AP Gov Unit 2 Notes

2.4 Roles and Powers of the President

Veto: Formal rejection by the president of a bill that has possessed both houses of congress

Pocket Veto: An informal veto caused when the president chooses not to sign a bill within ten days, during a time when Congress has adjourned at the end of a session

Treaty: An agreement with a foreign government negotiated by the president and requiring a two-thirds vote in the Senate to ratify

Executive Agreement: An agreement between a president and another nation that does not have the same durability in the American system as a treaty but does not require Senate ratification

Executive Order: Policy directives issued by presidents that do not require congressional approval

Presidential Pardon: Presidential authority to release individuals convicted of a crime from legal consequences and set aside punishment for a crime

Federalist 70: written by Alexander Hamilton, argues for a single, strong executive leader (the President) to ensure accountability, defend against foreign attacks, ensure laws are enforced, and respond quickly to crises. Hamilton believed that one executive would be more effective and less prone to corruption than a group of leaders.

2.5 Roles and Powers of the President

Cabinet & White House Staff: The cabinet consists of the heads of executive departments appointed by the president (requires senate confirmation) . White House staff is a group of close advisors and aides (does not require senate confirmation)

Senate Confirmation (Advice & Consent): Senate to review and approve/reject presidential appointments to key federal positions (check on executive power)

2.6 Expansion of Presidential Powers

22nd Amendment: Limits president to two terms in office

War Powers Act: (1973): Limits president’s ability to deploy US armed forces without Congressional approval. Passed in response to concerns over unchecked presidential power during Vietnam War.

2.7 Presidential Communication

State of the Union Address: The annual speech from the president to Congress updating that branch on the state of national affairs

Bully Pulpit: Using influential platform to promote ideas, like a president influencing senators or other politicians

Going public: Engaging the public to gain support for those ideas, like a president directly going on the news or to the media to speak out for their policies

Social Media Influence: Refers to impact that social media platforms have on public opinion, behavior, and decision-making by quickly spreading information, ideas, and trends to larger audiences

5.1 Voting Rights and Models of Voting Behavior

15th Amendment (1870): Right for colored men to vote

17th Amendment (1913): direct election of senators

19th Amendment (1920): Women right to vote

24th Amendment: prohibits congress and the states from imposing poll taxes as a condition in voting in federal elections

26th Amendment: allows those 18 year olds and older to vote instead of 21+

Poll taxes: a payment required by a state or federal government before a citizen can vote

• 15th, 17th, 19th, 24th 26th amendments increased political participation

Voting Rights Act of 1965: Aimed to eliminate racial discrimination in voting practices. Prohibited literacy tests, poll taxes, and other discriminatory practices

National Voter Registration Act of 1993: Designed to make it easier for Americans to register to vote and maintain their registration, can register to vote when renewing their driver’s license.

5.2 Voter Turnout

Voter Turnout Demographics (from least to most)

Socioeconomic status: People with higher SS have a higher percentage of voter turnout

Race: Whites > African-Americans > Hispanics > Asian and Pacific Islanders

Income: Rich > Poor

Gender: Women > Men

Age: Oldest > Youngest

Education: More > Less

Compulsory Voting: Laws that require eligible citizens to participate in elections, imposing penalties for those who fail to vote without a valid excuse

Political Efficacy: A person’s belief that they can make effective political change

5.8 Electing a President

Caucus: Meeting of members of a political party or a group within a legislative body, where they gather to discuss policy, select candidates, or make decisions on party strategy

Convention System: Process by which political parties in the US select nominees for the presidency and other offices, typically culminating in a national convention

Incumbent - incumbency advantage: An incumbent is an individual who currently holds a specific office or position, particularly in politics Various benefits that incumbents typically enjoy over challengers during elections.

General Election: Election that allows voters to choose among candidates for various offices, including the presidency, congressional seats, state and local offices, and referendums

Process of Becoming President:

1. Eligibility: The candidate must be a natural-born U.S. citizen, at least 35 years old, and a U.S. resident for at least 14 years.

2. Primaries and Caucuses: Candidates compete in primaries and caucuses to win delegates who support them at their party's national convention.

3. National Conventions: Each major political party holds a convention to officially nominate their candidate, based on the delegates' votes from the primaries and caucuses.

4. General Election Campaign: The nominees campaign nationwide, presenting their platforms and debating to win public support.

5. Election Day: Voters cast their ballots in November. However, they’re actually voting for electors in the Electoral College.

6. Electoral College: In December, the electors cast their votes based on the popular vote in each state. A candidate needs a majority of electoral votes (at least 270 out of 538) to win.

