5. 1. Maintain Social Order
• Examples:
– System of regulations (FDA, USDA)
– System of laws (local, state, and federal)
6. 2. Provide Public Services
• Examples:
– Roads
– Schools
– Trash & Sewage
7. 3. Manage Resources
• Examples:
–Preserve natural areas (forests,
wetlands, wildlife)
–Regulate energy sources (fossil fuels,
soil, food)
–Protect the environment (EPA)
8. 4. National Defense & Security
• Examples:
– FBI (Internal security & intelligence)
– CIA (External security & intelligence)
– Military (Armed defense)
9. 5. Establish and Administer Justice
• Examples:
– Public court system (laws, defense, and judgment)
– Prison system (protection, punishment,
rehabilitation)
10. Constitutional Vocabulary
• Enumerated/Delegated Powers: powers given
to the national government alone
• Reserved Powers: powers given to the state
government alone
• Concurrent Powers: powers shared by the
national and state governments (not listed in
Constitution)
11. Constitutional Vocabulary continued
• Legislative Branch: makes the laws; consists of
Congress (Senate and House of
Representatives); ARTICLE 1
• Executive Branch: enforces the laws; consists
of the President and his Cabinet; ARTICLE 2
• Judicial Branch: interprets the laws; consists
of the Supreme Court and all other federal
courts; ARTICLE 3
14. Federalism
• Federalists: stronger national government and
weaker state governments
• Anti-Federalist: stronger state governments
and weaker federal government
16. Social Issues
• Liberal: individuals make their own choices on
social issues
• Conservative: government steps in to help
individuals make moral decisions
17. Economic Issues
• Authoritarian: Government should intervene
and regulate the economy
• Libertarian: Government should stay out of
economic affairs altogether—individuals and
private businesses can make their own
decisions
18. Centrist
• Mid-level numbers in social and economic
issues.
• You believe in some amount of government
intervention in both social and economic issues.
• You are middle-of-the-road in your opinions.
19. The Gender Gap
Women vote for the Democratic candidates at
higher rates than Republican candidates.
20. Low Voter Turnout Reasons
• Electoral college: votes not “counted”
• No national holiday on election day
• Voter ID laws
• Gerrymandering
• 2-party system
• Registration/Access issues
• Ballot length: referenda, initiatives, etc
21. Demographics and Voter Turnout
The following increase the chance that someone will vote:
Higher income
Older
Well educated
White
Northerner
Union member
Government employee
22. 22
Seneca Falls, New York 1848
• In the early 1800s, many women were
involved in the abolition (anti-slavery) and
temperance (no alcohol) movements
• A group of women and men gathered at a
conference in Seneca Falls, NY in 1848
• This conference was led by Elizabeth Cady
Stanton and Lucretia Mott
• Conference attendees wrote the
Declaration of Sentiments
23. Declaration of Sentiments
• Why did the women at the Seneca Falls
Convention choose to copy the
Declaration of Independence?
• What were 3 things they complained
about?
• Are you surprised by any of the
grievances?
• Do any of the grievances seem like
they’re still true today?
24. 24
Fifteenth Amendment, 1871
• Granted African-American men the
right to vote
• Disappointed many women who
thought African-American men and
women would be enfranchised
together
• African Americans were split over
whether men should get vote before
women
25. 25
19th Amendment, 1920
Tennessee was the 36th state to ratify, and it passed
by only 1 vote.
The right of citizens of the United States to vote
shall not be denied or abridged by the United
States or by any State on account of sex.
Congress shall have power to enforce this
article by appropriate legislation.
26. How Americans Participate in Politics
Political Participation:
All the activities used by
citizens to influence the
selection of political leaders or
the policies they pursue.
Conventional Participation
Voting in elections
Working in campaigns /
running for office
Contacting elected officials
27. How Americans
Participate in Politics
Protest as Participation
Protest: A form of political
participation designed to achieve
policy changes through dramatic
and unconventional tactics.
Civil disobedience: A form of
political participation that
reflects a conscious decision to
break a law believed to be
immoral and to suffer the
consequences.
28. Measuring Public
Opinion
How Polls Are Conducted
-Random Sampling: The key technique employed by
sophisticated survey researchers; operates on the principle
that everyone should have an equal probability of being
selected for the sample
-Representative Sample: Draws from all groups
-Sample size ~1500
-Sampling Error: The level of confidence in the findings of a
public opinion poll, +/-3%
29. Study Guide #1 & 2
• Linkage institutions: those things that connect
people to their government
– Mass media: any means of popular communication;
e.g. TV, radio, Internet
– Elections: citizens voting for candidates or policies;
e.g. primary, general, and special elections
– Interest group: Organization of people with shared
policy goals entering policy process at one of several
points; e.g. AIPAC-American Israeli Public Affairs
Committee
– Political parties: organization of people seeking to
control the government through elected office; e.g.
Democratic, Republican, and Independent.
