Our friends at C-Span encourage your students to call-in to C-SPAN's "Cram for the Exam on C-SPAN" this Saturday! This program is to help students prepare for Monday's AP U.S. Government and Politics exam. Two AP U.S. Government teachers from Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois, Andrew Conneen and Dan Larsen, will go over vocabulary, give test taking pointers, and answer any of your students' last minute questions during the Washington Journal this Saturday, May 1 from 9-10am ET. The teachers will also discuss questions that have appeared on previous exams and explain what students could expect to see on the 2010 AP U.S. Government and Politics exam.
For an additional cram session, have your students take a look at C-SPAN's "Cram for the Exam on C-SPAN" 2009 program:
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/id/205049
Your students can call-in to (202) 737-0001 ET/CT or (202) 737-0002 MT/PT, email to journal@c-span.org, or send questions via Twitter to @cspanwj during the one hour program. We hope that you and your students can join us for one last cram session before Monday's test!
FYI - You can now follow C-SPAN Classroom on Twitter for daily programming updates and C-SPAN Classroom related announcements:
http://twitter.com/cspan_classroom
I'll be blogging here with my cup of coffee. Wake up and review! Post your questions or comments.
We'll also have a team of teachers and alums answering questions all
weekend at www.cbs2chicago.com/school and/or the Facebook group A.Pnyx.
Which of the following best describes examples of checks and balances in the constitution?
ReplyDeleteThe HOUSE can impeach a president.
Remember, the House impeaches (makes the case) the Senate decides the fate.
PROGRESSIVE TAX is a tax where the wealthy are taxed at a higher rate.
ReplyDeleteThey just mentioned "marble cake" federalism.....President Obama went down to the gulf region down last week.
ReplyDeleteThe immigration law passed in Arizona this last week as an example of reserved powers of states when the federal govt has not passed any law to take "supremacy."
Federalist 10 the granddaddy of Federalist paper questions.....Madison wrote No. 10 advocating for Big Tent groups that would avoid the detrimental deeds of factions.
ReplyDeleteIron Triangle -- Congressional Committee linked with bureaucratic agency with an interest group to shape policy.
ReplyDeleteExample I gave, Judy Biggert committee member, calling me NEA member to ask about possible reforms to No Child Left Behind that the Department of Education will enforce......By the way No Child left Behind is a perfect example of marble cake federalism with monies tied to testing results.
Selective incorporation -- step by step way that the bill of rights are applied to the states through precedent setting cases.
ReplyDeleteCampaign Finance -- There are limits through Bi-partisan Campaign Finance Law of 2002 (McCain-Feingold) for the next election cycle, and individual may only give $2,300 per candidate.
ReplyDeletebut loopholes -- 527 groups can use their first amendment rights to have unlimited expenditures.
The recent Citizens united case leads even more with coorporations and unions not limited.
Know the distinctions between formal and informal powers of the president.
ReplyDeleteFormal are expressed in the constitutions.
Informal powers are implied.....things like the bully pulpit....
Primaries and (some caucuses) in the electoral process.
ReplyDeleteFrontloading Iowa caucus and NH primary key for momentum and fund-raising.
Electoral nominating process more democratic over the years....Also the parties have different rules for the collection of delegates. IE: Superdelegates for the democrats.
Though federalism, the founding fathers created more govt, so that there would be less government....Fed powers since McCullough v. Maryland and forward does the Commerce Clause give the Congress the power to make citizens buy health insurance?
ReplyDeleteDuring the Reagan administration there was some devolution, where power went back to the states to determine their own speed limit......but Fiscal Federalism still gives fed more power to say states can do things, but if they were to make the drinking age 18, they would forfeit funding.
Know equal protection clause vs. due process clause in the fourteenth amendment
ReplyDeletePresident cannot impound (hold back) expenditures that have been passed by congress through the budget. And signed by the President
ReplyDeleteClosed Primary vs. Open Primary....most states closed primary (only vote in one party's election)....one of the reasons why turnout in primaries is so low.
ReplyDeleteBlock grants ---fed govt gives block of money to fix highways the state selects.
ReplyDeleteCategorical grant -- fed govt give state for a specific expenditure.
Full FAith and Credit Clause -- if one state recognizes a contract or law, what happens when they move to another state....Probably an upcoming challenge to Gay Marriage in some states like Iowa but not in Illinois.
ReplyDeletePossible FRQ topics:
ReplyDeleteInterest groups and its linkages to policy process (ie; Big Pharma, Insurance Industry AARP)
Transparency in Government
Executive privilege.
I noticed when I was watching this that they had similar questions to ones we've already seen - meaning the syntax is nearly identical but the nouns have been switched. Read the answers carefully.
ReplyDeleteQuickly can you go over the differences between, proportional represenation, single member district elections, and first past the post and what countries fall under those categories?
ReplyDeleteMany of the questions asked about significant Supreme Court cases and historical events. They mentioned that some, like Marbury v. Madison, Roe v. Wade, Miranda v. Arizona, Brown v. Board (and subsequently Plessy v. Ferguson), could appear as questions, but that the AP test isn't about trivia. In addition to those comments above, they also noted the difference between the establishment and free exercise clauses and how the Articles expanded the power of the national government.