7. Inauguration: The President-elect is sworn into office on January 20, officially beginning their term.

5.6 Interest Groups Influencing Policy Making

Interest Groups: Voluntary associations of people who come together with the goal of getting the policies that they favor enacted

Politicians are concerned and knowledgeable with a little bit of every policy, while interest groups are concerned and knowledgeable about one specific policy/area

Iron Triangle: The coordinated and mutually beneficial activities of the bureaucracy, Congress, and interest groups to achieve shared policy goals

Lobbying: Interacting with government officials in order to advance a group’s public policy goals

Single-Issue Groups: Associations focusing on one specific area of public policy, often a moral issue about which they are unwilling to compromise

5.10 Modern Campaigns

- Plutocracy - ruled by the wealthy 

Campaign Finance Reform 

• Controlling campaign costs and the collecting of donations may be a way to guard against possible corruption

• This has been attempted by the 

- Federal Election Campaign Act - 1974: Created the FEC (Federal Election Commission) administers campaign finance laws (bi-partisan). Created the Presidential Election Campaign Fund. Limited Contributions - $1000 individual contributions 

- McCain Feingold Act - 2004: Raised limited contributions to $2000

Loopholes

• Buckley v. Valeo (1976): Candidates can contribute as much of their own money as they want in political campaigns

• Soft Money - Money that is not given to the individual campaign but is given to the party for advertising and grassroots mobilization 

- Party can run a campaign on your behalf 

- Outlawed by McCain-Feingold 

• 527 Groups - Groups that can spend unlimited amounts of money on campaign advertising as long as they don’t directly support a specific candidate

• 501(c)4’s - Official nonprofits pursuing social welfare. These are tax exempt organizations that can participate in elections. 

• Political Action Committees (Super PACs) - Technically legal organizations that are created on behalf of some special group that have unlimited capability to support candidates. 

• They have a limited amount they can contribute directly to candidates, but their operations are not restricted outside of the campaign. 

- They can run as many ads as they want. 

• Problem - They can’t be controlled by campaigns.

• Most PACs give money to candidates who already agree with their positions. They do not “buy” politicians according to research. 

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) 

• In a 5-4 decision, the US Supreme Court ruled that corporations unions have the same political speech rights as individuals. 

• Political spending is a form of speech under the 1st Amendment. 

• However, they cannot give money directly to campaigns. 

Chapter 16: 

News media: a broad term that includes newspaper, magazines, radio, television, internet sources, blogs, and social-media postings that cover important events

• Fake news: often thrown about, to some it means intentional use of the media to support a political party, the intentional presentation of material the news agency knows it’s false, used to spread rumors, etc.. 

Social media: forms of electronic communication that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking: caused digital literacy crisis

• The idea of who is a journalist has broadened over the years, with commentary being thrown around by just about anybody online

Agenda setting: the media’s ability to highlight certain issues and bring them to the attention of the public  

• Federalist Paper first example of press influence, causing the passing to the Bill of Rights in which the first amendment states: “freedom of speech and press” 

Mass media: sources of information designed to reach a wide audience, including newspapers, radio, television, and internet outlets

• One theory of the media states that the media works in the interest of the people by informing the government of their preferences - agenda setting

  • media is a linkage institution

• 18th and 19th century, news was not accessible, but printing press in 1830s made newspaper much more common: penny press

Wire service: an organization that gathers and reports on news and then sells the stories to other outlets

• Telegraph allowed news in the 1800s to travel instantly 

Investigative journalism: an approach to newsgathering in which reporters dig into stories, often looking for instances of wrongdoing

Government is the watchdog private companies

• Started in 19th century, “muckrakers” 

Broadcast media: outlets for news and other content including radio and television that reign stories directly into people’s homes

• Radio Act (1927) established the Federal Radio Commission and required license to broadcast on specific radio stations, Communications act of 1934 expanded the gov’s role in regulating national radio which created the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 

Media consolidation: the concentration of ownership of the media into fewer corporations

• Telecommunications act passed in 1996 by Bill Clinton deregulated the government’s power on news network 

• Infotainment: pressure to attract audiences, merging of news and entertainment

Partisan bias: the slanting of political news coverage in support of a particular political party or ideology

Horse-race journalism: coverage of political campaign that focused more on the drama of the campaign than on policy issues

TV president: John F. Kennedy

FDR is the first president to use radio effectively

Tactics the president uses in media:

Beats: specific location/people from which news frequently comes from

Trial Balloon: intentional leak for political reaction

Press conferences: a media event in which notable individuals or organizations invite journalists to hear them speak and ask questions