CHAPTER 8: THE MEDIA
Does the media impact our public opinion / impact how we think about events?
· Picture Hurricane Katrina happening and everything only being on the radio.
· Picture 9/11 happening and only being on the radio.
People, Government and Communications
· There are TWO types of media to think about when you think about media – print media and broadcast media.
· Print Media – media in print – newspapers and magazines.
· Broadcast Media – electronic media – sound and images – radio and television and the internet. This is not just the news, news shows, televising presidential debates – think also about movies that make political statements. Examples of singers that sing about political ideas (Eminem, Natalie Maines speaking out against President Bush at a concert for military action in Iraq).
· Does the media play a role in communications from the government?
· Examples? Presidential election debates, press conference from President Obama, weekly radio address.
· Does the media shape your political views?
· Think about the type of government we live in and how the media effects us versus if you lived in a communist country media flows more freely in “one direction” – the government feeding information to its citizens versus the public responding to public opinion.
The Development of the Mass Media in the United States
Newspapers
· There is a big difference in the way newspapers were in 1775 in the colonies and newspapers today.
· In 1775 there were about 37 weekly newspapers that were read by the people that have land and money – newspapers were not independent but politically affiliated and published by parties to advance ideas of the party.
· In the 1830s newspapers started to be published daily and started private ownership.
· Daily papers by circulation as of January 2015 – print and electronic circulation:
· Wall Street Journal – 2.3 million every day
· USA Today – 3.2 million every day
· New York Times – 1.8 million every day
· Dallas Morning News – 400,000 every day
Magazines
· When you think about magazines think daily or monthly – less frequency.
· This is more specialized than newspapers – more analytical – they have more time to examine and do research on something than a daily newspaper does.
· Usually more specialized – not just an overview of all news – but some specific topic – from a magazine catering to Democrats to one on celebrities.
· Weekly magazines and their weekly circulation:
· Time – 3.3 million copies.
· National Enquirer – 1 million (at its height 6 million)
· People – 3.75 million – 46.4 million people are in their readership – when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie had their baby Shiloh – People paid $4.1 million to them for the first photos and there were 26.5 MILLION page views on their internet page – the single largest daily internet traffic ever. Does People impact people and their viewpoints?
Radio
· Regularly scheduled and continuous broadcasting on the radio began in 1920 on t.
Whatever the complaint about media, one thing is certain: There are underlying structural issues at work that give rise to these problems. Attacking a single symptom — such as programming some might say is indecent — does not cure the disease.
Comparison between media system of USA and PakistanZaibunnisa73
The ppt is about the comparison of media laws and system between United states of America and Pakistan.
Key points are:
Press Laws
Media Regulations
Press Freedom
Normative Model
Whatever the complaint about media, one thing is certain: There are underlying structural issues at work that give rise to these problems. Attacking a single symptom — such as programming some might say is indecent — does not cure the disease.
Comparison between media system of USA and PakistanZaibunnisa73
The ppt is about the comparison of media laws and system between United states of America and Pakistan.
Key points are:
Press Laws
Media Regulations
Press Freedom
Normative Model
CHAPTER 3Understanding Regulations, Accreditation Criteria, and .docxtiffanyd4
CHAPTER 3
Understanding Regulations, Accreditation Criteria, and Other Standards ofPractice
NAEYC Administrator Competencies Addressed in This Chapter:
Management Knowledge and Skills
2. Legal and Fiscal Management
· Knowledge and application of the advantages and disadvantages of different legal structures
· Knowledge of different codes and regulations as they relate to the delivery of early childhood program services
· Knowledge of child custody, child abuse, special education, confidentiality, anti-discrimination, insurance liability, contract, and laborlaws pertaining to program management
5. Program Operations and Facilities Management
· Knowledge and application of policies and procedures that meet state/local regulations and professional standards pertaining to thehealth and safety of young children
7. Marketing and public relations
· Skill in developing a business plan and effective promotional literature, handbooks, newsletters, and press releases
Early Childhood Knowledge and Skills
5. Children with Special Needs
· Knowledge of licensing standards, state and federal laws (e.g., ADA, IDEA) as they relate to services and accommodations for childrenwith special needs
10. Professionalism
· Knowledge of laws, regulations, and policies that impact professional conduct with children and families
· Knowledge of center accreditation criteria
Learning Outcomes
After studying this chapter, you will be able to:
1. Describe the purpose of regulations that apply to programs of early care and education and list several topics they address.
2. Identify several ways accreditation standards are different from child care regulations.
3. State the purpose of Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS).
4. List some ways qualifications for administrators and teachers are different for licensure, for accreditation, and in QRIS systems.
5. Identify laws that apply to the childcare workplace, such as those that govern the program’s financial management and employees’well-being.
Marie’s Experience
Marie has been successful over the years in keeping her center in compliance with all licensing regulations. She is proud of her teachers andconfident that the center consistently goes above and beyond licensing provisions designed simply to keep children healthy and safe. She knowsthat the center provides high-quality care to the children it serves, but has never pursued accreditation or participated in her state’s optionalQuality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) because of the time and effort it would require. Her families have confidence in her program anddo not seem to need this additional assurance that it provides high-quality services day in and day out.
Large numbers of families rely on out-of-home care for their infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children during the workday. In2011, there were 312,254 licensed child care facilities with a capacity to serve almost 10.2 million children. About 34% of these facilitieswere child care center.
Chapter 3 Human RightsINTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS–BASED ORGANIZ.docxtiffanyd4
Chapter 3 Human Rights
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS–BASED ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE UN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS HAVE MADE MONITORING HUMAN RIGHTS A GLOBAL ISSUE. The United Nations is headquartered in New York City.
Learning Objectives
1. 3.1Review the expansion of and the commitment to the human rights agenda
2. 3.2Evaluate the milestones that led to the current concerns around human rights
3. 3.3Evaluate some of the philosophical controversies over human rights
4. 3.4Recognize global, regional, national, and local institutions and rules designed to protect human rights across the globe
5. 3.5Report the efforts made globally in bringing violators of human rights to justice
6. 3.6Relate the need for stricter laws to protect women’s human rights across the globe.
7. 3.7Recognize the need to protect the human rights of the disabled
8. 3.8Distinguish between the Western and the Islamic beliefs on individual and community rights
9. 3.9Review the balancing act that needs to be played while fighting terrorism and protecting human rights
10. 3.10Report the controversy around issuing death penalty as punishment
When Muammar Qaddafi used military force to suppress people demonstrating in Libya for a transition to democracy, there was a general consensus that there was a global responsibility to protect civilians. However, when Bashar Assad used fighter jets, tanks, barrel bombs, chemical weapons, and a wide range of brutal methods, including torture, to crush the popular uprising against his rule in Syria, the world did not respond forcefully to protect civilians. The basic reason given for allowing Syria to descend into brutality and chaos was that it was difficult to separate Syrians favoring human rights from those who embraced terrorism. Although cultural values differ significantly from one society to another, our common humanity has equipped us with many shared ideas about how human beings should treat each other. Aspects of globalization, especially communications and migration, reinforce perceptions of a common humanity. In general, there is global agreement that human beings, simply because we exist, are entitled to at least three types of rights. First is civil rights, which include personal liberties such as freedom of speech, religion, and thought; the right to own property; and the right to equal treatment under the law. Second is political rights, including the right to vote, to voice political opinions, and to participate in the political process. Third is social rights, including the right to be secure from violence and other physical danger, the right to a decent standard of living, and the right to health care and education. Societies differ in terms of which rights they emphasize. Four types of human rights claims that dominate global politics are
1. The abuse of individual rights by governments
2. Demands for autonomy or independence by various groups
3. Demands for equality and privacy by groups with unconventional lifestyles
4. Cla.
More Related Content
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CHAPTER 3Understanding Regulations, Accreditation Criteria, and .docxtiffanyd4
CHAPTER 3
Understanding Regulations, Accreditation Criteria, and Other Standards ofPractice
NAEYC Administrator Competencies Addressed in This Chapter:
Management Knowledge and Skills
2. Legal and Fiscal Management
· Knowledge and application of the advantages and disadvantages of different legal structures
· Knowledge of different codes and regulations as they relate to the delivery of early childhood program services
· Knowledge of child custody, child abuse, special education, confidentiality, anti-discrimination, insurance liability, contract, and laborlaws pertaining to program management
5. Program Operations and Facilities Management
· Knowledge and application of policies and procedures that meet state/local regulations and professional standards pertaining to thehealth and safety of young children
7. Marketing and public relations
· Skill in developing a business plan and effective promotional literature, handbooks, newsletters, and press releases
Early Childhood Knowledge and Skills
5. Children with Special Needs
· Knowledge of licensing standards, state and federal laws (e.g., ADA, IDEA) as they relate to services and accommodations for childrenwith special needs
10. Professionalism
· Knowledge of laws, regulations, and policies that impact professional conduct with children and families
· Knowledge of center accreditation criteria
Learning Outcomes
After studying this chapter, you will be able to:
1. Describe the purpose of regulations that apply to programs of early care and education and list several topics they address.
2. Identify several ways accreditation standards are different from child care regulations.
3. State the purpose of Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS).
4. List some ways qualifications for administrators and teachers are different for licensure, for accreditation, and in QRIS systems.
5. Identify laws that apply to the childcare workplace, such as those that govern the program’s financial management and employees’well-being.
Marie’s Experience
Marie has been successful over the years in keeping her center in compliance with all licensing regulations. She is proud of her teachers andconfident that the center consistently goes above and beyond licensing provisions designed simply to keep children healthy and safe. She knowsthat the center provides high-quality care to the children it serves, but has never pursued accreditation or participated in her state’s optionalQuality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) because of the time and effort it would require. Her families have confidence in her program anddo not seem to need this additional assurance that it provides high-quality services day in and day out.
Large numbers of families rely on out-of-home care for their infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children during the workday. In2011, there were 312,254 licensed child care facilities with a capacity to serve almost 10.2 million children. About 34% of these facilitieswere child care center.
Chapter 3 Human RightsINTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS–BASED ORGANIZ.docxtiffanyd4
Chapter 3 Human Rights
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS–BASED ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE UN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS HAVE MADE MONITORING HUMAN RIGHTS A GLOBAL ISSUE. The United Nations is headquartered in New York City.
Learning Objectives
1. 3.1Review the expansion of and the commitment to the human rights agenda
2. 3.2Evaluate the milestones that led to the current concerns around human rights
3. 3.3Evaluate some of the philosophical controversies over human rights
4. 3.4Recognize global, regional, national, and local institutions and rules designed to protect human rights across the globe
5. 3.5Report the efforts made globally in bringing violators of human rights to justice
6. 3.6Relate the need for stricter laws to protect women’s human rights across the globe.
7. 3.7Recognize the need to protect the human rights of the disabled
8. 3.8Distinguish between the Western and the Islamic beliefs on individual and community rights
9. 3.9Review the balancing act that needs to be played while fighting terrorism and protecting human rights
10. 3.10Report the controversy around issuing death penalty as punishment
When Muammar Qaddafi used military force to suppress people demonstrating in Libya for a transition to democracy, there was a general consensus that there was a global responsibility to protect civilians. However, when Bashar Assad used fighter jets, tanks, barrel bombs, chemical weapons, and a wide range of brutal methods, including torture, to crush the popular uprising against his rule in Syria, the world did not respond forcefully to protect civilians. The basic reason given for allowing Syria to descend into brutality and chaos was that it was difficult to separate Syrians favoring human rights from those who embraced terrorism. Although cultural values differ significantly from one society to another, our common humanity has equipped us with many shared ideas about how human beings should treat each other. Aspects of globalization, especially communications and migration, reinforce perceptions of a common humanity. In general, there is global agreement that human beings, simply because we exist, are entitled to at least three types of rights. First is civil rights, which include personal liberties such as freedom of speech, religion, and thought; the right to own property; and the right to equal treatment under the law. Second is political rights, including the right to vote, to voice political opinions, and to participate in the political process. Third is social rights, including the right to be secure from violence and other physical danger, the right to a decent standard of living, and the right to health care and education. Societies differ in terms of which rights they emphasize. Four types of human rights claims that dominate global politics are
1. The abuse of individual rights by governments
2. Demands for autonomy or independence by various groups
3. Demands for equality and privacy by groups with unconventional lifestyles
4. Cla.
CHAPTER 13Contributing to the ProfessionNAEYC Administrator Co.docxtiffanyd4
CHAPTER 13
Contributing to the Profession
NAEYC Administrator Competencies Addressed in This Chapter:
Management Knowledge and Skills
1. Personal and Professional Self-Awareness
· The ability to evaluate ethical and moral dilemmas based on a professional code of ethics
8. Leadership and Advocacy
· Knowledge of the legislative process, social issues, and public policy affecting young children and their families
· The ability to advocate on behalf of young children, their families and the profession
Early Childhood Knowledge and Skills
1. Historical and Philosophical Foundations
· Knowledge of research methodologies
10. Professionalism
· Knowledge of different professional organizations, resources, and issues impacting the welfare of early childhood practitioners
· Ability to make professional judgments based on the NAEYC “Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment”
· Ability to work as part of a professional team and supervise support staff or volunteers
Learning Outcomes
After studying this chapter, you will be able to:
1. Describe how the field of early childhood education has made progress achieving two of the eight criteria of professional status.
2. Identify the advocacy tools that early childhood advocates should have at their disposal.
3. Discuss opportunities that program administrators have to contribute to the field’s future.
Grace’s Experience
Grace had found that working with children came naturally, and she considered herself to be a gifted teacher after only a short time in theclassroom. She thought she would spend her entire career working directly with children. She is now somewhat surprised how much she isenjoying the new responsibilities that come with being a program director. She is gaining confidence that she can work effectively with allfamilies, even when faced with difficult conversations; and her skills as a supervisor, coach, and mentor are increasing as well. She is nowcomfortable as a leader in her own center and is considering volunteering to fill a leadership role in the local early childhood professionalorganization. That would give her opportunities to refine her leadership skills while contributing to the quality of care provided for childrenthroughout her community.
Early childhood administrators are leaders. They contribute to the profession by making the public aware of the field’s emergingprofessionalism, including its reliance on a code of ethics; engaging in informed advocacy; becoming involved in research to increase whatwe know about how children learn, grow, and develop; and coaching and mentoring novices, experienced practitioners, and emergingleaders.
13.1 PROMOTING PROFESSIONALIZATION1
Lilian Katz, one of the most influential voices in the field of early care and education, began discussions about the professionalism of thefield in the mid-1980s. Her work extended a foundation that had been laid by sociologists, philosophers, and other scholars and continuesto influence how early childhoo.
Chapter 2 The Law of EducationIntroductionThis chapter describ.docxtiffanyd4
Chapter 2 The Law of Education
Introduction
This chapter describes the various agencies and types of law that affect education. It also discusses the organization and functions of the various judicial bodies that have an impact on education. School leadership candidates are introduced to standards of review, significant federal civil rights laws, the contents of legal decisions, and a sample legal brief.
Focus Questions
1. How are federal courts organized, and what kind of decisions do they make?
2. What is law? How is law different from policy?
3. From what source does the authority of local boards of education emanate?
4. How can campus and district leaders remain current with changes in law and policy at the national and state level?
Key Terms
1.
2.
3.
4. En banc
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11. Stare decisis
12.
13.
14.
15.
Case Study Confused Yet?
As far as Elise Daniels was concerned, the monthly meeting of the 20 River County middle school principals was the most informative and relaxing activity in her school year. Twice per year, the principals invited a guest to speak to the group. Elise was particularly interested in the fall special guest speaker, the attorney for the state school boards association. Elise had heard him speak several times, so she was aware of his deep knowledge of school law and emerging issues. As the attorney, spoke Elise found herself becoming more anxious. It was as if the attorney was speaking a foreign language. Tinker rules, due process, Title IX, Office of Civil Rights, and the state bullying law. Elise found herself thinking, “The Americans with Disabilities Act has been amended? How am I supposed to keep up with all of this?”
