once a month, 82% consider themselves a religious person

- Religious organizations are a major source of volunteer and community services

American Political Culture-Two camps of the culture war

-The orthodox – morality more important than self-expression. Believe moral rules are commands from God and cannot be altered. Includes evangelical Christians.

-The progressives – personal freedom more important than traditional moral rules, which should be re-evaluated in modern life. Includes liberal Protestants and those with no religious beliefs.

American Political Culture-Mistrust of Government

-Declining faith in government since the turmoil of the 1960s (Vietnam War, protests)

-Watergate in the 1970s-Clinton scandals in the 1990s-Patriotism, unified country after 9/11/2001-Polling shows mistrust of government has

risen again. (Iraq War, The Great Recession, Unpopular Congress, Obamacare)

Public Opinion and Political Beliefs-Def.: collection of attitudes and views held by the general public.-Political socialization (sources of attitudes):

-Family-Religion-Gender

Public Opinion and Political Beliefs-Divisions among Americans in social opinion

- Social class- Race and ethnicity- Region

-Historical definitions of liberals and conservatives-Originally liberals favored personal and

economic liberty, conservatives opposed excesses of the French Revolution

Public Opinion and Political Beliefs-Definitions of liberals and conservatives since the New Deal of the 1930s

-Liberals – support active national government to intervene in the economy and create welfare programs

-Conservatives – support free market rather than a regulated one, states’ rights, more individual choice.

Public Opinion and Political Beliefs-Political elites – activists with a disproportionate amount of power in policy-making (such as officeholders, campaign workers, newspapers, head of interest groups).-Elite views shape mass views by influencing which issues capture the public’s attention and how those issues are debated and decided.-There are many elites and many elite opinions (note than “elite opinion” is not the same as “public opinion”)

Political Participation-Constitution originally left voter eligibility to the states-Evolution of voting rights

-15th Amendment (1870) – cannot deny right to vote based on race-Grandfather clause unconstitutional (1915),-19th Amendment (1920) – provides women

the right to vote-White primary unconstitutional (1944)

Political Participation-Evolution of voting rights (continued)

-Voting Rights Act of 1965 suspended all literacy tests

-26th Amendment (1971) – lowered voting age to 18-Voter turnout between 70% and 80% in the late 1800s.

-Around 50% from 1970s to early 2000s.-57% in 2008 and 2012, highest since the

1960s

Political Participation-Theories for historical decline in voter turnout

-Weakening of competitiveness of parties-Politics has lost relevance to average voters-Voting fraud was once rampant and parties controlled the counting of votes, so historical numbers may not be accurate-Voter registration safeguards to combat

fraud may have hurt turnout. (new voter ID laws could have further impact on turnout)

Political Participation-Voter Participation (the following model assigns 6 levels of participation to Americans)

-Inactive – don’t vote, low income, young-Voting specialists – just vote, typically older-Campaigners – vote, get involved, politically

minded and opinionated-Communalists – nonpartisan, active in

community-Parochials – avoid elections, but contact politicians

about specific or personal problems-Activists – highly educated, high income, middle-

aged, participate in all forms of politics

Elections and Campaigns-Presidential races

-competitive, narrower margin of victory, campaign is multi-year commitment, huge sums of money must be raised, large paid staffs needed, thousands of volunteers, strategies and themes must be coordinated.

-Incumbents defend records, challengers attack incumbents

Elections and Campaigns-Presidential primaries

-Begins with Iowa caucuses (small, precinct-level meetings to select party candidates)

-New Hampshire traditionally has first primary.

-Other states sometimes move their primary dates to maximize influence in the process

and to gain media attention for their state’s issues

Elections and Campaigns-Presidential primaries (continued)

-Winners of party primaries tend to be the most liberal Democrats and the most conservative Republicans, reflecting the characteristics of the party elites

-Dilemma for candidates: must be conservative enough for Republicans or liberal enough for Democrats to get their party’s nomination, but mainstream enough to hold on to moderate voters in the general election.

Elections and Campaigns-General election presidential campaigns

-Types of campaign issues: -position issues (opposing views) -valence issues (not divisive, extent to which candidate emphasizes issue)

-Modern campaigns waged through TV, debates, and direct mail-The Obama campaign’s use of Internet fundraising and social media in 2008 and 2012 have changed how future campaigns will be run

Elections and Campaigns-Congressional campaigns

-Congressmen have a greater incumbency advantage (91% of incumbents re-elected)

-Congressmen can take credit for grants, projects, programs in their district

-House races can be affected by district boundaries:-Malapportionment-Gerrymandering

-Whether it’s redistricting or gerrymandering, state legislatures draw house district boundaries. This allows politicians to choose the constituents of

congressmen.

