Law and Government
Study Guide
The President and the Electoral Process
Exam on Thursday, 4/3
Materials:
Magruder’s American Government Chapters 7, 13
Youth Leadership Initiative: Selecting a President
Readings on the Electoral College
Primary source activities: Establishing primaries, reforming the Electoral College
Case Study: Citizens United
The Presidency: The President’s Job Description and Presidential Succession (Text pp.354-363)
Learning Objectives: (key terms in italics)
Upon completion of this unit students will be able to:
Completed by Monday, 3/24

Identify the president’s many roles
o Chief of state
o
Chief executive
o
Chief administrator
o
Chief diplomat
o
Commander in chief
o
Chief legislator
o
Chief of the party
o
Chief citizen

Identify the formal qualifications necessary to become president

Discuss issues involving the length of the president’s term.

Describe the president’s pay and benefits.

Explain how the Constitution provides for presidential succession.

Understand the Constitutional provisions relating to presidential disability.

Describe the role of the Vice President.
Additional Terms
Presidential Succession Act of 1947
Balance the ticket
Choosing Candidates (text pp.178-186 and 365-375, YLI “Selecting a President,” parts 1,2)
Learning Objectives: (key terms in italics)
Upon completion of this unit students will be able to:
Completed by Tuesday 3/26
 describe the nomination process

describe self-announcement, the caucus, and the convention as nominating methods

discuss the direct primary as the principle nominating method used in the United States

evaluate the importance of presidential primaries

assess the role of political parties in the nominating process today

explain why some candidates use the petition as a nominating device

compare and contrast the original provisions for choosing a president with modern practice

outline how the rise of political parties changed the original presidential selection process set
out in the Constitution
Additional Terms:
Winner-take-all
proportional
platform
key-note address
Elections (text pp. 188-194 and 377-384)
Learning Objectives: (key terms in italics)
Completed by Thursday, 3/27

analyze the connection between the administration of elections and the ideals of popular
sovereignty, republicanism and the social contract

describe the role of precincts and polling places in the election process

describe the various ways in which voters can cast ballots

assess the impact of technology on elections (Face the Issues act.)

describe the role of the electoral college today

describe the flaws in the electoral college system

outline the advantages and disadvantages of proposed reforms to the electoral college
Additional Terms:
Absentee voting
early voting
coattail effect
polling
Australian ballot
Office Group Ballot
Party-Column Ballot
Bedsheet ballot
Party-Line voting
Financing Elections (text pp. 196-202, Case Study -“Citizens United”
Learning Objectives: (key terms in italics)
Completed by Monday, 3/31
 explain the issues raised by campaign spending

describe the various sources of funding for campaign spending

examine federal laws that regulate campaign finance

outline the role of the Federal Election Commission in enforcing campaign finance law

describe loopholes in today’s campaign finance laws

assess the impact of campaign spending on rational consensus vs. engineered consensus

assess the impact of Citizens United

evaluate the connection between campaign contributions and free speech
Additional Terms:
PAC’s (political action committees)
Super Pac’s
Subsidy
Soft money
Hard money
Public campaign financing