30. #3: Functions of Political Parties
– Parties Nominate Candidates
– Parties Run Campaigns
– Parties Give Cues to Voters
– Parties Articulate Policies through their platforms
– Parties Coordinate Policymaking
• Parties sponsor grassroots mobilization,
energizing members to support a candidate or
proposal.
31. #4 & #5: Political Parties
• Democrats:
– More liberal (more open to change)
– Donkey symbol
• Republicans:
– More conservative (less open to change)
– Elephant symbol
• Third Parties:
– Splinter parties (e.g. Bull Moose Party)
– Economic protest parties (e.g. Populist Party)
– Charismatic leader parties (e.g. Rent is too damn high)
– Ideological parties (e.g. Communist Party)
32. #6: Mass media
• Mass media:
– any means of popular communication; e.g. TV, radio,
Internet
• High-tech politics:
– A politics in which the behavior of citizens and
policymakers and the political agenda itself are
increasingly shaped by technology and mass
media.
33. #7: Bias
• Liberal Bias: positive language about Democrats
and negative language about Republicans; more
coverage of “liberal” issues; putting more
emphasis on the “liberal” opinion
• Conservative Bias: positive language about
Republicans and negative language about
Democrats; more coverage of “conservative”
issues; putting more emphasis on the
“conservative” opinion
• Structural bias occurs when stories are chosen to
attract the largest audience.
34. #8: Political Parties vs. Interest Groups
Political Parties
• Policy generalists (address a
wide range of issues)
• Run candidates for office
Interest Groups
• Policy specialists (focus on
one issue/area of issues)
• Do NOT run candidates for
office
35. #9: Elections
Primary Elections
• Take place in the spring
• Involve a political party
choosing among nominees
a candidate for office
• Lower voter turnout
• Strategy: campaign to the
extremes of the party
General Elections
• Take place in the fall
• Involve the electorate
(voters) choosing among
candidates an official for
office
• Higher voter turnout
• Strategy: campaign to
moderates to get as many
votes as possible
36. #10: Special Elections
• Referendum- ratifying a policy proposed by the
state legislature
• Initiative petition- citizens proposing legislation
• Recall-removing a state or local official before the
end of his or her term
38. #11: To Vote or Not To Vote?
– Legitimacy- the people’s belief that the government has
the right to rule
– Political Efficacy: The belief that one’s political
participation really matters.
– Civic Duty: The belief that in order to support democratic
government, a citizen should always vote.
• These factors increase the likelihood of voting:
– Age (older)
– Income (higher)
– Education (higher)
– Marriage
– Caucasian (white)
– Female
– Union Member
– Government Worker
– Northerner
39. #12: Electoral College
•Electoral College actually elects the President-
founders wanted him chosen by the elite of the
country
•States choose the electors
•Winner-Take-All system gives bigger emphasis
to more populated states battleground states
40. #13: Voting Strategies
• The Mandate Theory of Elections is the idea that
the winning candidate has a mandate
(widespread support) from the people to carry
out his or her policies.
• Policy voting is the idea that electoral choices are
based on voters’ policy preferences and where
the candidate stands on policy issues.
• Retrospective voting is the idea that incumbents
who have provided desired results are rewarded
with a new term and those who fail are not
reelected. “What have you done for me lately”?
41. #14: Campaign Finance
Federal Election Commission
– FEC: Created by law in 1974 to administer
campaign finance laws for federal elections.
• Super PAC’s: Officially known as “independent
expenditure only committees,” Super PACS
may engage in unlimited spending
independent of candidate and parties. They
can raise funds from corporations, unions, and
other groups without limits.
42. Citizens United v. FEC (2010)
• Corporations are people with the same First
Amendment rights as individuals.
• Independent expenditures (money spent that
is unrelated to a political candidate or party)
are protected by the First Amendment right to
free speech.
44. Requirements for House of
Representatives
• Must be at least 25 years of age.
• Must have been a citizen of the United States
for at least 7 years.
• Must be a resident of the state in which
he/she is chosen.
45. Requirements for Senate
• Must be at least 30 years of age.
• Must have been a citizen of the United States
for at least 9 years.
• Must be a resident of the state in which
he/she is chosen.
46. How Congress is Organized to Make
Policy
The House
435 members, 2 year
terms of office.
Initiates all revenue
bills, more influential
on budget.
Limited debates.
The Senate
100 members, 6 year
terms of office.
More influential on
appointments and
foreign affairs.
Unlimited debates,
including the filibuster
to talk a bill to death.
Bicameral: A two-house legislature
47. House-Senate Differences
House
Debate limited to 1 hour
Members are policy
specialists
Emphasizes tax & revenue
policy
More formal & impersonal
Special Rules Committee
Senate
Unlimited debate
Members are policy generalists
Filibuster
Cloture requires a vote of 51
Members
Emphasizes foreign policy
More informal & personal
48. Leadership Positions in
Congress
http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/
The House
– Led by Speaker of the
House- elected by House
members.
– Major role in committee
assignments and legislation.
– Majority leader, minority
leader, and whips
The Senate
– Officially lead by Vice
President.
– Actually led by Majority
Leader- chosen by party
members.
