American Politics Midterm

Combination of two hint sheets

What is the ideology and level of apathy in the class?

Moderate with low apathy- majority will vote in 2024

Class vote for 2020 election

Trump

Class vote on 2024 election

Haley

Problems that were seen as most important

Abortion pro-choice > pro-life

Inflation

What has happened with “political efficacy”

decline in efficacy internally and externally

What has happened with “partisan attachment”?

partisan attachment has declined with more and more Americans identifying as independent

What about public opinion is “schizophrenic”?

public opinion supports government services but believe taxes are too high and government is too strong

Declared Wars

War of 1812, Mexican-American War (1845), Spanish-American War (1898), World War I (1917), World War II (1941)

Presidential dominance in foreign policy

As commander chief the president has power over Congress who declare war, the president gains “war powers”

Irrational public policy

the support supports policies but acts differently, ex: covid, wanted to stop the spread but did not want to close down businesses

The Interior Department and Oil Spill

The Interior Department was in charge of overseeing the extraction of oil from the gulf but at the same time preserve the environment watching that the water was not polluted and safe for fishing and tourism

Senate Filibuster

When one Senator delays and pauses legislation by talking without stopping (impedes legislation)

Is the Senate filibuster a veto or an access point

it is an veto point

What three aspects characterize Congressional behavior?

logrolling, pork barreling, reelection imperative

factors that determine most presidential elections

state of the economy and the relative attractiveness of their personality

Factor that determined the election of 1968

the Vietnam War

factors that determined the election of 2004

War in Iraq and War on Terror

Three groups part of the iron triangle

interest groups, congressional committees and subcommittees, and the executive branch

Who outside the government is served within the iron triangle

interest groups

What important political actors does the “iron triangle” model overlook

The President, Media and Supreme Court

Interest groups in the Housing Bubble Iron Triangle

American Bankers Association, Nat. Assoc. of Realtors, Laborers Union, Carpenters and Joiners Union, US Chamber of Commerce, American Homebuilders Association

“Left” groups of the Health Care Iron Triangle

AARP, Organized Labor, Health and Service providers

“Right” groups of the Health Care Iron Triangle

NFIB, US Chamber of Commerce, Pharmaceutical Industry

What percentage of voters do not even vote?

35%

Who are the minor influentials

Teachers, Lawyers, Ministers, Professors

Who are examples of Major Influentials

Govenor, Judges, Members of Congress

What three groups make up the “power elite”

American Upper class, Corporations and Banking Executives, few academics and military leaders

How does the “power elite” influence policy?

they heavily contribute to policy institutes, coordinate institutions, support public policy direct appointments to senior governmental positions

what is the American political system “designed for”

to divide and distribute power

Why are students advised to be “eclectic”

to capture the complexity of the American Political System

Democratic and Republican positions on trade

Fair Trade/Free Trade

Left/Right positions on tax policy

Tax and Spend/Borrow and Spend

Left/Right positions on economic regulation

Strong regulatory rule/Weak regulatory rule

Left/Right positions on Abortion

Pro-Choice/Pro-Life

left/right positions on affirmative action

pro affirmative action/ con affirmative action

Left/Right positions on Gay Rights

Pro Gay Rights/Con Gay Rights

Left/Right Gun Control

For Gun Control/Against Gun Control

Left/Right Positions on Universal Health Care

Pro-Universal Health Care/ Oppose Universal Health Care

Left/Right Positions on School Prayer

Against School Prayer/Pro School Prayer

Public Opinion on trade

N/A

Public Opinion on Tax Policy

Borrow and Spend

Public Opinion on Regulations

Against strong regulations but supports most

Public Opinion on Universal Health Care

Supports Universal Health care but is skeptical about how to achieve it

Public Opinion on Abortion

Majority is choice but an energized minority are pro-life

Public Opinion on affirmative action

Con Affirmative action because they do not know enough about it

Public Opinion on Gun control

Pro Gun Control but skeptical on how to get it

Public Opinion on School Prayer

They support a moment of silence

Interest Groups Supporting the Democratic Party

AFL-CIO, Organization of Women, Gay, and Lesbian Alliance, Green Peace, AARP, NAACP, Common Cause (which is a consumer organization)

Interest Groups supporting the Republican Party

Chamber of Commerce, NFIB, Conservative Religious Groups, NRA

Democratic Self Identifications

Women or Feminists, Workers, Gays, Green, Minorities, Poor/Lower income, consumers and liberals

Republican Self Identifications

Taxpayers, Religious Conservatives, Gun Owners, farmers, upper income earners, business owners and conservatives

Ideological Battles during Phase 1 of US History

Hamiltonians (strong government that promoted commercial equality) VS Jeffersonians (weak government that promoted agricultural equality)

Jeffersonians Won

Ideological battles of Phase 2 of US History

Populists/Progressives (strong state that promoted economic equality) VS Social Darwinists/Conservatives (weak state promoting commercial equality)