Leadership Perspectives
Middle School Principal Elise Daniels in the case study “Confused Yet?” is correct. School law can be confusing. Educators work in a highly regulated environment directly and indirectly impacted by a wide variety of local, state, and federal authorities. When P–12 educators refer to “the law,” they are often referring to state and/or federal statutes enacted by legislatures (). This understanding is correct. The U.S. Congress and 50 state legislatures are active in the law-making business. To make matters more difficult, the law is constantly changing and evolving as new situations arise. For example, 10 years ago few if any states had passed antibullying laws. By 2008, however, almost every state had some form of antibullying legislation on the books. Soon after, the phenomenon of cyberbullying emerged, and state legislators rushed to add cyberbullying and/or electronic bullying to their state education laws. One can only guess at what new real or perceived problem affecting public P–12 schools will be next.
P–12 educators also refer to school board policy as “law.” However, law and policy are not necessarily identical. , p. 4) defines policy as “one way through which a political system handles a public problem. It includes a government’s expressed inten.
CHAPTER 1 Legal Heritage and the Digital AgeStatue of Liberty,.docxtiffanyd4
CHAPTER 1 Legal Heritage and the Digital Age
Statue of Liberty, New York Harbor
The Statue of Liberty stands majestically in New York Harbor. During the American Revolution, France gave the colonial patriots substantial support in the form of money for equipment and supplies, officers and soldiers who fought in the war, and ships and sailors who fought on the seas. Without the assistance of France, it is unlikely that the American colonists would have won their independence from Britain. In 1886, the people of France gave the Statue of Liberty to the people of the United States in recognition of friendship that was established during the American Revolution. Since then, the Statue of Liberty has become a symbol of liberty and democracy throughout the world.
Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
1. Define law.
2. Describe the functions of law.
3. Explain the development of the U.S. legal system.
4. List and describe the sources of law in the United States.
5. Discuss the importance of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education.
Chapter Outline
1. Introduction to Legal Heritage and the Digital Age
2. What Is Law?
1. Landmark U.S. Supreme Court Case • Brown v. Board of Education
3. Schools of Jurisprudential Thought
1. CASE 1.1 • U.S. Supreme Court Case • POM Wonderful LLC v. Coca-Cola Company
2. Global Law • Command School of Jurisprudence of Cuba
4. History of American Law
1. Landmark Law • Adoption of English Common Law in the United States
2. Global Law • Civil Law System of France and Germany
5. Sources of Law in the United States
1. Contemporary Environment • How a Bill Becomes Law
2. Digital Law • Law of the Digital Age
6. Critical Legal Thinking
1. CASE 1.2 • U.S. Supreme Court Case • Shelby County, Texas v. Holder
“ Where there is no law, there is no freedom.”
—John Locke Second Treatise of Government, Sec. 57
Introduction to Legal Heritage and the Digital Age
In the words of Judge Learned Hand, “Without law we cannot live; only with it can we insure the future which by right is ours. The best of men’s hopes are enmeshed in its success.”1 Every society makes and enforces laws that govern the conduct of the individuals, businesses, and other organizations that function within it.
Although the law of the United States is based primarily on English common law, other legal systems, such as Spanish and French civil law, also influence it. The sources of law in this country are the U.S. Constitution, state constitutions, federal and state statutes, ordinances, administrative agency rules and regulations, executive orders, and judicial decisions by federal and state courts.
Human beings do not ever make laws; it is the accidents and catastrophes of all kinds happening in every conceivable way that make law for us.
Plato
Laws IV, 709
Businesses that are organized in the United States are subject to its laws. They are also subject to the laws of other countries in which they operate. Busin.
CHAPTER 1 BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS OF HUMAN SERVICESPAUL F.docxtiffanyd4
CHAPTER 1 BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS OF HUMAN SERVICES
PAUL F. CIMMINO
This chapter is dedicated to the development of basic definitions that describe and identify human services. However, any attempt to define human services in one sentence, or to use one description, is doomed to fail. According to Schmolling, Youkeles, and Burger, there is no generally accepted or “official” definition of human services (, p. 9). Human services is a multidisciplinary profession that reflects complex human interactions and a comprehensive social system. To understand human services, it is important to develop ideas that construct an organized perspective of the field. In this chapter, three general questions about human services are incorporated into the text. First, “What is it, and what isn’t it?” Second, “Who is helped and why?” Third, “How is help delivered and by whom?” These fundamental questions tend to exemplify the basic concepts and definitions in human services. This chapter proceeds to introduce important terms, definitions, subconcepts, and concentration areas in human services, which are expounded upon by a host of authors who have contributed their expertise to create this book.
The professional field of human services can be reduced to three basic concepts: intervention (needs and services); professionalism (applied practice and credentialing); and education (academic training and research). Each basic concept comprises important aspects of the human service field and identifies primary areas of the profession. The supporting background that nourishes intervention, professionalism, and education in human services is the history of the human service movement (Fullerton, ). The formal development of human services in society is located in the legislative, training, and service history of the field. This chapter attempts to offer a collective understanding of these important areas related to the professional development of human services. In this chapter, basic concepts and definitions converge to generate a comprehensive and theoretical notion of human services in forming an overview of the field. To further assist the reader in developing thoughts about the human service profession, and to avoid ambiguity in the field, a medley of contemporary definitions of human services is presented later in the chapter.
Finally, an important letter written by Dr. Harold McPheeters in 1992, which addresses the basic question of what comprises human services, is presented to close the chapter. McPheeters’s letter was sent in response to a manuscript written by me in 1991. The paper proposes an idealistic model that defines human services in terms of its purpose and professional responsibility in society. Later in the chapter, the central ideas are summarized, providing an orientation to the thoughtful feedback from Harold McPheeters. In my view, his written response conveys landmark perspectives in development of the emerging human service field. Thus, .
CHAPTER 20 Employment Law and Worker ProtectionWashington DC.docxtiffanyd4
CHAPTER 20 Employment Law and Worker Protection
Washington DC
Federal and state laws provide workers’ compensation and occupational safety laws to protect workers in the United States.
Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
1. Explain how state workers’ compensation programs work and describe the benefits available.
2. Describe employers’ duty to provide safe working conditions under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
3. Describe the minimum wage and overtime pay rules of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
4. Describe the protections afforded by the Family and Medical Leave Act.
5. Describe unemployment insurance and Social Security.
Chapter Outline
1. Introduction to Employment Law and Worker Protection
2. Workers’ Compensation
1. Case 20.1 • Kelley v. Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc.
3. Occupational Safety
1. Case 20.2 • R. Williams Construction Company v. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission
4. Fair Labor Standards Act
1. Case 20.3 U.S. SUPREME COURT Case • IBP, Inc. v. Alvarez
5. Family and Medical Leave Act
6. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act and Employee Retirement Income Security Act
7. Government Programs
“ It is difficult to imagine any grounds, other than our own personal economic predilections, for saying that the contract of employment is any the less an appropriate subject of legislation than are scores of others, in dealing with which this Court has held that legislatures may curtail individual freedom in the public interest.”
—Stone, Justice Dissenting opinion, Morehead v. New York (1936)
Introduction to Employment Law and Worker Protection
Generally, the employer–employee relationship is subject to the common law of contracts and agency law. This relationship is also highly regulated by federal and state governments that have enacted myriad laws that protect workers from unsafe working conditions, require employers to provide workers’ compensation to employers injured on the job, prohibit child labor, require minimum wages and overtime pay to be paid to workers, require employers to provide time off to employees with certain family and medical emergencies, and provide other employee protections and rights.
Poorly paid labor is inefficient labor, the world over.
Henry George
This chapter discusses employment law, workers’ compensation, occupational safety, pay and hour rules, and other laws affecting employment.
Workers’ Compensation
Many types of employment are dangerous, and many workers are injured on the job each year. Under common law, employees who were injured on the job could sue their employers for negligence. This time-consuming process placed the employee at odds with his or her employer. In addition, there was no guarantee that the employee would win the case. Ultimately, many injured workers—or the heirs of deceased workers—were left uncompensated.
Workers’ compensation acts were enacted by states in response to the unfairness of that result. These acts crea.
Chapter 1 Global Issues Challenges of GlobalizationA GROWING .docxtiffanyd4
Chapter 1 Global Issues: Challenges of Globalization
A GROWING WORLDWIDE CONNECTEDNESS IN THE AGE OF GLOBALIZATION HAS GIVEN CITIZENS MORE OF A VOICE TO EXPRESS THEIR DISSATISFACTION. In Brazil, Protestors calling for a wide range of reforms marched toward the soccer stadium where a match would be played between Brazil and Uruguay.
Learning Objectives
1. 1.1Identify important terms in international relations
2. 1.2Report the need to adopt an interdisciplinary approach in understanding the impact of new world events
3. 1.3Examine the formation of the modern states with respect to the thirty years’ war in 1618
4. 1.4Recall the challenges to the four types of sovereignty
5. 1.5Report that the European Union was created by redefining the sovereignty of its nations for lasting peace and security
6. 1.6Recall the influence exerted by the Catholic church, transnational companies, and other NGOs in dictating world events
7. 1.7Examine how globalization has brought about greater interdependence between states
8. 1.8Record the major causes of globalization
9. 1.9Review the most important forms of globalization
10. 1.10Recount the five waves of globalization
11. 1.11Recognize reasons as to why France and the US resist globalization
12. 1.12Examine the three dominant views of the extent to which globalization exists
Revolutions in technology, finance, transportation, and communications and different ways of thinking that characterize interdependence and globalization have eroded the power and significance of nation-states and profoundly altered international relations. Countries share power with nonstate actors that have proliferated as states have failed to deal effectively with major global problems.
Many governments have subcontracted several traditional responsibilities to private companies and have created public-private partnerships in some areas. This is exemplified by the hundreds of special economic zones in China, Dubai, and elsewhere. Contracting out traditional functions of government, combined with the centralization of massive amounts of data, facilitated Edward Snowden’s ability to leak what seems to be an almost unlimited amount of information on America’s spying activities.
The connections between states and citizens, a cornerstone of international relations, have been weakened partly by global communications and migration. Social media enable people around the world to challenge governments and to participate in global governance. The prevalence of mass protests globally demonstrates growing frustration with governments’ inability to meet the demands of the people, especially the global middle class.
The growth of multiple national identities, citizenships, and passports challenges traditional international relations. States that played dominant roles in international affairs must now deal with their declining power as global power is more diffused with the rise of China, India, Brazil, and other emerging market countries. States are i.
CHAPTER 23 Consumer ProtectionRestaurantFederal and state go.docxtiffanyd4
CHAPTER 23 Consumer Protection
Restaurant
Federal and state governments have enacted many statutes to protect consumers from unsafe food items.
Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
1. Describe government regulation of food and food additives.
2. Describe government regulation of drugs, cosmetics, and medicinal devices.
3. Identify and describe unfair and deceptive business practices.
4. Describe the United Nations Biosafety Protocol concerning genetically altered foods.
5. List and describe consumer financial protection laws.
Chapter Outline
1. Introduction to Consumer Protection
2. Food Safety
1. Case 23.1 • United States of America v. LaGrou Distribution Systems, Incorporated
3. Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics Safety
1. LANDMARK LAW • Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
2. ETHICS • Restaurants Required to Disclose Calories of Food Items
3. GLOBAL LAW • United Nations Biosafety Protocol for Genetically Altered Foods
4. Product and Automobile Safety
5. Medical and Health Care Protection
1. LANDMARK LAW • Health Care Reform Act of 2010
6. Unfair and Deceptive Practices
1. CONTEMPORARY ENVIRONMENT • Do-Not-Call Registry
7. Consumer Financial Protection
1. CONTEMPORARY ENVIRONMENT • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
2. ETHICS • Credit CARD Act
3. BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT • Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act
“ I should regret to find that the law was powerless to enforce the most elementary principles of commercial morality.”
—Lord Herschell Reddaway v. Banham (1896)
Introduction to Consumer Protection and Product Safety
Originally, sales transactions in this country were guided by the principle of caveat emptor(“let the buyer beware”). This led to abusive practices by businesses that sold adulterated food products and other unsafe products. In response, federal and state governments have enacted a variety of statutes that regulate the safety of food, drugs, cosmetics, toys, vehicles, and other products. In addition, governments have enacted consumer financial protection laws that protect consumer-debtors in credit transactions. These laws are collectively referred to as consumer protection laws .
consumer protection laws
Federal and state statutes and regulations that promote product safety and prohibit abusive, unfair, and deceptive business practices.
This chapter covers consumer protection and product safety laws.
Food Safety
The safety of food is an important concern in the United States and worldwide. In the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal administrative agency that is responsible primarily for regulating meat, poultry, and other food products. The USDA conducts inspections of food-processing and storage facilities. The USDA can initiate legal proceedings against violators.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
A federal administrative agency that is responsible for regulating the safety of meat, poultry, and other food products.
The following case involve.
Chapter 18 When looking further into the EU’s Energy Security and.docxtiffanyd4
Chapter 18
: When looking further into the EU’s Energy Security and ICT sustainable urban development, and government policy efforts:
Q2
– What are the five ICT enablers of energy efficiency identified by European strategic research Road map to ICT enabled Energy-Efficiency in Buildings and constructions, (REEB, 2010)?
identify and name those
five ICT enablers
,
provide a brief narrative for each enabler,
note:
Need 400 words. Need references
Please find the attached
.
CHAPTER 17 Investor Protection and E-Securities TransactionsNe.docxtiffanyd4
CHAPTER 17 Investor Protection and E-Securities Transactions
New York Stock Exchange
This is the home of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City. The NYSE, nicknamed the Big Board, is the premier stock exchange in the world. It lists the stocks and securities of approximately 3,000 of the world’s largest companies for trading. The origin of the NYSE dates to 1792, when several stockbrokers met under a buttonwood tree on Wall Street. The NYSE is located at 11 Wall Street, which has been designated a National Historic Landmark. The NYSE is now operated by NYSE Euronext, which was formed when the NYSE merged with the fully electronic stock exchange Euronext.
Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
1. Describe the procedure for going public and how securities are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
2. Describe e-securities transactions and public offerings.
3. Describe the requirements for qualifying for private placement, intrastate, and small offering exemptions from registration.
4. Describe insider trading that violates Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
5. Describe the changes made to securities law by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act and its effect on raising capital by small businesses.
Chapter Outline
1. Introduction to Investor Protection and E-Securities Transactions
2. Securities Law
1. LANDMARK LAW • Federal Securities Laws
3. Definition of Security
4. Initial Public Offering: Securities Act of 1933
1. BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT • Facebook’s Initial Public Offering
2. CONTEMPORARY ENVIRONMENT • Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act: Emerging Growth Company
5. E-Securities Transactions
1. DIGITAL LAW • Crowdfunding and Funding Portals
6. Exempt Securities
7. Exempt Transactions
8. Trading in Securities: Securities Exchange Act of 1934
9. Insider Trading
1. Case 17.1 • United States v. Bhagat
2. Case 17.2 • United States v. Kluger
3. ETHICS • Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act
10. Short-Swing Profits
11. State “Blue-Sky” Laws
“The insiders here were not trading on an equal footing with the outside investors.”
—Judge Waterman Securities and Exchange Commission v. Texas Gulf Sulphur Company 401 F.2d 833, 1968 U.S. App. Lexis 5796 (1968)
Introduction to Investor Protection and E-Securities Transactions
Prior to the 1920s and 1930s, the securities markets in this country were not regulated by the federal government. Securities were issued and sold to investors with little, if any, disclosure. Fraud in these transactions was common. To respond to this lack of regulation, in the early 1930s Congress enacted federal securities statutes to regulate the securities markets, including the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The federal securities statutes were designed to require disclosure of information to investors, provide for the regulation of securities issues and trading, and prevent fraud. Today, many .
