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…)