– Minority leader and
whips
49. How a Bill Becomes a Law…simplified
I. A bill begins as a proposal.
II. Bill gets debated in a committee.
III. Bill gets debated in House of Representatives and passed.
IV. Bill gets debated in Senate and passed.
V. Bill goes to Conference Committee to resolve differences
between the House form of the bill and the Senate form of
the bill.
VI. President can
1) sign the bill;
2) veto the bill; or
3) leave the bill:
A)After 10 days, if Congress is still in session, the
bill becomes law.
B) After 10 days, if Congress is not in session, the
bill dies (pocket veto)
50. President - Requirements
• Must be at least 35 years of age.
• Must be a natural-born citizen of the United
States.
• Must have been a permanent resident in the
United States for at least fourteen years.
51. President as Chief of State
• The President as ceremonial head of the U.S.
52. Example of Chief of State
• Awarding medals to the winners of college
scholarships.
• Congratulating astronauts on their journey
into space.
• Greeting visitors to the White House.
• Making a patriotic speech on the Fourth of
July.
53. President as Chief Executive
• The President as
holder of the
executive power
of the U.S.
54. Examples of Chief Executive
• Appointing someone to serve as head of the
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
• Holding a Cabinet meeting to discuss
government business.
• Reading reports about problems of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
55. President as Chief Administrator
• The President as the leader of the executive
branch of the federal government.
56. Examples of Chief Administrator
• Managing executive agencies
• Carrying out public policies
• Managing employees in the federal
government
57. President as Chief Diplomat
• The President as the main architect of
American foreign policy and the nation’s chief
spokesperson to other countries.
58. Examples of Chief Diplomat
• Traveling to London to meet with British
leaders.
• Entertaining Japanese diplomats in the White
House.
• Writing a message or a letter to the leaders of
the Soviet Union.
60. Examples of Commander-in-Chief
• Inspecting a Navy yard.
• Deciding, in wartime, whether to bomb
foreign cities.
• Calling out troops to stop a riot.
61. President as Chief Legislator
• The President as the main author of public
policy.
62. Examples of Chief Legislator
• Inviting members of Congress to lunch in the
White House.
• Signing a bill of Congress.
• Making a speech in Congress.
63. President as Chief of Party
• The President as the leader of his or her
political party.
64. Examples of Chief of Party
• Choosing leading party members to serve in
the Cabinet.
• Traveling to California to speak at a rally for a
party nominee to the U.S. Senate.
65. President as Chief Citizen
• The President as the representative of all the
people.
66. Examples as Chief Citizen
• President making a speech to the people.
• President performing the State of the Union
Address.
67. Theory of Critical Elections
• V.O. Key
• Some presidential elections are more
important than others!
68. Critical elections
• Begins a new party era = realignment of
coalitions
• Coalitions: group of different entities united
by a common purpose
• OR a new coalition may form, get bigger, or
people switch coalitions
72. Bureaucracy
• What is bureaucracy?
• The institutions that take laws and policies
and put them into action.
• There are four categories of Bureaucratic
Institutions
73. First Category of Bureaucracy
The Cabinet
Departments
15 Cabinet departments
14 headed by a secretary
Department of Justice
headed by Attorney
General
Each has its own budget,
staff and policy areas
Republicans have been
trying to eliminate several
departments
74. Second Category of Bureaucracies
Regulatory Agencies
Independent: Responsible
for some sector of the
economy making rules and
judging disputes to protect
the public interest.
Headed by a commission of
5-10 people.
Rule making is an
important function
watched by interest groups
and citizens alike.
EPA, SEC
75. Third Category of Bureaucracies
• Government
Corporations
– Business like-
provide a service like
private companies
and typically charges
for its services
– Postal Service,
Amtrak are examples
76. Fourth Category of Bureaucracies
• Independent Executive Agencies
– The agencies that don’t fit anywhere else
– NASA is an example
77. Budget
• President may propose a budget plan.
• Congress may propose a budget plan.
• Budget must be passed by both houses of
Congress and signed by the President (just like
any bill).
• If no budget is passed, appropriations bills will
be passed to fund various programs
separately.
78. Marbury v. Madison (1803) Part 1
• End of John Adams’ Presidency
• Federalist-controlled Congress
• Last-minute laws establishing new federal
courts and a new position called “justice of
the peace.”
• 42 new justices, some without commissions
• Thomas Jefferson elected
• New Republican-controlled Congress fails to
deliver all commissions and abolishes most of
the new courts
79. Marbury v. Madison (1803) Part 2
• William Marbury—did not receive his
commission—along with 3 others
• Took it to the Supreme Court!
• Asked for a “writ of mandamus” from the
Supreme Court
• Writ of mandamus: an order that a public official
carry out a specific duty
• Judiciary Act of 1789
• U.S. Constitution: Article III, Section 2
• THIS CASE ESTABLISHES JUDICIAL REVIEW
80. Rights vs. Liberties
• Civil Liberties: the freedoms guaranteed to
each citizen by the Bill of Rights
• Civil Rights: the rights of a group of people to
receive equal protection of the law
