The document outlines the US electoral process for selecting a president. It describes the two-part process of first nominating candidates through state primaries and caucuses from February to June. Then the general election in November where the nominees from the two major parties compete for the presidency. It explains how candidates earn delegates at state conventions to win their party's nomination at the national convention. Finally, it discusses how the president is indirectly elected through the electoral college system rather than a popular vote.
This document discusses key terms and concepts related to voting and voter behavior in the United States. It defines suffrage, enfranchisement, disenfranchisement, and the electorate. It emphasizes the importance of voting and being an informed citizen. It examines who can and cannot vote, as well as reasons why some eligible citizens do not vote. It analyzes trends in voter turnout based on age, religion, ethnicity, income, education, geography, gender, and party identification. It outlines the history of expanding suffrage and laws protecting voting rights. Finally, it discusses state measures that can be decided directly by voters.
This document provides an overview of the US Congress, including its structure and powers. It notes that Congress is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House has 435 members with 2-year terms, apportioned based on state populations. The Senate has 100 members with 6-year terms, with two senators per state. Congress has expressed powers like lawmaking, taxation, borrowing, commerce regulation, and oversight of the executive branch. Bills must pass through both chambers and committees to become law.
The document discusses the mass media and its role in connecting the public to the government. It serves as a gatekeeper that decides what information is important to share with the public and can influence government by what it reports on. The media can broadcast political events, investigate hidden information, inform the public about policies and issues, persuade on political topics, and satirize failures. It includes print, electronic, broadcast media regulated by the FCC. The president receives the most media coverage while Congress receives less and the Supreme Court the least.
This document provides an overview of the U.S. Congress, including its structure, leadership roles, election processes, and key powers and responsibilities. It discusses the differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate, the role of congressional committees, and the process for how a bill becomes a law.
Interest groups are organizations that aim to influence government policy on issues important to their members. They differ from political parties by not seeking elected office themselves. Interest groups use lobbying, electioneering, litigation, and public support to sway policymakers. Successful interest groups tend to be smaller in size but more passionate, and have greater financial resources. Common types of interest groups include those representing economic, environmental, agricultural, equality, professional, and public interests.
The document summarizes the key steps and processes involved in running for political office in the United States, from the initial campaigning phase through the party primaries, national conventions, general election, and electoral college process. It also outlines the different methods of campaign financing, including contributions, PAC donations, and independent expenditures, as well as recent Supreme Court rulings that have impacted campaign finance law.
1) An interest group is an organization that works to influence government policy in order to achieve shared goals for its members. Interest groups differ from political parties, which seek to get members elected to make policies.
2) Interest groups are part of "iron triangles" that influence policymaking along with congressional committees and government agencies. Small interest groups tend to be more effective than large ones due to problems with free riders and spreading benefits.
3) Interest groups use lobbying of lawmakers, electioneering through campaign donations, litigation, and generating public support to influence public policy and shape political agendas. Their role is to provide information to lawmakers and be policy experts and strategists.
The document outlines the US electoral process for selecting a president. It describes the two-part process of first nominating candidates through state primaries and caucuses from February to June. Then the general election in November where the nominees from the two major parties compete for the presidency. It explains how candidates earn delegates at state conventions to win their party's nomination at the national convention. Finally, it discusses how the president is indirectly elected through the electoral college system rather than a popular vote.
This document discusses key terms and concepts related to voting and voter behavior in the United States. It defines suffrage, enfranchisement, disenfranchisement, and the electorate. It emphasizes the importance of voting and being an informed citizen. It examines who can and cannot vote, as well as reasons why some eligible citizens do not vote. It analyzes trends in voter turnout based on age, religion, ethnicity, income, education, geography, gender, and party identification. It outlines the history of expanding suffrage and laws protecting voting rights. Finally, it discusses state measures that can be decided directly by voters.
This document provides an overview of the US Congress, including its structure and powers. It notes that Congress is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House has 435 members with 2-year terms, apportioned based on state populations. The Senate has 100 members with 6-year terms, with two senators per state. Congress has expressed powers like lawmaking, taxation, borrowing, commerce regulation, and oversight of the executive branch. Bills must pass through both chambers and committees to become law.
