ap gov final

Divided government

Divided government

Different parties control different houses in congress and the executive branch. Causes gridlock where nothing can get passed because no one can agree, and slows down the lawmaking process

Pluralist theory of democracy

Organized groups of similar interests held power and not the individuals, these groups would make their desires known to politicians (ex: political parties, interest groups)

These groups compete with one another to influence the policy making

Participatory theory of democracy

People participate individually and directly on political decisions (ex: ballot initiative (proposal for amendment, get signatures), primary elections, referendum (petition), town hall meetings)

Confederal system vs federal system

Confederal: loose organization of states who follow a strong central government, states have more power over the federal gov (ex AOC and confederacy)

Federal: the federal gov has more power over the states

Political socialization

The process people develop their political beliefs and ideologies, which are influenced by family, school, media or peers.

Actions political parties can do

• Provide support for candidates by fundraising, poll data, and political ads

• Change party platform to prioritize specific issues so when party members get elected they can focus their energy on these issues

• Recruit candidates to run for election, who will use their power to impact public policy

• Put pressure on members to vote along party lines

Actions the media can do

• highlight stories of a specific issues in order to raise the profile of the issue and pressure legislators to address the problem

• Cover stories about what is happening in the white house/capitol hill to inform constituents, so they can then voice their opinions to their legislators

• Provide free airtime (visuals) to candidates which can increase the candidates chances of getting elected

• Cover specific politicians in a more positive/negative way in order to increase/decrease the chance of certain candidates getting elected

• Horse race journalism, covering poll results, leads to uninformed voters.

• Gatekeeper - help to set the political agenda

Politcal ideologies

Liberal- more gov regulation of the economy, less regulation of personal behavior

Populist- more gov regulation of the economy, more regulation of personal behavior

Conservative- less gov regulation of the economy, more regulation of personal behavior

Libertarian- less gov regulation of the economy, less regulation of personal behavior

Critical/realignment elections

An election that signals the start of a realignment period (when citizens align to a different party), resulting in a sharp and lasting shift in the popular coalition in both major parties. Example: in 1964 the “solid south” flipped from democratic to republican.

17th amendment

Established the direct election of United States senators in each state, changing it from state legislators

Pork barrel legislation

Legislation that gives narrowly concentrated benefits to constituents in hopes of winning votes in return. Legislators try to make their constituents happy to gain reelection.

Logrolling

one legislator supports a proposal favored by another legislator in exchange for a promise of future support on their own pet project, helps pork barrel legislation pass.

Earmarks

a provision of a law that is snuck into a tax or spending bill by lawmakers without a committee hearing or public discussion, money is set aside for a project, allows legislators to collect money for their constituents

Independent expenditures

PACs could spend unlimited money to influence an election through ads/mailers, as long as they DID NOT coordinate with the candidate.

1973 Federal Election Campaign Act

individual contribution limit $1,000, creation of PACs, federal taxes match presidential campaign funds

McCain-Feingold Act

banned soft money, individual contribution limit raised from $1,000- $2,000, banned independent expenditures that mentioned a candidates name within 60 days of a general election (30 for primaries), candidate/PAC/political party must identify themselves with the ad they put out

Buckley v. Valeo

It ruled that individual contribution limits ( from FECA) were constitutional, but candidates' personal spending cannot be limited because it’s a form of protected speech

Budget deficit vs surplus

Deficit: when the government spends more in one year than it takes in from taxes. National debt is the total combined deficit from the beginning of the US to today.

