Current events AP exam review

U.S. News and World Report April 30, 2007: Homework

Madam Enforcer page 26:

What is Senator Barbara Boxer’s (D-CA) official role in the United States Senate?

What issues are at the top of her committee’s legislative agenda?

Which government agency will most likely face oversight hearings by Boxer’s committee?

What would Boxer like the president to do with the Environmental Protection Agency?

Make a prediction about whether or not her committee’s legislative agenda will be successful. Explain your prediction.

Changing Their Stripes page 32:

Choose one of the Republican Candidates. How is this candidate presenting himself to attract primary voters?

Choose one of the Democratic Candidates. How is this candidate presenting him/herself to attract primary voters?

What will these candidates most likely have to do after securing their party’s nomination for the general election?

Reading the Abortion Ruling page 36:

What has caused the Supreme Court to shift its opinion on partial birth abortion bans?

Identify one interest group in the article and its position on this case.

Summarize the polling data regarding public opinion on the abortion issue.

Funding the Troops page 38:

Why is the president threatening to veto a supplemental appropriations bill for the Iraq conflict?

What is the difference between the House and Senate versions of this bill?

What is the division in the Democratic Party over the Iraq conflict?

Predict the outcome of this feud between Capitol Hill and the White House. Explain your prediction.

Why “Ho” Is So Hurtful page 68:

Do you agree or disagree with this editorial? Why?

Public Policy Part 6: May 3

Public Policy Part 6: Conclusion/Prediction

In this section of the paper, you will look back on your research and predict whether or not this bill will be successful. What changes will have to be made in order for the bill to become law? If it becomes law will it be implemented properly and adequately address the policy issue?

Research Note: You should go to a public library and check out some books related to your topic. You should also contact interest groups, agencies and congressional committees involved in your topic. They will normally be more than willing to send you information on your topic. You may even get the chance to conduct an interview. Additionally, once everyone has chosen a topic, I will request Congressional Research Service Packs from our congressman. You must have at least three sources beyond the Internet. YOU MUST CITE EVERY PIECE OF INFORMATION YOU OBTAIN!!!
The following website will help you with the proper form for source citations:
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Education+and+Public+Programs/Profile+in+Courage+Award/Essay+Contest+for+High+School+Students/Prepare+your+Essay/Citing+Sources+and+Bibliographies/

For information on your topic, I suggest beginning with a Google or Yahoo or Ask search often the issue or bill name + prediction is a great starting point. (e.g. Iraq troop funding prediction) Then, branch out beyond the Internet.


Simply make a prediction based upon your research. You should compare your own thoughts to the predictions of other political pundits.



Compile all of your research into a rough draft, which is due by the end of class tomorrow, May 4th.

Public Policy Part 5: May 2

Public Policy Part 5: Policy Evaluation

In this section of the paper, we will examine how the policy will be evaluated after it is implemented. Who will oversee the policy and will it be reviewed by government agencies and/or Congress at a later date? In other words, how will we know the policy is working?

Research Note: You should go to a public library and check out some books related to your topic. You should also contact interest groups, agencies and congressional committees involved in your topic. They will normally be more than willing to send you information on your topic. You may even get the chance to conduct an interview. Additionally, once everyone has chosen a topic, I will request Congressional Research Service Packs from our congressman. You must have at least three sources beyond the Internet. YOU MUST CITE EVERY PIECE OF INFORMATION YOU OBTAIN!!!
The following website will help you with the proper form for source citations:
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Education+and+Public+Programs/Profile+in+Courage+Award/Essay+Contest+for+High+School+Students/Prepare+your+Essay/Citing+Sources+and+Bibliographies/

For information on your topic, I suggest beginning with a Google or Yahoo or Ask search often the issue or bill name + evaluation is a great starting point. (e.g. Iraq troop funding evaluation) Then, branch out beyond the Internet.

1. What is the bill you are researching? (name and number)

2. What is the purpose of the bill you are researching? What issue(s) does it address?

3. How does this bill address the issue at hand?

4. What government agencies will be responsible for carrying out this law?

5. Are there any reporting requirements for government agencies? If so, what data is to be collected and for what purpose?

6. Are there any reporting requirements for state and local governments? If so, what data is to be collected and for what purpose?

