Week Power Points Dr. Rabidoux

Intro to American Government

• Course Information

  • Instructor: Dr. Rabidoux

  • Semester: Fall 2025

Three Branches of Government

Federal Level

• Legislative (Makes Laws)

  • Congress

    • Senate

    • House of Representatives

• Executive (Enforces Laws)

  • The White House

    • President

    • Vice President

    • Cabinet

• Judicial (Interprets Laws)

  • U.S. Supreme Court

    • Other Federal Courts

The President of the United States

Cabinet Departments

• Department of State

• Department of the Treasury

• Department of Defense

• Department of Justice

• Department of the Interior

• Department of Agriculture

• Department of Commerce

• Department of Labor

• Department of Transportation

• Department of Housing and Urban Development

• Department of Health and Human Services

• Department of Energy

• Department of Education

• Department of Veterans Affairs

• Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Federal Budget, Deficit, and Long-Term Debt

• Annual Budget FY 2024: $6.8 Trillion

  • Actual Revenue: $4.92 Trillion

  • Deficit: $2.6 Trillion

  • Long-Term Public Debt: $32 Trillion

Government and Politics

• Notable Quotations and Events

  • Example of civic engagement discussed through David Blevins on X regarding LA Mayor Karen Bass

  • Biden's statements indicating he and Harris could have won against Trump, despite current polling showing Trump leading

The Cabinet Nomination Process

• Overview of Nomination Procedure

  • President nominates individuals for the Cabinet

  • U.S. Senate provides advice and consent (confirmation or rejection)

  • Requires a simple majority vote in the Senate after the Judiciary Committee review

Civic Engagement

Understanding Civic Engagement

• Questions for Reflection:

  1. What does civic engagement look like in different governance systems?

     • Democracy

     • Oligarchy

     • Communist State

     • Dictatorship

  2. Discussion on legitimate vs. illegitimate forms of engagement/participation

Basic Purpose of Government

• Core Functions

  • Safety

  • Security

  • Education

  • Guaranteeing Outcomes

Role of Government and Politics

Current Issues

• Recent wildfires in Los Angeles

  • Government response and mismanagement issues raised

• Immigration concerns highlighted in public polls regarding the Southern Border Crisis

Our Gameplan: Hybrid Approach

1. In-Person (Lecture/Discussion/Team Activity)

2. Online (Moodle for readings and assignments)

3. Exam submission via Moodle

4. No late work accepted

5. Attendance mandatory; 5 unexcused absences results in failing grade

6. Make-up work for excused absences required by instructor

What is Government?

• Discussion of the spectrum from ideals and ideology to policy

• Personal reflections on the “blessings of liberty”

Who Governs?

• Exploration of Elitism vs. Pluralism

Types and Forms of Government

• Inquiry into citizen rights and government structure

  1. Methods of citizen influence on government

  2. Guarantees against governmental excesses

  3. Discussion on direct vs. representative democracy

Public vs. Private Goods

Key Considerations

• Who pays?

• Access and Provision

• Collective vs. Individualized goods

• Free vs. Toll-based services

Factors that Influence Civic Engagement

• Differences between engagement and participation

• Influencing factors:

  • Partisanship

  • Ideology

  • Knowledge

Team Activities

1. Reflect on forms of civic engagement and obstacles to participation

2. Identify top three issues to address with the Trump Administration and discuss advice

Weekly Assignments

1. Assigned reading from Chapter 1 of American Government text (Open Stax)

2. CRAW 1 due January 19, 2025, by 11:00 PM

3. Reminder of no late work accepted

4. Questions should be directed via email