AP Government
Unit 1
Chapter 1: Introduction
The Political Spectrum
Current US Government Leaders
• 44th President of the United States (POTUS)
▫ Dem. Barack Obama
Current US Government Leaders
• 47th Vice President of the United States (VPOTUS)
▫ Dem. Joe Biden
▫ President of the Senate
Current US Government Leaders
• 68th Secretary of State
▫ John Kerry
Current US Government Leaders
• The Supreme Court of the United States
▫ The Roberts Court, October 2010
Back row (left to right): Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen G. Breyer, Samuel A. Alito,
and Elena Kagan. Front row (left to right): Clarence Thomas, Antonin
Scalia,Chief Justice John Roberts, Anthony Kennedy, and Ruth Bader
Ginsburg
Current US Government Leaders
• US Senate
▫
▫
▫
▫
100 Members (2 per state)
Republicans (54)
Democrats (44)
Independent (2)
Current US Government Leaders
Majority Leader (2015)
• Mitch McConnell
▫ Republican
▫ From KY
Minority Leader (2015)
• Harry Reid
▫ Democrat
▫ From Nevada
Current US Government Leaders
• US House of Representatives
▫ 435 Members based on population
▫ Republican (246)
▫ Democrat (188)
House of Representatives Leadership
(Republican Majority)
Speaker
John Boehner (R)
Maj. Leader
Kevin McCarthy
Majority Whip
Steve Scalise
House of Representatives Leadership
(Democrat Minority)
Minority Leader
Nancy Pelosi
Minority Whip
Steny Hoyer
Control of US Senate and House 1855-2015
2012 Presidential Election Results
2012 Presidential Election Results By
Population
2012 Electoral College Results
Voter Turnout Through History
The Role of Government
• How should we govern?
▫ “Who holds power and who
influences the policies adopted
by government?”
The Role of Government
• What should government do?
▫ “Does our government do what we want it to do?”
The Role of Government
• Maintain national defense
• Provide public services
• Preserve order through policy
Policymaking System
• Policy agenda addresses peoples needs
• Linkage institutions influence public policy
Types of Public Policies
•
•
•
•
•
Congressional statute
Presidential Action
Court Decision
Budgetary Choices
Regulation
Road to Revolution
• Americans felt natural and promised rights from
The “English Bill of Rights” were not honored
▫ Declared independence July 4, 1776
▫ Victory 1783
Enlightened Revolution
• Inspired by ideals of natural rights, self rule, and a
democratic republic
The Articles of Confederation
Articles of Confederation 1776-1787
• Unicameral legislature (one vote per state)
• States held more power than federal government
• No collection of taxes or defense
The Constitution
• The Philadelphia Convention
▫ Arguments between Federalists and Anti-Federalists created
rift over rights of individuals versus rights of government
The Constitution
•
•
•
•
Limited Majority Control
Separation of Powers
System of Checks and Balances
Anti-Federalists delegates refused to ratify
Constitution without a Bill of Rights
Bill of Rights
• Protection of Free Expression
▫ Amendment 1
Bill of Rights
• Protection of Other Rights
▫ Amendment 2: Right to bear arms
Bill of Rights
• Protection of Privacy
▫ Amendment 3: No quartering of soldiers
▫ Amendment 4: No unreasonable search and seizures
Bill of Rights
• Protection of Defendants’ Rights
▫ Amendment 5: Grand juries, no
double jeopardy, no selfincriminating testimonies
▫ Amendment 6: Speedy trial,
trial by jury, right to counsel
▫ Amendment 7: Right to jury
trial in civil suit
▫ Amendment 8: No excessive
bail, no cruel and unusual
punishment
Bill of Rights
• “Other Rights”
▫ Amendment 9:
Unlisted rights not
necessarily denied
▫ Amendment 10:
Unspecified rights go
to the people and
states
The Amending Process
• An amendment may be proposed either by the Congress
with a two-thirds majority vote or by a constitutional
convention called for by two-thirds of the State legislatures
Federalism v. Unitary Governments
• Fed: Two or more levels of government have formal authority
• Unitary: All power resides in central government
Division of Power Between States and Feds
• Article VI of the Constitution
▫ Supremacy clause directs judges to obey constitution
even if state laws contradicted it
Implied Powers
• McCulloch v. Maryland
▫ National government has enumerated powers
Commerce Power
• Gibbons v. Ogden
▫ Congress given the power to regulate interstate commerce
Racial Equality
• Brown v. Board of Education
▫ Set precedent of national racial equality standards
State Law
• Full faith and Credit:
▫ Each state must recognize
documents and judgments
by courts of other states
• Extradition:
▫ Constitution requires
person charged to be
returned to prosecuting
state
Dual Federalism v. Cooperative
• Dual Federalism
• Cooperative Federalism
▫ National and State gov
operate within own spheres
▫ State and Fed power and
policy shared
▫ EXAMPLES
 Feds control foreign and
military policy, postal,
and monetary policy
 States control schools,
policing, road
construction
▫ EXAMPLES
 Shared Costs
 Federal Guidelines
 Shared Administration
Fiscal Federalism
• Pattern of spending, taxing, providing grants
▫ Ways to incentivize economic policy
Pros and Cons of Federalism
Pros!!
Cons!!
• More government allows more
participation and access
• Pluralism allows for growth of
state and national interests
• Allows assimilation of
different opinion
• Allows states to decide issues
before Fed must intervene
• States experience levels of
resource scarcity
• Local issues lose to national
• Too much gov in every facet of
society becomes to
burdensome