7. Are there are reporting requirements for business, individuals or groups? If so, what data is to be collected and for what purpose?

8. Is there a time when this law will have to be renewed or revisited by Congress (a.k.a. a sunset provision)?

9. Ultimately, who will be held accountable for the success or failure of this policy? To whom will they be accountable?

10. If similar legislation has been enacted previously, how has that policy’s effectiveness been evaluated?

Public Policy Part 4: April 30

Public Policy Part 4: Policy Implementation

In this section of the paper, we will examine how the bill you have chosen seeks to implement a policy. What actions are to be taken and who will carry it out? In other words, how does this bill seek to make the policy happen?

Research Note: You should go to a public library and check out some books related to your topic. You should also contact interest groups, agencies and congressional committees involved in your topic. They will normally be more than willing to send you information on your topic. You may even get the chance to conduct an interview. Additionally, once everyone has chosen a topic, I will request Congressional Research Service Packs from our congressman. You must have at least three sources beyond the Internet. YOU MUST CITE EVERY PIECE OF INFORMATION YOU OBTAIN!!!
The following website will help you with the proper form for source citations:
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Education+and+Public+Programs/Profile+in+Courage+Award/Essay+Contest+for+High+School+Students/Prepare+your+Essay/Citing+Sources+and+Bibliographies/

For information on your topic, I suggest beginning with a Google or Yahoo or Ask search often the issue or bill name + implementation is a great starting point. (e.g. Iraq troop funding implementation) Then, branch out beyond the Internet.

1. What is the bill you are researching? (name and number)

2. What is the purpose of the bill you are researching? What issue(s) does it address?

3. How does this bill address the issue at hand?

4. What government agencies will be responsible for carrying out this law?

5. How much money is attached to this bill and how is it supposed to be spent?

6. Does federalism play a role in this bill? If so, what is the responsibility of state and local governments?

7. Does implementation of this bill require coordination between the public (government) and the private (business & non-profits) sectors of our economy? If so, describe those relationships.

Public Policy Part 3: April 27

Public Policy Part 3: Policy Formulation

In this section of the paper, we will examine possible solutions to the problem addressed by the bill you have chosen. In other words, we will look at the chosen bill as well as other proposals put forward to deal with this issue.

Research Note: You should go to a public library and check out some books related to your topic. You should also contact interest groups, agencies and congressional committees involved in your topic. They will normally be more than willing to send you information on your topic. You may even get the chance to conduct an interview. Additionally, once everyone has chosen a topic, I will request Congressional Research Service Packs from our congressman. You must have at least three sources beyond the Internet. YOU MUST CITE EVERY PIECE OF INFORMATION YOU OBTAIN!!!
The following website will help you with the proper form for source citations:
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Education+and+Public+Programs/Profile+in+Courage+Award/Essay+Contest+for+High+School+Students/Prepare+your+Essay/Citing+Sources+and+Bibliographies/

For information on your topic, I suggest beginning with a Google or Yahoo or Ask search often the issue or bill name + politics is a great starting point. (e.g. Iraq troop funding politics) Then, branch out beyond the Internet. Additional sites that may prove helpful are the Cato Institute’s www.cato.org and the more liberal www.movingideas.org which will help you see different perspectives on given policies.

1. What is the bill you are researching? (name and number)

2. What is the purpose of the bill you are researching? What issue(s) does it address?

3. How does this bill address the issue at hand?

4. Is there a Senate version of this bill? If so, what is it and how does it differ from the House bill?

5. Are there any proposals of this issue from the president? If so, what is it and how does it differ from the House bill?

6. Are there any proposals on this issue from a bureaucratic agency? If so, what is it and how does it differ from the House bill?

7. Are there any proposals on this issue from business or other interest groups? If so, what are those proposals and how do they differ from the House bill?

AP Gov - April 24 - Public Policy Project Part 2

Public Policy Part 2: Agenda Setting

In this section of the paper, we will examine how the bill you have chosen became a public policy issue in the first place. In other words, we will research the background of this issue by answering the following questions.

