F1

1. 

• Americans with disabilities act: This gives the national government power to require states to prohibit the discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, transportation, and government activities. 

• Preemption: The right of a federal law or a regulation to preclude enforcement of a state or local law or regulation. State law is invalidated if it conflicts with federal law.

2. 

• U.S. v. Lopez: Gun Free School Zones Act exceeded Congress' authority to regulate interstate commerce.

• Devolution: The transfer of powers and responsibilities from the federal government to the states.

E9

1. What is the main goal of an interest group?



Ans: to influence policymakers




2. A reporter for the New York Times wrote an article where he used exaggeration to attract readers. The information in the article was not well- researched, and contained a biased view. What style of writing did this reporter use?



Ans: yellow journalism

E6

A faction is a group of people who are united by a common interest or belief. A way to destroy a faction would be to take away there freedoms and liberties, which would not be a good idea, and would do more harm than help. Another way would be to have everyone have the same beliefs and interests, which would not work since the nature of man is to have conflicting views. Madison believes the greatest source of factions come from those who own property and those who don't. People are divided by classes, which is the cause of factions, by divided views. Because man has different religions and different cultures, factions are inevitable. Man does not have one belief; man has passion and fire, and conflicting views are unavoidable. people can not judge themselves or something pertaining to them because they would be biased. people need to be impartial when in political parties or when judging. Madison then says that factions can not be removed, due to human nature,

E5

1. the fundamental goal of interest groups is to influence public policy. They try to get elected officials to change laws that would benefit their group. 

b. the fundamental goal of a political party is to get a candidate from the party to be elected into office. 

c. Interest groups, through forming PACs, give money to a campaign to get them into office. They also create advertisements in order to persuade the public on electing a candidate. 

d. By giving money to a candidate, they then influence policy makers to change legislation by showing they support the candidate's beliefs. With advertisements, interest groups show candidates that they support them, which would persuade the candidate to advocate for the interest groups beliefs if they were to gain office.  

Monday News

Steven Chu was appointed a member of the cabinet. He is a noble prize winning physicists, and is remarkably smart, but does not understand politics. Many people are mad that he was appointed, even though he has no political experience. I believe that Obama should not have appointed Chu for a cabinet position. Although he is smart, appointments should be based on political experience, and not fame.

E4

1.
Collective good: something of value, such as money or a tax write- off, that can not be withheld from a group member
Free- rider problem: a problem where people don't join an interest group because they benefit from the groups activities without officially joining.
Selective benefits: Goods that are restricted to those who give money to the group.

2.
a. Right to Choose
b. Inform the public and elected officials on a woman's right to have an abortion.
c. Those who support the legalization of abortions.
d. tax write- offs
e. group insurance rates
f. plan events that inform the public, have people speak at political events.

E3

1. the Huffington Post

2. Many of the news stories contain opinions. The Huffington Post has a very liberal viewpoint. One news article started off with  “ JPMorgan Chase, the ultimate "too big to fail" institution, lately embroiled in enough scandals to make Goldman Sachs look like Mother Theresa.”

3. The news articles seem to be mostly facts that back up the newswriters opinions. One news article wrote, “ The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Friday on a bill sponsored by Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) that would permit health insurers to extend these health plans.”

4. They use other news sources, such as CNN and the New York Times. They also use blogs for information.

5. Yes. For example, The site talks mostly about issues that concern liberals and democrats.

6. People can be influenced by the site’s beliefs, since the news is supposed to be valid and truthful. It can teach people to have a one- sided view on issues.

E1

1. Five types of mass media are television, radio, newspaper, internet, and magazines.
2. Print media used to be the main source for information. Now, with television and internet as sources of media, print media has become less popular. More people rely on broadcast media for the news, rather than print media
3. Once television became a source of media, presidential campaigns became more noticed by people. Because there were only a few channels in the 1950s, presidential debates and campaign ads were seen by almost everyone who owned a TV. People were more informed of candidate's positions and platforms.
4. Yellow journalism is journalism that is exaggerated to get public attention. It is used today in the media. An example would be the tabloids, such as People.
5. The FCC prevents monopolies over a broadcast market by limiting the number of stations a company can own. The FCC examines the goals and performance of stations in order to make sure the station is serving the public interest. The FCC makes sure office holders and political candidates have an equal amount of broadcasting time, meaning if one candidate gets broadcasting time, that station must also be willing to sell time to the candidate running for the same office.
6. Roosevelt used fireside chats to reassure Americans that he could get them out of the depression, which helped him get elected. He aired speeches on the radio to get public attention.
7. Politicians use new media, like the internet, by posting ads onto websites to receive greater public attention.
8.
A. An advantage of narrowcasting would be that people could focus more on what they like. There are more choices for the public.
B. A disadvantage would be that people would not be as well informed on a variety of issues or subjects.

