Saturday, May 1, 2010

2010 C-Span Cram Session Notes

200,000 students
Lifelong, engaged students
45 minute, 60 Questions and then 4 Free Response Questions

Checks and balances - House can impeach the President with a simple minority but the Senate REMOVES the President after House impeachment

1. Checks and balances
2. 3 Branches of government
3. How many questions on filibuster?
4. 100 key vocabulary words

Q1 - Christine from Maryland (2008) A tax whereby poor citizens pay a higher percentage of income than wealthier citizens is a

NOT a progressive tax... A REGRESSIVE tax... Dude misheard the question.

Problem areas is special interest groups. Daily newspaper will HELP... Arizona immigration law regarding federalism. Bobby Jindal in Louisiana

Q2 - San Jose shout-out... Specific federalist papers.

Federalist 10 is the grandadday of them all... Big tent politics... Works when different groups come together... Sample question... Which best describes Fed 10....

A. Political factions can be controlled by government, large republic.

Girl got the question wrong!

Q3 - Alyssa Garcia 10 points - Iron Triangle! (Hot topic!)
-Issue network
1 - Congressional Committee (specialist)
2- Bureaucratic agency (enforcer)
3 - Interest Group (linkage institution) Information, research, detail

Supreme Court? Process of filling vacancy. Not current events. Obama's perspective.

Q4 - "selective" incorporation

Separates those who've studied and have not. Supreme Court applies the Bill of Rights to the states.

Gitlow v. New York - free speech applied to the states

Mapp v. Ohio, 4th
Gideon v. Wainwright, 6th

Step by step process

McCullough v. Maryland
A. Federal over state Supremacy Clause... Student CONFIDENTLY said B. Power of judicial review (Marbury v. Madison) Gave shout-out to teacher and credit to her teacher for INCORRECT answer.

Q5 - Supreme Court Cases?

Study the major cases. Explains the AP process.

Q6 - Alabama... Shout-out... Campaign finance reform

HOT ONE. Confusing. There are limits.

McCain-Feingold - $2300 per person per election cycle

527 - independent expenditure. UNLIMITED to spend your own ad promoting an issue, like the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth

Citizens United mention

Free speech used to limit campaign... Remember Buckley v. Valeo

Q7 -Due Process v. Equal Protection

Equal Protection - Brown
Due Process - Selective Protection

14th Amendment

Q8 - iTunes? No.

Q9 - shout-out

House v. Senate?
Legislative:
House - Rules Committee, usually closed rules and limited debate
Senate - No rules committee, unlimited debate, use of filibuster, cloture of 60 votes to end filibuster

House 2 years, close to people
Senate 6 years, slow things down

Q10 - Amendment important
1 - 1st Amendment

Speech, Press, Religion, Petition, Assembly

Establishment and free exercise

2nd, 4th, 5th (right to remain silent), 8th, 10th

NOT AN ESSAY test

Gerrmandering? Court case

Q11 - White House staff vs. Cabinet

Staff gives advice not confirmed. Secretary approved by Senate.

Q12 - Formal vs. Informal

Formal - 1787
Informal - implied, inherent, not EXPRESSLY stated

Executive order, agreement, privilege, public opinion.

E. Bully pulpit is an "informal" power

Q13 - primary vs. Caucus

FRQ - CAMPAIGN

Primary season historically held caucuses. Small group 10-12 decide, but as we have democratized we went to a primary election which is b asically same as in general. High profile caucus in Iowa... FRONTLOADING... Primary voters ýmore ideological... Candidates have to go left or right

Q14 - Separation of powers, checks and federalism

Dilution of power, limit power of government

Q15 - Weaknesses of article?
Q16 - Buckley v Valeo - multi-millionaire spending unlimited personal spending, states check federal government?...arizona a test of this... DEVOLUTION and welfare reform in 1990s
Q17 - Federal bureaucracy - enforce the law. Congress makes the law. President in charge
Q18 - Pigeonholing -narrow focus issue and getting your issue on the docket. Most bills die in committee... Stuck in standing committee
Q19 - Imperial Presidency
Arthur Schlesinger, executive agreement and privilege... War Powers Resolution, US v. Nixon examples of limits
Q20 - Commerce Clause
Expressed powers... Health care under commerce clause... Scalia... Don't answer, no ideas
Q21 - shoutout, Foreign policy questions

Formal powers of Congress - declare war, passes budget, power of purse

Pres - commander-in-chief, 48 hours under War Powers Resolution

Q22-1999 questions... Budget Impoundment Act - Congress rec the budget... President signs it.. If congress approves, then Pres must spend

Q23 - crosscutting cleavages

African-American Christian

Q24 - Grants and mandates, sticks and carrots

Stick is Mandate
Carrot is block grant

Federal govt agenda onto states

Q25 - Apportionment
435 members, Census 10 years

Q26 - Open, closed primary
Most closed primaries - only registered members vote, independents don't participate

Open - allows independents to vote in primaries

Blanket is unconstitutional.

