Introduction to American Politics Exam 3

How did Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society program both realize the promise of the New Deal and earlier forms of Progressivism (especially the call for "economic rights") but also simultaneously radicalize it?

It still focused on economic rights but stated that progressivism could no longer only be about economic rights. It was radical because it assumes that equality of opportunity was not enough anymore, we need equality of outcome.

• What were some of the ways that Lyndon B. Johnson sought to wage a "War on Poverty" through his Great Society programs?

Administrative state expansion under the federal government

What were some of the federal programs that he created to wage this war?

Civil Rights Act of 1964, Food Stamp Act of 1964, Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 , Medicare and Medicaid Act of 1965, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965

• What are some of the conditions for the "Great Society" according to Lyndon B. Johnson?

The government must guarantee the happiness of its citizens

• How does the Great Society represent one of the greatest victories for the earlier Progressive doctrine of the administrative state?

It permanently expanded the administrative state and welfare state

• How does contemporary liberalism reject earlier forms of liberalism that stressed freedom from government and equality of opportunity? If equality of opportunity is inadequate in the modern world, what kind of equality should the government seek to promote?

Contemporary liberalism strives for equality of outcome rather than opportunity.

First Wave Feminism

fought for women's voting rights and the right to be in the workplace while still valuing traditional gender roles to an extent.

Second Wave Feminism

saw pregnancy as a threat to social equality

Third Wave Feminism

radicalization of feminism. Fight against masculinity. Fighting for abortion and what exactly it even means to be a woman.

• In what ways does First Wave Feminism and its desire to combine equal political rights for women with traditional gender roles contrast with the goals of modern liberalism?

First wave feminists simply wanted women to have equal opportunity with men such as voting rights and visibility/presence in the workplace. Modern liberalism/feminism challenges that women should not have to fill any sort of gender role and that there should be equal outcome for all men and women. This includes issues such as abortion.

• What are Political Parties?

are institutions that seek to influence policy by electing candidates to office.

why are political parties linkage institutions that can be called the "indispensable organizers of democracy?"

they connect citizens to their government

• What is the current status of political parties today?

They're very weak

• Party polarization has become very extreme today. Does this reflect the strength of political parties, or their weakness? Why?

This reflects the weakness of political parties because party leaders have no control over what candidates are elected and more polarizing candidates end up being representative of the parties which causes further division.

• What feature of modern elections has most contributed to the weakening of political parties since the 1960s with the reforms enacted by the McGovern-Fraser Commission?

Direct primaries

America has a two-party system rather than a multiparty system. What feature of our electoral system causes the two-party system?

The winner take all system of electoral appointment

What kind of apportionment results in multiparty systems?

Proportional representation

• What role do Third Parties play in American politics? In what way is it a "waste" of a vote to vote Third Party, and in what way is it actually a vote that can lead to governmental change eventually?

Third party candidates almost always lose elections, but if you want your party to change, voting for a third party candidate can make an impact.

• What is a Critical or "Realigning" Election?

mark the end of one party system and the beginning of a new one.

What is one of the most important examples of a Critical Election in American political history?

FDRs election in 1932 (ushered in the 4th party system)

• How has the rise of the administrative state weakened political parties in the modern world?

There is no power check for the "experts" in the administrative state and so the president has no power over them really and it weakens political parties

• Why would it worry the Framers of the Constitution if they saw that Congress has an approval rating of only 17%? What role did they envision the Congress playing in the American political system?

The framers viewed congress as the most important branch of government.

• According to Federalist no. 53. Why did the Framers settle on a two-year term of office for Congressmen? Why did they reject the idea of term limits for Congressmen?

It is meant to improve the quality of legislation

• What is the difference between an incumbent and a challenger?

An incumbent already holds the office they are campaigning for, they are going for reelection.

Who usually wins in elections between an incumbent and a challenger, and why?

Incumbent because More personal contact with voters; better name recognition; more money and resources; gerrymandering; and the rise of majority-minority districts.

• What is gerrymandering?

Manipulating and changing the voting regions in order to win more votes.

• Why is incumbency a somewhat less powerful electoral advantage in Senate races than in House races?

Because there are less members, and their elections are every 6 years not every 2 years

• Who is the primary leader of the House of Representatives? Is he a constitutional officer or a party officer?