Social Darwinists Won

What issues were debated by the Old Left

argued for a strong state promoting greater economic equality

Issues debated by Old Right

argued for weak state promoting greater economic freedom

Issues debated by the New Left

argues for a state that encourages social equality as well as economic equality

Issues debated by the New Right

state that upholds traditional practices and values in the face of social change

What ideologies were prevalent during Phase 3

Old Left/Old Right

What ideologies were prevalent during Phase 4

New Left/ New Right

Who has appeared to win on the social and economic issues

Social: New Left

Economic: Old Right

What was the most prevalent ideology in class

moderate

examples of pessimism (nihilism) of American politics

negative beliefs about American Politics’ future

“documentary” of the Middle East being overrun by Al Qaeda or Roe v Wade being overturned by a male majority that is similar to handmaids tale

what is Mead’s point about “35 years after the Civil War?”

a series of uncomfortable economics and disturbing political development

three stages between 1865 to 1990

postbellum (post civil war), Progressive Era, World War 2

Uncomfortable situation and reasonable hope

The information revolution, the future will solve the problems today. The information revolution will fix the economic and social problems

Class votes on pessimism vs optimism

class vote to be born in 2000

What does Patterson see as four American Ideals

Liberty, Individualism, Equality and Self-Government

What does Patterson see as a human tragedy betraying American ideals?

Slavery

What Ideal does Patterson see as the most elusive?

Equality

Does Patterson see partisanship as increasing but as the “rule”?

Partisanship is increasing as parties are becoming more polarized

periods of bipartisanship are the exception

What Patterson sees as “a defining characteristics” of US politics

Widespread sharing of power

Why was the goal of the founders in 1787 very complex

The founders needed to create a central government much stronger than the one established under the Articles of Confederation, but not so strong that it trample on the rights of the people or the powers of the state governments

Compromises necessary to the passage of the US Constitution

The great compromise that decided the House would be by popular vote and Senate by states, the 3/5th compromise focusing on slaves being counted for population but not counted for lower taxes

Who wrote the Federalist Papers

John Jay: 2,3,4,5,64

James Madison: 10,14,18,19,20,38-58, 61-63

Hamiliton: 1,6,7,8,9,11,12,13,15,16,17,18,21-37,59,60,65-85

What was the added to ensure the passage of the US constitution

Bill of Rights

What US Supreme Court case in 1803 provided for “judicial review”

Marbury v Madison

The number of governmental units and which came first

80,000

state governments came before federal

What was declared Supreme under Article six, the supremacy clause

federal laws and constitution takes precedence over state laws and constitution

“the law of the United States shall be the law of the land”

Supreme Court decision on Dred Scott

majority decided that Congress had no authority to outlaw slavery in the territories, they ruled against Scott saying enslaved people were not citizens and could not be heard in the federal courts, this invalidated the Missouri Compromise saying enslaved people are property not people

Supreme Court Decision on Lochner

struck down a law that limited workers’ hours to no more than 10 hours a week, says it is a violation of “freedom of contract”. courts blocked the regulation of workers’ practices saying it violated the factory owner’s property rights

Supreme Court Decision on Schecter Poultry Corp v United States

decided the national industrial recovery act is unconstitutional

US Supreme Court decision in NFIB v. Sebelius

uphold the Affordable Care act of 2010

does not force people but they have the option

Vote on tying the federal highway funds to drinking age

voted to lower the drinking age to 18

1st amendment

freedom of religion, speech and the press

2nd amendment

right to bear arms

3rd amendment

no housing of soldiers without the consent of the owner

4th amendment

protection from unreasonable searches and seizures

5th amendment

protection of rights to life, liberty and property

6th amendment

rights of accused persons in criminal cases, right to a speedy and public trial

7th amendment

rights in civil cases

8th amendment

excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted

9th amendment

rights retained by the people that are not enumerated in the constitution

10th amendment

the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively or to the people

The Freedom House ranking of the US and cases expanding liberty

ranks fourth behind other leading western democracies like Great Britain, Germany, and France

Incarceration rates in the US compared to other nations

American incarceration rates are higher than other nations, world leader in terms of the number of people it places behind bars

Rights established by the Miranda case

protection against self-incrimination

the police are now required to read suspects their rights before being questioned

rights established in the Gideon

protection against self-incrimination

right to legal counsel

class votes on the right to privacy cases

Griswold V. Connecticut: contraceptive FOR

Roe v. Wade: abortion FOR

Lawrence v. Texas gay sex FOR
Obergefell v. Hodges: gay marriage FOR

Result of the study by Urban institute

the level reverse discrimination is limited and was certainly lower than many might have been led to fear, white students were far more likely than black students to get job interviews and jobs

14th amendment

all men have equal rights under law