Chief of staff advisors

Predictions?
1. Interest groups
2. Transparency
3. Opportunity

Gibbons v. Ogden - expanded federal govt, drop-in

Establishment v. Free exercise

Wall of Separation in 1947 Hugo Black

Full faith and credit - gay marriage and federalism
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry

Thursday, April 29, 2010

AP Government Ranting Review

Here's some quick notes I wrote for the Class of 2008... still is relevant... for the most part....

My prediction is that one of the FRQs will cover the presidential election process, so know the difference between a primary and caucus, how a candidate becomes a potential nominee through the "money primary" all the way to the nominating convention and then the general election.

Good luck. Have fun at Prom.
Random facts.

* African Americans vote Democrat.
* Filibuster occurs in the Senate but it's INFORMAL, not a CONSTITUTIONAL power.
* Congress declares wars, but the President deploys the troops.
* The President must notify Congress within 48 hours according to the War Powers Resolution Act.
* People don't vote because they are not registered to vote.
* The "Solid" South refers to the fact that the South has consistently voted Republican. Recent elections, including the upcoming 2008 election, may not necessarily be "solid" for the Republicans.
* A "Blue Dog" Democrat = conservative Democrat
* "Horse-race" journalism refers to the fact that we pay attention to the media's coverage of the presidential candidates and not the actual issues at hand.
* The gender gap refers to the fact that women tend to vote Democrat more so than men (ie "soccer mom" vote)
* The vote in the Midwest tends to determine the presidential outcome (ie. OHIO and PENNSYLVANIA) - The Dems hope to swing that into their favor this year
* The Supreme Court hears just about 1-2% of cases that are sent to them. Most cases are heard by the court of appeals and the SC simply approves them. Most never make the Court's docket.
* Amicus Curiae briefs are used by interest groups to lobby courts.
* Three important committees: Rules (sets conditions for debate, calendar for bills), Appropriations (deals with the actual spending of money budgeted in committees), Ways and Means (determines where particular bills are headed -- it's where bills go initially)
* Rules committee is only in the House, not the Senate
* Senate = Period 1, House of = Period 2
* Senate: 30 years old, 9 years living as a resident, citizen, living in State
* House: 25 years old, 7 years living as a resident, citizen, living in State (informal to live in District)
* Pres: 35 years old, 14 years living in US, natural-born citizen
* Commerce clause has been used to strengthen power of national government (Heart of Atlanta, Gibbons)
* 10th Amendment: States' rights (US v. Lopez), limits on power of commerce clause - this case is more of an aberration than the norm - the federal government has tended to increase its power relative to the states
* Party structure in the US is DECENTRALIZED! ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL!
* White House Staff = White House Office = CHIEF OF STAFF = LOYAL TO THE PRESIDENT = JAMES BAKER FOR RONALD REAGAN!!!! KNOW THIS!!!!
* State legislatures draw district boundaries and tend to gerrymander them to favor Congresspeople like Grace Napolitano - who gets money from labor union and business PACs alike, although the trend is for business PACs to increase. Labor union membership is on the decline.
* 1st Amendment - speech, religion, press, petition, assemble
* "Wall of separation" - Engel vs. Vitale, Lemon v. Kurtzman - religion and schools separate. I pray that you understand this. Irony intended.
* Lobbyists supply TECHNICAL INFORMATION PRIMARILY. They do wine and dine, BUT THEY LOBBY FOR INTEREST GROUPS (ahem, Gaby)!
* 1994 = Republican Revolution led by Newt Gingrich - Dems held the House for a long time, but that year voters ousted the Dems and elected in a landslide Republicans... Hillarycare was a bust. By 1996, Bill Clinton "triangulated" and became a centrist Democrat and "ended welfare as we know it." Welfare became more of a state burden as is education.
* block = whatever money, categorical = strings attached
* President = leader of political party BUT NEVER MENTIONED IN CONSTITUTION!
* Two-party system benefits under a single-member district determined by plurality and not majority of votes.
* In case of a tie in electoral college, goes to the House where each state gets ONE VOTE. Need to win majority (26 states).
* Senate ratifies treaties with 2/3 vote NOT THE HOUSE
* Justices must pass a President's litmus test
* Legislative veto violates principle of separation of powers, giving legislative authority to the executive - but some state practice it, just not Congress!
* Federalist 10 - Factions exist, and they are best contained in a federalist government or a large republic. It is impractical to destroy factions, but layered government tends best to limit the effects of faction.
* Unfunded mandates = No Child Left Behind. Think a law with no money attached.
* Incorporation Doctrine = 14th Amendment. Study the 38 Court Cases. They will come up.
* DOCTRINE OF ORIGINAL INTENT = "JUDICIAL RESTRAINT" - The idea that you only do what the Constitution says to do. "JUDICIAL ACTIVISM" is the opposite. The Warren Court tended to be activists and expanded civil liberties.
* Cloture (60 senators) ends a filibuster.
* Cabinet posts (sec state, defense), FBI (gov agencies), SEC (regulatory agency) need majority confirmation of the Senate, White House staff does NOT
* PACs give money to incumbents ($5,000 max), $2,300 max to individuals, in Buckley v. Valeo it established unlimited individual contribution to own campaign but limits to others
* 2008 is a "critical election" in that a party realignment may occur. Electorate may move more Democrat because in 2004 and 2000 it was Republican. Depends on how the Midwest votes and the formerly "Solid South" may not be solid anymore
*Will I run for Congress? Will be slaughtered in the House (90% incumbent re-election rates) but may win the Senate (70% re-election rates). Watch out Barbara Boxer!