Surplus: when the government takes in more money than it spends

Keynesian economics

government should increase spending during a recession and cut spending during high inflation (liberals tend to support)

Supply side economics

lower taxes and fewer economic regulations will stimulate the economy (conservatives tend to support)

Discretionary v Mandatory spending

Discretionary: things the gov can choose to spend on (military, transportation, education, environment)

Mandatory: things the gov has to pay for (social security, medicare, welfare)

Problems with mandatory spending: Social security and Medicare/Medicaid are increasingly costing more because there are more old people and higher life expectancy, resulting in most of America’s future budget to go toward mandatory spending and not discretionary spending

Actions interest groups can do

• provide credible information on narrow/complex issues

• lower/higher interest group ratings

• revolving door: interest groups give jobs in the private sector in return for favorable work in the government

• grassroots mobilization: mobilizing citizens (the issue public) to contact their legislators, putting public pressure on gov officials

• bringing litigation/organizing a case: interest groups find people who have been wronged by the law (plaintiffs) and bring lawsuits on their behalf in hopes of convincing the courts to strike down polices they oppose

• amicus curiae briefs: legal briefs sent to judges to consider when making court case decision

• direct lobbying (wine and dine)

Insider v outsider strategy

Insider: lobbyist meet with gov officials to privately put pressure on the official directly

Outsider: lobbyists put pressure on the public who puts pressure on gov officials

Majoritarian, interest group, client, and entrepreneurial politics

Majoritarian: many benefit, many pay (ex: social security and medicare)

Interest group: few benefit, few pay (ex: abortion, controversial issues)

Client: few benefit, many pay (ex: sugar lobby, welfare)

Entrepreneurial: many benefit, few pay (ex: environmental polices, automobile safety)

PAC (political action committee)

an entity (similar to a bank account) that an interest group uses to raise, donate and spend money to influence elections

Free rider problem

people who don't give money or join an interest group are still likely to benefit if the organization achieves its goal

Coalitions

groups who support political parties usually described in demographic terms, and work together even if they are different

coalition building is when parties need to appeal to their core demographic groups and broaden their appeal to new voters

Delegate representation

representatives do what their constituents want and value re-election over everything

Trustee representation

representatives use their best judgment on issues without regard to their constituents

Politico

Both trustee and delegate; representatives act first on their own judgment, until their constituents become vocal

Speaker of the house powers

Decides who will be recognized to speak on the floor

Influences what bills are brought up to vote

Rules whether a motion is germane

Assign members to committees

Help to set the agenda

Federalist 51

Ambition must counteract ambition and men aren’t angels

The constitution sets up a system of checks and balances, federalism, and separation of powers making sure power is split between branches and levels, and no one branch or level gets too powerful.

large republic= more factions= preventing tyranny of the majority

Senate majority leader powers

Schedules the business of the senate and is recognized first on the debate floor

Gerrymandering

Drawing of district boundaries in bizarre shapes in order to make it easier for one party to win an election in the house. This leads to more safe districts. Districts are drawn by majority party in state legislature.

Filibuster

Any attempt by a senator to delay or block action on a bill

Cloture motion

Breaks a filibuster in the senate and ends discussion on a bill if 60 people (supermajority) vote for cloture

Standing, joint, select, and conference committees

Standing committee: responsible for legislation within a certain subject area, are permanent

Joint committee: both senators and representatives are members

Select/special committee: appointed for a limited time and purpose

Conference committee: representatives and senators appointed to resolve differences in the senate and house versions of the same bill

Redistricting definition and rules

Redrawing congressional districts within a state, done every 10 years

Redistricting must:

- be equal in population size (Baker v Carr)

- cannot be drawn solely on the basis of race (Shaw v Reno)

Reapportionment

Redistributing of house seats among the states to reflect population changes every 10 years after a census

Revenue bills originate in…

the house

Discharge petition

A petition only in the house, that a bill in a committee may be brought to the floor after 30 days (requires 218 votes, a majority)

Senate v House of rep

Senate:

- much slower with filibusters, unlimited floor debate, amendments and riders

- 6 year terms

House:

- more efficient, rules committee decides open (allows amendments) or closed rules (limits debate & forbids amendments)

- members tend to represent smaller districts/less people and can be closer to their constituents

Congressional oversight

Congress can review the actions of the executive branch by:

• calling/writing a letter to agency heads

• committee hearings and congressional investigations (subpoena power)

• authorizations and appropriations (power of the purse)

• narrow discretionary authority/clarify legislation intent/amend laws

Discretionary authority

when laws are vague or left up to interpretation, appointed bureaucrats can choose how to implement/enforce the law, and take actions not spelled out in advance by the law

Delegation of authority

Congress makes laws, inside that law, Congress gives a specific department/agency the power to enforce the law or carry out the program

Bureaucracy rulemaking power

Agencies ability to make rules that clarify the details of how a vague bill will be enforced, affecting how programs operate. The rules carry the same weight as laws.