ReplyDeleteAll of the AP comparative 6 have first past the post, or plurality legislative elections, except for Mexico -- which has a Mixed member system that combines a proportional system and a single seat district system, attempting to achieve some of the positive features of both of these. Mixed systems are often helpful in countries with large populations, since they balance the mechanisms of elections focusing on local or national issues.
ReplyDeleteAnd Russia -- which uses a party list format now.Under Russia's 1993 constitution, there are 450 deputies of the State Duma (the lower house) (Article 95), each elected to a term of four years (Article 96); this was changed to a five-year term in late 2008. In previous elections of 1993, 1995, 1999 and 2003 one half of the deputies were elected by a system of proportional representation and one half were elected by plurality in single member districts. However, the 2007 Duma elections were carried out in a new format: all 450 deputies were elected by a system of proportional representation. Russian citizens at least 21 years old are eligible to run for the Duma (Article 97).
divided government right now, but very common over the last few years.
ReplyDeleteNo FRQ tomorrow will be sigular.
Litmus test -- president's pick SC justice based on their ideology. Will Obama go for a liberal justice, to replace Justice Stevens
10 themes
on ten consecutive blogs at CBS 2 School.
they just talked about the Youdia, each and every one of use a member of a media through blogs YouTube -- and posting polical thought....no longer the Media Elite that used to be referred as the Washington correspondents.
ReplyDeleteAt last night's correspondent's dinner, many questions came bloggers.
Soft money used to be unlimited issue orientated monies but was outlawed by McCain-Feingold....there are still major issue loopholes like 527s
ReplyDeleteIncoropor 1,4,5,6,8
ReplyDeleteBaker v. Carr One man one vote
Federalist 10 -- factions dangerous
Bully Pulpit -- power of presidential persuasion
White Christian Republicans
Black city democrats
Great Compromise -- bicameral legislature
ReplyDeleteHouse benefitted the large states, equal rep for the senate.
Whips -- legislative leaders that need to whip up support with either sticks (threats) or carrots (rewards)
ReplyDeleteLobbying -- word came from a room.
ReplyDeleteNRA, AARP, NEA -- highly specialized folks get access and influence policy.
they give information, and campaign donations -- they actually write legislation --or file litigation (law suites). Wining and dining happens but is limited.
We will go down for the test at 7:15...Breakfast review in Rm 250 at 6:15
ReplyDelete10 major themes of the American test:
ReplyDelete-- Foundations
-- Federalism
-- Public Opinion
-- Participation
-- Interest Groups
-- Campaigns/Elections
-- Congress
-- Presidency
-- The Courts
Lemon Test -- 1st amendment establishment clause not promote nor block the use of religion:
ReplyDeleteLemon v. Kurtzman (1971). Lemon dealt with Rhode Island and Pennsylvania programs that supplemented the salaries of teachers in religiously based, private schools for teaching secular subjects. The Court struck down both programs as violating the establishment clause.
The purpose of the Lemon test is to determine when a law has the effect of establishing religion. The test has served as the foundation for many of the Court's post-1971 establishment clause rulings. As articulated by Chief Justice Burger, the test has three parts:
First, the statute must have a secular legislative purpose; second, its principal or primary effect must be one that neither advances nor inhibits religion; finally, the statute must not foster "an excessive government entanglement with religion."
Miller Test -- obsenity not protected by first amendment.
ReplyDeleteUstream.com now covering some comparative exam
ReplyDeleteGB heath care covered when GB became a socialized country
----
Boris Yeltsin elected 1996 first Russian president
Majority first round then in, if it is not a majority
___
Mexico PAN -- center right, free market. Party of last 2 presidentes
PRD -- leftist support in Mexico City and southern poor
PRI -- in power more than 70 years, brought NAFTA in but also appointed state governors
Of 6 governments -- which are unitary
ReplyDeleteGB, IRAN, China....while Russia calls itself federal, acting more centralized.
Federal govts -- Nigeria, Mexico (Russia)
Russia now appoints governors that used to be elected
The EU is a confederation -- supernational organization
YUKOS oil centralized by Putin's govt -- Kodrowski (sp) now in prision, and the Russian govt centralizes industry.
ReplyDelete1979 Iran revolution, Ayottalla K. ousts the Shah and institutes Islamic Republic (theocracy).
ReplyDeletePDP party has allied some military leaders in the north with Christians in South (oil industry). But political parties have trouble in Nigeria
ReplyDeleteChina's constitution says NPC is strongest, bottom up. On paper apprears to be village elections, but integrity is question most consider the President WU and that the politburo is more powerful than the NPC.
ReplyDeleteCorporatiism is elitism in decision making as opposed to pluralism. In the US we have pluralism, but some times that breaks down to to many interests.
ReplyDeleteIn the UK all have formed a collective consensus, highlighted by support of the National Health System.
Putin's United Russia has become the dominant party....Putin PM, the outgoing president picked who the next president would be -- like Mexico under PRI.