Elections and Campaigns-Money and campaigning

-Federal Campaign Reform Law (1974) – $1,000 limit on individual donations per candidate per election (has since been raised to $2,600, allows PACs with $5,000 per election per candidate limit, created Federal Election Commission (FEC)

-Citizens United v. FEC (2010) – Supreme Court ruling allowing Super PACs, which spend

unlimited money supporting, but not coordinating with, a candidate or supporting an issue.

Political PartiesDef.: group that seek to elect candidates to public office by giving those candidates an identification that is recognizable to the electorate.-History of parties

-Founders disliked parties, but they quickly emerged.

-Jefferson’s supporters were Republicans (or Democratic-Republicans), Hamilton’s

supporters were Federalists

Political Parties-History of parties (continued)

-In the 1820s, Andrew Jackson’s party, the Democrats, emerged as the first truly national party. Whigs emerged to oppose the Democrats.

- Modern Republican Party began as an anti-slavery party in the 1850s and became a dominant force in the 1860s.

-A North-South split would emerge:(Republicans dominate in North, Democrats in South)

Political Parties-History of parties (continued)

-The Civil Rights changes of 1960s would flip this alignment (Democrats dominant in the north, Republicans in the south)-More recently, party alignment has decayed. Voters identifying with a party has decreased, split ticket voting increased resulting in divided government.-Corruption of political machines has declined due to voter registration, civil service reform and the Hatch Act.-Voters depend less on the advice of parties and local party officials today than they have historically.

Political Parties-Minor parties (or third parties)

-Reasons third parties rarely succeed:-Most elections based on plurality-Electoral college winner-take-all principle for presidential elections-Election laws written by Republicans and Democrats

Political Parties-Minor parties fall into one of four categories:

-Ideological parties-One-issue parties-Economic protest parties-Factional parties

Interest Groups-Def.: organization that seeks to influence public policy-Types:

-Institutional interests – represent other organizations, such as corporations, foundations, educational interests.

-Member interests – depend on Americans joining their cause, depend on dues/donations. Veterans groups, religious groups, charitable.

Interest Groups-Reasons for joining:

-Feeling connected to your community-Material incentives of member benefits-Belief in goal or purpose of organization

-Activities of interest groups-Supplying credible information to

government officials-Raising public support

Interest Groups-Activities of interest groups (continued):

-Creating PACs and making campaign contributions-Employing former government officials-Seizing opportunities through protest and

disruption-Leading litigation

-Interest groups are growing in influence as political parties are weakening-Citizens United v. FEC (2010) is expected to strengthen interest groups

Mass MediaPeriods of journalistic history in U.S.-The party press (late 18th - early 19th century)-The popular press (mid to late-19th century)-Opinion magazines (late 19th – early 20th century)-Broadcast journalism (radio-1920s, TV-late 1940s)-The Internet (1990s – present)

Mass MediaRole of the national media

-Gatekeeper (what becomes a political issue)-Scorekeeper (tracks candidacies, horserace)-Watchdog (investigates, exposes scandals)

Government influence on the media-Newspapers mostly free from government

regulation (can only be sued for libel, obscenity or incitement to an illegal act)

-Supreme Court has ruled repeatedly there can be no prior restraint on published materials

Mass MediaGovernment influence on the media (continued)

-Radio and TV are licensed and regulated by the FCC-Recent movement to deregulate-1996 Telecommunications Act allows 1

company to own as many as 8 radio stations in large markets and unlimited stations nationally

-Results: A few large companies own most large-market stations, more variety

on radio

Mass MediaInterpreting Political News-Increasing percentage of people think the media are biased and/or superficial.-Media are market-driven, most outlets are tailored to the views of their own markets.-Factors influencing how a story is written:

-urgent deadlines, desire to attract audience, professional obligation to be fair, need to

develop sources, type of story.

Mass Media-Types of stories affects whether a reporter or editor will tend toward bias:

-Routine stories-Feature stories-Insider stories

-Media and politicians tend to mistrust each other-People dislike attack journalism, contributing to the growing cynicism the public has toward media.

Mass Media-Recent changes in the media

-Narrowcasting (targeting of a segmented audience by radio and TV stations and Internet websites)

-More specialized media options have led people to flock to sources that reinforce their ways of thinking. Political polarization has increased as a result.

