AP GOPO 2009-2010 REVIEW
Tuesday. April 13:
-Unit 5 The Executive Branch
-Unit 6 The Judicial Branch
-Unit 7 Public Policy
-Unit 8 Civil Rights & Civil Liberties
Wednesday, April 14th:
-Unit 3 Political Parties, Interest Groups, Elections &
Media
-Unit 4 The Legislative Branch
Wednesday, April 21st:
-Unit 1 Constitutional Underpinnings
-Unit 2 Political Behaviors and Beliefs
IV. Institutions of National Government: The Congress, the
Presidency, the Bureaucracy, and the Federal Courts 35–45%
A. The major formal and informal institutional arrangements
of power
B. Relationships among these four institutions and varying
balances of power
C. Linkages between institutions and the following:
1.Public opinion and voters
2.Interest groups
3.Political parties
4.The media
5.State and local governments
The Congress
A. The major formal and informal institutional arrangements of
power
-Bi-cameral (two-house)
-House of Reps 435 (2 years) & Senate 100 (1/3 2 years)
-Write laws, oversees the bureaucracy, consensus building,
clarifying policy, legitimizing, and expressing diversity.
-Constitution requires House to rep in equal single-member
districts (based on census). Proportional Rep. Political party
in power does Congressional reapportionment.
Gerrymandering?
-Delegated Powers-must work together: declare war, taxation,
borrowing & coin money, regulating commerce, raising an
army, creating & making rules for the federal courts,
naturalization laws, establishing post offices, providing for
militia.
The Congress
-Unique Powers-HOUSE: tax laws & spending bills. House Ways
& Means Committee
-Unique Powers-Senate: confirmation of presidential
nominations to federal courts & ambassadorships, ratifies
treaties.
-Non-Legislative Tasks: Oversight, Public Education,
Representing Constituents.
-Committees: Standing, Joint, Select & Conference.
-Leadership House: Speaker, Majority Leader, Minority Leader
-Leadership Senate: VP is Pres of Senate, president pro tempore.
The Congress
B. Relationships among with other institutions and varying
balances of power.
-Checks on Executive Branch
-Checks on Judicial Branch
*Notable*
-Admit new states, Article V-Propose amendments
-Necessary & Proper Clause or Elastic Clause-McCulloch v.
Maryland
-Incumbency advantage
-Impeachment
-Legislative Process-How A Bill Becomes A Law
1. Introduced 2. Committee 3. House Rules Committee 4.
House & Senate Floor 5. Conference Committee 6.
President.
The Congress
Ready for Some Practice
1. What does the majority whip do?
2. What is casework?
3. Who has the bigger incumbency advantage Senate or
House members?
4. What does the conference committee do?
5. What does the House Rules Committee do?
The Presidency
A. The major formal and informal institutional arrangements of power
-Formal Presidential Powers-Commander in Chief: enforcing laws, foreign
policy, ceremonial head of state, administrative head of government,
brief Congress, veto legislation, grant reprieves and pardons, negotiate
treaties, appoint federal judges, Supreme Court justices, ambassadors,
department secretaries *all require Senate approval.
*Foreign Policy
*Legislative
*Appointive
-Informal Presidential Powers: morale builders, legislative leader, coalition
builder, policy persuader, setting agenda,
-Executive Office: Chief of Staff, National Security Council, Domestic Policy
Council, Office of Management & Budget, Council of Economic Advisors,
U.S. Trade Representative.
-The Cabinet: What Secretaries?
The Presidency
B. Relationships with the other institutions and varying
balances of power
-Checks on Congress
-Checks on the Judiciary
*Notable*
-Executive agreements
-War Power Acts
-Impeachment
-executive privilege
-
The Presidency
Ready for some Review
1. What is the honeymoon period of the Presidency?
2. Name at least 2 formal and 2 informal powers of the
president.
3. What generally happens to the president’s party at midterm elections?
4. What is executive privilege?
5. Name at least three cabinet positions.
6. What is the War Powers Act & why was it passed?
7. What does the term presidential coattails refer to?
8. What is a pocket veto?
The Bureaucracy
A.
The major formal and informal institutional
arrangements of power
-Ensures policies & programs enacted by Congress & executive
departments are carried out.
-Execute laws, provide for defense, & administer social
programs. *Part of the executive branch!
-4 million bureaucrats of federal government, 2.7 mil civilians
and 1.4 mil military. 30% work for Defense Department
& 15% social agencies including welfare & social security.
*Not elected.
-15 cabinet secretaries, appointed by President with consent
of Senate.
-Department of Defense is largest & headed by Secretary of
Defense.
The Bureaucracy
-Bureaucratic Hierarchy
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 Health & Human Services
Department of Housing & Urban Development
Department of Transportation
Department of Energy
Department of Education
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Department of Homeland Security
The Bureaucracy
*Notable*
-Government Corporations: Amtrak, Post Office, etc.
-Regulatory Agencies & Commissions: act as watchdogs over the federal
government. EX: The Federal Trade Commission, The Securities &
Exchange Commission, The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, The
Federal Communications Commission, The Food & Drug Administration,
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, The Occupational Safety &
Health Administration.
-EPA
-1970 Clean Air Act
-Endangered Species Act
-EEOC
-Federal Reserve Board
-Iron Triangles
-Alliance Network
-Hatch Act in 1939
The Bureaucracy
REVIEW Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Who is the head of the Senate?