Chapter 13 Law, Ethics, and Educational Leadership Making the Con.docxtiffanyd4
Chapter 13 Law, Ethics, and Educational Leadership: Making the Connection
Introduction
This chapter presents examples from the ISLLC standards of the relationship between law and ethics. The chapter also provides examples of how knowledge of law and the application of ethical principles to decision making helps guide school leaders through the sometimes treacherous waters of educational leadership.
Focus Questions
1. How may ethical considerations and legal knowledge guide school leader decision making?
2. Why is it important to consider a balance between these two sometimes competing concepts?
Case Study So Many Detentions, So Little Time
Jefferson Middle School (JMS) was the most racially and culturally diverse of the three middle schools in Riverboat School District, a relatively affluent bedroom community within commuter distance of Capital City. Unfortunately, the culture of Jefferson Middle School was not going well. Over the past 5 years, assistant superintendent Sharon Grey had seen JMS become a school divided by an underlying animosity along racial and socioeconomic lines. This animosity was characterized by numerous clashes between student groups, between teachers and students, between campus administrators and teachers, and between teachers and parents. Sharon finally concluded that JMS was a “mess.”
After much thought and a few sleepless nights, Sharon as part of her job description made the recommendation to the Riverboat school board to not reemploy Jeremy Smith as principal of JMS. Immediately after the board decision, Sharon organized a search committee of teachers, parents, and campus administrators and began the process of finding the right principal for JMS. The committee finally agreed on Charleston Jones. Charleston was a relatively inexperienced campus administrator but had impressed the committee with his instructional leadership knowledge, intelligence, and youthful energy. However, the job of stabilizing JMS was proving to be more of a challenge than anyone had anticipated.
Charleston had instituted a schoolwide discipline plan and had insisted that teachers and school administrators not deviate from the plan. However, he could sense that things were still not right. Animosity among student and parent groups remained just below the surface, ready to erupt at the slightest provocation. Clashes between teachers and students were still relatively frequent. Teachers still blamed one another, school administrators, and the school resource officer for a lack of order in the school. Change was not coming quickly to RMS, and Charleston understood that although school management had improved, several aspects of school culture were less than desirable. Student suspension rates remained high, and parental support was waning. As one of the assistant principals remarked after the umpteenth student referral, “So many detentions, so little time!”
Charleston felt the need to talk. He reached for the phone and made an appointment with.
Chapter 12 presented strategic planning and performance with Int.docxtiffanyd4
Chapter 12 presented strategic planning and performance with Intuit. Define Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and Key Risk Indicators (KRI)? How does an organization come up with these key indicators? Do you know of any top-down indicators? Do you know of any bottom-up indicators? Give some examples of both. In what way does identifying these indicators help an organization? Are there any other key indicators that would help an organization?
Requirements:
Initial posting by Wednesday
Reply to at least 2 other classmates by Sunday (Post a response on different days throughout the week)
Provide a minimum of 2 references on the initial post and one reference any response posts.
Proper APA Format (References & Citations)/No plagiarism
.
ChapterTool KitChapter 7102715Corporate Valuation and Stock Valu.docxtiffanyd4
ChapterTool KitChapter 710/27/15Corporate Valuation and Stock Valuation7-4 Valuing Common Stocks—Introducing the Free Cash Flow (FCF) Valuation ModelData for B&B Corporation (Millions)Constant free cash flow (FCF) =$10Weighted average cost of capital (WACC) =10%Short-term investments =$2Debt =$28Preferred stock =$4Number of shares of common stock =5The first step is to estimate the value of operations, which is the present value of all expected free cash flows. Because the FCF's are expected to be constant, this is a perpetuity. The present value of a perpetuity is the cash flow divided by the cost of capital:Value of operations (Vop) =FCF/WACCValue of operations (Vop) =$100.00millionB&B's total value is the sum of value of operations and the short-term investments: Value of operations$100+ ST investments$2Estimated total intrinsic value$102The next step is to estimate the intrinsic value of equity, which is the remaining total value after accounting for the claims of debtholders and preferred stockholders: Value of operations$100+ ST investments$2Estimated total intrinsic value$102− All debt$28− Preferred stock$4Estimated intrinsic value of equity$70The final step is to estimate the intrinsic common stock price per share, which is the estimated intrinsic value of equity divided by the number of shares of common stock: Value of operations$100+ ST investments$2Estimated total intrinsic value$102− All debt$28− Preferred stock$4Estimated intrinsic value of equity$70÷ Number of shares5Estimated intrinsic stock price =$14.00The figure below shows a summary of the previous calculations.Figure 7-2B&B Corporation's Sources of Value and Claims on Value (Millions of Dollars except Per Share Data)Inputs:Valuation AnalysisConstant free cash flow (FCF) =$10Value of operations$100Weighted average cost of capital (WACC) =10%+ ST investments$2Short-term investments =$2Estimated total intrinsic value$102Debt =$28− All debt$28Preferred stock =$4− Preferred stock$4Number of shares of common stock =5Estimated intrinsic value of equity$70÷ Number of shares5Estimated intrinsic stock price$14.00Data for Pie ChartsShort-term investments =$2Value of operations =$100Total =$102Debt =$28Preferred stock =$4Estimated equity value =$70Total =$1027-5 The Constant Growth Model: Valuation when Expected Free Cash Flow Grows at a Constant RateCase 1: The expected free cash flow at t=1 and the expected constant growth rate after t=1 are known.First expected free cash flow (FCF1) =$105Weighted average cost of capital (WACC) =9%Constant growth rate (gL) =5%When free cash flows are expected to grow at a constant rate, the value of operations is:Value of operations (Vop) =FCF1 / [WACC-gL]Value of operations (Vop) =$2,625Case 2: Constant growth is expected to begin immediately.Most recent free cash flow (FCF0) =$200Weighted average cost of capital (WACC) =12%Constant growth rate (gL) =7%When free cash flows are expected to grow at a constant rate, the value of operations is:.
CHAPTER 12Working with Families and CommunitiesNAEYC Administr.docxtiffanyd4
CHAPTER 12
Working with Families and Communities
NAEYC Administrator Competencies Addressed in This Chapter:
Management Knowledge and Skills
6. Family Support
· Knowledge and application of family systems and different parenting styles
· The ability to implement program practices that support families of diverse cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and socio-economic backgrounds
· The ability to support families as valued partners in the educational process
3. Staff Management and Human Relations
· The ability to relate to staff and board members of diverse racial, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds
7. Marketing and Public Relations
· The ability to promote linkages with local schools
9. Oral and Written Communication
· Knowledge of oral communication techniques, including establishing rapport, preparing the environment, active listening, and voicecontrol
· The ability to communicate ideas effectively in a formal presentation
Early Childhood Knowledge and Skills
6. Family and Community Relationships
· Knowledge of the diversity of family systems, traditional, non-traditional and alternative family structures, family life styles, and thedynamics of family life on the development of young children
· Knowledge of socio-cultural factors influencing contemporary families including the impact of language, religion, poverty, race,technology, and the media
· Knowledge of different community resources, assistance, and support available to children and families
· Knowledge of different strategies to promote reciprocal partnerships between home and center
· Ability to communicate effectively with parents through written and oral communication
· Ability to demonstrate awareness and appreciation of different cultural and familial practices and customs
· Knowledge of child rearing patterns in other countries
10. Professionalism
· Ability to make professional judgments based on the NAEYC “Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment”
Learning Outcomes
After studying this chapter, you will be able to:
1. Explain three approaches that programs of early care and education might take to working with families.
2. Identify some of the benefits enjoyed by children, families, and programs when families are engaged with the programs serving theiryoung children.
3. Describe some effective strategies for building trusting relationships with all families.
4. Identify the stakeholder groups and the kinds of expertise that should be represented on programs’ advisory committees and boardsof directors.
Grace’s Experience
The program that Grace directs has been an important part of the neighborhood for more than 20 years. She knows she is benefiting from thegoodwill it has earned over the years. It is respected because of its tradition of high-quality outreach projects, such as the sing-along the childrenpresent at the senior center in the spring. The program’s tradition of community involvement has meant that local businesses have always beenwilling to help out when asked fo.
Chapter 10. Political Socialization The Making of a CitizenLear.docxtiffanyd4
Chapter 10. Political Socialization: The Making of a Citizen
Learning Objectives
· 1Describe the model citizen in democratic theory and explain the concept.
· 2Define socialization and explain the relevance of this concept in the study of politics.
· 3Explain how a disparate population of individuals and groups (families, clans, and tribes) can be forged into a cohesive society.
· 4Demonstrate how socialization affects political behavior and analyze what happens when socialization fails.
· 5Characterize the role of television and the Internet in influencing people’s political beliefs and behavior, and evaluate their impact on the quality of citizenship in contemporary society.
The year is 1932. The Soviet Union is suffering a severe shortage of food, and millions go hungry. Joseph Stalin, leader of the Communist Party and head of the Soviet government, has undertaken a vast reordering of Soviet agriculture that eliminates a whole class of landholders (the kulaks) and collectivizes all farmland. Henceforth, every farm and all farm products belong to the state. To deter theft of what is now considered state property, the Soviet government enacts a law prohibiting individual farmers from appropriating any grain for their own private use. Acting under this law, a young boy reports his father to the authorities for concealing grain. The father is shot for stealing state property. Soon after, the boy is killed by a group of peasants, led by his uncle, who are outraged that he would betray his own father. The government, taking a radically different view of the affair, extols the boy as a patriotic martyr.
Stalin considered the little boy in this story a model citizen, a hero. How citizenship is defined says a lot about a government and the philosophy or ideology that underpins it.
The Good Citizen
Stalin’s celebration of a child’s act of betrayal as heroic points to a distinction Aristotle originally made: The good citizen is defined by laws, regimes, and rulers, but the moral fiber (and universal characteristics) of a good person is fixed, and it transcends the expectations of any particular political regime.*
Good citizenship includes behaving in accordance with the rules, norms, and expectations of our own state and society. Thus, the actual requirements vary widely. A good citizen in Soviet Russia of the 1930s was a person whose first loyalty was to the Communist Party. The test of good citizenship in a totalitarian state is this: Are you willing to subordinate all personal convictions and even family loyalties to the dictates of political authority, and to follow the dictator’s whims no matter where they may lead? In marked contrast are the standards of citizenship in constitutional democracies, which prize and protect freedom of conscience and speech.
Where the requirements of the abstract good citizen—always defined by the state—come into conflict with the moral compass of actual citizens, and where the state seeks to obscure or obliterate t.
Chapters one and twoAnswer the questions in complete paragraphs .docxtiffanyd4
Chapters one and two
Answer the questions in complete paragraphs (at least 3), APA style (citations/references) and make sure to separate/number the answers
1. Explain the differences between Classic Autism and Asperger Disorder according to the DSM-V (Diagnostic Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association).
2. How is ASD identified and diagnosed? Name and describe some of the measurement tools.
3. Describe the characteristics of ASD under each criterion: a) language deficits, b) social differences, c) behavior, and d) motor deficits.
4. List and describe the evidence-base practices for educating ASD children discussed in chapter 2.
5. Describe the differences between a focused intervention and comprehensive treatment models.
6. What are the components of effective instruction for students with ASD?
.
ChapterTool KitChapter 1212912Corporate Valuation and Financial .docxtiffanyd4
ChapterTool KitChapter 1212/9/12Corporate Valuation and Financial Planning12-2 Financial Planning at MicroDrive, Inc.The process used by MicroDrive to forecast the free cash flows from its operating plan is described in the sections below.Setting Up the Model to Forecast OperationsWe begin with MicroDrive's most recent financial statements and selected additional data.Figure 12-1 MicroDrive’s Most Recent Financial Statements (Millions, Except for Per Share Data)INCOME STATEMENTSBALANCE SHEETS20122013Assets20122013Net sales$ 4,760$ 5,000Cash$ 60$ 50COGS (excl. depr.)3,5603,800ST Investments40-Depreciation170200Accounts receivable380500Other operating expenses480500Inventories8201,000EBIT$ 550$ 500Total CA$ 1,300$ 1,550Interest expense100120Net PP&E1,7002,000Pre-tax earnings$ 450$ 380Total assets$ 3,000$ 3,550Taxes (40%)180152NI before pref. div.$ 270$ 228Liabilities and equityPreferred div.88Accounts payable$ 190$ 200Net income$ 262$ 220Accruals280300Notes payable130280Other DataTotal CL$ 600$ 780Common dividends$48$50Long-term bonds1,0001,200Addition to RE$214$170Total liabilities$ 1,600$ 1,980Tax rate40%40%Preferred stock100100Shares of common stock5050Common stock500500Earnings per share$5.24$4.40Retained earnings800970Dividends per share$0.96$1.00Total common equity$ 1,300$ 1,470Price per share$40.00$27.00Total liabs. & equity$ 3,000$ 3,550The figure below shows all the inputs required to project the financial statements for the scenario that has been selected with the Scenario Manager: Data, What-If Analysis, Scenario Manager. There are two scenarios. The first is named Status Quo because all operating ratios except the sales growth rate are assumed to remain unchanged. The initial sales growth rate was chosen by MicroDrive's managers based on the existing product lines. The growth rate declines over time until it eventually levels off at a sustainable rate. The other scenario is named Final because it is the set of inputs chosen by MicroDrive's management team.Section 1 shows the inputs required to estimate the items in an operating plan. For each of these inputs, Section 1 shows the industry averages, the actual values for the past two years for MicroDrive, and the forecasted values for the next five years. The managers assumed the inputs for future years (except the sales growth rate) would be equal to the inputs in the first projected year.MicroDrive's managers assume that sales will eventually level off at a sustaniable constant rate.Sections 2 and 3 show the data required to estimate the weighted average cost of capital. Section 4 shows the forecasted growth rate in dividends.Note: These inputs are linked throughout the model. If you want to change an input, do it here and not other places in the model.Figure 12-2MicroDrive's Forecast: Inputs for the Selected ScenarioStatus QuoIndustryMicroDriveMicroDriveInputsActualActualForecast1. Operating Ratios2013201220132014201520162017201.
Chapters 4-6 Preparing Written MessagesPrepari.docxtiffanyd4
Chapters 4-6: Preparing Written Messages
Preparing Written Messages
Lesson Outline
Seven Steps to Preparing Written Messages
Effective Sentences and Coherent Paragraphs
Revise to Grab Your Audience’s Attention
Improve Readability
Proofread and Revise
Seven Steps to Preparing
Written Messages
Seven Preparation Steps
Step 1: Consider Contextual Forces
Step 2: Determine Purpose, Channel, and Medium
Step 3: Envision Audience
Step 4: Adapt Message to Audience Needs and Concerns
Step 5: Organize the Message
Step 6: Prepare First Draft
Step 7: Revise, Edit, and Proofread
Effective Sentences and
Coherent Paragraphs
Step 6: Prepare the First Draft
Proceed Deductively or Inductively
Know Logical Sequence of Minor Points
Write rapidly with Intent to Rewrite
Use Active More Than Passive Voice
Craft Powerful Sentences
Rely on Active Voice—Subject Doer of Action
(Passive—Subject Receiver of Action Sentence Is Less Emphatic)
Passive Voice Uses
Conceal the Doer/Avoid Finger Pointing
Doer Is Unknown
Place More Emphasis on What Was Done
(Receiver of Action)
5
Emphasize Important Ideas
Techniques
Sentence Structure—place important ideas in simple sentences/place in independent clauses (emphasis)
Repetition—repeat a word in a sentence
Labeling Words—use words that signal important
Position—position it first or last in a clause, sentence, paragraph, or presentation
Space and Format—use extraordinary amount of space for important items or use headings
Develop Coherent Paragraphs
Develop Deductive/Inductive Paragraphs Consistently
Link Ideas to Achieve Coherence
Keep Paragraphs Unified
Vary Sentence and Paragraph Length
Position Topic Sentences and
Link Ideas
Deductive—topic sentence precedes details
Inductive—topic sentence follows details
Link Ideas to Achieve Coherence (Cohesion)
Repeat Word from Preceding Sentence
Use a Pronoun for a Noun in Preceding Sentence
Use Connecting Words (e.g., Conjunctive Adverbs)
Link Paragraphs by Using Transition Words
Use Transition Sentences before Headings,
But Not Subheadings
Paragraph Unity
Keep Paragraphs Unified—support must be focused on topic sentences
Ensure Paragraphs Cover Topic Sentence, But Do Not Write Extraneous Materials
Arrange Paragraphs in a Logical and Systematic Sequence
Vary Sentence and
Paragraph Length
Vary Sentence Length (Average—Short)
Vary Sentence Structure (Sentence Variety)
Vary Paragraph Length (Average—Short
8-10 Lines)
Changes in Tense, Voice, and Person in Paragraphs Are Discouraged
Revise to Grab
Reader’s Attention
Cultivate a Frame of Mind (Mind-set) for Revising and Proofreading
Have Your Revising/Editing Space/Room
View from Audience Perspective (You Attitude)
Revise until No More Changes Would Improve the Document
Be Willing to Allow Others to Make Suggestions (Writer’s Pride of Ownership?)