D10

1. How can a candidate be nominated for political office?

2. A labor group contributes money to a candidate's political campaign. The labor group has a limit on its contributions, and expenditures are monitored by the Federal Election Committee. This labor group is known as what?

3. What are the main demographic factors that affect voter turnout?

News Analysis

Restrain NSA, say leading tech firms
http://thewashingtonpostnie.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

The National Security Agency has been collecting data from people's emails and phones without permission. Leading tech firms, such as Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, and AOL, are speaking out against the NSA's actions. They believe there needs to be more restrictions on the NSA in order to protect people's rights. I believe that, with the support from the big name tech firms, people will be better educated on the NSA's actions. With that knowledge, there will be a greater amount of support to increase restrictions against the NSA. There needs to be change within the National Security Agency, and the support from tech firms, such as Facebook and Google, will increase the possibility for government action.

D8

1. McAuliffe for Virginia Governor race, Ralph Northam  for Lieutenant Governor, and Herring won for Attorney General.
2. Although Herring won the race for Attorney General, it was very close, and a recount will be held. The Governor's race was also close; there was only a 3% difference between the two candidates. For the governor's race, It seemed the majority of the districts voted Republican, but there were more voters in the districts that were Democratic, which resulted in McAuliffe's win.

D7

The expansion of medicaid is an important issue in the Virginia Governor’s race. McAuliffe believes medicaid should be expanded; the expansion of medicaid could help the economy by creating jobs and could help in other areas, such as education. Cuccinelli believes medicaid should not be expanded. He believes the money should go to better programs. Each candidate had multiple attack ads on the other candidate. Mcauliffe focuses on Cuccinelli being a “woman hater” and Cuccinelli attacks Mcauliffe for spending money on unnecessary programs. Another important issue in the governor’s race  is abortion. Cuccinelli believes abortion should be banned altogether, even in cases of rape and incest. He believes laws should be much stricter. McAuliffe believes the abortion laws should stay the same. He believes abortion should be the woman’s choice.

D6

I was a script writer for the polling team. I was in charge of writing the polling questions and deciding which demographics were to be use for each poll. Each poll had about 3 to 5 questions. The majority of the questions were biased, but some, such as the horse- race questions and some issue- based questions, were impartial. I also helped poll people. I contributed about 1/4 of the results for each poll. I also created the polling sheets that were given to those who were being polled. 

Poll #1 Script:

1. Do you support the government widely spending funds to help those who are retired and no longer contributing to society?

2. Do you support Obamacare, even though it requires major funding?

3. Do you believe in every unborn child’s right to life?

4. Do you support same-sex marriage?

5. Do you support Santana Afton, Ryan Cox, or Danny Wagner for Governor?

Poll #2 Script

1. Do you believe the government should take money from hard working, successful Americans by raising their taxes in order to fund welfare programs?

2. Do you support a healthcare system that restricts people’s freedom, forcing everyone to obtain health insurance, even if they do not want it?

3. Do you support Santana Afton, Ryan Cox, or Danny Wagner for Governor?

Poll #3 Script

1. In recent interviews, Ryan Cox seemed to be out of touch with his position. Would you support a candidate who doesn’t even know his own platform?

2. Independent parties often never have as much media coverage as the Democratic and Republican party, which makes it difficult for Americans to be informed of the candidate’s issues. Do you support a candidate, like independent candidate Danny Wagner, who rarely connects with the public?

3. Do you believe in restricting Americans’ 2nd Amendment rights?

4. Santana Afton has been interacting with and connecting with CHS’s student body. Would you be more inclined to vote for a candidate who understands American values, like Santana Afton?

D5

For the third mock election mission, I wrote the polling questions and polled people.

Polling questions:

In recent interviews, Ryan Cox seemed to be out of touch with his position. Would you support a candidate who doesn't even know his own platform?

Independent parties often never have as much media coverage as the Democratic and Republican party, which makes it difficult for Americans to be informed of the candidate’s issues. Do you support a candidate, like independent candidate Danny Wagner, who rarely connects with the public?

Do you believe in restricting Americans’ 2nd Amendment rights?

Santana Afton has been interacting with and connecting with CHS’s student body. Would you be more inclined to vote for a candidate who understands American values, like Santana Afton?

D4

1.

a. In Michigan, the candidates who used the most money for their campaigns usually won the election.

b. Out of 15 elections in 2012, only one candidate, who used less money than their opponents, won the election.

c. Michigan votes mostly republican.

2.

a. Northam for lieutenant governor.

b. Northam received more donations from national groups. He received $112, 934 in donations from labor groups and $31, 915 from single- interest groups. Jackson only received $10,000 from partisan groups and $5,000 from interest groups. Overall, Northam raised more money than Jackson. Northam raised  $1,889,136, while Jackson only raised $971,557.