How are cabinet members selected?
What is the NSC?
What is “Senatorial courtesy”?
Explain what an iron triangle is?
What is the difference between an independent executive agency &
and independent regulatory agency?
What are some criticisms of the federal bureaucracy?
The Federal Courts
A.
The major formal and informal institutional
arrangements of power
-FORMAL_
-Article III vague outline of organization and responsibilities of
judicial branch.
-Supreme Court but no details. Congress establishes federal
courts below Supreme Court. Outlines Jurisdiction:
original & appellate.
-INFORMAL-Judicial Review, implied from Article III b/c right to hear cases
arising out of the “laws of the U.S.”. Established clearly
with declaring parts of the Judiciary Act of 1789
unconstitutional in Marbury v. Madison
The Federal Courts
B. Relationships among these four institutions and varying balances of power
-Checks on Executive Branch
-Checks on Judicial Branch
*Notable*
-Structure of Courts: Constitutional courts created by Congress, judges serve for life &
Legislative courts created by Congress under Article I, judges have fixed terms.
-Who Serves: President appoints with Senate confirmation, serve for life which
insulates them from partisan politics but selection is highly political.
-Writ of Certiorari
-Rule of Four
-Amicus Curiae
-Stare Decisis
-Precedents
-Judicial Restraint vs. Judicial Activism
-16th Amendment 1913-income tax unconstitutional
-Texas vs. Johnson 1989-flag burning
-Confirmation Process & getting Borked
The Federal Courts
Review Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
What needs to be considered when a President appoints a judge, especially to
the Supreme Court?
What is the rule of four?
Who decides how many justices sit on the Supreme Court?
What different types of opinions can be written by the Supreme Court?
What cases usually are heard in the Supreme Court?
What is the difference between judicial activism and judicial restraint?
Why is the case Marbury vs. Madison significant?
What is an amicus curiaw brief?
Public Policy 5–15%
A.
B.
C.
D.
Policymaking in a federal system
The formation of policy agendas
The role of institutions in the enactment of policy
The role of the bureaucracy and the courts in policy
implementation and interpretation
E. Linkages between policy processes and the
following:1.Political institutions and federalism
2.Political parties
3.Interest groups
4.Public opinion
5. Elections
6.Policy networks
Public Policy 5–15%
-Agenda Setting
-Policy formulation done by Congress, president, interest
groups & lobbyists. (MADD)
-Unfunded Mandates
-Regulatory Policy: supervision of the actions of individuals,
business, and government institutions. (Meat Inspection
Act, Federal Radio Commission, National Environmental
Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Environmental
Protection Agency.
-Social Welfare Policy: Social Security Act of 1935, SSI, AFDC,
means test, workfare
Economic Policy
-Stagflation
-Unemployment Rate
-GDP
-Recession
-Entitlements
-Keynesian economics
-fiscal policy
-Monetarism
-discount rate
-supply-side economics
-OMB
-CBO
-discretionary spending vs. mandatory spending
-Progressive tax vs. regressive tax vs. flat tax, VAT or value added tax & capital
gains tax
International Economic Policy
-G8 or Group of *
-GATT
-NAFTA
-WTO
-National Economic Council
Foreign Policy
-Neutrality Acts
-containment policy
-Truman Doctrine
-Marshall Plan
-NATO
-domino theory
-Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
-Détente
-Camp David Accords
-SDI
-Dayton Accords
-Kyoto Treaty
-Carter Doctrine
-War Powers Act
-Joint Chiefs of Staff
VI. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties 5–15%
A. The development of civil liberties and civil
rights by judicial interpretation
B. Knowledge of substantive rights and liberties
C. The impact of the Fourteenth Amendment
on the constitutional development of rights
and liberties
VI. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties 5–15%
A. The development of civil liberties and civil
rights by judicial interpretation
B. Knowledge of substantive rights and liberties
C. The impact of the Fourteenth Amendment
on the constitutional development of rights
and liberties
VI. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties 5–15%
A. The development of civil liberties and civil
rights by judicial interpretation
B. Knowledge of substantive rights and liberties
C. The impact of the Fourteenth Amendment
on the constitutional development of rights
and liberties
III.Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media 10–20%
A. Political parties and elections
1. Functions
2. Organization
3. Development
4. Effects on the political process
5. Electoral laws and systems
B. Interest groups, including political action committees (PACs)
1.The range of interests represented
2.The activities of interest groups
3.The effects of interest groups on the political process
4.The unique characteristics and roles of PACs in the political process
C. The mass media
1.The functions and structures of the news media
2.The impacts of the news media on politics
3.The news media industry and its consequences
II. Political Beliefs and Behaviors 10–20%
A. Beliefs that citizens hold about their government
and its leaders
B. Processes by which citizens learn about politics
C. The nature, sources, and consequences of public
opinion
D. The ways in which citizens vote and otherwise
participate in political life
E. Factors that influence citizens to differ from one
another in terms of political beliefs and behaviors
I. Constitutional Underpinnings of United States
Government 5–15%
A. Considerations that influenced the
formulation and adoption of the Constitution
B.Separation of powers
C.Checks and balances
D.Federalism
E. Theories of democratic government
Other Powerpoints
• http://www.foothilltech.org/ceulau/apgov/pp
tlectures.htm
• http://www.lanesoccer.org/apgov.html
• http://carnahanapgov.blogspot.com/
• http://www.studystack.com/flashcard-15792