That's all. Maybe reading this over and over may jump you from a 2 to a 3 or 4 to a 5. Marginal benefit.

Good luck.

Monday, April 26, 2010

2nd Amendment




What is the 2nd amendment ?
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects a right to keep or bear arms.

"We're in a war. The other side knows they are at war, because they started it," said Larry Pratt, president of the Gun Owners of America. "They are coming for our freedom, for our money, for our kids, for our property. They are coming for everything because they are a bunch of socialists."

As you can see many gun owners are feeling like their constitutional rights are being taken away and they feel the need to be armed in the presences of the "other side" which most likely refers to the middle eastern people of Iraq.
The people that rallied were not just in fear of losing their 2nd right amendments but they are very dissatisfied with the way things are heading in Washington due to the fact that they are losing their right to bear arms.
In virginia where the rally is taking place is legal to carry certain weapons but illegal in the district of columbia. This really offends the protesters since they want definitive power to carry or bare arms in any state which they choose to go to.

The opponents of these people seem to be very worried by the way that there are really no new proposals coming from the white house about gun laws or gun control.


I believe these people are acting irrational since the supposed threat of terrorist is not really there. It is all a psychological issue that they need to get over.
There rights are really not being taken away from any angle that you see it from because they are still allowed to carry certain weapons in the state that they live in. This should be enough for these people to compromise with because it isn't necessary for people in the United States to walk around arm since we do have the highest death count due to guns than any other countries in the world. Its ridiculous that these people are complaining about things that are still given to them but in a limited amount


http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/04/19/second.amendment.rally/index.html

2nd Amendment




What is the 2nd amendment ?
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects a right to keep or bear arms.

"We're in a war. The other side knows they are at war, because they started it," said Larry Pratt, president of the Gun Owners of America. "They are coming for our freedom, for our money, for our kids, for our property. They are coming for everything because they are a bunch of socialists."

As you can see many gun owners are feeling like their constitutional rights are being taken away and they feel the need to be armed in the presences of the "other side" which most likely refers to the middle eastern people of Iraq.
The people that rallied were not just in fear of losing their 2nd right amendments but they are very dissatisfied with the way things are heading in Washington due to the fact that they are losing their right to bear arms.
In virginia where the rally is taking place is legal to carry certain weapons but illegal in the district of columbia. This really offends the protesters since they want definitive power to carry or bare arms in any state which they choose to go to.