Ensure Error-Free Messages
Use Visual Enhancements for More Readability
Add Only When They Aid Comprehension
Create an A.
Unit 8 - Information and Communication Technology (Paper I).pdfThiyagu K
This slides describes the basic concepts of ICT, basics of Email, Emerging Technology and Digital Initiatives in Education. This presentations aligns with the UGC Paper I syllabus.
Macroeconomics- Movie Location
This will be used as part of your Personal Professional Portfolio once graded.
Objective:
Prepare a presentation or a paper using research, basic comparative analysis, data organization and application of economic information. You will make an informed assessment of an economic climate outside of the United States to accomplish an entertainment industry objective.
June 3, 2024 Anti-Semitism Letter Sent to MIT President Kornbluth and MIT Cor...Levi Shapiro
Letter from the Congress of the United States regarding Anti-Semitism sent June 3rd to MIT President Sally Kornbluth, MIT Corp Chair, Mark Gorenberg
Dear Dr. Kornbluth and Mr. Gorenberg,
The US House of Representatives is deeply concerned by ongoing and pervasive acts of antisemitic
harassment and intimidation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Failing to act decisively to ensure a safe learning environment for all students would be a grave dereliction of your responsibilities as President of MIT and Chair of the MIT Corporation.
This Congress will not stand idly by and allow an environment hostile to Jewish students to persist. The House believes that your institution is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the inability or
unwillingness to rectify this violation through action requires accountability.
Postsecondary education is a unique opportunity for students to learn and have their ideas and beliefs challenged. However, universities receiving hundreds of millions of federal funds annually have denied
students that opportunity and have been hijacked to become venues for the promotion of terrorism, antisemitic harassment and intimidation, unlawful encampments, and in some cases, assaults and riots.
The House of Representatives will not countenance the use of federal funds to indoctrinate students into hateful, antisemitic, anti-American supporters of terrorism. Investigations into campus antisemitism by the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Ways and Means have been expanded into a Congress-wide probe across all relevant jurisdictions to address this national crisis. The undersigned Committees will conduct oversight into the use of federal funds at MIT and its learning environment under authorities granted to each Committee.
• The Committee on Education and the Workforce has been investigating your institution since December 7, 2023. The Committee has broad jurisdiction over postsecondary education, including its compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, campus safety concerns over disruptions to the learning environment, and the awarding of federal student aid under the Higher Education Act.
• The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the sources of funding and other support flowing to groups espousing pro-Hamas propaganda and engaged in antisemitic harassment and intimidation of students. The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is the principal oversight committee of the US House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” under House Rule X.
• The Committee on Ways and Means has been investigating several universities since November 15, 2023, when the Committee held a hearing entitled From Ivory Towers to Dark Corners: Investigating the Nexus Between Antisemitism, Tax-Exempt Universities, and Terror Financing. The Committee followed the hearing with letters to those institutions on January 10, 202
Model Attribute Check Company Auto PropertyCeline George
In Odoo, the multi-company feature allows you to manage multiple companies within a single Odoo database instance. Each company can have its own configurations while still sharing common resources such as products, customers, and suppliers.
How to Make a Field invisible in Odoo 17Celine George
It is possible to hide or invisible some fields in odoo. Commonly using “invisible” attribute in the field definition to invisible the fields. This slide will show how to make a field invisible in odoo 17.
Embracing GenAI - A Strategic ImperativePeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
Francesca Gottschalk - How can education support child empowerment.pptxEduSkills OECD
Francesca Gottschalk from the OECD’s Centre for Educational Research and Innovation presents at the Ask an Expert Webinar: How can education support child empowerment?
Francesca Gottschalk - How can education support child empowerment.pptx
CHAPTER 8 THE MEDIADoes the media impact our public opinion .docx
1. CHAPTER 8: THE MEDIA
Does the media impact our public opinion / impact how we
think about events?
· Picture Hurricane Katrina happening and everything only
being on the radio.
· Picture 9/11 happening and only being on the radio.
People, Government and Communications
· There are TWO types of media to think about when you think
about media – print media and broadcast media.
· Print Media – media in print – newspapers and magazines.
· Broadcast Media – electronic media – sound and images –
radio and television and the internet. This is not just the news,
news shows, televising presidential debates – think also about
movies that make political statements. Examples of singers that
sing about political ideas (Eminem, Natalie Maines speaking out
against President Bush at a concert for military action in Iraq).
· Does the media play a role in communications from the
government?
· Examples? Presidential election debates, press conference
from President Obama, weekly radio address.
· Does the media shape your political views?
· Think about the type of government we live in and how the
media effects us versus if you lived in a communist country
media flows more freely in “one direction” – the government
2. feeding information to its citizens versus the public responding
to public opinion.
The Development of the Mass Media in the United States
Newspapers
· There is a big difference in the way newspapers were in 1775
in the colonies and newspapers today.
· In 1775 there were about 37 weekly newspapers that were read
by the people that have land and money – newspapers were not
independent but politically affiliated and published by parties to
advance ideas of the party.
· In the 1830s newspapers started to be published daily and
started private ownership.
· Daily papers by circulation as of January 2015 – print and
electronic circulation:
· Wall Street Journal – 2.3 million every day
· USA Today – 3.2 million every day
· New York Times – 1.8 million every day
· Dallas Morning News – 400,000 every day
Magazines
· When you think about magazines think daily or monthly – less
frequency.
· This is more specialized than newspapers – more analytical –
they have more time to examine and do research on something
than a daily newspaper does.
· Usually more specialized – not just an overview of all news –
but some specific topic – from a magazine catering to
Democrats to one on celebrities.
· Weekly magazines and their weekly circulation:
· Time – 3.3 million copies.
· National Enquirer – 1 million (at its height 6 million)
3. · People – 3.75 million – 46.4 million people are in their
readership – when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie had their baby
Shiloh – People paid $4.1 million to them for the first photos
and there were 26.5 MILLION page views on their internet page
– the single largest daily internet traffic ever. Does People
impact people and their viewpoints?
Radio
· Regularly scheduled and continuous broadcasting on the radio
began in 1920 on two stations – KDRA in Pittsburg and WWJ in
Detroit.
· They both broadcast the election returns in the 1920 election
where President Warren Harding won.
· First radio network – NBC (National Broadcasting Company)
– was formed in 1926.
· President Franklin D. Roosavelt did the first “fireside chat” on
radio in 1933.
· There are over 13,000 licensed broadcast stations.
· Over 90% of Americans still listen to the traditional AM/FM
frequency at least once each week.
Television
· By 1940 there were 23 television stations in the US.
· By 1950 there were 98 television stations in the US but only
9% of American households had a television.
· Today – 98% of American households have at least one
television.
· Think about the way television can shape the information you
receive from the government – news programs, the Sunday news
debates, televising the thing the president is doing on a daily
basis, CSPAN.
The Internet
· The internet began in 1969 when computers at 4 universities
were connected to form ARPANET with the support of the US
Defense Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency.
4. · Early on the internet was used to transmit email among
researchers.
· In 1991 a group of European physicists developed a way to
transmit images and graphics over the internet and the World
Wide Web (WWW) was born.
· In 1993 there were only 50 websites in existence.
· Today there are over 100 million websites and over 1 billion
web users.
· Virtually every government agency, political group and person
has a website.
· Think also about bloggers and how they impact our views and
how the government and news agencies react to bloggers.
· Think about email chains and how they impact what we do and
how we think.
· Over 70% of American use the WWW.
· Does the internet effect the way you communicate with your
government and shape your political and social views?
Private Ownership of the Media
· Do not take private ownership of the media for granted.
· Most people in the US think if the government owned the
media that would be a bad thing because that would interfere
with what information was disseminated to us.
· We have freedom of speech and freedom of the press that
other countries do not enjoy.
· China – the Chinese government employs thousands of
“Internet police” to prevent “subversive content” from being
disseminated about China on the internet. They search phrases
like “human rights” every day.
· Google –
· Google resisted the US Government’s request for records for
users who were searching for pornography when they were
conducting pornography investigations.
· Google accepted the Chinese government’s limitations on
blogging and email functions because they wanted to get into
5. that fast growing market.
· Private ownership as opposed to government ownership gives
the news media more political freedom to publish and say what
they want.
· A consequence of private ownership? The media is dependent
on ADVERTISING – depends on advertising revenues to pay
the bills and cover their costs. Advertising rates are tied to the
audience size (the more they reach the more they pay) – so news
operations have to cater to the audiences they serve to get you
to watch television and read their publications to attract
advertisers.
· About 52 million newspapers are circulated daily – more than
60% of their content is advertising.
· Newsworthiness – the degree to which a story is important
enough to be covered in the mass media.
· Judged by audience appeal.
· What impact will it have on listeners and readers.
· Degree of sensationalism (exemplified by violence, conflict,
disaster, scandal)
· Timeliness
· “If it bleeds it leads.”
Government Regulation of the Media
· Even though most mass media is privately owned they do have
to operate under some government regulation.
· Example: the Federal Communications Commission has
regulations regarding the amount of air time provided to each
political candidate.
· Government regulation of the media has three aspects:
· Technical and ownership considerations
· Ownership
· Content
· Technical and Ownership Considerations
· Federal Radio Act – in 1927 everyone was broadcasting in
6. radio over each other so that no one could be understood – so
the government came in and said everyone that wanted to
broadcast had to register and get a license so that you got a
specific signal and everyone could be heard.
· Federal Communications Act in 1934 – created the Federal
Communications Commission.
· The FCC is an independent regulatory commission.
· Regulates interstate and international communications by
radio, television, telephone, telegraph, cable and satellite.
· In 1996 Congress revamped the Federal Communications Act
in 1996.
· The new law relaxed ownership laws of the media.
· Prior to 1996 one company could only own 12 television
stations and 40 radio stations – after 1996 the law said you
could own as many as you wanted so long as you did not have
over 35% of the market share nationwide.
· After 1996 telephone companies could compete with one
another to sell television services.
· After 1996 there was arguably more competition for the public
so hopefully cheaper services.
· Regulation of Content
· The First Amendment of the United States Constitution
prohibits Congress from abridging the Freedom of the Press.
· The Press means all forms of media.
· The Courts have decided many cases that determine how far
that will go.
· The courts struggle most with obscenity – what is obscene –
the federal courts are split over this but federal courts have
overturned claims of Freedom of the Press when someone is
transmitting indecent images over the internet calling them
“repugnant to First Amendment Principles.”
· The government overall has stood by the principle of not
censoring the press.
· One major exception – during wartime – the government will
ask the press not to publish certain information if it would
7. endanger American soldiers – i.e. planned movements in a
battle before the battle takes place.
· The FCC used to operate under three rules:
· The fairness doctrine – requiring a station had to provide fair
coverage on all public issues.
· The equal opportunities rule – if you give or sell airtime to
one candidate for public office you have to make equal time to
the other candidate under the same conditions.
· The reasonable access rule – required that stations make their
facilities available for all conflicting views on an issue.
· In 1987 under President Reagan the FCC repealed the fairness
doctrine: people feared that the stations would then just go all
conservative or all liberal because there was no need to provide
equal airtime to both types of programs.
· But keep in mind that advertisers want to sell to everyone so
they have a role in keeping the broadcast media “in check” – the
stations do not want to lose their advertisers because they are
too extreme so by in large they try to give off image they are
not endorsing any one political view.
Functions of the Mass Media for the Political System
· When you think about the function of the media in our society
and in our political system – think about the following as the
roles of the media – think about if you are the station that does
it the best you are likely to get more advertisers:
· Reporting the News
· When the news media is reporting the news keep in mind they
do not create it – the news is a creation of media releases from
companies, pr agencies, the White House.
· There is a daily briefing at the White House that tells what the
8. White House wants to get across to the citizens each day – they
set an agenda they want each day.
· Congressional offices issue press releases to the media in DC
or back home to get across their messages.
· Interpreting and Presenting the News
· The media executives, news editors, and reports are the
gatekeepers in directing the news flow – they decide which
events to report on and how much time to give them.
· If you have over 5,000 press releases on desk at the New York
Times you cannot report on each of those each day – you decide
which ones are most newsworthy.
· The rise of the Internet has made more news available more
quickly.
· Horse Race Journalism – this is the term that describes how
the media will cover the political candidate that is ahead in the
polls versus covering the national issues because that is what
people are most interested in hearing about.
· Overall – the American public knows more about
entertainment news than political facts and figures.
· Influencing Public Opinion
· 9 out of 10 Americans believe the media strongly influences
public opinion.
· Measuring the absolute extent of the media’s influence can be
difficult.
· When you think about how the media influences public
opinion – imagine if Hurricane Katrina had happened with no
photographs or images being projected to the rest of the United
States – but you only heard about it on the radio.
· Setting the Political Agenda
· Most political scholars believe that the media plays a role in
setting the political agenda – which is a list of issues that need
government attention.
· The media wants advertisers to pay them, advertisers pay
9. higher rates to media with larger viewership or larger listener
base – so the media responds to what you want to hear.
· If that is true then the government will look to the media to
see what people are caring about right now.
· Watchdog Journalism – Journalism that scrutinizes public and
business institutions and publicizes perceived misconduct – the
media can break scandals and serve as a check on wrongdoers.
Evaluating the Media in Government
· As a citizen it is your responsibility to evaluate the media
source you are reading – whether they are more conservative or
more liberal – and take what they say and evaluate it.
· There are certain media outlets that are known to be more
conservative or known to be more liberal – although they may
provide coverage to both political candidates because it appeals
to the advertisers or general audience – be aware that not all
media outlets are totally unbiased.
· Watchdog Journalism
· Journalism that scrutinizes public and business institutions
and publicizes perceived misconduct.
· Consider as final point in studying the media whether this
would be allowed in another country – would the media be
allowed to criticize the government – it our democracy IT CAN!
24
Chapter 10
The Party System in Texas
STUDENT HOMEWORK!
· In preparation for the Political Parties Chapter students need
10. to take this quiz:
· Political Typology Quiz at the Pew Research Center:
· http://www.people-press.org/quiz/political-typology
· BEFPORE YOU TAKE THE QUIZ WRITE DOWN
1) What party you align yourself with before you take the quiz.
2) Why.
· In class we will discuss your results and whether you were
surprised by your test results.
· The political party quiz – discuss results – who stayed the
same, who was surprised by results, etc.!
· At end of chapter we are doing the FORMING A POLITICAL
PARTIES exercise.
Political Parties and Their Functions
· What is a political party?
· In a democracy the primary way citizens communicate to their
government and control their government is by voting.
· Political party = an organization that sponsors candidates for
political office under the organization’s name.
· Nomination – this is how a political party officially designates
a candidate as an official candidate of the political party.
· The US is dominated by a two-party system.
· The Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
· The parties will nominate candidates and sponsor them –
interest groups and various groups will publicly support a
candidate but they are nominating them.
· Political scientists agree that you need at least two political
parties in a democratic society for it to function properly – you
need that competition.
· What is the function of a political party?
