AP GOV

• PARTICIPATORY democracy

• small republics

  • easier for gov to act upon citizens, people more similar means common ground

• AGAINST elastic and supremacy clause b/c will give gov unlimited power and allow congess to pass any law they want

• fed gov tax is dangerous

• authority is the most important power granted

• PLURALIST democracy

• large republic

  • controls negative effects of factions, will be more and therefore no majority can rule

• control effects of factions bc preventing them is not realistic

• direct democracy won’t work

• congress makes laws necessary to carry out expressed powers

• can do things not directly written in the constitution

used elastic clause to establish Federal Bank

federal law superior to state law when in conflict

congress power to regulate interstate commerce and anything affecting it

powers not delegated to federal government is given to the states

powers moving to state level, movement

limited Congress use of commerce clause, used 10th Amendment (powers not delegated to fed gov is given to states)

no power overlap between the government and the states

share of responsibilities between the government and the states

• federal money to states for a SPECIFIC purpose

• conditions of aid/incentives

• more broad

• states PREFER this

• MANDATORY

• whether with or without money

• explanatory

• states LOVE this

• programs not required by law

• military aid spending

• highways, agriculture

• part of congressional spending, cannot be changed

• Healthcare, Social Security

• commander army in chief

• appoint officers

• grand pardons for federal spending

• VETO

• bully pulpit, persuasion

• executive orders

• leader of their party

• signing statements

• police action

• strong, energetic executive

• unitary state led by president

only 2 terms for president

changes date of inauguration, lessens lame duck period (successor elected but not in power)

• make laws, article I

• declare war

• enact legislation

• necessary and proper clause

• coin money

• pass federal budget

• raise revenue

delay action on a bill

1 party in White House and al of Congress another

same party controls White House and all of Congress

• judiciary prevents abuse of power from Congress

• reviews actions of other branches

• MAJOR CHECK

set precedent of judicial review

• using previous cases and rulings to guide in court

• e.g. overtuning Plessy v. Ferguson in Brown v. BOE

courts overrule legislation passed by Congress

courts let legislation passed by Congress stand

1. SCOTUS, 9 Justices

2. 12 court appeals, Judges

3. District Courts, Jury

• cities growing, refusal of redrawing lines because not responsibility

• lack of representations

• federal courts can hear out state matters

• Reno: said racial gerrymandering is okay

• Shaw won, has to be on another factor besides race (colorblind)

• limit debate, after amendments

• committee where work gets done

• most bills die in comittee

permanent, specific areas

specific purpose, limited time

between House and Senate when they have 2 versions of bills

1. anyone in Congress can introduce a bill

2. sent to Standing Committee

3. committee assigns bill to subcommittee, only 3% become laws

4. voted by full chamber, then goes to the other house

   1. house 1st, senate 2nd

5. once passed, president vetoes or signs

• allocation of federal money to local projects or interest groups

• amending a bill to cater a certain interest group or idea

political favors in exchange for money or votes

• loyal to department

• not president

• chosen by president and approved by senate (agency heads)

• narrower score than a department, but performs a SERVICE

• no political influence

government owned businesses created by Congress to serve a public need

President and Congress can't handle everything, so power delegated to bureacracy

the extent to which bureaucracies can choose courses of action and policies that are not spelled out in advance in laws

• guarantees of personal, individual freedoms

• right of privacy

• protects individual personal liberty by limiting the federal government

• incorporation

  • now applies to states and limits power of state government

  • based on the 14th amendment due process clause

civil liberties have been applied to states on a case by case basis

• establishment clause

  • Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion

• free exercise clause

  • interest in free exercise of religion outweighs the states interests

• freedom of speech clause

• freedom of the press

• states cannot promote prayer in public school, even if voluntary participation

• violates the establishment clause

  • due process of 14th amendment applies to state

• principle of seperation of church and state

• compelling Amish students to attend public school

• ruled in favor of Amish to stop school after 8th grade

• violates free exercise clause

• students wore peace armbands to protest Vietnam war, told not to wear or otherwise suspended

• students have free speech, symbolic speech is a form of protected speech

• free speech clause

  • BUT…speech can be limited if it creates a clear and present danger

    • TIME, PLACE, and MANNER restrictions on 1st amendment free speech

    • unprotected speech includes: slander obscenity, speech intended to incite illegal action and likely to product such result

• hate speech even protected

• Schneck spread papers discouraging people to join the draft

  • violated Espionage Act of 1917

• Congress did not violate 1st amendment because it was an appropriate exercise of Congress’ wartime authority

• speech can be limited if it creates a clear and present danger.