ReplyDeleteSpecial Economic Zones in China Deng the pragmatist -- black cat, white cat, doesn not matter as long as cat catches mice. China endorses free market captial dollars into these zones. Now China third largest economy...
ReplyDeleteMost industry under Mao govt run, China moved to township enterprises, low end industry that brought dollars in on local level.
illiberal democracy -- Russia, Iran...hold elections but reduction in civil liberties...China authoritarian regime (Google edit) or brute force (Tiannamen Sq.)
ReplyDeleteSexano -- 6 year term and Chamber of Deputies one 3 year term Senate one 6 year term.
ReplyDeleteRevolving door legitimacy -- but really kept the party in power.
IMF and the World Bank -- WTO are supernational organizations support free trade lower.
ReplyDeleteIMF member states accept loans but then have to abide by their SAP (structural adjustment programs).
Unpopular in Nigeria
World Bank -- looking for investment in infrastructure
NGO -- a subnational groups work in a govt "Doctors w/o boarders" play crusical role in delivering services in developing countries. Authoritarian govt skeptical of NGOs.
LAYER CAKE (dual federalism) - Boundaries between states, local and federal government are clearly defined.
ReplyDeleteMARBLE CAKE (sometimes called Cooperative federalism or fiscal federalism) - States, local and federal areas overlap and intersect.
Under marble cake, the feds put mandates to follow.....sometimes they put mandates not backed by monies.....those are unfunded mandates.
A call that Transparency in Govt might be a topic on the FRQs. Transparency is the government's responsibility to disclose information to the public. Possible topics could be executive privilege, which is the president's (and by extension the executive branch's) informal power to withhold information from the other branches of government. The Freedom of Information Act is a federal law that requires executive branch agencies to release certain information to the public when members of the public request that information. I would look into those two topics and subtopics.
ReplyDeleteBuckely v. Valeo was a Court case that invalidated any limits on personal campaign donations to one's own campaign. The Court affirmed that campaign money is protected by the First Amendment.
ReplyDelete4 percent of all presidential vetoes get overridden...not many...2/3 of both houses must vote to override.
ReplyDeleteMonetary policy is the federal government's (executive branch, but independent agency like the Fed to increase monetary curriculation and interest rates.
ReplyDeleteFiscal policy the fed govt's ability to tax and spend.
Coattails (presidential) are in decline in midterms, but Obama had significant coattails in his 2008 election that led to Democratic majority in congress.
ReplyDeleteOversight function in Congress.
ReplyDeleteHold hearings....Can hold back funding of the bureaucracy....Can subpeona the executive branch....or even hold hearings into steroids in baseball (because of MLB's anti-trust exemption).
1. Why do we have the Voting Rights Act when the 15th Amendment clearly states that people cannot be discriminated by color to vote?
ReplyDeleteThe Voting Rights Act was meant to force states that were unwilling to comply (the southern states) with the 15th amendment. Many states just ignored this order. The Act stated that if less than half of a minority population of a state is registered to vote, the national government will register them for the state. This increased minority voter turnout considerably.
4. Who forms the budget, who creates it, who handles it, how does the beaucracy deal with it?
The congressional budget office gives facts and priorities to the Office of Management and Budget. The OMB then gives the budget to the President, who then submits it to Congress for changes and approval.
6. What are the most important Acts to know and what do they do?
Civil Rights Act (jim crow laws), Voting Rights Act, Pendleton Act (merit system, not patronage), Simpson-Mazzoli Act (immigration reform) and McCain-Feingold Act (soft-money reform)
7. How does the the war powers act limit the President, Or does it?
The WPA was an attempt to regain congressional power from the president, but it has been mainly ineffective.
it says that the president must notify congress 48 hours after deploying troops, and must only have troops deployed for 90 days without a congressional authorization of extension or a declaration of war.
8. What are the most important Committees to know and what do they do?
House Rules Committee (decides if there is debate on a bill, and how many amendments) and Ways and Means Committee (handles tax bills)
9. What are the main differences between liberals and conservatives & republicans and democrats?
liberals believe in strong national government, conservatives believe in less government. Republicans are slightly conservative, Democrats are slightly liberal.
10. Who are the most important presidents and what should we know about them?
you don't really need to know a lot of presidents, but you should know Reagonomics, and Johnson's great society, and that reagan was a republican
11. Besides the house being able to impeach the Supreme Court, how else do the other branches check them?
well the president appoints nominees to it, and congress can override a supreme court decision by amending the constitution (with ratification of the states)
12. What cases should I know very well?
Roe v Wade, Marbury v Madison, McCulloch v Maryland, Mapp v Ohio, Gideon v Wainwright, Buckley v Valeo, Schenck v US, US v Nixon, Korematsu v US, New Jersey v TLO, Tinker v Des Moines. there's more...but don't worry if you don't know them all.
13. What is a Progressive Tax?
a tax where the tax rate increases as income range increases
Assault weapons ban law under Clinton was SUNSET Legislation -- legislation that is passed for a period -- let say 10 years -- then must be reupped or it is no longer law.
ReplyDeleteBreakfast review at 6:15 am tomorrow. Get a good night sleep!
ReplyDelete