· Four major functions of political parties:
11. · Recruiting and Nominating Candidates for Office
· Who should run for office – is everyone qualified or only a
certain few people qualified to run or help run our government?
· Without political parties voters would have to confront a vast
array of self-nominated candidates - parties provide a method
of control through a peer review process.
· Caucuses – a caucus is a meeting that is closed to the general
public and only open to the members of the party – they meet to
decided on policy issues and make a selection of political
candidates for office.
· Party insiders know the strengths and weaknesses of political
candidates and can hopefully weed out stronger candidates for
us.
· Parties may not just pass judgment on candidates but seek out
good and qualified candidates and support them in running for
office.
· Each party – democratic and republican – have a national
convention every four years – where they officially nominate
the president and vice president and adopt a party platform.
· Party Platform = the statement of polities of a national party.
· Structuring the voting choice in elections
· This means that political parties help by reducing the number
of candidates on the ballot to those who have a realistic chance
of winning.
· The ability of established parties to gather support from a base
of voters discourages non-party candidates from running and
discourages new parties from forming.
· This overall reduces the amount of decision making and
research you have to do to vote for a qualified candidate –
imagine if there were 100 candidates running for President.
· Each state has its own ballot access laws to determine who can
get on a ballot – if you are running for President you have to
follow each state’s laws to get on their ballot.
· Texas: For a registered political party in a statewide election
to gain ballot access, they must either 1) obtain five percent of
12. the vote in any statewide election or 2) collect petition
signatures equal to one percent of the total votes cast in the
preceding election.
· Contest Elections and Mobilize Voters
· Proposing alternative government programs
· Parties have differing views on topics and programs and the
government – so the parties offer you the choice and although
each candidate is different if the party is supporting them then
you can be pretty sure he candidate will align itself with the
views of the party.
· Provide Accountability
· Keep public officials accountable to the people – are they
doing what they said they would do?
· Coordinating the actions of government officials between the
branches AND organize and manage the government AND set
the policy agenda
· Parties help coordinate the actions of various government
officials so that we can get things done in our government – i.e.
if you want to pass a healthcare bill you need to make sure that
you coordinate with the President and leaders in the House and
Senate – political parties are the vehicle to that cooperation.
A History of US Party Politics
· The Democratic party was founded in 1828.
· The Republican Party was formed in 1854.
· You can take classes that will study the evolution of the
political parties and their agendas over time.
· During different times in history sometimes one party has
been considered stronger than the other – one major time you
13. study is in the 1860s when the democratic party was greatly
divided over the slavery issue between the north and south.
· Today the two parties are considered to have a “rough
balance” since 1968.
The American Two-Party System
· We have a strong two party system in the US.
· Why?
· Political scientists have examined this over time and have
various answers.
· In elections it is just plain difficult for three or more to
maintain “power” mathematically – two parties will emerge
because of basic math principles in a winner take all system.
· Historically that is what we have had.
· When you look at Americans and study their political
participation, the two parties and their divisions cover what
American believe.
· How are parties organized at the national level?
· National Convention
· Every four years each party gets together at a national
convention to officially nominate their candidate for president
and vice president.
· Each Party Has a National Committee
· The Republican National Committee (RNC) has about 150
members and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has
about 450 members.
· These committees are made up of representatives from each
state and these committees govern the party between election
years.
· The chair of this committee is usually appointed by the
presidential nominee / president.
14. · They office in office buildings on Capitol Hill.
· The national committee supports the president if he is from
their party and takes orders from the president / candidate for
president – they are not setting the agenda for the candidate –
that happens within the campaign.
· These committees are more a mechanism for keeping things
organized.
· Congressional Party Conferences
· At the beginning of each session of Congress, Republicans and
Democrats in each chamber hold a separate party conference
where they elect party leaders and decide committee
assignments.
· These meetings deal only with congress.
· Congressional Campaign Committees
· Each member of the House and Senate – whether you are a
Democrat or Republican –you have your own congressional
campaign committees that help you get elected – these are
separate from the national structure of the parties but are
supported by the national structure.
The Development of the Texas Party System
· Although the US has been dominated by a two party system –
Texas has seen a dominance of primarily one party in its
history.
· Under the Republic of Texas, there was not a lot of “party”
activity.
· Activity surrounded Sam Houston – a leading founder of the
Republic – and you were either in support of him OR opposed to
him.
· After Texas became a state, the Democratic Party dominated
15. Texas until the surprising victory of gubernatorial candidate
Bill Clements in 1978.
Party Ideology and Organization
· Party Identification = a voter’s sense of psychological
attachment to a specific party.
· Research shows there are the same number of Republicans,
Democrats, and Independents – roughly.
· Republicans
· The Republican Party is well known for its conservative
ideology, as well as its beliefs in a small national government
and strong military involvement. The Party is also generally
pro-life, pro-business (as opposed to pro-environment), opposed
to social spending, opposed to gay rights and skeptical of open
immigration.
· Democrats
· Democrats tend to favor more government / bigger government
and are known for a more liberal ideology. The Party is
generally pro-choice, for social spending, and supportive of
equal rights for everyone.
Republicans and Democrats in Texas
· Know that you have conservative and liberal Democrats.
· You also have conservative and liberal Republicans.
· Example: the Evangelical and Fundamentalist also called
“Right Wing Conservatives”
· You can study Texas history over time – year by year – and
see what factions of what party has dominated elections in
Texas.
16. The Rise of the Republican Party in Texas
· Texas is currently Republican party dominant.
· Before the Presidential elections of November 1988, only
three contemporary Republicans had won state-wide races in
Texas, Senator John Tower (1961-1985), Governor Bill
Clements (1979-1983 and 1987-1991), and Senator Phil Graham
(1985-2003).
· Why was the Republican party not a competitor in Texas prior
to this time?
· Collective memory of how Republican party was characterized
during the Civil War and Reconstruction.
· During that time Yankee Troops – under direction of the
Republican Congress – occupied the South.
· In 1961, Republican John Tower was elected to the US Senate
from Texas.
· In 1978, Republican governor Bill Clements elected.
· So slowly some Republicans got seats in Texas.
· In 1992 Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison was elected so both US
Senate seats from Texas were Republican for the first time since
Reconstruction.
· In 1994, Republican George W. Bush defeated incumbent
Democratic Governor Ann Richards.
· November 1998 – called “The Republican Sweep” – in
17. November 1998 incumbent George W. Bush won governor and
there was a sweep of winners of Republicans in every state wide
election.
· For the first time in the living memory of most, no Democrats
occupied any state wide office.
· Republicans still maintain a monopoly on state wide offices
today.
Republicans in Texas Today
· After the 2012 Presidential Election results, election revealed
the following:
· Republicans are strongest in these counties:
· The Houston suburbs
· The Fort Worth Area
· The Midland-Odessa Area
· The Northern Panhandle
· East Texas rural counties
· The Hill Country
· Republicans are weaker in these areas
· South and Central Texas
· Cities of Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, and San Antonio
· Far West Texas
· In Texas the Republican Party seems to appeal strongest to the
following people”:
· Middle and upper class people in suburban communities
· People who live in rural areas and small towns
· White Angle-Saxon Protestants
· German Americans who ancestors were strong supporters of
the Union during the Civil War
· Active and retired military officers
· Traditional conservatives who find themselves in a new urban
setting
18. Will the Republican Party Continue to Dominate Texas Politics?
· Political scientists are theorizing that Texas will move
towards a two party system mimicking the US.
· Democrats still have considerable resources in local
government – especially in some central cities and in South and
Southwest Texas.
· The 2014 Governor’s Race:
· Rick Perry announced he was not running again so no
incumbent.
· There was a lot of talk to see if a Democrat candidate could
beat a Republican candidate and get Texas back going towards
being Democratic.
· Democratic Candidate = Wendy Davis
· Republic Candidate = Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott
· Election was November 4, 2014 and Greg Abbott won and
took office in January 2015.
COMPLETE THE
POLITICAL PARTIES EXERCISE
CHAPTER 11 – INTEREST GROUPS
· Pull up interest group website to show class different kinds of
interest groups!!!
Interest Groups and the American Political Tradition
· Lobby / Interest Group = an organized group of individuals
that who share political goals and seek to influence public
policy. Lobby and Interest Group are the same thing.
· Lobbyist = a representative of an interest group.
19. · Examples of Interest Groups:
· AFL-CIO – represents labor union members
· American Farm Bureau Federation – represents farmers
· Business Roundtable – represents big business
· Some people do not like interest groups in general because
they are not equal to everyone – i.e. if you are not a farmer you
are not a member of the American Farm Bureau Federation.
· Some people in society think that lobbyists bribe congressmen
– study done showed that 4 out of 5 people thought that
lobbyists bribed congressmen to vote in support of their cause.
· One study suggests that $10 billion is spent on lobbyists every
year.
· Interest groups do represent one segment of society (i.e.
farmers, doctors, students) but they are advocates for that group
to make sure their voices get heard.
· What do lobbyists do?
· Representation
· They represent people before their government.
· Example: A lobbyists for the National Association of
Broadcasters speaks for the interests of radio and television
broadcasters when Congress or another agency is considering a
relevant policy decision.
· Without that certain lobbyist the member of congress may not
take that certain issue into consideration in the same way.
· Participation
· Interest groups are a vehicle for political participation.
· They provide a way for like-minded citizens to pool their
resources and make a bigger impact together rather than
separately.
· People come together because it is easier to get the
government to listen to a group of individuals rather than one
individual.
· Interest groups facilitate that participation of multiple people
20. to come together to promote their common interests.
· Education
· Interest groups provide education to their own members, the
public at large, and to government officials.
· Agenda Building
· Interest groups bring new issues into the government
limelight.
· American society has a lot of problems but the government
cannot address every single one of them.
· Interest groups are advocates for solving the problems of their
group – they bring those problems to the limelight to try and see
that something is done to solve them.
· Think about the saying “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.”
· Program Monitoring
· Interest groups also monitor programs – they engage in
“program monitoring” – means they keep track of government
programs of interest to their members.
· When a program is not operating like it should the interest
group pushes the administrators to change it.
· Example: if there is a program offering federal subsidies to
farmers in time of major drought – the interest group the
farmers are a member of will monitor the program and if it is
not working the interest group will push the government to
change it.
How Interest Groups Form
· How do interest groups form, start, and get organized to get
members and make an agenda?
21. · Interest Group Entrepreneurs = an interest group organizer or
leader.
· The interest groups entrepreneur will succeed or fail the same
way a business entrepreneur succeeds or fails – there must be
something attractive to the “market” in order to convince people
to join / form an interest group AND member(s) have to be
persuaded that the benefits of membership / forming an interest
group outweigh the costs.
· Note that some interest groups have actual members – i.e.
farmers – and some interest groups don’t have a lot of members
but hire lobbyists or establish lobby offices in DC because their
company is so big they want to have a person in DC – i.e.
Google has an office in DC and lawyers who are lobbyists who
represent their interests because they are such a big company
and have so many interests.
Lobbyists
· Some of the money that interest groups raise is used to pay
lobbyists who represent their organization before the
government.
· Lobbyists make sure that people in the government know their
members want – AND – make sure their groups know what the
government is doing.
· Example – hedge funds have lobbyists in DC so make sure the
lobbyists are plugged into any new regulations that are being
proposed that could impact them and their clients.
· A lobbyist may be a full time employee – OR – can be
someone you hire by the hour that works for a public relations
firm or a law firm.
22. · Lobbyists are usually people who are in the know, may be
people who have served in high government positions and have
influence and credibility.
· Example: Billy Touzin, Republican from Louisiana who
chaired the House Energy and Commerce Committee – was later
hired by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of
America – interest group for the drug industry. His credibility
and access to members of the House made him a catch to the
group. His initial salary was reported at $2 million / year.
· 40% of representatives and senators who leave Capitol Hill
become lobbyists.
Lobbying Tactics
· There are three types of lobbying tactics we discuss:
· Direct Lobbying
· Attempts to influence a legislator through personal contact and
personal relationship.
· A lobbyist will meet with the member of Congress or a
member of their staff.
· The lobbyists will make their arguments / positions known and
ask for support.
· The goal is to educate the policy makers and help them do
their job by educating them about a certain subject.
· Sometimes lobbyists will be asked to come and speak before
Congress in a meeting or congressional hearing to educate
members about something and will present all sides of an issue.
· Grassroots Lobbying
· Lobbying activities performed by rank and file interest group
members or people who sympathize with the interest group’s
cause.
· Example: Letter writing campaigns, protests, emails, faxes,
23. telephone calls.
· Information Campaigns
· An organized effort to gain public backing by bringing a
group’s views to public attention.
· This is a public relations campaign.
· Involves sending speakers to meetings across the country,
printing pamphlets, handouts, newspaper and magazine ads,
making a website.
· Example: labor union for Wal Mart launched an informational
campaign against Wal Mart and how they treat their employees.
Regulation of Lobbying
· In Texas, you have to register as a lobbyist and file a report
with the Texas Ethics Commission if:
· Private-sector lobbyists who cross a compensation threshold
of $1,000 per calendar year
· An expenditure threshold of $500 per quarter year – means if
someone spends more than $500 per quarter to directly
communicate with members of Congress to influence legislation
or administrative action.
· The registration form requires the lobbyist to disclose the
following:
· For whom the person lobbies, including information about
those clients.
· The policy areas of their concern.
· The compensation category into which the salary or
reimbursement falls.
· The identify of anyone that works for them that has direct
contact with political officials.
· Expenditures for broadcast or print advertisements, mass
mailings, or other communications designed to support of
24. oppose legislation or administrative actions.
· Expenditures on members of the state legislature in excess of
$114 (60% of legislative per diem) on food, drink,
transportation and lodging.
· Must report expenditures in excess of $50 on gifts – including
reporting the form of a gift, reported by name, date, place, and
purpose.
·
· Lobbyists who foresee spending more than $1,000/year must
file activity reports by the 10th day of each month – those who
spend less just have to file annually.
· But lobbyists do NOT have to report the following:
· Compensation received to “prepare for lobbying”
· Office expenses like telephone, fax, copying, office supplies,
postage, dues, transportation, cost of clerical help.
· Costs associated with events to which all members of the
legislature are invited to attend.
· Campaign contributions to public officials – these are not
reported as lobbying expenses but as campaign contributions so
fall under the reporting requirements for campaign
contributions.
· Overall – the public does NOT think it gets an accurate picture
of the investments in lobbying that interest groups make.
· In Texas, The Texas Ethics Commission enforces reporting
laws.
· Lobby Industry in Texas – statistics:
· You can look at the Texas Ethics Commissions’ website and
see statistics.
· In 2014:
· 8,517 lobby contracts with 1,836 lobbyists.
· Contracts worth between $169M-$345M
25. · Most Texas lobbyists are affiliated with law firms.
· 30 lobbyists earned more than $1.5M for their services.
· 14 identifiable industries collectively paid more than $5
million EACH to have their interests protected and advanced.
· Who spends the most on lobbing in Texas?
· ATT&T Corp = $10.5M
· Texas Medical Association = $1.4M
· Association of Electric Companies = $1.3M
· Texas Trial Lawyers Association = $1.25M
Should Texas allow former lawmakers to become lobbyists once
they leave office?
· Many states ban former law makers from becoming lobbyists
immediately after leaving office for a period of time.
· Texas does not.
· The members of the Texas legislature make $7,200/year and
lobbyists make A LOT more than that so when they leave office
many interests groups would like to hire the former legislatures
because they know people in Austin.
· Reasons to NOT allow former lawmakers to immediately
become lobbyists:
· Former lawmakers created the legislation, regulated industry,
and oversaw government agencies.
· If former lawmakers are allowed to go be a lobbyist then they
may have the temptation to author legislation that helps the
industry in which they hope to work after the leave office.
· Will they block “undesirable” legislation because a potential
employer might look favorably on that?
· Banning former law makers from becoming lobbyists may
ensure that ex-lawmakers wouldn’t grant benefits to future
employers.