The document discusses the mass media and its role in connecting the public to the government. It serves as a gatekeeper that decides what information is important to share with the public and can influence government by what it reports on. The media can broadcast political events, investigate hidden information, inform the public about policies and issues, persuade on political topics, and satirize failures. It includes print, electronic, broadcast media regulated by the FCC. The president receives the most media coverage while Congress receives less and the Supreme Court the least.
This document provides an overview of the U.S. Congress, including its structure, leadership roles, election processes, and key powers and responsibilities. It discusses the differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate, the role of congressional committees, and the process for how a bill becomes a law.
Interest groups are organizations that aim to influence government policy on issues important to their members. They differ from political parties by not seeking elected office themselves. Interest groups use lobbying, electioneering, litigation, and public support to sway policymakers. Successful interest groups tend to be smaller in size but more passionate, and have greater financial resources. Common types of interest groups include those representing economic, environmental, agricultural, equality, professional, and public interests.
The document summarizes the key steps and processes involved in running for political office in the United States, from the initial campaigning phase through the party primaries, national conventions, general election, and electoral college process. It also outlines the different methods of campaign financing, including contributions, PAC donations, and independent expenditures, as well as recent Supreme Court rulings that have impacted campaign finance law.
1) An interest group is an organization that works to influence government policy in order to achieve shared goals for its members. Interest groups differ from political parties, which seek to get members elected to make policies.
2) Interest groups are part of "iron triangles" that influence policymaking along with congressional committees and government agencies. Small interest groups tend to be more effective than large ones due to problems with free riders and spreading benefits.
3) Interest groups use lobbying of lawmakers, electioneering through campaign donations, litigation, and generating public support to influence public policy and shape political agendas. Their role is to provide information to lawmakers and be policy experts and strategists.
The document discusses the role of mass media in shaping the political agenda and influencing public opinion. It describes how the media acts as a gatekeeper by deciding what issues to cover and therefore influence public priorities. It also explains how the media links citizens to government, informs on policies and candidates, and can persuade on issues through tools like priming and framing. The types of media discussed include print, broadcast, cable, and the internet. The document also addresses criticism of shallow coverage, consolidation of media ownership, and regulation of media through the FCC.
This document discusses political ideologies and parties in the United States. It outlines the main differences between liberalism and conservatism as the two dominant political ideologies. Liberals generally believe in more individual freedom and government intervention in the economy, while conservatives believe in more traditional social values and less government intervention in the economy. The document also discusses the role of political parties in representing ideologies and electing candidates, the two-party system of Democrats and Republicans, and the functions and types of minor third parties.
This document discusses key terms and concepts related to voting and voter behavior in the United States. It covers the expansion of suffrage over time to include more groups, from only white male landowners to all citizens over 18. It also outlines some of the major factors that influence voter turnout and partisan preferences, such as gender, age, education, race, and income. Additionally, it describes different models of voting behavior and discusses ways voting rights have been obstructed throughout history.
Public opinion is measured through polling samples of the population to estimate views on policies, politicians, and government. Polls are not perfectly accurate due to sampling error but larger sample sizes improve accuracy. Public opinion aids government by indicating support for issues and predicting elections. Political socialization is the lifelong process through which people develop political views via social interactions. Key factors shaping political socialization include family, mass media, schools, peers, and religion.
Federalism refers to the division of power between the national and state governments. The national government has express, implied, and inherent powers granted by the Constitution. State governments have reserved powers not given to the national government according to the 10th Amendment. Some powers, like taxation and lawmaking, are concurrent between the two levels. The Supremacy Clause establishes that federal law overrides conflicting state law. Federalism takes different forms, from a strict division of powers between levels to more cooperative relationships where governments work together.
The document outlines key aspects of the U.S. Constitution, including its seven articles that divide power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. It also discusses six basic principles like popular sovereignty, limited government, and separation of powers. Influences on the Constitution are noted, including John Locke's social contract theory, Montesquieu's support for separation of powers, and Rousseau's skepticism of direct democracy.
The document discusses several key aspects of public opinion and political participation in the United States. It describes three levels of public opinion based on knowledge and interest in government. It also outlines factors that influence political socialization such as family, media, education, peers, and religion. The document concludes by discussing conventional forms of political participation like voting and unconventional activities like protests.
