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
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