26. · Reasons to keep law the same – no ban on former lawmaker
immediately becoming a lobbyist:
· Few people are better suited to be lobbyists than people who
have actually worked in the legislature and know people and
know how it works.
· Expertise leads to better laws that are written better and
crafter better.
· Texas lawmakers are so poorly compensated for their public
service that they should be able to get some kind of pay back
when the leave the legislature.
1
VOTING AND ELECTIONS
Negative Campaign Ads
· When you think about Voting and Elections – form some
opinions about negative advertising in campaigns – this is a
theme that runs throughout this section.
· You Tube
· Wendy Davis “Justice” ad has been called one of the most
controversial ads ever made.
· Joni Earnst “Make ‘Em Squeal” ad
· Sleaziest Political Ads of 2012
· Daisy Ad
· One of most controversial political ads ever made.
· Ran by incumbent president Lyndon B. Johnson in campaign
against Barry Goldwater.
· Johnson wanted to capitalize on Goldwater’s support of using
nuclear weapons.
· In the Vietnam War Johnson wanted to deescalate and
27. Goldwater was a supporter of using nuclear weapons if
necessary.
· Agree / Disagree?
Democracy and Political Participation
· Democracy is rule by the people.
· How much participation by the people is necessary for a
democratic government?
· Political theorists are all over the map on this question.
· On one spectrum people believe if every person does not
directly participate in the day to day decision making then the
country is not a democracy.
· On the other side of the spectrum people believe that in a large
complex nation complete participation by each citizen is not
realistic – so people elect representatives through voting that
take care of the day to day activities in government.
· Political Participation – actions of private citizen by which
they seek to influence or support government and politics.
· There are two kinds of political participation – conventional
and unconventional.
· Conventional – routine political behavior that is acceptable in
the dominant culture – i.e. putting political signs in your yard,
carrying signs outside of an abortion clinic in protest.
· Unconventional – uncommon political behavior that
challenges dominant norms – i.e. terrorism, killing an abortion
doctor to protest abortions.
Unconventional Participation
Terrorism
· Terrorism – premeditated, politically motivated violence
against non-combatant targets by clandestine groups or agents.
· Terrorism is an extreme form of unconventional political
participation.
· Examples:
28. · Timothy McVeigh bombed federal building in Oklahoma City
in 1995 because he said the government was hostile to gun
owners, religious sects and patriotic militia groups.
· September 11 – terrorist attack against the United States and
what the United States stands for.
Does unconventional political participation ever work?
· Abortion protestors killing doctors who perform abortions?
· It may make one or two doctors not perform abortions but it
has not outlawed abortions – so no.
· Anti-war protestors have staged unconventional protests in our
history and accomplished their goals – i.e. President Lyndon B.
Johnson did not seek reelection in 1968 at the hands of anti-war
protestors.
· The Montgomery Bus Boycott – 1955 prompted by Rosa Parks
(she refused to give up her seat for a white man) – and that
sparked the Civil Rights Movement – but all of the black
citizens refusing the busing system was considered
unconventional political participation.
Conventional Participation
· In a democracy people should not have to risk their lives,
livelihoods, or property to participate in politics - think about
conventional participation when you think about this.
· Conventional political behavior falls into two categories –
supportive behavior – and – influencing behavior.
· Supportive Behavior –
· An action that expresses allegiance to the government and
country.
· Examples – reciting the pledge of allegiance, flying the
American Flag, voting, organizing a July Fourth parade or
activity in your neighborhood.
· Influencing Behavior –
· A behavior that seeks to modify or reverse government policy
or serve political interests.
29. · Examples: voting against something, contributing money to a
certain political campaign, attending political meetings,
persuading others how to vote.
Participation Through Voting
· Elections are formal procedures for making group decisions.
· Voting is the act individuals engage in the election.
· Suffrage and franchise both mean the right to vote.
· You can evaluate a country by a few principles:
· Who is allowed to vote.
· How much each person’s vote counts.
· How many votes are needed to win.
· According to democratic theory all citizens should be able to
vote.
· No nation grants a universal right to vote.
· Even in the United States there are some people who cannot
vote today – who cannot vote in the United States?
· If you are under 18 you cannot vote in the US.
· If you do not register to vote you cannot vote in the US.
· If you are a felon different laws may apply to you as far as
voting – it depends on your state.
· Maine and Vermont allow you to vote in prison while you are
a convicted felon.
· In Texas you can vote once you have served your incarceration
time, probation and parole – your voting rights are restored.
Legal Restrictions to Voting in the Past
· When our country was first formed – generally only
30. landowners could vote.
· The original 13 states started to lift voting requirements after
1800.
· White males who were working class and not landowners – got
right to vote by 1850.
· Poll Tax
· The poll tax was a payment that was required before you could
vote – adopted in 1902.
· Cost was $1.75 – this represented an entire day’s wage for
some people.
· Many people in the US and Texas were prevented from voting
because they could not afford it.
· United States Constitution ratified the 24th Amendment in
1964 that voided the poll tax in national elections.
· Texas kept the poll tax for state elections until it was held
unconstitutional in 1966 - This was not that long ago!!!
· Black Voters:
· 15th Amendment to the US Constitution - 1869 - prohibited
states from denying the right to vote “on account of race, color,
or previous condition of servitude.”
· The White Primary
· Black citizens were barred from participating the first
Democratic Primary in 1906.
· Not until 1944 were the “white primary” laws off the books in
Texas.
· In practice this did not grant black people the right to vote
immediately – two Supreme Court decisions were what gave
blacks the right to vote:
· Smith v. Allwright – held that the law preventing blacks from
voting in primary elections were unconstitutional.
31. · The Voting Rights Act of 1965 – suspended discriminatory
voting tests.
· Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections in 1966 – held that
state poll taxes were unconstitutional.
· These actions promoted voting equality in the US and greatly
increased the registration of black voters.
· Women Voters:
· Until 1869 women could not vote anywhere in the world.
· In 1869 Wyoming granted women the right to vote.
· The next state was 1893 – Colorado granted women the right
to vote.
· In 1919 Congress passed the 19th Amendment – prohibited
states from denying the right to vote “on account of sex.”
· In Texas an attempt was made to extend suffrage to women in
1917 but it failed by four votes in the Texas Legislature.
· Not until ratification of the 19th Amendment of the United
States Constitution in 1920 did suffrage come to women in
Texas.
Why do some people vote and some people not vote?
· Education
· Single largest predictor of whether someone votes or not is
education – people with more education are more likely to vote
– people with less education are less likely to vote.
· Money: research shows there is a relationship between your
socioeconomic status and your political involvement – this is
called the standard socioeconomic model of participation:
· People with higher status and more education are more likely
to participate in voting than those with lower status and less
education.
· Education is the single largest predictor of voting or not
voting.
32. · Age impacts voting:
· Younger people are more likely to participate in
demonstrations and boycotts and less likely to vote.
· Voting rates increase as people grow older until people turn 65
and then the voting decreases.
· Race and gender:
· These used to be a factor in voting but are not as much now
given the laws that fought for equality in giving “everyone” the
right to vote.
· Political Involvement – people that are interested in politics
are more likely to vote than people who are not.
· People that identify strongly with one party over another are
more likely to vote than not.
· Married people:
· More likely to vote than those people who are not living with
a spouse.
· People are more likely to vote when elections are close or
highly contested – because they think their vote will “count” as
opposed to when people think one person will for sure win they
will not be as likely to vote.
· There are some countries where voting is mandatory – so their
voter turnout rate is higher than the United States.
· In most democratic governments the government is responsible
for registering people to vote – in the United States people have
to register themselves – researchers believe voter turnout rates
would go up if the government registered everyone to vote.
· The fact some people have to register in advance of the
election turns away some people.
· When you move you have to re-register.
· There are eight states where you can register to vote and vote
33. on the same day – they have had a consistently higher number
of their citizens voting.
· Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Washington, DC, Minnesota, Montana,
New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
· Turnout is higher in Oregon than other states because
everyone in Oregon votes by mail.
Explaining Political Participation
· The United States has seen a decline in voter turnout over
time.
· Texas has seen a decline in voter turnout over time.
· Why?
· Education and socioeconomic status heavily influences why
someone votes or does not vote.
· Texas has poverty rates higher than the poverty rates in the US
– in 2014 (most recent stats):
· Texas ranked 46/50 states in terms of people in poverty.
· People below poverty rate in Texas in 2014 = 3,681,000
· 17.4% of our citizens are in poverty.
· Looking at people 25 years of age or older in Texas, 1 in 4 has
not graduated high school.
· With money and education being the biggest predictors of
whether you vote or not – you would expect Texas voter turnout
to be low given these statistics.
· November elections in 2012 and in 2014:
· In 2012 in Texas – 50.1% of voters voted.
· In 2012 Texas was ranked 48th of the 50 states in terms of
voting.
· In 2014 in the November election in Texas – 28.5% of
registered voters voted.
· In 2014 Texas was ranked 49th of the 50 states in terms of
voting.
34. · In Presidential voting years 57.8% of registered voters vote in
general.
· However during Obama’s first run for office there was a spike
– 62% of registered voters came out to vote.
· The 2012 presidential election – 57.5% of registered voters
voted.
· In congressional voting years 42.2% of registered voters vote.
· In the November 2014 election (governor race and other races)
– 33.6% of registered Texans voted (The Texas Tribune). In the
2010 election in Texas it was 37.5%.
How do you INCREASE voter turnout?
· Register more people to vote!
· Make it easier to register – i.e. register online and
immediately get your voter registration card.
· Move to federal voter registration.
· Convince people that their vote does matter – a lot of people
don’t vote because they think one vote will not make a
difference – if everyone said that we would have no one voting!
· Decrease time it takes to vote – avoid the lines by adding
polling places, putting app on phones that tracks lines, early
voting.
· Allow people to vote online – privacy experts caution against
this!
· Train poll workers so they are more efficient – a lot of polling
locations are disorganized, have a reputation for running out of
35. ballots, have a reputation for broken polling machines, etc.
· Get rid of the Electoral College and elect President by popular
vote so people think their vote really counts.
· Post card reminders – people are barraged with media these
days and a simple post card reminder via mail would have a
bigger impact.
· Email / phone call reminders to vote.
· Have Election Day be a national holiday.
· Some states allow you to vote and register in the same day:
· Colorado
· Connecticut
· Idaho
· Illinois
· Iowa
· Maine
· Minnesota
· Montana
· New Hampshire
· Wisconsin
· Wyoming
· Washington, D.C.
· North Dakota has no registration at all – you just walk in,
show ID, then vote.
· Early Voting
· Texas was one of the first states to allow early voting – this is
voting before an election at designated places – not all polling
places are open but just a few.
· Goal is to allow more access to voting so if you cannot make
it on Election Day you can vote early – and decreases the lines
36. on Election Day.
· Ballots in Texas
· SHOW A BALLOT – WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE!
· Texas requires that ballots be printed in other languages – not
just English.
· Two Types of Ballots
· Party Column Ballot – names of all candidates in one party are
listed in a parallel column.
· Office Block Ballot – offices listed and candidates beneath
offices.
THINK ABOUT THIS…if you are running for President you
have to get on the ballot on ALL 50 state in the United States –
this is a major task – here is how you get on the ballot in Texas
– think about having to do this or something similar in all 50
states”
How to get on the Ballot in Texas
TWO WAYS
(1) Be a member of a party that got at least 5% of the vote in
the previous general election – OR
(2) IF you are a “new” party or person or not a member of a
party that got at least 5% of the vote in the previous general
election then you have to collect signatures totaling 1% of the
vote in the previous election. EXAMPLE: If you wanted to get
on the ballot in 2008 then that was 74,108 signatures.
· Republicans and Democrats get on the ballot easily because
those parties have gotten at least 5% of the vote in the last
general election.
· Smaller parties and individuals have a harder time getting on
the ballot.
· In 2004 Kinkey Friedman got enough signatures to get on the
ballot for governor.
37. · From 2004-2008 only the Libertarian Party was able to break
the 5% barrier of all of the “smaller” parties.
· In 2010 the Green Party broke the 5% barrier and the
Libertarian Party did, too.
You live in Texas – what elections will you participate in –
state and national?
· Primary Elections
· Primary elections are elections within a party that narrow the
field of candidates before the general election.
· Primary elections are one way a party can determine who their
nominee will be.
· Larger parties like Republicans and Democrats use primary
elections.
· A smaller party could use a party convention –OR – a caucus.
· Party Convention = designated delegates get together and vote
/ determine who the nominee will be – OR –
· A caucus - closed door meeting where party leaders determine
who the nominee will be.
· In Texas – any party receiving 20% of the gubernatorial vote
MUST hold a primary – all other parties in Texas MUST use the
convention system.
· How do you get on the ballot in a primary?
· File your application with the party chair in your state or
county and pay the fee.
U.S. Senator
$5,000
U.S. Representative
38. $3,125
Texas Statewide Officer
$3,750
Texas State Senator
$1,250
Texas State Representative
$750
Texas County Commissioner
$750-$1,250
Texas District Judge
$1,500-$2,500
Texas Justice of the Peace
$375-$1,000
Texas Constable
$375-$1,000
County Surveyor in Texas
$75
· Who wins the primary?
· The Majority Rule = you have to get absolute majority (50 +
1%).
· If no one gets the majority then you have a runoff primary
which is between the two candidates that have received the most
votes in the primary.
· When are primaries?
· The first Tuesday in March of even-numbered years.
· Runoff primary is the fourth Tuesday in May OR at least must
be more than two months after the initial primary.
· NOTE: The next presidential election is on November 8, 2016.
· The next Texas primary scheduled for Tuesday, March 1,
2016.
· Why are primaries so important in Presidential Elections?
39. · Is Primary Turnout higher or lower than general elections?
· You are not electing anyone to office but just electing
candidates who run for office – voter turnout in Texas primaries
is MUCH lower than in general elections.
· Roughly 12% of registered voters in Texas voted in the last
primary.
· Primaries are either OPEN or CLOSED
· Open Primary States
· Texas allows open primaries.
· You cannot vote in more than one party’s primary but you do
not have to declare which party you are affiliated with in order
to vote.
· Example: you do not have to be a registered Republican or
Democrat in an open primary – but you can only vote in one
primary – either Republican or Democrat.
· Closed Primary States
· You must declare in advance which party you are affiliated
with and then you can only vote in that party primary – you
would not even have the option to vote in another party’s
primary.
· Mixed Primary States
· There are 5 states that have a mixed system where one party is
open and the other is closed.
· Crossover Voting
· This happens when members of one party try to impact another
party’s primary results by voting in their primary.
· Example: I am a Republican and I vote in the Democratic
Primary for the candidate I think I can bet – hoping my vote
helps the weak Democratic candidate get elected and I can beat
that person in the general election.
· Just because you vote for one party in the primary does not
mean you have to vote for that party in the general election –
you can vote with one party in the primary and another party in
40. the general election – you can also vote for different candidates
in the primary and the general election.
· General Elections
· Primaries nominate candidates to run in general elections.
· General elections let voters to choose between candidates of
all of the parties.
· General elections are choosing people for public office so they
are run by the officials of state and county governments – NOT
by parties.
· The winning candidate has to win by a plurality vote – just
means more votes than the other person – NOT by a majority
(50 + 1%).
· General elections in Texas are held every other year on the
same day as national elections – the first Tuesday after the first
Monday in November in even-numbered years.
· In years divisible by 4 we elect:
· President, Vice President, all U.S. Representatives, and 1/3 of
the U.S. Senators.
· In Texas, all 150 members of the House are up for election
and about half (15-16) of the 31 senators are up for election.
· In Texas there will also be some board, court positions at the
state level and half of the county positions filled in this general
election.
· The voter turnout is usually higher because you are electing
the president and major United States positions.
41. · Think about the impact this can have on state elections – i.e. if
everyone is thrilled with a Democratic incumbent President of
the United States then Democrats in state elections may do
better. Or the reverse if people are not thrilled with the party of
the President.