The speaker of the house, he is a constitutional officer

Majority leader in house

speakers chief deputy and the second most powerful

Minority leader in house

elected by the party that is not in the majority to lead the opposition

Party whip in house

the assistant to the majority party leader

• What are the four kinds of Committees in the House of Representatives?

Standing, select, joint, and conference

What is the most powerful of all the Committees in the House, and why?

Standing committee because it is a permanent one

What are some of the most important differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate?

House members have a term limit of 2 years Senate have 6. Senate is much smaller than the house. House has more say on budget, senate is more powerful in foreign affairs.

• What were the two main reasons that the Framers created the U.S. Senate?

1. To check the excesses of democracy and prevent factious laws 2. Protect the rights of the states and give the state government representation.

• What is the 17th Amendment, and how did it fundamentally alter the character of the U.S. Senate from the original vision of the Framers?

It made the senators get elected by direct election by the people rather than appointment from the state governments.

• According to Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, what features of the Senate made it a more deliberative body than the House of Representatives? What is his position on the idea of directly electing U.S. Senators?

Its smaller so individuals matter more. He thought it was a very bad idea that would weaken congress.

• Who is the leader of the U.S. Senate? Is he or she a constitutional officer or a party officer?

The vice president of the united states. Party officer.

President pro tempore in senate

is the oldest and most senior Senator from the majority party

Majority Leader in senate

is the real leader of the Senate.

Minority leader in senate

leader of the opposition party

• Why is the Vice President of the United States simultaneously the "President of the Senate" under the Constitution but not truly its leader?

Because the only power that they have over the senate is the tiebreak the majority leader has the most power

• What is the Filibuster Rule?

action designed to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill, resolution, amendment, or other debatable question.

How does the filibuster rule reflect the Senate's original goal of checking majority faction and protecting the common good?

reflects the senate's emphasis on debate, dialogue, and deliberation. Gives senators from the minority party a voice.

• What are some of the most powerful committees in the Senate?

finance committee, the appropriations committee, the judiciary committee, foreign affairs committee

• What were some of the reasons that the Framers created a powerful executive branch led by the President of the United States?

the framers are attuned to the dangers of both executive weakness and excessive strength in the executive branch

• What is executive power, and why is it important in a constitutional republic?

carry out and enforce the law, protect the nation from foreign threats, and to mitigate the threat of faction. Deliberate sense of community.

• What is the difference between the President's role as the head of state and his role as the head of government?

the head of state is the head of all people and represents both parties, even conflicting ones. The head of government is the party leader.

What tensions emerge because of the fact that the President has to operate in both roles?

He has to prioritize his party while also appealing to the people. He has to do what is good for all of the people while also creating policies that support and further the cause of his own party.

Why does it strengthen the President's standing as the head of government if he is an effective head of state?

because more people want to vote for him and support him because he is appealing to everyone.

• What are the constitutional qualifications that are necessary to serve as the President of the United States?

Natural born citizen, 35 year old minimum, resident for 14 years, swear oath of office to preserve, protect, and defend the constitution

What Constitutional Amendment limits the President to two four year terms?

22 amendment

• What are the four constitutional pillars of the Presidency?

Held by a single individual at any given time, fixed term in office excepting impeachment, draws strength from the consent of the people not from congress, received his power not from congress but from the constitution

• What is the Cabinet?

officers that give advice to the president and run different parts of the office

What are some of the most important Cabinet offices?

Secretary of State, secretary of defense, secretary of the treasury, the attorney general

• One very powerful member of the executive branch who is not a Cabinet officer is the leader of the Executive Office of the President. What is the name of this officer, and what purpose does he serve in the executive branch?

the chief of staff, he sets the presidents schedule and runs things like that for him

• What is the difference between the "Modern Presidency" and the classical, constitutional vision of the Presidency?

More powerful. The modern presidency has more formal and informal powers, agenda setting, more staff, heightened visibility

What Presidents were most important in establishing the Modern Presidency?

Teddy Roosevelt

• What is the "Stewardship Theory" outlined by Theodore Roosevelt?

The president has the duty to do whatever is necessary in national interest, unless prohibited by the constitution.

Does the duality of the president’s role tend to strengthen or to limit executive power, and why?

It strengthens the presidency because it suggests that the president has the ability to do anything that is not prohibited by the constitution

• How did William Howard Taft respond to Theodore Roosevelt's Stewardship Theory?

he argued for a more limited constitutional presidency

• The President has both formal and informal powers. What is the difference between these two kinds of powers?

