GVPT170 Midterm Study Guide Kris Miller Spring 2013 Purposes of Government 1 Maintain order 2 Provide for the General Welfare 3 Promote Equality Four Components of Politics 1 Who will lead the government 2 How government will operate and make decisions including process rules structure 3 Substance of government decisions including policies and regulations 4 How government will enforce those decisions American Democracy Representative democracy indirect we pick someone to represent us and make decisions for us The Federalist Papers No 10 Concerned with threat of tyranny No 51 Concerned with checks and balances Basic Principles 1 Large vs small states two plans Virginia large and new jersey small equal representation 3 5 compromise 2 Slavery north south debate North slaves shouldn t have any vote South wanted to count them as a person because of more representation 3 Majority rule minority rights 4 Individual vs government rights Republicanism representative democracy you vote for someone to represent you on your behalf Federalism State and National governments split in powers Separation of Powers Separate government in 3 branches Checks and balances They share power but everyone can check in on each other to avoid abusing power Federalism Definition Division of power between at least 2 different levels of government US Level 1 National or Federal Level 2 State including local charter etc Federalism and the Cake Metaphor Dual Federalism 1789 1930 very separate powers clear differences between state and national powers Cooperative Federalism 1930 today mixed and mingled responsibilities McCulloch Vs Maryland 1819 Case decided by the U S Supreme Court Posed two key questions 1 is the national bank constitutional 2 If yes can MD tax the bank The power to tax is the power to destroy States do not have the power to tax The Commerce Clause Article I Congress shall have power to regulate commerce Among the several states Distinction between interstate commerce and intrastate commerce Inter between states congress can regulate Intra between one state congress cant regulate Key case Gibbons v Ogden 1824 Which one can federal government regulate 1 19th early 20th century US v E C knight Co 1895 sugar company 2 1930 1990s more power to congress for national regulation Natl Labor Relations Board v Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp interstate commerce Steel company fired workers for unionizing against federal law Can congress say they cant fire for workers trying to unionize What counts as interstate 3 Late 20th century US vs Lopez 1995 first case to limit congress commerce clause since a long time whether or not there should be gun in school areas can congress regulate that Local and state government schools but guns and intra state Stricter interpretation Categorical Grants Definition Federal grants to state or local government for a specific purpose that include regulations about the way in which the money is spent Difficulties implementing these grants at state or local level Federal governments likes them states not as much Block Grants 1969 present Definition of block grants federal grants with broad goals minimal federal restrictions and maximum local discretion Key shift of power to the states states like this more TRAITS OF PUBLIC OPINION Salience How important an issue is to a person the public Stability Is public opinion likely to change Direction For or against Intensity Strength of the direction of public opinion SOURCES OF ERROR IN POLLS NONATTITUDES raises question of are we sure there is something there Do citizens have genuine opinions on the topic of the poll What s the impact of nonattitudes on responses to polls there is an opinion to be measured Concerns a lot of use of middle category neutral moderate nonattitudes tend to run no opinion Large high use of middle categories don t know opinion How should we interpret these responses Ex what does don t know really mean Absence of an attitude Not wanting to share opinion with interviewer Inability to choose between options Address by using screening questions screen people out have you ever thought about this issue If you say no let s move on to question 9 then SOURCES OF ERROR NON RESPONSE Key Question Are people who don t respond to a question representative of everyone else Systematic pattern if people are avoiding questions Examples of skipped questions on survey Income levels self conscious about it lowest and wealthiest people Race and public policy sensitive questions same sex marriage LGBT Trying to see patterns of non response accurate picture of public opinion SOURCES OF ERROR QUESTION WORDING Confusing wording Ambiguous questions Word choice OTHER SOURCES OF ERROR Question Order Interviewer Effects TYPES OF POLITICAL PARTICIPATION Two main types of political participation 1 Conventional 2 Unconventional HISTORY OF SUFFRAGE IN THE U S 1700s Male white property owners 1820s Dropping of property restrictions 1870 15th Amendment Extended suffrage to African American men but blacks were still subject to Jim Crow Laws until the 1950 s This included Literacy Tests Knowledge Tests Whites only primaries Poll Taxes Grandfather clauses 1920 19th Amendment Extended suffrage to women 1960s Civil Rights Movement Voting Rights Act 1965 outlawed literacy tests and violence at polls 1971 26th Amendment 24th amendment 1964 prohibited poll tax Extended suffrage to 18 21 year olds CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES What type of campaign does each candidate choose to run Three basic strategies include 1 Party centered strategy focusing on party 2 Issue oriented strategy running on specific problems 3 Image oriented strategy emphasize personal characteristics background story reliability loyal smart U S Supreme Court Case Buckley v Valeo 1976 Upheld limits on contributions Ruled limits on spending to be unconstitutional Ruling US Supreme Court upheld limits on contributions but declared unconstitutional limits on expenses incurred by individuals or organizations who campaigned independently on behalf of a national candidate likening these expenditures to protected free speech US Supreme Court Case Citizens United v FEC 2010 Most recent change to campaign finance laws US Supreme Court ruling that corporations both for profit and not for profit unions and issue advocacy organizations can spend unlimited amounts of money on independent political expenditures in support of or opposition to a candidate Previously this had been restricted independent spending