· In the years not divisible for 4 we elect:
· We elect our major state positions – governor, lieutenant
governor, attorney general, etc.)
· Our last general election in November 2014 was when we
elected our new governor, etc.
· There is a lower voter turnout in these races.
· Special Elections
· Special elections are held to fill vacancies or for an emergency
need like ratifying a constitutional amendment.
A vacancy filled during a special election only fills the vacancy
until the expiration of the term or until the next general election
– whichever comes first.
The Evolution of Campaigning
· The major way citizens “control” the government is voting in
elections.
· Political parties play a major role in structuring the voting
choices by reducing the number of people on the ballot to those
that have a realistic chance of winning.
· Election Campaign = it is an organized effort to persuade
voters to choose one candidate over others competing for the
same office.
42. · From the 1950s back – political parties played a major role in
each candidates campaign and the organization of each
candidate’s campaign (everything from contacting voters to
preparing and paying for ads and buttons).
· Today candidates do not usually rely on their political parties
to run their campaigns – these days candidates hire political
consultants to raise the money, structure the campaign, and
conduct media campaigns.
· Starting in 2004 political candidates started relying heavily on
the media and email.
Who is Eligible to Run for Political Office?
· President –Must be a natural born citizen, be at least 35 years
old, and be a resident of the country for 14 years by the time of
inauguration.
· Vice President –Must meet the same requirements as the
president and also not be a resident of the same state as the
president.
· Senator – Must be a citizen for at least 9 years, be at least 35
by the time of taking office, and be a resident from the state
from which you are elected.
· Representative - Must be a citizen for at least 7 years, be at
least 25 by the time of taking office, and be a resident of the
state from which you are elected.
· State Political Officials? Each state does it differently so
check each state’s requirements.
Elections
43. · Primary Elections
· Primary elections are elections within a party that narrow the
field of candidates before the general election.
· Primary elections are one way a party can determine who their
nominee will be.
· Larger parties like Republicans and Democrats use primary
elections.
· A smaller party could use a party convention –OR – a caucus.
· Party Convention = designated delegates get together and vote
/ determine who the nominee will be – OR –
· A caucus - closed door meeting where party leaders determine
who the nominee will be.
· In Texas – any party receiving 20% of the gubernatorial vote
MUST hold a primary – all other parties in Texas MUST use the
convention system.
· How do you get on the ballot in a primary?
· File your application with the party chair in your state or
county and pay the fee.
· Who wins the primary?
· The Majority Rule = you have to get absolute majority (50 +
1%).
· If no one gets the majority then you have a runoff primary
which is between the two candidates that have received the most
votes in the primary.
· When are primaries?
· The first Tuesday in March of even-numbered years.
· Runoff primary is the fourth Tuesday in May OR at least must
be more than two months after the initial primary.
44. · NOTE: The next presidential election is on November 8, 2016.
· The Texas primary is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday,
March 1, 2016.
· Is Primary Turnout higher or lower than general elections?
· You are not electing anyone to office but just electing
candidates who run for office – voter turnout in Texas primaries
is MUCH lower than in general elections.
· Roughly 12% of registered voters in Texas voted in the last
primary.
· Primaries are either OPEN or CLOSED
· Open Primary States
· Texas allows open primaries.
· You cannot vote in more than one party’s primary but you do
not have to declare which party you are affiliated with in order
to vote.
· Example: you do not have to be a registered Republican or
Democrat in an open primary – but you can only vote in one
primary – either Republican or Democrat.
· Closed Primary States
· You must declare in advance which party you are affiliated
with and then you can only vote in that party primary – you
would not even have the option to vote in another party’s
primary.
· Mixed Primary States
· There are 5 states that have a mixed system where one party is
open and the other is closed.
· Crossover Voting
· This happens when members of one party try to impact another
party’s primary results by voting in their primary.
· Example: I am a Republican and I vote in the Democratic
Primary for the candidate I think I can bet – hoping my vote
helps the weak Democratic candidate get elected and I can beat
that person in the general election.
45. · Just because you vote for one party in the primary does not
mean you have to vote for that party in the general election –
you can vote with one party in the primary and another party in
the general election – you can also vote for different candidates
in the primary and the general election.
· General Elections
· Primaries nominate candidates to run in general elections.
· General elections let voters to choose between candidates of
all of the parties.
· General elections are choosing people for public office so they
are run by the officials of state and county governments – NOT
by parties.
· The winning candidate has to win by a plurality vote – just
means more votes than the other person – NOT by a majority
(50 + 1%).
· General elections in Texas are held every other year on the
same day as national elections – the first Tuesday after the first
Monday in November in even-numbered years.
· In years divisible by 4 we elect:
· President, Vice President, all U.S. Representatives, and 1/3 of
the U.S. Senators.
· In Texas, all 150 members of the House are up for election
and about half (15-16) of the 31 senators are up for election.
· In Texas there will also be some board, court positions at the
state level and half of the county positions filled in this general
election.
· The voter turnout is usually higher because you are electing
the president and major United States positions.
46. · Think about the impact this can have on state elections – i.e. if
everyone is thrilled with a Democratic incumbent President of
the United States then Democrats in state elections may do
better. Or the reverse if people are not thrilled with the party of
the President.
· In the years not divisible for 4 we elect:
· We elect our major state positions – governor, lieutenant
governor, attorney general, etc.)
· Our last general election in November 2014 was when we
elected our new governor, etc.
· There is a lower voter turnout in these races.
· Special Elections
· Special elections are held to fill vacancies or for an emergency
need like ratifying a constitutional amendment.
· A vacancy filled during a special election only fills the
vacancy until the expiration of the term or until the next general
election – whichever comes first.
· How do you register to vote?
· In Texas you cannot walk into the polling location and register
to vote then vote in the same day.
· To vote you have to register in advance –
www.usa.gov/register-to-vote
· Registering to vote is super easy – keep in mind the legal
restraints that used to make registering super hard to vote – i.e.
during times of segregation and the poll tax.
· In Texas you need to register at least 30 days before an
election then you are deemed to be registered in time.
· You can register when you obtain a new drivers license.
· You are permanently registered but if you move you have to
let them know your change of address.
47. Nominations
· Nominations usually involve an election by party voters like a
primary – national party leaders are not choosing exactly who
runs for president for example – there are primaries to see who
it will be so the voters are choosing.
· Each state is different in how they conduct elections.
· Nominations for Congress and State Offices
· In the US almost all aspiring candidates for major offices are
nominated through a primary election.
· Primary Election = a preliminary election conducted within a
political party to select candidates who will run for public
office in a subsequent election.
· Primaries are different in every state since states have their
own election rules and rules about what it takes to get on the
ballot – 40 or so states utilize primary elections to nominate
candidates for all state and national offices.
· You cannot vote in both the republican and democratic
primary – you can choose one to vote in.
· In the regular election you can then vote either way – i.e. just
because you vote in the democratic primary does not mean you
have to vote democratic in the democratic election.
· Only about half of the voters who vote in the general election
have previously voted in the primary – so not everyone votes in
the primary.
· And you can still vote in the general election even if you did
not vote in the primary.
· Nominations for President
· Each party formally chooses their president and vice
presidential nominee at the national convention held every four
48. years.
· This is where the nominee is ratified by the decision that was
made in the primaries.
· Convention activities focus on creating a favorable media
image of the candidate – the actual “formally choosing the
candidate” is just the delegates ratifying the decision – the
speeches at the convention that are televised are planned very
carefully to give the most positive media attention to the
candidate as possible.
· Delegates from each state attend their party convention.
· How the delegates are selected varies from state to state and
from party to party.
· Two methods are used in the majority of the states to decide
which potential candidates will get the state’s support:
· Presidential primary = a special primary election used to
select delegates to attend the party’s national convention –
which in turn nominates the presidential candidate.
· Caucus / convention = a method used to select delegates to
attend a party’s national convention. Generally a local meeting
selects delegates to attend a county wide meeting – the county
wide meeting then selects delegates for a higher level meeting –
the process culminates in a state convention that then selects the
delegates that will attend the national meeting.
· Is it hard to get the party nomination for president?
· Yes – the process of nominating party candidates for president
is a long, drawn out complex affair that does not parallel that in
any other nation.
· Potential candidates begin campaigning many months before
the first convention delegates are even selected.
· Soon after the presidential election ends – prospective
candidates start “lining up” political and financial support for
their race nearly four years later.
· This “silent campaigning” is often called the “invisible
primary.”
49. · There are certain principles that have proven true over time –
and political scientists agree on - when it comes to getting the
nomination for president:
· When there is no incumbent in the White House seeking
reelection the presidential nominating process becomes
contested in both parties.
· An incumbent president usually encounters little or no
opposition for re-nomination in the party.
· The Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primaries matter –
these occur early in the election season – the first ones – and
that is why they are so closely watched – history shows that if
you are first in this caucus and this primary you are likely to get
your party nomination.
How does a party decide who to run?
· Just because your party is on the ballot does not mean you as
an individual can get on the ballot – the party you are a member
of has to decide they will put you on the ballot for them as their
representative.
· How does this happen?
· Big parties like Democratic Party and Republican Party have
primary elections.
· Primary Election - allows members of a political party to
choose a party’s candidates.
· You can have run-offs in a primary election.
· These are large state-wide primary elections at polling places.
· Open Primary = anyone can vote in any primary that is open
but you can only vote in one primary – either Republican or
Democrat – not both.
· Closed Primary = advance declaration of political party
required so only those who have registered as members of a
party in advance can vote in the closed primary.
· Minor / smaller parties do not have state wide primary
50. elections.
· The smaller parties will choose their candidates in county and
state conventions – these are different than primaries at polling
places – they are not state wide and are members of the smaller
party getting together to determine who their candidates will be
and what their platform will be.
· Each smaller party is different but imagine it something like
someone who is interested might file some paperwork or an
application with the party chair and express their interest in
getting on the ballot then it is discussed / voted on at the
convention.
Elections
· There are elections in the United States held in early
November of even numbered years – this is called the general
election.
· Every four years you have a presidential election – during a
presidential election year you call it the presidential election
(even though other offices are being voted on, too).
· Straight Ticket = means that you vote one party on your entire
ticket.
· Split Ticket = means that you vote for candidates from
different parties throughout your ticket.
Campaigns
· Incumbent = the candidate who currently holds office.
Incumbent can be hard to defeat because of their name
recognition, fundraising ability – incumbents for the House of
Representatives are reelected 95% of the time.
· Challenger = the candidate who is challenged the incumbent
and trying to unseat the incumbent.
· Open Election = an election that lacks an incumbent.
· Campaign Financing
· Campaigns are expensive to run – especially with the role the
51. media plays today and media is expensive.
· Former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill said: “There are four
parts to any campaign. The candidate, the issues of the
candidate, the campaign organization, and the money to run the
campaign with. Without money you can forget the other three.”
· Money pays for office space, staff salaries, cell phones,
computers, advertising / media expenses, travel expenses,
campaign literature.
· Each state has their own regulations on state campaign
financing.
· Federal election campaign financing is regulated by the
Federal Election Commission (FEC):
· Six members appointed by the president with approval by the
senate.
· No more than three members from the same party.
· Six year appointments – all staggered – so no president can
appoint all members.
· The FEC enforces limits on financial contributions to national
campaigns.
· FEC requires full disclosure of campaign spending.
· Limits the amount of money nonparty groups like PACs
(Political Action Groups) can contribute to national campaigns.
· Limits are imposed on individual giving - $2,500 per
candidate per election and $30,800 to national party per
calendar year, and $10,000 to your state / national / local party
combined each year.
· National party can give $5,000 to each candidate per election.
· State / national / local party can give $5,000 to each candidate
per election.
· PACS can give $2,500 to a candidate per election.
· Foreign nationals cannot donate to any US campaign –
prohibited from accepting money from foreign nationals.
· Churches and charitable organizations cannot make
contributions to political campaigns.
52. Chapter 5
The Texas Legislature
The Structure and Organization of the Texas Legislature
· Texas constitution makes the legislative branch the most
powerful one in Texas government – versus the executive /
governor being the most powerful.
· They did this by:
· Strong legislative branch and gave them the power to develop
the state budget
· Power of executive branch was distributed among several
individuals – including a lieutenant governor separate from the
governor.
· This resulted in a strong legislative branch.
· What does the legislature do?
· Enact laws
· Create budget for state
· Oversees state agencies
· Represents constituents
· What is a bicameral legislature? Legislature with two
chambers.
· Texas has a two chamber legislative branch.
· This is just like the US Government.
· Texas has a House of Representatives and a Senate.
· Note that all states except one have a two chamber legislative
branch- which state has just one? Nebraksa.
· Texas House of Representatives – what are some
characteristics of it?
(1) www.house.state.tx.us
(2) 150 members in the Texas House.
53. (3) Average district population = 139,000
(4) Term length = 2 years
(5) No term limits.
(6) Minimum age to serve = 21
(7) Residency requirements = US citizen, qualified voter, Texas
resident for 2 years, district residency for 1 year
(8) Salary = $7,200 + $190/day when in session
99 Republicans
50 Democrats
1 independent
· Texas Senate – what are some characteristics of it?
(1) www.senate.state.tx.us
(2) 31 members in the Texas Senate.
(3) Average district population = 672,000
(4) Term length= 4 years
(5) No term limits.
(6) Minimum age = 26 years
(7) Residency requirements = US citizen, qualified voter, Texas
resident for 5 years, district resident for 1 year
(8) Salary= $7,200 + $190/day when in session
29 Republicans
12 Democrats
· For any action to take place in the Texas legislature, both
chambers must agree to it. This is just like the US Government.
· Elections for Texas legislators:
(1) Senate staggers its terms so roughly half are up each
election. Note that every decade when new district lines are
redrawn that means everyone has to re-run since the whole state
has been reapportioned – districts do not remain the same in any
district because of population growth and shift in district lines.
So everyone is not up at once after this senators are randomly
reassigned to run after 2 or 4 years.
54. (2) Incumbency reelection rates are very high in Texas.
· Texas legislature is a part-time legislature
· What is a biennial session? Legislative sessions held once
every two years.
· The constitution in Texas limits the legislative sessions to
only 140 days every two years.
· They meet in regular session during odd numbered years.
· What are arguments in favor of biennial sessions?
(1) Limits government activity.
(2) Gives legislators time to pursue other professions.
(3) Gives legislators time to stay in touch with constituents.
(4) Saves the state large costs of holding annual sessions.
(5) The authors of the Texas constitution wanted limited
government and thought a full time legislature would cause
mischief.
· What are the arguments again biennial sessions?
(1) A 19th century concept is totally out of date in the 21st
century.
(2) Legislators are crushed for time when they meet.
(3) Budgets have to be made more than 2 years in advance for
each session.
(4) There is no one there to oversee the administrative actions
to carry out many of the decisions made during session.
(5) You have part time legislators but full time lobbyists
working when legislators are not.
· What is a special session? A legislative session called by the
governor to address specific issues determined by the governor.
(1) Special sessions last a maximum of 30 days.
(2) Content of special sessions are determined by the Texas
Governor and the legislature can only consider the special
55. issues identified.
(3) Special sessions are rare
· Ann Richards called only 2 special sessions in her 4 years –
both to resolve issues of school funding.
· George W. Bush never called a special session.
· Rick Perry called for 9 special sessions:
· 3 for redistricting issues in 2003
· 3 for educational finance issues in 2006
· 1 for school finance reform in 2006.
· 2 for the recent abortion bill
· Compare salaries of state legislators:
(1) California legislators make $116,098 per year.
(2) New York legislators make $79,500 per year.
(3) Texas makes $7,200 per year + $150/day when in session.
· What do you think of the salary of the Texas legislators – why
is it low compared to other large states?
(1) Texas legislators meet only part time
(2) Lower salary structure promotes a “citizen’s legislature”
where there are no financial incentives to stay in the legislature
as a career but you are motivated by altruistic desire not money.