Formal powers are those outlined in the constitution and informal powers are those not outlined in the constitution.

Presidential national security powers

commander and Chief of the armed forces, negotiate treaties with other nations subject to approval of ⅔ senate, nominate ambassadors to foreign nations and receive ambassadors from other nations

Presidential legislative powers

info on the state of the union to congress and recommend legislation, convene both houses of congress on extraordinary occasions

presidential judicial powers

issue pardons for citizens accused of federal offenses (often very controversial), appoint federal judges, with the agreement of a majority of the senate.

• What are some of the President's most important informal powers?

bargaining and persuasion. Issuing executive orders, signing statements, negotiating executive agreements

• What is the difference between the competing interpretations of the Presidency as being either an "Imperial Presidency" or an "Imperiled Presidency"? What is some evidence for it being one or the other?

The imperial presidency is much more powerful whereas the imperiled presidency believes the president does not have enough power to make change. In times of emergency a president has imperial powers for the good of the nation. His power increases greatly.

• How does the Modern Presidency both weaken and strengthen the Presidency?

it strengthens the powers of the presidency, but with the weakening of political parties the executive power is weaker

. - Why did the Framers reject the election of the President by the Congress and how did their concern with this proposal connect to their understanding of the separation of powers?

The electoral was intended to check the possibility of government ruling by majority factions

• What happens when the Electoral College fails to achieve a majority? What is the backup plan for electing the President? Why has this plan happened so rarely?

The house elects the president with each state having one vote. This very rarely happens because the twelfth amendment prevents many deadlocks.

• How does the Electoral College strengthen federalism and states' rights?

it gives the states all voices in electing the president and protects their opinions.

• How does the Electoral College help to mitigate the problem of election fraud?

Election results can be challenged in individual states instead of dealing with the complications of popular vote

• What are some of the main criticisms of the Electoral College and the winner-take-all system that most states use for apportionment of electors?

It makes the minority in certain states feel like their votes don't count at all because the state (california for example) is already spoken for.

• Why did the Framers give federal judges a life-tenure?

So that they could make difficult decisions without fearing backlash from the people. This limits people/ voters being a motivation for corruption.

• What were the major goals of the Judiciary and why haven't these goals been completely realized?

To bring stability, order, and permanence to the American political system. Because in the 20th century the supreme court has become very powerful more than intended.

• What is the difference between a criminal and a civil case?

A criminal case results in jail time. A civil case usually results in a fine of some sort.

• What are some of the powers that Congress has to check the Court? Why hasn't it proactively used these powers against it?

They can limit the cases that the court has appellate jurisdiction over.

• What is the difference between appellate and original jurisdiction?

Original jurisdiction means the jurisdiction from the original court case. This means that the court heard the case first. Appellate jurisdiction is when the higher courts have the ability to overturn choices made by the lower courts.

• What is judicial review, and why does Alexander Hamilton defend this principle in Federalist no. 78?

The supreme court has the power to stop congress law if they deem it unconstitutional. He defends this as a necessary balance of power.

• What is the difference between judicial review and judicial supremacy? Which of these positions does John Marshall take? William Brennan?

Judicial review is to review laws and such made by congress and determine if they are constitutional and only dispute them if they are unconstitutional even if they don't entirely agree with the law. Brennan's side of judicial supremacy believes that it is the court's duty to use the constitution for social justice and progress in ways that they deem fitting.

• What is the difference between judicial restraint and judicial activism?

Judicial restraint does not see the court as lawmakers rather they must interpret and protect the original intent of the constitution. Judicial activism sees the constitution as a living document and that it must be interpreted in current situations in order for progress to be made.

• Why does Ed Meese believe that Originalism is the only method of jurisprudence that is compatible with the Founding principle of the consent of the governed?

He believes that the constitution is the document that demonstrates the consent of the governed so it is the supreme court's job to interpret it only as the founders intended.

William Brennan argues that Living Constitutionalism is more elitist than it is democratic, but he sees this as a good thing. What is Brennan's argument against trusting the people and their elected representatives to make decisions about human rights?

He thinks that only elites who are highly educated in the political world know what needs to be done for society.

How does Brennan's understanding of the Supreme Court build upon the Progressive philosophy of the administrative state?

It is an elitist view that gives more power to the federal government out of an elitist mindset that only experts know what is best for progress.