Research Note: You should go to a public library and check out some books related to your topic. You should also contact interest groups, agencies and congressional committees involved in your topic. They will normally be more than willing to send you information on your topic. You may even get the chance to conduct an interview. Additionally, once everyone has chosen a topic, I will request Congressional Research Service Packs from our congressman. You must have at least three sources beyond the Internet. YOU MUST CITE EVERY PIECE OF INFORMATION YOU OBTAIN!!!
The following website will help you with the proper form for source citations:
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Education+and+Public+Programs/Profile+in+Courage+Award/Essay+Contest+for+High+School+Students/Prepare+your+Essay/Citing+Sources+and+Bibliographies/

For background on your topic, I suggest beginning with a Google or Yahoo or Ask search. Then branch out beyond the Internet.


1. What is the bill you are researching? (name and number)

2. What is the purpose of the bill you are researching? What issue(s) does it address?

3. How did this become a political issue to begin with? What is the history of this problem/issue?

4. What political actors (individuals, interest groups, politicians, agencies, etc.) elevated this topic to a national political issue? How was this done?

5. Has there been any previous legislation on your topic? Was it effective or not? Why?

AP Gov - April 20 - Public Policy Project Part 1

Public Policy Project Step 1: Topic Selection

Objective: Students will explore the House of Representatives committee web pages and select a topic for further research.

Go to:

http://www.house.gov/house/CommitteeWWW.shtml

Directions: Once you are at the site link to one of the committees that interests you. Throughout the period, explore the various committee websites and select a bill that is currently being debated. A bill will have a title and a number beginning with the letters HR.

Before the end of class you must notify Mr. Martinek of the name and number of the bill you will research. We will be working on this project for the next couple of weeks and it will count as your research grade (20% of total) for the 4th quarter.

Homework: Complete our last required SQ3R for this textbook: Chapter 17. This is due Tuesday. Also, start researching your topic. Gather as much background information as you can find on the legislation you chose. Pay particular attention to who favors and who opposes the legislation. What are their arguments? We will be back in the library on Monday to continue this process.

Media Matters Essay Test from 3-30-07

Go to: http://mediamatters.org/items/200503220005

Read the article. Then write a response to the following prompt.

After examining the polling data, determine whether or not this is a valid poll. In your analysis, discuss how the media can impact public opinion, how polling techniques can influence poll results, and how bias plays a role in reporting information. Also consider the following questions: Why would CNN choose to display these results in the manner it did? What political interests are effected by this issue? What factors would make this poll more or less valid?

Public Opinion SQ3R

SQ3R Topic: ____Chp. 5: Public Opinion__________Pages: __132-166_____

Step1: Survey: Take a moment to scan over the assigned reading. Be certain to make note of anything that you notice on each page; drawings, photographs, charts, graphs, titles subtitles, any thing that might draw your attention or activate your prior knowledge.
Write down your observations on a separate sheet of paper.

Step 2: Question: Think about the questions listed below and write your own question about the material in any space provided.

On what 3 things does the accuracy of a public opinion poll’s population depend?
How does the majoritarian model differ from a pluralist model of democracy?
Look at the chart on page 141. Describe a skewed curve, bimodal curve, and a normal/bell curve.
What usually happens to people’s self-perception of ideological preferences over time?
Identify an issue where there has been dramatic change in public opinion over time.
What does the chart on page 1143 tell us about students’ ideological preference since 1970?
When are children most likely to adopt their parents’ party identification?
Identify one reason that only half of American voters identify with the political party of their parents.
What are the 2 most important things in a child’s political socialization?
In what democratic country have they needed to restrict freedoms because of historical factors?
What causes opinion schema to change?

Step 3: Read: As you formally read through the assignment, take note of any vocabulary listed below as well as any additionally word you have not encountered before. You may have more than ten. Use vocabulary in context clues to define those words. Use a dictionary only if you are unable to define the word in context. Write these definitions on a separate sheet of paper.
public opinion, 2. skewed distribution, 3. bimodal distribution, 4. normal distribution, 5. stable distribution, 6. political socialization, 7. socioeconomic status, 8. self-interest principle, 9. opinion schema, 10. issue framing

Step 4: Recite: Once you have read the material, use your separate sheet of paper to completely answer the questions from step 2.

Step 5: Review: After your answers have been checked, graded and returned, please review your answers to study for upcoming quizzes and exams.

Brown v. B.O.E.

This week we will be analyzing the Smithsonian site over the most important civil rights case of the 20th Century. There will be a handout given in class. This assignment will take two days.