The document outlines the major events and debates surrounding the establishment of the United States government following the American Revolution. It describes the First and Second Continental Congresses, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitutional Convention, and the ratification of the Constitution. Key issues addressed included the balance of power between state and national governments and the compromises needed to get the new framework approved.
The document summarizes the political origins and ideas that influenced American colonists and their growing tensions with British rule. It discusses documents like the Magna Carta, Petition of Right, and English Bill of Rights that inspired colonial beliefs in limited and representative government. The colonies were established for reasons like religion, trade, and as debtors' prisons. Tensions rose as Britain imposed taxes to pay war debts and limited colonial self-governance, without representation in Parliament. Major events like the Boston Massacre, boycotts, and Boston Tea Party protested "taxation without representation" and grew colonial resistance to unchecked British power.
The document summarizes key aspects of the US Constitution and federalism discussed at the Constitutional Convention. It describes the major compromises reached between the delegates on issues like state representation in Congress, the 3/5 compromise on slavery, and allowing states to decide voter qualifications. It also explains the division of powers between the federal and state governments established under the Constitution, such as Congress's enumerated powers and the states' reserved powers. Finally, it outlines the ratification process of the Constitution and some important Supreme Court cases like McCulloch v. Maryland that helped define the powers of the federal government.
AP GOV - Introduction to U.S. Government and PoliticsTaylor Phillips
The document summarizes key concepts about the US government and democracy. It outlines the purposes of government as maintaining national defense, providing public goods and services, preserving order, socializing citizens, and collecting taxes. It then discusses political participation, policymaking systems, and models of democracy like pluralism and elitism. Finally, it analyzes historic documents like the Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation that shaped America's founding political philosophy and early attempts at governance.
The document provides an introduction to key concepts in U.S. government, including definitions of government and its purposes to unite citizens, provide justice and security, and ensure citizens' well-being. It describes the three powers of government as legislative, executive, and judicial. It also outlines four theories of the origin of the state and different forms of government like democracy, dictatorship, and how a government can be organized at national and local levels.
The document discusses the history of civil rights in America, beginning with slavery and the lack of rights for African Americans prior to the Civil War. It outlines key court cases and legislation that advanced civil rights, such as the 13th and 14th Amendments ending slavery and guaranteeing equal protection, Brown v. Board of Education ending school segregation, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting discrimination. It also discusses the expansion of civil rights to other groups, like Hispanics, Asians, women, the disabled, and LGBTQ individuals. The document analyzes issues like voting rights, affirmative action, and same-sex marriage in detail.
This document provides an overview of key Supreme Court cases and concepts related to civil liberties and individual rights protected by the US Constitution. It discusses several Bill of Rights amendments, including required Supreme Court cases that relate to the establishment of religion, freedom of expression, right to bear arms, rights of the accused, and protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. The document also examines the incorporation doctrine and how it has applied parts of the Bill of Rights to the states.
The document summarizes the purpose and structure of the US judiciary system. It describes how the federal court system is organized into three levels - district courts, courts of appeals, and the Supreme Court. It also outlines the types of cases each level handles, the qualifications and selection of judges, and the role of the Supreme Court in interpreting the constitution and setting precedents that lower courts must follow.
The document discusses key aspects of the federal budgeting process in the United States. It defines important terms like budget, revenue, expenditure, and deficit. It outlines the major types of taxes that fund the federal government. It describes where the government spends its money, including on mandatory programs like Social Security and Medicare as well as discretionary spending set by Congress each year. It explains the annual budget process between the President, Congress, and government agencies.
The federal bureaucracy implements and regulates policies through various departments and agencies. It is organized into executive departments, independent commissions, government corporations, and independent agencies. The bureaucracy works to carry out laws and policies but can face obstacles like conflicting priorities, vague instructions, and lack of resources. Both the President and Congress seek to influence the bureaucracy through actions like appointments, budgets, and oversight.
The document summarizes the qualifications, roles, powers, and limitations of the US presidency. It outlines that the president must be a natural born citizen, at least 35 years old, and a US resident for 14 years. It also discusses impeachment procedures and the roles of the president in areas like foreign policy, national security, the military, and public engagement. Presidential powers include both formal constitutional powers and informal interpreted powers.