Congress-Bicameral legislature (two houses), to create balance between large and small states-House of Representatives (435 members), elected in congressional districts, based on population

-Power to initiate revenue bills-Senate (100 members), equal representation, 2 Senators per state, elected statewide since 17th Amendment in 1913.

-Power to approve treaties, presidential appointments, conduct impeachment trials

Congress-Typical representative or senator is middle-aged, white, Protestant, male lawyer.-Characteristics are changing:

-House is less male and white since 1950-Incumbency (most districts are safe, low

turnover, with one party holding a significant numerical advantage over the other)

-Party: Democrats mostly controlled both Houses from 1932 to 1992 (since strong Republican gains in 1994, control has switched back and forth. Today, Republicans control the House and Democrats control the Senate)

CongressTypes of Representation

-Representational view (instructed delegate) – wants to please constituents, make them happy

-Attitudinal view (trustee view) – based on ideology, wants to “do the right thing” even if it’s unpopular

-Organizational view (party line) – responding to what the party and its leaders want

Party organization in Congress-Senate

President of the Senate (vice-president, breaks tie votes)President Pro Tempore (ceremonial, most seniority in majority party)

CongressParty organization in Congress (continued)

-Senate (continued)-Majority leader (schedules business)-Minority leader-Whips (pressure party members to vote party line)

-House of Representatives-Speaker (leader of majority party, presides over House)

CongressParty organization in Congress (continued)

-House of Representatives (continued)-Majority leader-Minority leader-Whips

-Caucuses – associations of members of Congress created to advocate on behalf of an ideology

Types:-Intraparty-Personal interest-Constituency concerns

CongressCommittee Organization in Congress

-Standing Committees (permanent, specified responsibilities)-Select Committees (limited purpose, limited time)-Joint Committees (representatives and

senators together, includes conference committees to resolve differences in House and Senate versions of the same piece of legislation

CongressStaff Organization in Congress

-Staff Agencies:-Congressional Research Service-General Accountability Office-Congressional Budget Office

CongressHow a Bill Becomes a Law

House SenateBill introduced Bill introducedReferred to House committee Referred to Senate committeeReported by full committee Reported by full committeeRules committee action Rules committee actionHouse debate, vote on passage Senate debate, vote on passage

Once both chambers have passed related bills,a conference committee of members of both

houses is formed to work out differences

Compromise version from conference issent to each chamber for final approval

House gives final approval Senate gives final approval

President can either sign it into law or vetoit and return it to Congress. Congress

may override veto by 2/3 majorityvote in both houses; bill then becomes

law without president’s signature

CongressPower and Ethics in Congress

-Interest groups represent a significant portion of the public interest

-Perception of policy gridlock-Proposed reforms have included term limits (ruled unconstitutional). Other proposals include reducing power, trimming pork

projects that benefit a congressman’s district that are deemed wasteful)

CongressPower and Ethics in Congress (continued)

-Alleged corruption can come in the form of bargaining (logrolling), between members of Congress and the president, jobs offered to former legislators.

-Questions about how soon former congressmen can lobby their former colleagues on certain issues.

The Presidency-Framers of the Constitution feared military power of the president, bribery in ensuring re-election, lack of balance between legislative and executive branches-Electoral College was designed to address fears:

-Each state chooses its own method of selecting electors, whose number would match the state’s

number of representatives in Congress (House + Senate)-Electors would meet in each state capital and vote for president and vice president-If no candidate won a majority, the House would

decide the election, with each state delegation casting one vote

The Presidency-Four year term for president (2 term limit precedent set by George Washington, later required by the 22nd Amendment)-Constitutional Powers

-Commander in chief, commission officers of the military, pardons, convene special

sessions of Congress, receive ambassadors, approve legislation, faithfully execute laws, appoint officials to lesser offices

The Presidency-Informal powers

-manipulating politics and public opinion-Four areas of the executive branch

-The White House Office-Ways to organize personal staffs:-Pyramid structure (Report

through hierarchy to a chief of staff)

The Presidency-Circular structure (a.k.a. “wheel and spokes structure”, report directly to the president)-Ad hoc structure (task forces, committees, informal groups deal directly with the president)

The Presidency-The Executive Office of the President-The Cabinet-Independent agencies and commissions

-Presidential Power in Action-Presidential power is not just the power to

command, it’s the power to bargain (Richard Neustadt)

-Three audiences of a president: fellow politicians, party activists and officials outside of Washington, the general public

The Presidency-Presidential popularity (generally most popular immediately after election, the “honeymoon period”. Popularity can decline during term due to economy, scandals, unpopular wars. National emergencies (such as 9/11), can give presidents temporary boosts in popularity.

