Chapter 14: Elections & Political Participation

Guiding Questions

• What are the strengths and weaknesses of choosing political leaders through elections?

• How have elections changed over time?

• Why are elections so expensive and why is money so important?

• What kinds of reforms have been proposed and enacted to reduce the influence of money in elections? Have these worked?

• Can PACS buy elections with their contributions?

• This is the big one: Do elections equal democracy? Why or why not?

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Note Taking Guidelines

• Using the chart on p. 544 as a model, create a graphic organizer showing how the Electoral College works.

• Create a brief timeline tracing changes in the election process—include relevant background information i.e. what was occurring in the nation at the time.

• Design a graphic organizer which demonstrates the causes and effects of increased campaign costs.

• Make a list of campaign reforms and explain the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of each reform.

• Design a graphic organizer which demonstrates the causes and effects of decreasing voter turnout.

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Required Terms

·         Electoral college ·         Twelfth Amendment ·         Winner Take All or Unit Rule ·         Elections of 1824, 1876, 1888, and 2000 ·         Chart on p.545—memorize! ·         Faithless Elector ·         14th Amendment: as it relates to voting, 1868 ·         15th Amendment (1870) ·         19th Amendment (1920) ·         24th Amendment (1964) ·         26th Amendment (1971) ·         Residency and Registration Laws ·         Motor Voter Law (1993)

·         Help Americans Vote Act (2002) ·         Federal Election Campaign Act (1971) ·         Buckley v. Valeo (1976) ·         Soft Money ·         Political Action Committees ·         Incumbent Advantage ·         Credit taking, position taking, advertising ·         Term limits ·         U.S. Term Limits v. Thorton (1995) ·         Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) (2002)  or the McCain Feingold Bill ·         McConnell v. Federal Election Commission (2003) ·         527s

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Chapter 13: Interest Groups

Guiding Questions

• What are interest groups?

• What functions do interest groups serve (there are five!)?

• Why are they important in our democratic process?

• Why have the numbers of these groups grown in recent years?

• Should we be concerned?

• What types of interest groups exist in the United States?

• What types of strategies do they use to achieve their objectives?

• How have the tactics of lobbying changed over time?

• Why do they need money? What concerns do their fund raising tactics raise?

• How influential are these interest groups in American politics?

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Note Taking Guidelines

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Required Terms

· Interest groups· Single issue interest groups · Multi issue interest groups · Economic interest groups (example) · Public Interest (example) · Think Tanks (example) · Governmental Units (example) · Lobbyist · Political Action Committee · Free Rider Problem · Public good · Material Benefits · Solidarity Benefits · Purposive Benefits · Outside Lobbying · Inside Lobbying · Grassroots lobbying techniques: direct contact, direct mail · Indirect lobbying · Advertorials

· NRA· LULAC · Ralph Nader · Cesar Chavez · UFV · Jack Abramoff

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Chapter 4: The Judiciary

Format for Chapter 4 Quest (50 points)

1o multiple choice (10 pts): review the sample multiple choice in the chapter

1 identification (10 pts): sort through the terms on the study guide and identify the BIG ones that we spent time on.

2/3 short answer (30 pts.): you will be able to answer these questions in bullet points or even diagrams where applicable. Review the guiding questions (the specific ones) on the study guide and the class agendas for this unit. Review the SmartBoard notes which are posted on the study guide as well.

Guiding Questions

• Is our court system consistent with American democracy? This is the big one but it will NOT be on the Quest.

• What are the functions of courts in American government?

• How is the American judiciary organized?

• How is an adversarial system different from an inquisitorial one?

• How is original jurisdiction different from appellate jurisdiction?

• How do cases make it to the Supreme Court?

• Why are American judges so powerful? (this will not be on the quest)

• How are American judges selected? Is this process fair? Is it democratic?

• How do interest groups use the judicial pathway of action to achieve their objectives?

• What’s the difference between original intent and the idea of a living constitution? (consider the readings in P.O.V. when answering this question).