(3) Most think that this means the legislators actually do more
good because they live the life of all citizens – working a full
time job and having the same finances as other state citizens.
Responsibilities of the Texas Legislature
· What responsibilities does the Texas Legislature have?
· Primary responsibility = to enact laws.
· Other responsibilities?
(1) Represent their constituents when voting on legislation
(2) Legislative oversight – they oversee the spending of
executive agencies
(3) Regulate the ethics of the legislative branch
(4) Power of impeachment
56. (5) Power to oversee the reapportionment of district lines every
10 years
(6) Power to propose constitutional amendments.
Let’s talk about some of these in more depth….HOW SHOULD
YOUR LEGISLATORS DECIDE HOW TO VOTE?
· Representation of Constituents
· Just as in the US System – legislators have to decide whether
to vote how they think is best for the state or if it is different –
to vote how their constituents want them to vote.
· What is an instructed delegate? A legislator who votes on
legislation as a majority of his or her constituents would want
him to vote.
· Examples of how Texas legislators would be influenced to
vote?
· Legislator from Rio Grande Valley would vote to promote
Texas citrus products grown in their district since that is their
big industry.
· Legislator from Fort Hood in central Texas would vote on
things that would promote military bases since that is their big
industry.
*In the 200l legislative session a representative from a rural
area sponsored legislation to bring the internet to rural areas –
legislators from Houston voted against that legislation because
they are not from a rural area. All legislators were acting as
delegates.
· What is trustee representation? A style of representation in
which a legislator votes on a particular issue in a way that
benefits the state as a whole but might be against the majority
of what his constituents would want.
Example:votes to increase the sales tax.
· Power to Make Laws
· Main function of the Texas legislature is to make laws and
adopt a budget.
57. · What does the legislature write laws about? Examples?
(1) Criminal law
(2) Building of state highways
(3) Education of children in Texas public schools
(4) Allocation of Texas welfare benefits
· State budget passed in 2014/2015 = $94.6 billion
· How a bill becomes a law in Texas?
· Very similar to US process
· PLAY ON YOUTUBE: School House Rock
· But because of limited time in session there is more of a sense
of urgency to get it done.
· Bill Introduction
· Any member of the House or Senate may introduce a bill.
· Bills sometimes come from a special committee of some kind
that meets out of session and it grows from there.
· Texas Legislative Council – an organization that provides
technical and research services to members of the legislature
and can be used by all legislators – they can help drafting a bill
since they are there all the time.
· Some bills are introduced in the House and Senate at the same
time by partners working together.
· Timing of introduction is key since you have at most 140 days
to get it through. So early in the session is best time to
introduce.
58. · Any bill that raises revenue or increases taxes must start in the
lower chamber first – which is the House of Representatives.
· Most bills require consent of at least four-fifths of the
members of the House and Senate.
· After a bill is introduced it goes to the presiding officer of
either the House or Senate and that person assigns it to a
standing committee.
(2) The Committee Process
· Committee chairs work with their committee and the presiding
officer to determine which bills will be priorities on the agenda.
· Committees is where the bills are scrutinized.
· Committees can hold public hearings, draft changes to the
initial legislation, debate the merits of the bill.
· After considering a bill the committee can do what?
· Choose to take no action
· Recommend against passing the bill
· Report favorably on the bill for consideration by the whole
chamber.
· The committee report is made available to all legislators.
· If a committee recommends a bill it is then scheduled for
consideration.
· In the House the committee report goes to the Committee on
Calendars or the Committee on Local and Consent Calendars.
· In the Senate most bills are scheduled by the full senate in the
order in which they were reported by committees. Local and
non-controversial bills are scheduled by the Senate
Administration Committee.
(3) Floor Action
59. · Once the bill comes back to the House or Senate it gets a
second reading before being considered by the full chamber.
· Any member can offer an amendment but it has to be approved
by the majority of the members present to be adopted.
· In the Senate there is no limit on debate and the Senators can
seek to have a bill killed by a filibuster – just as in the US
Senate.
· Filibuster:
· During a filibuster, a senator is limited to topics relevant to
the bill being discussed and cannot eat, drink or use the
restroom during the speech.
· The rules also prohibit sitting or leaning on a desk or chair
under any circumstances when the senator has the floor and is
speaking on the bill or resolution.
· Filibusters end either when the senator voluntarily yields the
floor or after three violations of the rules for decorum and
debate.
· After the third violation, the Senate can vote on a point of
order, which if sustained would force the senator to yield the
floor, according to the Legislative Reference Library of Texas
website.
· Wendy Davis Filibuster:
· On June 25, 2013 performed an 11 hour filibuster to try and
block the passage of SB 5 re more restrictive abortion
restrictions.
· Filibuster ended 3 hours before midnight when republicans
called for a vote that she had violated rules 3 times.
· The vote went on after midnight re did she or did not have 3
violations SO the bill was considered dead.
· Then Governor Rick Perry called two back to back Special
Sessions of the Legislature and it was signed into law in July
2013.
60. · The quote: “Wendy Davis won the battle but Rick Perry won
the war.”
· After any amendments it is given a third reading – at this
point if there are any more amendments proposed then 2/3
majority have to approve the amendment.
· Then there is a final vote.
· In the Senate because it is larger they have voting buttons that
come up on a voting board.
· In the House because it is smaller they do a voice vote by
calling the roll of the members.
· When a bill is passed in the chamber where it originated then
it goes to the other chamber for consideration. It follows the
same steps it followed in the originating chamber.
· If the bill is returned to the originated chamber without
amendments then it is put in final form, signed by the Speaker
of the House and lieutenant governor and then sent to the
governor.
(4) Conference Committee Action
· Bills that are returned to their originating chamber with
amendments require further action.
· The originating chamber can either agree with the amendments
passed by the second chamber or request a conference
committee to work out the differences between the two versions.
· What s a conference committee? A temporary committee
created to work out differences between the House and Senate
61. versions of a specific piece of legislation. 5 members of each
chamber appointed by the presiding officers.
· Conference committee reports have to be approved by at least
3 out of 5 people from each chamber on the committee and have
to be approved without any further amendments by both
chambers to get to move forward.
(5) Governor’s Action
· When the governor receives a bill he has 10 days to sign it,
veto it, or allow it to become a law without signature.
· If the governor vetos a bill and the legislature is still in
session then the bill is returned to legislature with an
explanation of why the governor vetoed it.
· 2/3 majority in each chamber is required to override a
governor’s veto.
· If Governor does nothing then it becomes a law.
· 84th Texas Legislature / 85th Texas Legislature
· Laws passed in 84th Legislature
· Power of Legislative Oversight
· What is legislative oversight? A Committee’s investigation of
government agencies to ensure they are acting as the legislature
intended – includes accounting oversight.
· There is accounting oversight
- Making sure money was spent how it was supposed to be spent
according to the law.
· There is policy oversight.
· Attempt by legislators to determine if the laws they passed are
working.
62. · Generally oversight is thought to be incomplete and not done
as well as it could because the legislature is only in session 6
months every 2 years.
· How does the legislature keep a check and balance on the state
agencies?
(1) Legislative Audit Committee – committee that performs
audits of state agencies. Any entity receiving funds can be
audited in multiple ways – i.e. financial audit, compliance
audit, economy and efficiency audit, effectiveness audit, special
audit.
(2) Sunset Advisory Commission – committee that evaluates the
need for more than 150 state agencies on a 12 year cycle to
determine if the agency should be renewed, changed, or have its
“sunset.”
· Power of Impeachment
· Texas legislature can impeach the governor, other high up
officers, and judges.
· Similar process at state level as in national level.
· Impeachment – the formal bringing of charges against a public
official.
· How is the process done in Texas?
(1) Majority vote in the Texas House of Representatives to
bring charges.
(2) A trial takes place in the Senate and 2/3 majority of the
senate is required for conviction.
· One Texas governor has been impeached – in 1917 Governor
James E. Ferguson was impeached and removed from office for
21 counts of mis-using public funds.
· Power of Reapportionment
· Must take place every 10 years following each US census.
· Districts need to have an equal population after redistricting
63. of lines is complete. This is per a US Supreme Court decision
holding it so.
· The legislature is given the power of the redistricting in
Texas.
· Gerrymandering – what is it?
(1) Redrawing a congressional district to intentionally benefit
one political party.
(2) It is a constant and unavoidable part of the redistricting
process.
· Redistricting Process
(1) How the boundaries of political districts are redrawn after a
census is significant because WHY?
· Which redistricting plan is chosen impacts which political
party may win
· Whether incumbents will find it easy or hard to win – if they
have tons of new constituents they may find it very difficult
· Whether there will be minority representation in the
legislative bodies
(2) Republicans may want the plan drawn one way and
Democrats the other.
· This is a difficult process – in 2003 he Texas legislature called
3 different special sessions to try and accomplish the
redistricting.
· Power to Propose Constitutional Amendments
· 2/3 of BOTH the House and the Senate have to vote to approve
the Constitutional Amendment.
· Then the Constitutional Amendment goes to the Texas voters
during the next general election and a MAJORITY of voters
have to approve it.
Presiding Officers
· Leadership in the Texas Legislature
64. · Compared to the US Congress, the Texas legislature is really
dominated by the two chamber leaders.
· What are the names of the two chamber leaders in Texas?
· Speaker of the House = presiding officer over the Texas House
of Representatives.
(1) Elected by the members of the House at the start of each
session.
(2) Current = Joe Strauss from San Antonio.
· Lieutenant Governor = the second in command in Texas and
this person serves as the presiding officer over the Texas
Senate.
(1) Elected by the citizens of Texas on the general election
ballot.
(2) Current = Dan Patrick
(3) No term limits.
· The two chamber leaders are full time legislators and have a
large staff who work full time.
· In contrast, part time members of the legislator have minimal
staff, if any, so have a hard time combating the agenda of the
full time chamber leaders who are full time and have extensive
staff.
· In the US Congress the leaders of the chambers may delegate
certain action items to lower members of their party.
· In contrast, in Texas, because they only meet 140 days every 2
years, these two chamber leaders rule with an iron hand and
have to keep them on track – so legislation they are not
interested in may not make it to the floor at all.
· Committees in the Texas Legislature
65. · In the US Congress, membership into certain committees can
depend on your seniority and party affiliation.
· In contrast in Texas, the chamber leaders determine who gets
on what committee – so personal relationships and loyalty to
that person play a role. Their good pals can find themselves on
the more exciting committees and political enemies on those
committees that are considered less important.
· But committees in Texas are not organized around party lines
as much as in US politics – so a Republican can be asked to
lead a committee even thought the Democrats have the majority
of the members at that time.
· Unlike the US Congress that is a highly charged political body
– the Texas legislature is not considered to operate only on
party affiliation – it is more about personal relationships.
Examples of committees they appoint:
· Ad Hoc Committee – special committees appointed to address
a specific policy problem. Example: key players in the Texas
prison system get together to discuss and iron out Texas prison
policies.
· Interim Committee – committees that meet inbetween session
to work out issues on a bill. Example: school funding issues or
educational requirements for testing of students. These
committees are very powerful in setting the agenda for the next
legislative session because they are meeting out of session.
· The Texas Budget
· Legislative Budget Board – the legislative board authorized to
draft the proposed budget in Texas.
· The Texas Lieutenant Governor is the leader of this committee
– so imagine that he or she has considerable power in Texas.
66. · In the United States, the President’s office of Management and
Budget drafts the proposed budget.
· Two-Thirds Rule– rule in the Texas Senate that prevents any
legislation from being considered for debate unless two-thirds
of the members vote for consideration.
(1) This means that the Lieutenant Governor – as the presiding
officer – and 11 other senators can keep a piece of legislation
from being considered.
(2) Any 12 senators can block a piece of legislation – it is just
that the Lieutenant Governor “holds the gavel” and sets the
agenda so he has considerably more power.
· The Influence of Lobbyists
· “Sharpstown Scandal” – a bribery scandal in the Texas
legislature in 1971.
· “Dirty Thirty” – a group of legislators who brought modern
ethics to the Texas legislature after the Sharpstown Scandal.
· Main thing to know:
(1) Prior to 1971 the lobbyists were on the floor of the House
and directly influencing how votes were cast. Many legislators
relied directly on lobbyists regarding how to vote. And
lobbyists were by in large former legislators themselves.
(2) Post 1971 – lobbyists are no longer allowed on the floor of
the House and members of the Speaker’s staff cannot take
lobbyist jobs once they leave state government.
(3) There are now laws in place regarding disclosure of
campaign finance funds and laws requiring lobbyists to limit
their activities in the Texas chambers.
· Current Texas Legislature -
67. · Texas Legislature meets 2nd Tuesday in January of odd
numbered years.
· 85th Texas Legislature session: January 10 2017 – May 29,
2017
· What were some big topics in the 84th Texas Legislature?
(1) General Appropriations Bill.
(2) Handguns on college campuses.
(3) Sale, distribution, laws on e-cigarettes
(4) Elimination of daylight savings time in Texas
· Big agenda items for the 85th Texas Legislature:
· Raising legal age of prosecution as adult in Texas – from 17 to
18
· Reforming the CPS System
· Mental healthcare for inmates in Texas prisons
· Should Texas prisons be privately owned OR owned by the
government?
· School finance – reform and private school vouchers
· Ban of fracking
· Legalization of marijuana – medical and./ or recreational
Calendar of Events for 84th Texas Legislature:
http://www.tlc.state.tx.us/dates/dates%20of%20interest.pdf
· Bills that have been introduced in 85th Texas Legislature
https://legiscan.com/TX/legislation?status=introduced
NAME: ________________________________
Texas Government 2306 – Spring 2019
TEST II – Chapters 10, 13, 11, 12, and 5
68. I. MULTIPLE CHOICE (40 points total)
Per your Syllabus your Multiple Choice Questions are taken in
the Testing Center. Remember to take a Scantron to the Testing
Center and to put your answers on the Test AND on the
Scantron. These must be taken by the time the Testing Center
closes on Wednesday, April 10, 2019.
II. ESSAYS (60 points)
Please save this document to your computer, type your answers
onto the document under ANSWER, save it, and upload it to
BlackBoard under Test 1. Your essays are due on BlackBoard
by the end of the day on Wednesday, April 10, 2019.
You MUST use complete sentences or you will lose points.
Answers should be at least one paragraph each.
Chapter 10 – The Party System in Texas
1. We took the the Political Typology Quiz done by the Pew
Research Center. In class I picked the top answer each time and
we saw where that fictional person would fall on the voting
spectrum. Take the quiz for yourself and let me know what you
learned – you do not need to tell me where you fall on the
political spectrum but let me know what you learned (i.e.
whether any issues stood out to you as being more or less
important to you, you were surprised to learn certain things
about your beliefs, etc.) and explain.
2. What did you learn from the forming a political party
exercise? Fully explain.
Chapter 13 – Interest Groups and Political Power in Texas
69. 3. What did you learn from the forming an interest group
exercise? Fully explain. Then go to
www.projectvotesmart.com and search under interest groups –
or another website that interests you to research interest groups.
Find an interest group and write me an overview of that interest
group and explain whether or not you would join it and why.
Chapter 11 – Elections, Campaigns, and Voting in Texas
4. You learned the United States and Texas have both seen a
decline in voter turnout over time. If you were a political
candidate, (1) what would you do to increase voter turnout in
your election, and (2) why do you think this would work / why
would you do this?
Chapter 12 – Mass Media in Texas Politics
5. You are running for Texas Governor. Explain how you will
utilize each form of media we discussed – all print and all
broadcast – in your campaign. Also address which forms of
media you think are more and/or less effective for
communicating with your voters.
Chapter 5 – The Texas Legislature
6. You are a member of the Texas Legislature and want to
legalize marijuana in Texas. Walk me through everything you
would do during the “off season” of the Texas Legislature and
during the 140 day session to get your proposed bill to become
a law. Also explain the framework for how a bill becomes a law
in Texas and how you would work with that system to work to
get your proposed bill to become a law.