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Lets look today at major government concepts that you need to keep straight:
The difference between Checks & Balances, Separation of Powers & Federalism. C/B is the overlapping functions within government. Specifically, the concern is that the President will do whatever he/she wants. This concerned is justified for the following reasons:
1. The increase in the size of bureaucracy. All those cabinet departments are administered by the President and the bureaucracy runs the programs that Congress authorizes
2. The President runs around war powers--we don't declare war anymore. marry that with executive decisions, which don't need approval
3. Congress is reluctant to use its powers. They can cut off funding and say no to the president. They have oversight powers, but rarely use them--especially if the President is from the same party. Bush was allowed free reign with the GOP Congress.
Its SUPREME!
The Court is basically unchecked EXCEPT they can only act on cases brought before them. They can bring their own cases, but they can strike laws down
FEDERALISM: The States and National government are NOT the same. The state has certain functions, such as records and many criminal actions that are under state rules. The national law is more overreaching. There is a supremacy clause that means that the national government is the tiebreaker. A national trend is Devolution--giving some jobs back to the states.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
AP Government 3: What's the Test Format?
The AP Exam in United States Government and Politics
Exam Format
The AP United States Government and Politics Exam has two sections. In the first section, students have 45 minutes to answer 60 multiple-choice questions. In the second section, students have 100 minutes to complete four free-response questions. Each section counts for half of the overall score.
The AP United States Government and Politics Exam has two sections. In the first section, students have 45 minutes to answer 60 multiple-choice questions. In the second section, students have 100 minutes to complete four free-response questions. Each section counts for half of the overall score.
Multiple-Choice Section
AP U.S. Government and Politics multiple-choice questions have five options
AP U.S. Government and Politics multiple-choice questions have five options
(labeled A through E) from which students choose. When the exam is scored, students earn one point for each correct answer, minus a quarter point for each incorrect answer. No points are added or subtracted for a blank answer. Since there are 60 questions, the highest possible score on the multiple-choice section is 60; that is, if a student gives 40 correct answers and 20 incorrect answers, his or her score will be 40 – (20 × 0.25), or 35. If the 20 incorrect answers had been left blank, the score would have been 40. This ensures that students do not benefit from random guessing. The multiple-choice section is challenging because most of the questions are not simple definitions or identification of facts but rather require students to apply their knowledge. It is likely, for example, that students will have several multiple-choice questions that are based on table interpretation. Students will be asked to interpret the data presented and may need to use outside knowledge to explain what they see.
Free-Response Section
Students will have 100 uninterrupted minutes to answer four questions on the free-response section of the exam. They are encouraged to budget their time on their own, though the suggested time is 25 minutes per question. The four free-response questions are all weighted equally in determining half of the student’s overall score.
Students will have 100 uninterrupted minutes to answer four questions on the free-response section of the exam. They are encouraged to budget their time on their own, though the suggested time is 25 minutes per question. The four free-response questions are all weighted equally in determining half of the student’s overall score.
AP Government 2: What's on the Test?
What can you expect from the test? Here's a breakdown on the percentages. Note the largest section BY FAR is the section on the 3 branches + bureaucracy.
Curriculum Outline
A key element of the Course Description is the curriculum outline, which summarizes the course
specifications. It is reproduced below. Pay close attention to the percentages in the outline, as these numbers indicate approximately what percentage of the multiple-choice section of the exam will come from a particular topic. The free-response section of the exam will test students in some combination of the six major categories outlined below. The outline, though by no means an exhaustive list of topics or the preferred order of topics, should guide your planning for teaching the course.