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Note Taking Guidelines

• Create a graphic organizer which illustrates the organization of the dual court system in our country.

• Create a flow chart illustrating the many ways a case can get to the Supreme Court

• Identify the sources of power for federal judges, particularly justices on the Supreme Court.

• Create a graphic organizer identifying the steps in the selection of federal judges. Indicate possible roadblocks along the way.

• Make a pro and con list for using the court pathway of action.

• Brainstorm ideas to help you answer the #1 guiding question: what role should the courts play in our democracy

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Resources

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Terms

You should know:

• How many federal district courts are in the United States (94) and in Louisiana (2!)
• How many federal appellate courts are in the United States (13) and in Louisiana (the Fifth!)

Article III Adversarial system Inquisitorial system Dual court system Original jurisdiction Jury trials Plea bargain District Courts | Trial courts Intermediate appellate courts Courts of last resort Majority opinion Concurring opinion Dissenting opinion

Writ of Certiorari Federalist 78 (Alex Hamilton) Statutes Judicial Review Marbury v. Madison (1803) Appellate jurisdiction Senatorial Courtesy (not on this quest) Case precedent (stare decisis) Test Case Amicus Brief

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Chapter 5: Civil Liberties

View/Download as Google Doc here.

Guiding Questions

· What are civil liberties?

· What role does the Supreme Court play in protecting these liberties at the federal and state level?

· Why is the 14^th Amendment important in the context of civil liberties?

· How does the Supreme Court balance individual’s rights and society’s rights?

· How free is free speech?

· What about speech that offends or scares people—is this speech protected by the First Amendment?

· Should the press ever be restrained? If so, under what conditions?

· How does the Supreme Court decide cases involving religion?

· Should prayer in school be allowed? What if this is what the majority wants?

· What issues arise frequently regarding the 4^th Amendment?

· What is the exclusionary rule? Is it essential to the protection of individual liberties or does it interfere with the ability of the police to do their jobs?

· Has the Court placed too many restrictions on capital punishment? Explain!

· Where in the Constitution do you find the right to privacy? How did the Court derive the right to privacy?

· Has the Court extended the right to privacy too far?

· Have judges gone too far in protecting civil liberties in our nation?

Note Taking Guidelines

Terms

Civil liberties Bill of Rights 14th Amendment Incorporation First Amendment Rights Preferred Freedoms Clear and Present Danger Test Political Speech (speech plus) Symbolic Speech Reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions Fighting words doctrine Prior restraint Press shield laws Contempt of court Obscenity Establishment Clause Free Exercise Clause Separationist Accomodationist Lemon Test

Compelling government Interest Strict scrutiny Second Amendment Fourth Amendment Search and seizure Warrants Exclusionary rule Fifth Amendment Double jeopardy Compelled self incrimination Sixth Amendment Confrontation Compulsory Process Speedy and public trial Trial by jury Bench trials Clarence Earl Gideon Eighth Amendment Capital punishment Bifurcated proceedings Right to privacy

Resources

Required Cases

· Barron v. Baltimore (1833)· Gitlow v. New York (1925)· Near v. Minnesota (1931)· Schenck v. United States (1919)· Bradenburg v. Ohio (1969)· Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)· Texas v. Johnson (1989)· New York Times v. United States · Miller v. California (1973) · Engel v. Vitale (1962) · Abbington School District v. Schempp (1963) · Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971) · Grand Rapids v. Ball (1985) · Lee v. Weisman (1992) · Edwards v. Aguillard (1987) · West Virginia v. Barnette (1943) · Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe (2000) · Mapp v. Ohio (1961) · Terry v. Ohio (1968) · Miranda v. Arizona (1966) · Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

· Trop v. Dulles (1958)· Furman v. Georgia (1972)· Gregg v. Georgia (1976)· Atkins v. Virginia (2002)· Roper v. Simmons (2005)· McCleskey v. Kemp (1987)· Griswold v. Connecticut 1965· Roe v. Wade (1973) · Pennsylvania Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992) · Lawrence v. Texas (2003)