The opponents of these people seem to be very worried by the way that there are really no new proposals coming from the white house about gun laws or gun control.


I believe these people are acting irrational since the supposed threat of terrorist is not really there. It is all a psychological issue that they need to get over.
There rights are really not being taken away from any angle that you see it from because they are still allowed to carry certain weapons in the state that they live in. This should be enough for these people to compromise with because it isn't necessary for people in the United States to walk around arm since we do have the highest death count due to guns than any other countries in the world. Its ridiculous that these people are complaining about things that are still given to them but in a limited amount


http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/04/19/second.amendment.rally/index.html

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Sherard's Post

The news article entitled Barack Obama invokes Jesus more than George W. Bush highlights the recurring trend of our current commander-in-chief referencing his religious faith, more directly, his Christian faith in numerous amounts of high-profile public speeches he has made every since taking office. He has done this in a manner that has surpassed the tendencies of previous president George W. Bush. Obama has referred to the Christian faith in “overt” way as he Rev. Barry Lynn, the executive director of the group Americans United for Separation of Church and State puts it. For example, Obama would refer to use biblical allusions in his speeches. “We cannot rebuild this economy on the same pile of sand,” Obama said. “We must build our house upon a rock.”

As far as motives regarding this behavior in part by President Obama, everyone has different ideas. Some say that he is doing this to combat the previous controversies of his supposed rumored Muslim faith. Others say that this is a mere political move to gain confidence from the American people through reference to their predominant divinity. It is also worth noting that even though president Obama is far from shy in disclosing his Christian faith in the critic-filled public, his stance on controversial issues such as abortion-rights extensively contradicts his potentially strategic political maneuver.

As far as my opinion on this subject is concerned, I remain convinced that this is indeed a political strategy executed to perfection by our 44th president. Being on the good side of “believers” is definitely a safe political position to be in. America in general looks towards Christianity as the official doctrine. I think every president has tried to epitomize a god-fearing leader of a God-fearing nation in general. But Obama takes has shown especial rigor in this department.

But the question of whether the uplifting of the a divine being that has been the basis of religious culture here in America ever since history began writing itself here done by Barrack Obama is actually a genuine incorporation of true character on his part will perhaps will never be answered.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/23510.html

By Sherard Cheung

Friday, April 23, 2010

"Predictably Irrational Behavior"
This is a title made by Dan Ariely Who is a behavioral economist. He found out that we consumer don;t behavior as teh economist think we do. He explain that irrelevant factor, such as emotion, can affect the way we make decision, and not just the maximum utility we gwt from goods or services. It is true that we often pay to get the maximum utility, but with influence of irrelevant factor it change our way of thought, but at the same time, didn't cahnge our economic mind.

As an example please take a few second to answer teh follwoing questions .


1. Which one would you prefer?
A cup of coffee $2
A jelly donut $5
A jelly donut and coffee $5

2. Which one would you prefer?
A cup of coffee $2
A jelly donut and coffee $5

Did your decision change?

As in that little experment, the change in wording can make one decision look like a more better decision. With a little change a company can make more profit.



sorce: http://www.npr.org/templayes /story/story.php?storyId=19231906

GITMO

Obama and Gitmo One Year Later; "Drifting" Toward Bush?
This article is about Obamas failure to close Guantanamo bay. The author compares Obama to Bush because Bush also failed to close Guantanamo Bay.

Personally I do not understand why people are not more upset about a place like Guantanamo Bay. It is a place where the government can lock you up indefinitely with out reason. If they "think" you are in some way helping terrorists they can pick you up and make you disappear.

You are not a human in Guantanamo you are a number. The guards are not allowed to know what the inmates have done why? So that they treat everyone like a terrorist who wants to kill American babies. If you are released you are forced to sign a paper saying that it is your fault you were suspicious enough for the US to put you in GITMO and that you are sorry.

I am in no way trying to help terrorists but putting innocent people in GITMO a place where "Tourture its whats for dinner". GITMO can transform very easily into a place where radicals or undesirables will be sent to be disposed of. GITMO is a stain on what America really stands for.

"THEY CAME FIRST for the Communists,and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.THEN THEY CAME for the Jews,and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.THEN THEY CAME for the trade unionists,and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.THEN THEY CAME for me and by that time no one was left to speak up."

http://whitehouse.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/01/22/obama-and-gitmo-one-year-later-drifting-toward-bush/