The Presidency-Examples of how presidents can say “No”:

-The budget-Veto-Executive privilege-Impoundment of funds-Signing statements

The PresidencyVice Presidents and Presidential Succession

-Vice President’s role is unclear and up to individual presidents to decide.

-Constitutionally, role is only to break tie votes in the Senate and assume office if the president dies, resigns, or is impeached.

-25th Amendment addresses succession if thepresident cannot discharge duties of his office or if the vice president and a majority of the cabinet declare the president

incapacitated.

The Bureaucracy-Def.: complex web of federal agencies with overlapping jurisdictions-Congress and the president have control over this-After the Civil War, industrialization and the emergence of a national economy resulted in federal regulation of interstate commerce, resulting in the growth of federal agencies and the number of bureaucrats.

The Bureaucracy-Activities of agencies

-paying subsidies to particular groups-transferring money from the federal

government to state and local governments through grants

-devising and enforcing regulations for various sectors of society

The Bureaucracy-Bureaucrats – Who runs and works in these agencies?

-Recruitment and retention-Personal and professional attributes-The nature of the their jobs-Involvement in “iron triangles” (relationship between an agency, a committee, and an

interest groups)

The Bureaucracy-Common problems with the bureaucracy

-Red tape-Conflict-Duplication-Imperialism-Waste

The Federal Courts-Federal courts have evolved toward judicial activism, shaped by political, economic, and ideological forces of 3 historical eras:

-National supremacy & slavery (1789-1861)-Government and the economy (1865-1936)-Government and political liberty (1936-

present)

The Federal Courts-Federal judges are nominated by the president, confirmed by the Senate.-Tradition of senatorial courtesy (for federal judicial appointments, but not for Supreme Court)-Use of “litmus test” of ideological purity (common in Supreme Court nominations)

The Federal Courts-Jurisdiction of Federal Courts

-Constitution specifies limited original jurisdiction for the Supreme Court

-Most Supreme Court cases are heard on appeal, by issuing a writ of certiorari (if 4 justices agree – “rule of four”)

-Supreme Court takes cases that pose significant federal or constitutional question

The Federal Courts-Powers of the Supreme Court

-Lawyers submit briefs, oral arguments later presented to court.-In cases where the federal government is

plaintiff or defendant, the solicitor general represents the government

-After oral arguments, justices develop their opinions and decisions. Chief justice writes

decision of the court or assigns someone to write it

The Federal Courts-Types of Supreme Court opinions:

-Majority opinion-Concurring opinion-Dissenting opinion

-Federal courts have the power to make opinion in 3 ways:

-interpretation of the Constitution or law-extending the reach of existing law-designing remedies that involve judges acting in administrative or legal ways

The Federal Courts-Judicial activism – philosophy by which judges make bold policy decisions. Supporters believe courts should correct injustices and that courts are a last resort for those without power or influence to change laws.-Judicial restraint – philosophy that judges should not use their positions to make law. Supporters note that judges are not elected and not accountable, lacking the expertise in designing and managing complex institutions.

The Federal Courts-Checks on judicial power

-Courts rely on others to implement their decisions

-Confirmation proceedings gradually alter the composition of the courts

-Impeachment-Congress can change the number of judges-Amending the Constitution

Policy Making in the Federal System-Forces that enlarge government activity

-Groups (corporations, unions, minorities)-Institutions (courts, bureaucracy, Congress)-Media (issues publicized)

-Costs of policy-requiring formal reports-restricting activities-performing functions for the government

Policy Making in the Federal System-Benefits of policy

-promoting or restricting competition-accessing resources owned by public-coordinating actions by government agencies

Politics of policy making-Majoritarian politics-Interest group politics-Client politics-Entrepreneurial politics

Policy Making in the Federal System-Studying business regulation

-Some think economic power dominates political power

-Others think political power is a threat to a market economy

-Some laws reflect majoritarian politics (Sherman Antitrust Act, Federal Trade Commission)

-Labor movement example of interest group politics

Policy Making in the Federal System-Studying business regulation (continued)

-Client politics in business regulation (state licensing of occupations to prevent fraud)

-Entrepreneurial politics evident in regulating businesses (Pure Food and Drug Act, Clean Air Act)

Policy Making in the Federal System-Perceptions, beliefs and values

-People oppose regulations if they think it will mean fewer jobs or higher prices

-Deregulation became popular among politicians and the public due to perceptions that government regulation was inefficient. But some industries opposed deregulation out of fear of more competition, lower prices, smaller profits

