Gerrymandering
The drawing of electoral district lines to the advantage of a party or group
Rousseau view on gov’t
He believed in a direct democracy because he felt the will of the people could not be properly represented through reps.
Locke view on gov’t
He wanted a representative government but he wanted representatives to be only men of property and business (he wanted only adult male property owners to have the right to vote)
Hobbes view on gov’t
He wanted a absolute monarchy. He believed citizens had no authority to make decisions regarding the country.
Which of these philosopher’s closely connected to American Government? How do we know that?
Locke because he believed in a representative gov’t and that is what America has. The only difference is that he only wanted men with property to vote.
Which philosopher was correct about human nature?
Rousseau- he believed that humans possessed a natural goodness and that caring properly for oneself did not exclude concern for the welfare of others
Locke- believed that people were naturally cooperative and reasonable and, if given the opportunity, would work well with each other towards a common goal
Hobbes- believe that people were naturally selfish and wicked. He believed that, without strong governments to control them, people would be constantly at war with one another.
Political Socialization
The process by which people form their ideas about politics (political orientation) and acquire their ideas about the government
Is the internet good or bad for Democracy?
Pros
o Can be used to raise awareness, recruit activists and organize protests
o Can be used to promote voting drives and other community engagement initiatives
Cons
o Can influence people to a certain way of thinking
o Can be used to spread false information
How can we identify bias in news sources?
o Inappropriate language (exaggeration)
o Only offers one side
o Presents opinions as facts
Liberal v. Conservative
Abortion?
Liberal~ Pro- Choice
Conservative~ Pro- Life
Liberal v. Conservative
Gun Control
Liberal~ For Gun Control
Conservative~ Against Gun Control
Liberal v. Conservative
Immigration
Liberal~ For it
Conservative~ Against it
Liberal v. Conservative
Taxes
Liberal~ Higher taxes
Conservatives~ Lower taxes
Who has a more correct view on the Constitution- Originalist or Living Constitutionalism?
Originalist- believes that the Const. should only be looked at how the Founding Fathers wrote it
Living- should view the Const. with our values today- believe the Const. is a guideline for our laws and not a contract
Federalism
The divison of power between state and federal government
How does U.S. v. Lopez connect to federalism?
o Kid brought a gun to a schoo that was gun free
o Kid was arrested and charged under the Commerce Clause in his state
o Courts later sided with the kid and decided it was illegal to charge him so all the charges were dropped
This affected federalism because it hurt federal power.
Should we Abolish the Filibuster?
Which side was more correct- Federalsits or the Anti- federalsits?
Categorical Grant
Grant given to a certain category
Formula Grant
Formula used to determine who is poor so they can be given the funds
Project Grant
Grant given for a certain project (construction)
Block Grant
States given a chunk of money and they decide how to spend it
Which of these laws is the most significant one?
o Clean Air and Water Acts
o Americans with Disabilities Act
o No Child Left Behind
o Brady Bill
o Welfare Reform Act
The explanation for each one is one the worksheet he handed out.