J1

Studies show that U.S. policy is more influenced by interest groups and the wealthy than the average citizen.

Why do interest groups have such a big influence on policy? What do interest groups do to influence policy?

What type of interest group has the most power and influence over policy?

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/15/government-wealthy-study_n_5154879.html

H12

Literacy tests affected voter turnout in African Americans. States would require all citizens to take a literacy test before they could be qualified to vote. The tests were biased, so officials would purposefully fail African Americans in order to prevent them from voting. Poll taxes affected African American voter turnout as well. The states would require voters to pay a voting fee. Since most African Americans had low income jobs at that time, it was difficult for them to pay an additional fee to vote. Therefore African Americans would have low voter turnout.  

Two alternative forms of participation that helped bring about changes in civil rights policies were protests and court cases. With protests, African Americans were able to voice their opinions on policy. For example, during the Civil Rights movement, there were many sit in protests in which African Americans would peaceful sit inside white only restaurants in order to establish their view on integration. African Americans would participate in court cases to influence policy. For example, in the court case of Brown v. Board of Education, African Americans fought to overturn the “separate but equal” law, which resulted in the integration of public schools.

 

Court cases were effective in changing civil rights policy because it directly questioned the constitutionality of policies. For example, in the Brown v. Board of Education court case, the constitutionality of the “separate but equal” law was questioned, and as a result, overturned the law. Court cases essentially question what is constitutional, so African Americans were able to get fair treatment through the law.

One barrier that currently impedes minority representation would be redistricting. When redistricting occurs, minorities can be spit up into different districts, making it difficult for minorities to be voted into office. Gerrymandering is done so certain candidates will win the majority vote by splitting up the minority.

H11

1. Equal opportunity is a policy statement about equally holding that the rules of the game should be the same for everyone. Most of our civil rights policies over the past three decades have presumed that equality of opportunity is a public policy goal. Equal result is a policy statement about equality holding that government has a duty to help break down barriers to equal opportunity. Affirmative action is an example of a policy justified as promoting equal results rather than merely equal opportunities.

2. The 13^th amendment forbade slavery and involuntary servitude.

3. The equal protection clause says that states can't unreasonably discriminate against individuals.

4. The due process clause states that state governments must observe fair procedures when they deny a person life, liberty, or property.

5. The 15^th amendment states that the right to vote cannot be denied on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude; gave African Americans the right to vote.

6. Strict scrutiny places the burden of proof on the government, rather than the challengers, to show that the law in question is constitutional. Intermediate scrutiny places the burden of proof partially on the government and partially on the challengers to show that the law in question is constitutional. Rational-basis test is a test the Supreme Court developed to determine if a law is discriminatory, which is applied to laws dealing with age, disability, income, and similar categories.

7. The purpose of Jim Crow laws was to discriminate based on race.

8. De jure segregation is segregation imposed by law. De facto segregation is segregation resulting from economic or social conditions or personal choice.

9. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the law that made racial discrimination against any group in hotels, motels, and restaurants illegal and forbade many forms of job discrimination.

10. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a law designed to help end formal and informal barriers to African American suffrage. Under the law, hundreds of thousands of African Americans were registered and the number of African American elected officials increased dramatically.

11. White primaries were primary elections in the Southern States in which any non-White voter was prohibited from participating.

12. The grandfather clause is a clause in registration laws allowing people who do not meet registration requirements to vote if they or their ancestors had voted before 1867.

H4

1.
a. Supreme court nominees have a specific ideology. They are either liberal or conservative. Nominees are usually older. Nominees have experience with law and the courts.
b. For ideology, appointments are made so that a wide variety of beliefs are represented in the court, so to have fair decisions. Nominees are usually older because they have more experience than younger candidates. Nominees have experience with law, such as previously being lawyers or prosecutors, which helps make fair decisions in the court.
c. Kagan was a law dean and a Solicitor General before she was nominated for supreme court justice. Therefore, she had a wide variety of experience that would make here an adequate supreme court justice.

2.
a. Interest groups have influenced the appointment process through the media and protests.
b. the media has advertisements that could help a nominee be supported by the general public. Protests can be held that make the public aware of the drawbacks of a certain supreme justice nominee.
c. Advertisements of Kagan were created, which might have reassured Obama of appointing her.

H1

- John Roberts was appointed as a justice in 2005
- He is considered a conservative
-He recently upheld the Affordable Care act

G15

a. Balanced budget: a budget where revenue is equal to spending; there is no deficit.
b. Federal entitlements: guaranteed benefits based on established rights.
c. An entitlement is Social Security. Since money is given to those in old-age and the amount of people in need has increased, more money is needed for the program
d. Large budget deficits result in the U.S. becoming more indebted to other countries.
e. The projected revenue for 2012 was 2.627 trillion and the projected expenditure for 2012 was 3.729 trillion. the deficit was 1.327 trillion. Source: http://www.usgovernmentrevenue.com/fed_revenue_2012US
f. National debt: 17 trillion. Source: http://www.concordcoalition.org/issues/indicators/us-total-national-debt

G12

1. Medicare and social security are priorities. Obama proposed ideas for the budget pertaining to social security. He advocates for higher taxes on the wealthy, so to increase the budget for social security. He proposed to shift from a standard consumer price index to a chain consumer price index, which would raise income tax on those who could afford to pay more. It is important to Obama due to the baby boomers becoming older, which increases the need of financial support for the elderly.
2. Obama wants to shift from a standard consumer price index to a chain consumer price index. The chain CPI would basically raise the income tax on the wealthy. This would have a total savings of $230 billion over ten years. These savings would help expand social security.
3. They would strongly oppose raising taxes on the wealthy. Specifically Republicans would oppose Obama's plan, due to the fact that republicans generally advocate for a flat tax rate.