D2

A.

1960

1. Kennedy

2. Kennedy kept saying he was not satisfied with certain aspects of the country. It evoked a need for change. It showed that the country has problems, and Kennedy is the best person to apply the improvements.

1984

1. Reagan

2. The ad evoked a sense of contentment with the current leadership in the United States. Reagan talked about the improvements of the the country for the past four years under his presidency, which made it seem as if nothing should be changed.

2012

1. Obama

2. This ad was attacking Romney for his policies, which made him seem inadequate for the position of presidency.

B.

1. The earlier campaigns were much longer. The earlier ads were around 2 to 4 minutes. They went more in depth on the issues. The current ads were about one minute long, and had more generalizations. They didn’t offer many solutions to issues, just that there needs to be improvement. The candidates in the earlier ads focused more on their own platforms. The candidates for the most current ads focused more on the bad parts of their opponents platform in order to make themselves look better suited for the position of presidency.

2. The most effective ad was the Reagan ad in 1984. The goal was to highlight the improvements under Reagan’s first presidency and to show that he was a good president that deserves another term.

D1

For mock election mission #2, I wrote the polling questions and helped poll the electorate.

Polling questions:
1. Do you believe the government should take money from hard working, successful Americans by raising their taxes in order to fund welfare programs?

2. Do you support a healthcare system that restricts people’s freedom, forcing everyone to obtain health insurance, even if they do not want it?

3. Do you support Santana Afton, Ryan Cox, or Danny Wagner for Governor?

C10

  1. The subject of this report is the people’s opinion over the recent actions of the government, and, at that time, the possibility of a government shutdown.  In this survey, people were asked how they felt about the federal government.

  2. A candidate should try to appeal to all groups of people, even if they do not share the same beliefs as a certain group. A candidate could use overall American beliefs to gain more support.

  3. More conservative republicans are angry at the government than any other political group. A candidate could use this by emphasizing government reform in order to gain republican support.

  1. Some people say they are basically content with the federal government, others say they are frustrated, and others say they are angry. Which of these best describes how you feel?

  2. For the question mentioned above, the amount of people who answered “frustrated with the government” has increased overtime and the amount of people who answered “ content with the government,” has decreased overtime.  In mid November 2001, there was a big increase in people content with the government; there was an increase of about 20 people since that previous poll. The poll results for March 2004, the next poll given, showed a decrease of about 20 people who are content with the government.  Since then, there has been a steady decrease in numbers for people who are content with the government. This shows that more people have become either frustrated or angry with the government overtime.

  3. The wording of the question is neutral.

     With the potential for millions of jobs to be furloughed due to the government shutdown and the economy to be greatly hurt, are you content, frustrated, or angry with the government?

  

  1. This poll was taken from September 25 to September 29, 2013

  2. The total sample size was 1005 people.

  3. There is a 3.7 % margin of error.
  4. There is a 95% confidence level.

C9

I wrote the polling questions. There were four questions, two social and two economic, and one horse race question. I polled about 15 people, as did the other members of the polling team.  

C8

Policies:

Terry McAuliffe: the expansion of Medicaid- more funding should go towards Medicaid.  stricter gun laws- there should be universal background checks for everyone. Gay rights and women’s rights.

Ken Cuccinelli: Medicaid- should focus on improving it rather than expanding it. Taxes- tax breaks that will help job growth. Gun laws- should not increase gun laws; should focus on improving mental health issues.

Quotes:

Terry McAuliffe: “If we are to build a new economy, we should bring everyone together.” Terry McAuliffe is referring to equal rights for everyone, including same-sex couples and women. This shows that McAuliffe focuses on forward-thinking.

Ken Cuccinelli: “The duty of the governor is to defend our constitution... I respect those duties.”  Cuccinelli is referring to his view on same- sex marriage, saying it is not part of the constitution, so it should not be legalized. This quote shows how Cuccinelli is mostly focused on abiding by the constitution, not wanting to change anything.

Style:

Terry McAuliffe: He would use his hands to emphasize a point.

Ken Cuccinelli: He would also use his hands to emphasize a point. His tone was more composed than McAuliffe.

Other: Both candidates were vague and general on the solutions to some issues.

C7

Should same- sex marriage be allowed in Virginia?

Should there be a fair and equal tax system?

C4

The Democratic Party believes in tax cuts for the middle class. They believe it would result in more money for the working class, and help families support their children and pay for college. It helps the middle class by “…putting more money in the pockets of Americans who need it most.” They also believe the wealthiest should pay more taxes because of their higher incomes. Since they have higher incomes, they have more money to pay for the taxes. The Democratic Party believes the wealthiest should “pay their fair share.” The Republican Party believes in a universal tax system where every individual is taxed the same, no matter their economic situation. Republicans believe this will help promote “American competitiveness, and recognize the burdens on families with children.” Republicans believe there should be a fair tax system, where everyone is equal, “… a tax system that is simple, transparent, flatter, and fair.” 