Political parties serve several key functions in the US political system. They choose candidates, run campaigns, cue voters on candidates and policies, and help coordinate governance once in power. The two main parties are the Democrats and Republicans. Democrats generally support more liberal policies around issues like gun control and abortion, while Republicans generally support more conservative policies around issues like tax cuts and immigration. Over time, the dominant party in government and the composition of each party's coalition of voters has changed through critical elections and realignments. The US has historically had a two-party system, making it difficult for third parties to gain widespread support.
The document discusses several aspects of public policymaking in the United States, including economic, social welfare, national security, environmental, energy, and healthcare policies. It provides details on key policies, challenges, and theories related to each of these areas. For example, it outlines the roles of monetary and fiscal policies in the economy, major social welfare programs, different perspectives on the government's role in healthcare, and historical approaches to foreign policy including isolationism and containment.
The document discusses the role of mass media in shaping the political agenda and influencing public opinion. It describes how the media acts as a gatekeeper by deciding what issues to cover and therefore influence public priorities. It also explains how the media links citizens to government, informs on policies and candidates, and can persuade on issues through tools like priming and framing. The types of media discussed include print, broadcast, cable, and the internet. The document also addresses criticism of shallow coverage, consolidation of media ownership, and regulation of media through the FCC.
This document discusses political ideologies and parties in the United States. It outlines the main differences between liberalism and conservatism as the two dominant political ideologies. Liberals generally believe in more individual freedom and government intervention in the economy, while conservatives believe in more traditional social values and less government intervention in the economy. The document also discusses the role of political parties in representing ideologies and electing candidates, the two-party system of Democrats and Republicans, and the functions and types of minor third parties.
This document discusses key terms and concepts related to voting and voter behavior in the United States. It covers the expansion of suffrage over time to include more groups, from only white male landowners to all citizens over 18. It also outlines some of the major factors that influence voter turnout and partisan preferences, such as gender, age, education, race, and income. Additionally, it describes different models of voting behavior and discusses ways voting rights have been obstructed throughout history.
Public opinion is measured through polling samples of the population to estimate views on policies, politicians, and government. Polls are not perfectly accurate due to sampling error but larger sample sizes improve accuracy. Public opinion aids government by indicating support for issues and predicting elections. Political socialization is the lifelong process through which people develop political views via social interactions. Key factors shaping political socialization include family, mass media, schools, peers, and religion.
Federalism refers to the division of power between the national and state governments. The national government has express, implied, and inherent powers granted by the Constitution. State governments have reserved powers not given to the national government according to the 10th Amendment. Some powers, like taxation and lawmaking, are concurrent between the two levels. The Supremacy Clause establishes that federal law overrides conflicting state law. Federalism takes different forms, from a strict division of powers between levels to more cooperative relationships where governments work together.
The document outlines key aspects of the U.S. Constitution, including its seven articles that divide power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. It also discusses six basic principles like popular sovereignty, limited government, and separation of powers. Influences on the Constitution are noted, including John Locke's social contract theory, Montesquieu's support for separation of powers, and Rousseau's skepticism of direct democracy.
The document discusses several key aspects of public opinion and political participation in the United States. It describes three levels of public opinion based on knowledge and interest in government. It also outlines factors that influence political socialization such as family, media, education, peers, and religion. The document concludes by discussing conventional forms of political participation like voting and unconventional activities like protests.
The document outlines the major events and debates surrounding the establishment of the United States government following the American Revolution. It describes the First and Second Continental Congresses, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitutional Convention, and the ratification of the Constitution. Key issues addressed included the balance of power between state and national governments and the compromises needed to get the new framework approved.
The document summarizes the political origins and ideas that influenced American colonists and their growing tensions with British rule. It discusses documents like the Magna Carta, Petition of Right, and English Bill of Rights that inspired colonial beliefs in limited and representative government. The colonies were established for reasons like religion, trade, and as debtors' prisons. Tensions rose as Britain imposed taxes to pay war debts and limited colonial self-governance, without representation in Parliament. Major events like the Boston Massacre, boycotts, and Boston Tea Party protested "taxation without representation" and grew colonial resistance to unchecked British power.
