WELCOME TO MS. HERRING’S AP GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

CLASS

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YOUR TEACHER:MS. HERRING

• I am native Floridian, born in Tallahassee.

• Alumni of South Plantation High School in Broward County.

• Was an exchange student in High School to Australia.

• Went to University of Florida and earned a dual degree in Russian and Political Science…Go Gators!

• Spent a summer in Moscow, Russia studying Russian Language at Moscow State University.

• My prior career was working as a Court Coordinator for the Attorney’s Office

• I also worked as a Paralegal in the Attorney General’s Child Support Enforcement Division.

• I have a Master’s Degree in Political Science. 1 | 2

1st Day Plan• Introduction• Fill out paperwork/create folder/copy

schedule• Take Constitution quiz• Go over syllabus• Assign textbooks• Chapter 1 Notes• Homework assignment

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Chapter One

The Study of American Government

The Study of American Government

• What are linkage institutions?• What is Political Power?• What is Democracy?• Direct versus Representative Democracy-

Which is Best?• How is Power Distributed in a Democracy?• How has Politics Changed over time in

America?• Who Governs?

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Linkage Institutions

• Linkage institutions connect people to the government. The four main ones in the U.S. are:

• the media (radio, T.V. newspapers etc…)• political parties• elections • interest groups

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Why Government Matters: A Top Ten List

• On page 4 of the textbook you can see what the top ten post- 1950 accomplishments of the U.S. government .

• Before you check….can you guess any?• Some clues:

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What is Political Power?

• Power:-the ability of one person to cause another person to

act in accordance with the first person’s intentions

• Authority:-the right to use power

• Legitimacy:-political authority conferred by law, public opinion

or constitution ->so, if you are legitimate, you have the authority to use power

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Kinds of Democracy• Direct democracy:

a form of democracy in which most, or all, of the citizenry participate directly.

• Representative democracy/republic:a government in which leaders make decisions by winning a competitive struggle for the popular vote.

• Other types of government:anarchy-lack of governmentautocracy-rule by one (absolute monarchy, constitutional monarchy, dictatorship)oligarchy-

rule by small group of elites (aristocracy, theocracy)-

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Direct v Representative Democracy(a republic) Which is best?

The Framers’ View:• Representative Democracy better (we will see

this in Federalist # 10)• Government would mediate, not mirror, popular

views• People were viewed as lacking knowledge

(ignorant/clueless) and susceptible to manipulation (gullible)

• Framers’ goal: to minimize the abuse of power by a tyrannical majority (mob rule) or by officeholders (elites)

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Theories of Democratic Government

traditional democratic theory-government depends on the consent of the governed, which may be given directly or through representatives;may include criteria for the measure of “how democratic”.

• elite theory-A small number of powerful elite (corporate leaders, top military officers, government leaders) form and upper class, which rules in its own self-interest.

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• pluralist theory-• Interest groups compete in the political arena, with each promoting its

policy preferences through organized efforts. Conflict among groups may result, requiring bargaining and compromise.

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• hyperpluralism-Democracy is a system of many groups having so much strength that government is often pulled in numerous directions at the same time, causing gridlock and ineffectiveness.

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• bureaucratic theory-The hierarchical structure and standardized procedures of modern government allow bureaucrats, who carry out the day-to-day workings of government, to hold the real power over public policy

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How Have Politics Changed?• In the 1920’s it was widely accepted that the government

would play a small role in our lives.

• From the 1930’s to the 1970’s it was generally believed that the federal government would tryto solve whatever social or economic problem that existed.

• From 1981-1988 Ronald Reagan tried to reverse this assumption by attempting to reduce the power of the federal government (“government is not the solution,it is the problem”)

• It seems that the trend now is more federal government power with things such as…

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So, Who Governs?

• The “imperial” President?• The “obstructionist” Congress?• The “activist” Courts?• The “unwieldy” bureaucracy?• The “sovereign” people?• Interests, corporations, PACs, the elite,

Wall Street?

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PAPER HEADER• If your paper is not headed correctly, you will lose a letter grade.

Jane Doe8/18/08Herring

Period 1

Assignment title underlined- page #

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Flash card example

->Term should be listed on on the front of the inde the front of the index card.card.

->The definition should be writtenon the back. All definitionsmust include a highlightedexample. Vocabulary mustbe formatted on cards, notnotebook paper.

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enumerated powers

-The powers explicitly given to Congress in the Constitution

Example:“The Congress shall have Power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises to pay the Debts….”

CLASS RULES1. Please come to class with all materials ready to get to work.-> if you are unprepared, you will lose participation and attitude points.2. No messing with phones during class time.-> if you do I will take it.3. Do not do homework from this or any other subject in my class- homework is always due

at the beginning of class.-> if you do I will take it.4. Late assignments will NOT be accepted.->this class is fast paced, if you get behind it will hurt you, this is tough love…keep on track!5. If you miss class for another school activity eg. tap day, college summit, field trip, sports-

you MUST keep up with class assignments, notes and materials. -> You will get a pop quiz on material covered upon your return.6. I need you here in EVERY CLASS, do not call from another class to say you are

spending the hour there.7. You must check my AP Government website on a daily basis. It is not a valid excuse

that you do not have a computer or Internet service because you can either check at school, the public library or call a friend from class for the assignments.

8. You will be treated as college students, so I will expect you to behave like young scholars. We can have fun but we also must get a lot of info. crammed into your brains.

9. My sole purpose is to teach you the material and about the world to the best of my ability. I want you all to have the tools you need to pass the test. Everyone learns differently, so please let me know if you need any extra help, clarification or if you have any suggestions. I genuinely care about your opinions (most of the time). 1 | 21

HOMEWORK

1. Check website for homework assignment2. Get syllabus and other forms signed3. Bring class materials detailed in syllabus

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