Executive departments

15 of the largest agencies of the federal government responsible for carrying out laws, headed up by one of the President’s 15 cabinet members, split into agencies, bureaus, and divisions

Executive agencies and independent executive agencies

executive: organizations apart of the executive branch but may or may not be apart of an executive department, directors are appointed by the president, and can be fired

independent executive: organizations that are not a part of an executive department (are a specific entity); their heads report directly to the President (ex: NASA, EPA, CIA)

Independent regulatory commissions

Government agencies responsible for making and enforcing rules that regulate important parts of the economy. They are run by bipartisan boards of 5-11 members that cannot be removed by the President, are independent from political pressure.

Government corporations

Provide a service and charge fees, essentially a business created by congress that stand separate from executive departments (ex: USPS, Amtrak)

Iron triangle

a three sided, mutually advantageous relationship between members of Congress (including committees), bureaucrats, and interest groups

Issue network

different groups such as media, bureaucracy, think tanks, interest groups and congress men come together to pursue a specific issue in order to influence gov policy

Federalist 70

a strong single executive is necessary for good government

• they are more decisive and act quickly

• protect against domestic and foreign threats

• the public can better hold them accountable

• less likely to abuse power

Bully pulpit

the president can take advantage of the prestige and visibility of their office to guide or mobilize the american people and get them to contact their representatives to help their objectives

Presidents formal powers

• veto (pocket veto, line item veto- veto specific parts of the bill)

• pardon people who have committed crimes

• appointment and removal, can nominate/appoint supreme court judges, ambassadors, and cabinet members

• recognize foreign gov and leaders

• negotiating treaties (congress ratifies)

• budget proposal (but can’t create them, only congress can)

• commander in chief of US armed forces

• state of the union

President’s informal powers

• bureaucracy

• executive order (rules that carry the same weight as law, no congressional approval)

• executive privilege (withhold sensitive info from congress)

• executive agreement (formal treaty with another country without the need of senate approval)

• ceremonial duties

• signing statements

• setting congressional agenda

Writ of certiorari

an order by a higher court directing a lower court to send up a case for review

- granted to cases with timely issues, impact a lot of people, or that have a circuit split

Federalist 78

An independent judiciary with life tenure during good behavior for federal judges is necessary for a good government.

• An independent judiciary will help overcome the inherent weaknesses of the judicial branch

• uphold the principle of limited government

• stop the legislature from violating the constitution with abusive laws

• best protect minority rights

• life tenure makes court independent as presidents come and go and judges stay

Original jurisdiction

a court’s power to hear and decide cases before any appellate review, trial and district courts have original jurisdiction

Appellate jurisdiction

the power of the court to hear appeal from lower courts,  including the power to reverse or modify the lower court's decision, circuit and appellate courts have this power

Appointing supreme court justices

• president appoints when there is a vacancy in the court, taking into consideration political ideology, judicial philosophy, and demographic

• no requirements to be nominated

• confirmed by US senate

Judicial activism

judges play a more active role and loosely interpret the constitution based on changes and values, often don't follow precedent

Judicial restraint

judges play a smaller role and strictly interpret the constitution, follow precedent, and only rule when there is a clear violation of the constitution

Stare decisis

all lower courts must follow the precedent that the Supreme Court sets when the same issue comes up again later in a case before a lower court

Checks on the judicial branch

• congress can impeach and remove federal judges

• congress can alter the number and composition of the federal courts

• decide what the entire jurisdiction of the lower, appellate and supreme court should be