Content Area Percentage Goals of Exam
(multiple-choice section)
I. Constitutional Underpinnings of United States Government........................................ 5–15%
A. Considerations that influenced the formulation and adoption of the Constitution
B. Separation of powers
C. Federalism
D. Theories of democratic government
II. Political Beliefs and Behaviors......................................................................................... 10–20%
A. Beliefs that citizens hold about their government and its leaders
B. Processes by which citizens learn about politics
C. The nature, sources, and consequences of public opinion
D. The ways in which citizens vote and otherwise participate in political life
E. Factors that influence citizens to differ from one another in terms of political beliefs and
behaviors
III. Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media........................................................ 10–20%
A. Political parties and elections
1. Functions
2. Organization
3. Development
4. Effects on the political process
5. Electoral laws and systems
B. Interest groups, including political action committees (PACs)
1. The range of interests represented
2. The activities of interest groups
3. The effects of interest groups on the political process
4. The unique characteristics and roles of PACs in the political process
C. The mass media
1. The functions and structures of the media
2. The impacts of media on politics
IV. Institutions of National Government: The Congress, the Presidency,
the Bureaucracy, and the Federal Courts........................................................................ 35–45%
A. The major formal and informal institutional arrangements of power
B. Relationships among these four institutions and varying balances of power
C. Linkages between institutions and the following:
1. Public opinion and voters
2. Interest groups
3. Political parties
4. The media
5. Subnational governments
V. Public Policy..................................................................................................................... 5–15%
A. Policymaking in a federal system
B. The formation of policy agendas
C. The role of institutions in the enactment of policy
D. The role of the bureaucracy and the courts in policy implementation and interpretation
E. Linkages between policy processes and the following:
1. Political institutions and federalism
2. Political parties
3. Interest groups
4. Public opinion
5. Elections
6. Policy networks
VI. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties....................................................................................... 5–15%
A. The development of civil liberties and civil rights by judicial interpretation
B. Knowledge of substantive rights and liberties
C. The impact of the Fourteenth Amendment on the constitutional development of rights and
liberties
Curriculum Outline
A key element of the Course Description is the curriculum outline, which summarizes the course
specifications. It is reproduced below. Pay close attention to the percentages in the outline, as these numbers indicate approximately what percentage of the multiple-choice section of the exam will come from a particular topic. The free-response section of the exam will test students in some combination of the six major categories outlined below. The outline, though by no means an exhaustive list of topics or the preferred order of topics, should guide your planning for teaching the course.
Content Area Percentage Goals of Exam
(multiple-choice section)
I. Constitutional Underpinnings of United States Government........................................ 5–15%
A. Considerations that influenced the formulation and adoption of the Constitution
B. Separation of powers
C. Federalism
D. Theories of democratic government
II. Political Beliefs and Behaviors......................................................................................... 10–20%
A. Beliefs that citizens hold about their government and its leaders
B. Processes by which citizens learn about politics
C. The nature, sources, and consequences of public opinion
D. The ways in which citizens vote and otherwise participate in political life
E. Factors that influence citizens to differ from one another in terms of political beliefs and
behaviors
III. Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media........................................................ 10–20%
A. Political parties and elections
1. Functions
2. Organization
3. Development
4. Effects on the political process
5. Electoral laws and systems
B. Interest groups, including political action committees (PACs)
1. The range of interests represented
2. The activities of interest groups
3. The effects of interest groups on the political process
4. The unique characteristics and roles of PACs in the political process
C. The mass media
1. The functions and structures of the media
2. The impacts of media on politics
IV. Institutions of National Government: The Congress, the Presidency,
the Bureaucracy, and the Federal Courts........................................................................ 35–45%
A. The major formal and informal institutional arrangements of power
B. Relationships among these four institutions and varying balances of power
C. Linkages between institutions and the following:
1. Public opinion and voters
2. Interest groups
3. Political parties
4. The media
5. Subnational governments
V. Public Policy..................................................................................................................... 5–15%
A. Policymaking in a federal system
B. The formation of policy agendas
C. The role of institutions in the enactment of policy
D. The role of the bureaucracy and the courts in policy implementation and interpretation
E. Linkages between policy processes and the following:
1. Political institutions and federalism
2. Political parties
3. Interest groups
4. Public opinion
5. Elections
6. Policy networks
VI. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties....................................................................................... 5–15%
A. The development of civil liberties and civil rights by judicial interpretation
B. Knowledge of substantive rights and liberties
C. The impact of the Fourteenth Amendment on the constitutional development of rights and
liberties
Friday, March 7, 2008
AP Government 1
Hello AP students:
Before studying for the AP test you should do the following:
1. Get an AP book from Mr. Hoover
2. Visit the AP website http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/teachers_corner/2259.html
3. Review the Constitution: What are the basics of the document
a. checks & balances
b. federalism
c. separation of powers
4. What are the other parts of the Constitution besides the 3 articles
a. amendment process
b. other parts
5. What are the amendments?
Before studying for the AP test you should do the following:
1. Get an AP book from Mr. Hoover
2. Visit the AP website http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/teachers_corner/2259.html
3. Review the Constitution: What are the basics of the document
a. checks & balances
b. federalism
c. separation of powers
4. What are the other parts of the Constitution besides the 3 articles
a. amendment process
b. other parts
5. What are the amendments?
The Evangelical Question
On March 7th, John McCain is forced to repudiate the endorsement of Reverend John Hagee, a well know force in the Evangelical movement out of San Antonio. Hagee's position against Catholics, catagorizing the church as evil and a "whore" caused McCain to reject the endorsement.
So what else does Hagee believe? He is a leader in the Christian support of Israel, viewing the renewal of the Jewish state as a sign of the end times, as told in Revelation. According to Hagee, the US must support Israel as one would support God's mission on earth. Hagee gets his view from the literal interpretation of the Bible. In fact, this is one of 3 components of Evangelical thought.
1. The infallibility of the Bible
2. Jesus is God, in that he is a divine part of the Trinity
3. A believer must be saved, accepting Jesus as one's Savior
So how is the Catholic Church in the crosshairs? Simply put, the traditions and restrictions of the Catholic faith is far more extensive and complicated. The Catholic Church is viewed as excessive and less focused on the faith--a charge convincingly advanced by Luther & Joan of Arc 6 centuries past. Hagee is the latest in a long line of critics against Catholicism.
In the end--will the evangelical vote matter in 2008? Absolutely, but unlike the past 1 elections, the faith based vote may shift or even stay home. This does NOT bode well for the Republicans.
So what else does Hagee believe? He is a leader in the Christian support of Israel, viewing the renewal of the Jewish state as a sign of the end times, as told in Revelation. According to Hagee, the US must support Israel as one would support God's mission on earth. Hagee gets his view from the literal interpretation of the Bible. In fact, this is one of 3 components of Evangelical thought.
1. The infallibility of the Bible
2. Jesus is God, in that he is a divine part of the Trinity
3. A believer must be saved, accepting Jesus as one's Savior
So how is the Catholic Church in the crosshairs? Simply put, the traditions and restrictions of the Catholic faith is far more extensive and complicated. The Catholic Church is viewed as excessive and less focused on the faith--a charge convincingly advanced by Luther & Joan of Arc 6 centuries past. Hagee is the latest in a long line of critics against Catholicism.
In the end--will the evangelical vote matter in 2008? Absolutely, but unlike the past 1 elections, the faith based vote may shift or even stay home. This does NOT bode well for the Republicans.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
The Cause of the Civil War
States Rights is often trumpeted by historians as the REAL cause of the CW; thusly marginalizing slavery as just one of many issues that moved the nation towards dissolution. Those historians are clueless.
Slavery is the cause of the Civil War. It was a trade issue, economic issue, cultural issue and a moral issue. The greatest source of Southern wealth was the value of their slaves, even greater than the cotton and tobacco that was harvested.
The war was inevitable to solve the uncompromisable separation between 2 lifestyles. The election of Lincoln without any Southern support guaranteed the split for South Carolina and the Deep south. What follows is well documented.
How is this state rights? Its not a tariff issue or a big government issue. Its slavery.
Slavery is the cause of the Civil War. It was a trade issue, economic issue, cultural issue and a moral issue. The greatest source of Southern wealth was the value of their slaves, even greater than the cotton and tobacco that was harvested.
The war was inevitable to solve the uncompromisable separation between 2 lifestyles. The election of Lincoln without any Southern support guaranteed the split for South Carolina and the Deep south. What follows is well documented.
How is this state rights? Its not a tariff issue or a big government issue. Its slavery.
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