The document summarizes key aspects of the US Constitution and federalism discussed at the Constitutional Convention. It describes the major compromises reached between the delegates on issues like state representation in Congress, the 3/5 compromise on slavery, and allowing states to decide voter qualifications. It also explains the division of powers between the federal and state governments established under the Constitution, such as Congress's enumerated powers and the states' reserved powers. Finally, it outlines the ratification process of the Constitution and some important Supreme Court cases like McCulloch v. Maryland that helped define the powers of the federal government.
AP GOV - Introduction to U.S. Government and PoliticsTaylor Phillips
The document summarizes key concepts about the US government and democracy. It outlines the purposes of government as maintaining national defense, providing public goods and services, preserving order, socializing citizens, and collecting taxes. It then discusses political participation, policymaking systems, and models of democracy like pluralism and elitism. Finally, it analyzes historic documents like the Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation that shaped America's founding political philosophy and early attempts at governance.
The document provides an introduction to key concepts in U.S. government, including definitions of government and its purposes to unite citizens, provide justice and security, and ensure citizens' well-being. It describes the three powers of government as legislative, executive, and judicial. It also outlines four theories of the origin of the state and different forms of government like democracy, dictatorship, and how a government can be organized at national and local levels.
The document discusses the history of civil rights in America, beginning with slavery and the lack of rights for African Americans prior to the Civil War. It outlines key court cases and legislation that advanced civil rights, such as the 13th and 14th Amendments ending slavery and guaranteeing equal protection, Brown v. Board of Education ending school segregation, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting discrimination. It also discusses the expansion of civil rights to other groups, like Hispanics, Asians, women, the disabled, and LGBTQ individuals. The document analyzes issues like voting rights, affirmative action, and same-sex marriage in detail.
This document provides an overview of key Supreme Court cases and concepts related to civil liberties and individual rights protected by the US Constitution. It discusses several Bill of Rights amendments, including required Supreme Court cases that relate to the establishment of religion, freedom of expression, right to bear arms, rights of the accused, and protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. The document also examines the incorporation doctrine and how it has applied parts of the Bill of Rights to the states.
The document summarizes the purpose and structure of the US judiciary system. It describes how the federal court system is organized into three levels - district courts, courts of appeals, and the Supreme Court. It also outlines the types of cases each level handles, the qualifications and selection of judges, and the role of the Supreme Court in interpreting the constitution and setting precedents that lower courts must follow.
The document discusses key aspects of the federal budgeting process in the United States. It defines important terms like budget, revenue, expenditure, and deficit. It outlines the major types of taxes that fund the federal government. It describes where the government spends its money, including on mandatory programs like Social Security and Medicare as well as discretionary spending set by Congress each year. It explains the annual budget process between the President, Congress, and government agencies.
The federal bureaucracy implements and regulates policies through various departments and agencies. It is organized into executive departments, independent commissions, government corporations, and independent agencies. The bureaucracy works to carry out laws and policies but can face obstacles like conflicting priorities, vague instructions, and lack of resources. Both the President and Congress seek to influence the bureaucracy through actions like appointments, budgets, and oversight.
The document summarizes the qualifications, roles, powers, and limitations of the US presidency. It outlines that the president must be a natural born citizen, at least 35 years old, and a US resident for 14 years. It also discusses impeachment procedures and the roles of the president in areas like foreign policy, national security, the military, and public engagement. Presidential powers include both formal constitutional powers and informal interpreted powers.
Political parties serve several key functions in the US political system. They choose candidates, run campaigns, cue voters on candidates and policies, and help coordinate governance once in power. The two main parties are the Democrats and Republicans. Democrats generally support more liberal policies around issues like gun control and abortion, while Republicans generally support more conservative policies around issues like tax cuts and immigration. Over time, the dominant party in government and the composition of each party's coalition of voters has changed through critical elections and realignments. The US has historically had a two-party system, making it difficult for third parties to gain widespread support.
The document discusses several aspects of public policymaking in the United States, including economic, social welfare, national security, environmental, energy, and healthcare policies. It provides details on key policies, challenges, and theories related to each of these areas. For example, it outlines the roles of monetary and fiscal policies in the economy, major social welfare programs, different perspectives on the government's role in healthcare, and historical approaches to foreign policy including isolationism and containment.