Note: You must complete the flashcard assignment before you begin this!

Court Case Flashcard Project

Note: at the beginning of class students selected a case and partners. Abesent students were assigned a case. These cases and the students assigned will be listed in a later blog entry.

Directions:

You and your partner should each save a document under your own name. You will need to do a Google search for the case you have selected and possibly visit several of those websites to complete the assignment. Book materials are also available if you are having difficulties.

Answer the following questions related to the case you chose at the start of class.

What is the background of the case? In a brief description explain the circumstances of the case. Avoid the case names in your descriptions.

What is the constitutional issue? Briefly describe the issue to which the case relates. Again, avoid the case names in your descriptions.

What was the decision in the case? Summarize the court’s decision in this case. Make certain that you explain the courts ruling without naming the case.

What was the precedent used in this case or was this case used as a precedent in a later case or did the case overturn a prior precedent? For example, Brown v. Board of Ed overturned the precedent of separate but equal set in Plessy v. Ferguson.

What was the impact of the case on our lives? Again, do not name the case in your response.

What is the name of the case you are studying?

Sample Free Response - Congress 02-01-07

Prompt: Does Congress truly represent America? Take a stand! Support your opinion with a discussion of the typical background of members of Congress, founders’ intentions in creating the Congress, racial gerrymandering and nay other facts which would help you make your case.

Congress does represent America. If you look at today’s Congress, it may appear to be mostly white males. However, it is more diverse today than ever before. Barack Obama, an African American, and Hillary Clinton, a former First Lady, are two of the most popular Senators in the country. Nancy Pelosi is the first female Speaker of the House and Blacks and Hispanics have enough representation in Congress to form their own caucus groups. This diverse representation is built into the system through the qualifications for Congressional seats, the intentions of the founding fathers, and racial gerrymandering.

Of course, the typical member of Congress is better educated and wealthier than the average American because these traits are necessary to adequately represent the diverse groups of that live within states and House districts. Members need knowledge of these communities’ political and economic interests. Our rather expensive campaign system, insures that candidates have the resources to serve us. In theory, a lawyer will be a better law-maker than a grocery bagger.

Even so, the Founding Fathers designed the Constitution to ensure the people were truly represented. The founder’s even required that the House have more power by making the Speaker 3rd in line for the presidency and requiring all tax laws to start in the House Ways and Means Committee.Although both House and Senate members are elected directly by the people today, Senators were originally chosen by state legislators, an elected body closer to the people. Also, House districts are redrawn every 10 years by state legislatures to best meet the needs of a state’s varied communities.

Racial gerrymandering, the practice of drawing House districts based upon race, is based upon the theory of descriptive representation. This is the belief that constituents are best represented by people who are like them. Although the Supreme Court has ruled against this practice in cases like Shaw v. Reno, its more recent decisions allow race to be a consideration as long as the intent is not for one-party to control the district. Rep. Luis Gutierrez has a racially gerrymandered district that connects the Hispanic, mostly Puerto Rican, community on Chicago’s Northside to the Hispanic, mostly Mexican, community on Chicago’s Southside. If these communities were divided into separate districts, it is unlikely that Chicago’s Hispanic community would be adequately represented in the Congress. On the other hand, the system of gerrymandering is often abused, as it was by the Republican Party in Texas, to ensure that a majority of their party lives within the majority of the state’s House districts.


What is the student’s position on the prompt? Is it clear? (1 point)

Does the student make at least 2 clear references to the backgrounds of members of Congress? What are they? (2 points)

Does the student provide at least one real life example of members’ backgrounds? What is it? (1 point)

Does the student make at least two references to the Founder’s intentions for Congress? What were they? (2 points)

Does the student make use at least one real life example of the Founder’s intentions? What is it? (1 point )

Does the student define racial gerrymandering? What is the definition? (1 point)

Does the student provide a real example of racial gerrymandering? What was it? (1 point)

In your opinion, does the student adequately argue his point or does he contradict himself? Why? (1 point)

What overall grade would you give this student?

Influences on the presidency 02-01-07

Go to:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7065633


Read the transcript of the interview Juan Williams conducted with President Bush. As you read, identify 5 people or groups that influence the president’s decision-making process. Provide a specific example from the interview for each person or group you identify.