• repass laws that were found unconstitutional

• congress can propose a constitutional amendment

• president has appointment power for federal judges

• president can or cannot enforce a supreme court decision

Selective incorporation

Incorporating parts of the bill of rights to the sates over time using the 14 amendment due process and equal protection clause in many supreme court cases (McDonald v Chicago, Gideon v Wainwright)

Devolution

An effort to pass federal functions onto the states in order to scale back the size of the national government

Laboratories of Democracy

State governments provide a place to try or "experiment" new policy ideas that may later be adapted in different states or by the whole country

10th amendment

powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states

13th, 14th, and 15th amendment

13- outlawed slavery

14- provided all citizens with equal protection under the laws and citizenship to all persons born in the US (due process- fair legal procedures in state court, equal protection- equally protected under state laws

15- right to vote cannot be denied on account of race, gender, or previous condition of servitude

Civil Rights Act of 1964

ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin

Voting Rights Act of 1965

outlawed discriminatory voting practices like literacy tests

Prospective voting

voting based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future, based on information/facts

Retrospective voting

voting to decide whether the party or candidate in power should be reelected based on the recent past

Rational choice voting

voting based on what is perceived to be in the citizens individuals interest

Party-line voting

voting based on a person’s political party, and for the same political party consistently

Political efficacy

the degree voters believe their vote does or does not matter to the election outcome

Presidential coattails

the tendency of a lesser known candidate to win more votes because there is a well-known candidate on the ballot as well

Open primary

all voters, regardless of party affiliation, may participate in a parties primary

Closed primary

voters must be registered/affiliated to a party before going that parties primary

Prior restraint

gov action that prohibits speech or other expression before it happens (a form of censorship)

- court ruled heavily against prior restraint in NY Times v US, meaning they would likely rule it unconstitutional in the future

Due process amendments (4, 5, 6, 8)

4th- protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government

5th- a person’s right to remain silent and have an attorney present (miranda rights)

6th- right to a speedy & public trial, and right to counsel

8th- no cruel and unusual punishment

Exclusionary rule

prevents the government from using most evidence gathered in violation of the United States Constitution

Presidential signing statement

statement issued by the president when signing a bill sharing his opinions on it and how the administration plans to interpret it

Popular sovereignty doctrine

consent of the governed, people are the source of all political power

Social contract

government agrees to protect the rights/freedoms of the people in exchange for the obedience of laws

Elite democracy

power in the hands of the wealthy and powerful

- ex: electoral college, state legislatures electing senate members (found in the constitution)

Connecticut compromise (great compromise)

combination of the Virginia plan (wanted proportional representation) and the New Jersey plan (wanted equal representation) to create a bicameral legislature with one chamber based on population and another with equal representation

Article V

established the amendment process: 2/3 vote in both houses, 3/4 of the state ratify

Categorical grants, block grants, and unfunded mandates

categorical grant: federal government decides the specifics of a grant given to a state for a specific purpose

block grant: federal government gives money for a broad purpose, state governments decide the specifics

unfunded mandates: requirement by the fed gov imposed on the states, but not funded by the gov (ex: ADA)

Impacts of federalism

• gives the people multiple access points to influence public policy (local, state, national)

• can create contradictory or inefficient policies with diverse state interests and conflict between the federal gov and the states

Civil liberties vs Civil rights

civil liberties: personal freedoms guaranteed by the bill of rights (ex: right to privacy, speech, vote, marry, a fair trial)

civil rights: rights to be free from unequal treatment based on characteristics like race, gender, disability

War powers act

limits the presidents power to deploy US armed forces

Fiscal policy

government decides how to influence the economy through taxing and spending

Monetary policy

government decides how to influence the economy by controlling the money supply and interest rates, dictated by the federal reserve

Public opinion polls must have…

• large, random sampling

• unbiased wording

• reporting sampling error

Core American values

interpreted differently by different ideologies

• equality of opportunity

• individualism: individuals are responsible for themselves and their decisions

• free enterprise: less government restrictions on business, laissez faire, capitalism

• rule of law: no one is above the law

• limited government: gov powers are limited and defined by a constitution