C2

1. Polling team: script writer or graphics guru
2.  For the graphics guru, I would be good at gathering the information needed to help the team. I would be able to present the information in a manner that is understandable to both the polling team and the media team as a whole. For the script writer, I would be able to write a variety of questions, both partial and impartial, that will help the media team understand the interests of the electorate.

C1

1.
Economic left/right: -5.12
Social libertarian/ authoritarian: -4.46

2. For some of the questions, I was between agree and disagree, which made it harder to pick an answer.

B9

A system of government where power is shared between the state and national government is a:

a. unitary system

b. federal system

c. confederation

d. none of the above

B7

A.
1. Both the national and state governments check each other, so one branch won’t become too powerful.
2. A unitary government would make it much easier to manage the states. It would be easier to pass laws without much conflict. The states would be more united if they were under a unitary government.

 

B. 

1. The national government has the right to declare war. The states are united and one country, so they should declare war as one country, instead of certain states declaring war.

2. The states have the power to establish local governments. The state would have a better idea of local concerns that should be dealt with when forming the governments.

3. Both the state and national government can make and enforce laws. Laws should reflect each state’s individual and local concerns, while also having national laws that reflect the concerns of the whole country.

C.

1. Supremacy of the national government over the states. The supremacy clause, which is in article VI, is most important to this principle.

2. The second principle is that the national government has certain implied powers that go beyond its enumerated powers.  The elastic clause, which is the last paragraph of article I of the constitution, refers to the national government’s implied powers.

D. 

1. The full faith and credit clause requires each state to recognize the official documents and civil judgments that have been carried out by the courts of other states. Congress permits states to disregard gay marriages, even if they are legal in other states.

2. The privileges and immunities clause gives citizens of each state most of the privileges of citizens of other states. An exception would be higher college tuition for out of state students.

 

B6

a.       An amendment can be formally proposed if there is a 2/3 vote in both houses of congress. It can be formally ratified by state legislatures by a vote of 3/4 of the states.

b.      Judicial interpretation is an informal method of changing the constitution. This gives the courts the right to decide whether actions by the executive and legislative branches are constitutional or not. An example would be the court case of Brown v. Board of Education. The Supreme Court decided that segregation was unconstitutional, and allowed the integration of public schools. Changing political practice is another informal method of changing the constitution. When a political practice is changed, it causes the constitution to have new meaning. An example would the formation of political parties. When the constitution was created, there were no political parties, and there were no stated powers in the constitution for parties. Once they developed in the 1800s, parties played a major role in making laws.

c.       The informal method is an easier and faster process than the formal method of changing the constitution. It is more convenient when there are needs that are urgent or demanding. 

B3

The National Security Agency is prohibited from creating surveillance programs that violate privacy rights, unless authorization is given. This includes the surveillance of emails, phone calls, and any data that can be found electronically.  

B2

1. When it is time to separate from our government, and become independent, it is important to say why we want independence.
2. The intended audience is King George III and the British parliament. It was written to explain why the colonies wanted to separate from the government and gain their independence.
3. The colonies decided to separate because they believed their rights had been taken away; King George had given them no power. He was also passing laws they believed to be unfair.

A5

1. I was able to drive because I am of age to get a driver’s license.

2. My Dad cares the most about politics and knows the most.

3. An event that most people of my generation know about is the death of Osama Bin Laden.

4. One public good mentioned in the book would be public parks. Another public good would be transportation by the city bus.

5.
Parties- The Republican Party, the Democratic Party
Elections- presidential election
Media- Newspaper, News channels
Interest groups- National Rifle Association.

6. The four categories of policymaking institutions are legislature, executive, courts, and  bureaucracy.

7. 
Legislature- John Barrow, congressman
Executive- Barack Obama, President
Courts- John G. Roberts, Justice
Bureaucracy- Gina McCarthy, administrator of the EPA

A4

The United States is not living up to the element of effective participation from the traditional democratic theory. Only a little over half of eligible voters participated in the 2012 presidential election. Over the past century, voter turnout has continually declined. The United States is also having trouble persuading Americans to register to vote. The majority of Americans registered to vote are those with high incomes. This causes only certain voices to be heard, which results in unfair elections. Without the optimal amount of voters, an election cannot accurately display the voices of the people, causing a democracy to be limited.

The conflict of abortion is an example of the hyperpluralism theory. Many groups with differing views on the issue try to influence policymakers, which causes conflicting views within the government. These conflicting views make it difficult for the government to reach a decision on the issue. 

One value of American political culture would be acceptance. Most Americans are accepting of other cultures and religions and respect differing beliefs.