• TIME, PLACE, and MANNER restrictions on 1st amendment free speech

• unprotected speech includes: slander obscenity, speech intended to incite illegal action and likely to product such result

• heavy presumption against censorship

• heard to prove government is right in limiting the press

• couldn't block Pentagon publication

individual right to bear arms for self defense

• provides protection against warrantless searches of cell phone data

• interpreted as providing protection against warrantless searches/seizures

• limitation placed on bulk collection of telecommunication metadata

Miranda Rule

• suspects in custody must be informed of the 5th and 6th rights

Public Safety Exception

• if a question is asked to neutralize a dangerous situation and the suspect responds voluntarily, statement can be used even before rights are read

• death penalty is constitutional, but minors and mentally deficient persons cannot receive it

• no cruel or unusual punishments

due process clause

• "…nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law…”

• interpreted that Bill of Rights also can restruct state governments

equal protection clause

• "nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws”

• bases for many social movements as law should apply to them

  • womens rights, LGBTQ+, etc.

• incorporated an individual the right to bear arms, states cannot take that away

• Chicago had previously denied all licenses for handguns (essentially banning) after DC struck down the ban (saying that DC case should apply to Chicago as well)

• Gideon was homeless and wanted a lawyer appointed but judge denied his request because in Florida, only given to capital cases

• incorporated the right to an attorney, specifically now that states had to do so

• 6th amendment said gov had to provide you with 1 but now specifying states

protection of groups of people from discrimination, government protections

demands fulfillment of African Americans of the ideal of the Declaration of Independence and the equal protection clause

banned discrimination based on race, color, gender, religion, or national origin in public accommodations or employment

• banned literacy tests and other obstacles to vote

• required states w/ a history of voter discrimination to obtain federal approval for changes to election laws and policies

• National Organization for Women led the movement in the 60s and 70s

• Equal Pay Act of 1963

• Civil Rights Act of 1964

• Title XI of Educational Amendments of 1972

  • prohibits discrimination on basis of sex in any federally funded education program

preferential admissions and hiring policies for minorities, allowed but no quota system, no points awarded for race

each person is responsibly for herself and free to do what she chooses

everyone has opportunity to succeed, but equality of outcome not guaranteed

market-base economy, people choose what to buy and sell for themselves

no person is above the law

government limited by constitution

• process for obtaining political ideology

• family/parents (MOST IMPORTANT), peers, education, media, religion

different voting patterns and beliefs of people from different generations

people focus on different issues at different points in life

US political culture has both influenced and been influenced by the political values of people from other countries

general public polls to assess a particular issue

• used to find out where a candidate stands before any campaigning, learn strengths, weaknesses, what issues to focus on

• BEFORE campaign

continuous polls to track changes in opinion overtime

• conducted on election day as people enter or exit the polling

• used to predict election outcome, to gain insight into voting behavior, and to analyze how different demographics voted

• IN PERSON

random sample

• all persons in the population have an equal chance of being selected

stratified/weighted sample

• population is divided into subgroups and weighted based on population demographics

sampling error

• a polling error arising from only using a sample of population

• +- 3% is acceptable

wording of question

• must be neutral, unbiased

• not a leading question

• less economic regulation

• lowered taxes

• cut government spending on entitlement programs

• increase defense spending, more police, more crime punishment

• government should protect traditional values even if intrudes individual freedoms

• support vouchers to attend private school, including religious ones

• favor social order, security, stability, safety, more important than personal social freedoms and liberties

• higher economic regulation

• higher taxes on those with higher incomes

• favor government spending on entitlement programs to promote social and economic equality

• decrease defense spending, focus on protecting rights of the accused

• support public education, oppose vouchers, especially those for religious schools

• favor social liberty, private social freedoms

• MAXIMUM FREEDOM

• little to no protection beyond property rights

• minimal taxation

• dramatic decrease in government spending, including on entitlement programs

• dramatic reduction in defense spending, decriminalization of victimless crimes and protecting rights of accused

• favor privatization of education, expanded social choice

• favor social liberty, maximum liberty and freedom, even at expense of law and order

• more supported by LIBERALS

• government should stimulate the economy during recessions by INCREASING government spending to jumpstart the economy

• more supported by CONSERVATIVES

• government should stimulate the economy during a recession by CUTTING TAXES to encourage businesses to grow and taxpayers to spend more money

• more supported by LIBERTARIANS

• government should take NO ACTIONS during a recession, economy will fix itself

• government tax and spending policies

• conducted by Congress and the president

• conducted by US Federal Reserve (US Central Bank)

• controlling money supply and interest rates to stabilize the economy

• money supply and interest rates are inversely related

  • when interest rates fall, money supply rises

  • when interest rates rise, money supply decreases

    • direct impact on cost of borrowing, loans.

    • when interest rates are higher, it makes it more expensive to borrow, so fewer people will borrow money, meaning less economic activity

• LOWER interest rates

• INCREASE money supply

• MORE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

• RAISE interest rates

• DECREASE money supply

• LESS ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

race cannot be a barrier to voting

direct election of senators

womens suffrage

banned poll tax

voting age to 18 (from 21)

voting based on what is perceived to be the citizens invidual interest

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

voting based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future