Economic Policy and the Budget-Presidents get blame or credit for economy’

-Voters typically re-elect incumbent presidents if their personal economic fortunes are good-Politicians offer conflicting recommendations for tax and spending policy

-Monetarism-Keynesianism-Economic planning-Economic planning-Supply-side tax cuts

Economic Policy and the Budget-Machinery of Economic Policy-Making

-Congress-Council of Economic Advisers-Office of Management and Budget-Secretary of the Treasury-The Federal Reserve Board (The Fed)

Economic Policy and the Budget-The Budget (procedures under Congressional Budget Act of 1974)

-President submits budget-House and Senate budget committees study

the budget-Committees propose budget resolutions-Congress expected to adopt resolutions-Congress considers appropriations bills

-Big changes in budget unlikely because about 2/3 of government spending is in entitlements like Social Security and Medicare

Domestic Policy-Key social welfare programs

-Social Security Act of 1935-Medicare Act of 1965

-Proposals to reform Social Security and Medicare to keep them from going broke include:

-raising retirement age-privatizing Social Security-both of the above, and allowing citizens to invest a

portion of their Social Security taxes-Polling has shown these reform proposals are unpopular and politically dangerous

Domestic Policy-Major domestic policies under Obama

-American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009 (known as “the stimulus” - $800 billion in funding for infrastructure projects,

education, college loans)-Affordable Care Act in 2010 (“Obamacare”), mandates individuals purchase private

health insurance, government help for those who can’t afford it-Full effects of these programs are yet to be seen

Domestic Policy-Environmental policy

-Clean Air Act of 1970-National Environmental Policy Act of 1969

-Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)--Methods of achieving goals

-Offsets-Bubble standard-Pollution allowances

Foreign Policy-Constitutional powers in foreign policy

-President is Commander-in-chief, Congress appropriates money

-President appoints ambassadors-President negotiates treaties, Senate ratifies by 2/3 vote-Congress can regulate commerce with other nations and declare war

Foreign Policy-War Powers Act of 1973

-President must report all commitments of troops in hostile situations within 48 hours

-President may make only 60 day commitment of troops unless Congress approves-Foreign Policy elite worldviews

-Isolationism-Containment-Disengagement-Human rights-Fighting terrorism

Foreign Policy-The Defense Budget

-Peacetime military small until 1950-Collapse of Soviet communism generated debate

about peacetime military (liberals wanted larger cuts)-Issues in defense budget

-Big ticket items-Small ticket items-Privatization-Readiness and training-Threat to close military bases

Civil Rights-Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

-Implementation-Rationale-Desegregation versus integration

-Developments that helped civil rights movement in Congress

-Public opinion-Violent reactions by segregationists-Assassination of JFK-Democratic landslide in 1964 election

Civil Rights-Women and equal rights

-The draft-Sexual harassment-Abortion - Roe v. Wade (1973)

-Affirmative Action-University of California v. Bakke (1978) – no quotas -Courts have ruled programs must be narrowly tailored,

reluctant to support quotas-Racial preferences acceptable for purpose of achieving

diversity-Fisher v. University of Texas – race may be used a factor, but

admission policies considering race must be held to a strict scrutiny & serve a compelling government interest

Civil Liberties-First Amendment issues

-Freedom of expression and national security

-Selective incorporation (incorporation theory-14th Amendment)

-Defining speech (libel and slander)-Defining obscenity-Symbolic speech

Civil Liberties-Defining a person-Church and state

-Free exercise clause-Establishment clause

-Rights of the accused-Exclusionary rule - 4th Amendment –

Mapp v. Ohio (1961)-Self incrimination – 5th Amendment –

Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

Civil Liberties-Gay rights timeline -1969 – Stonewall Inn – start of movement - 1986 – SC upholds anti-sodomy laws- 1993 “Don’t Ask, Don’t tell” signed by Clinton - 1996 – DOMA signed by Clinton- 2003 – SC strikes down anti-sodomy laws- 2010 – “Don’t Ask, Don’t tell” repealed by Obama- 2013 – SC strikes down DOMA - More states legalizing same-sex marriage (14 as of Dec. 2013)- Majority now support same-sex marriage (strongest among young Americans, weakest among older Americans)

Civil Liberties-Terrorism and civil liberties

-Patriot Act (2001)-Government may tap phones, voicemail, Internet connections used by suspect after court order-noncitizen may be held as a security risk

- 2013 – NSA anti-terror surveillance programs leaked by Edward Snowden, sparks debate over mass surveillance of all Americans’ phone records