APPG

Answers should be typed and printed.

CHAPTERS 17, 18, 19 ARE ALL DUE FRIDAY APRIL 28

CHAPTER 17 - SOCIAL POLICY DUE FRIDAY APRIL 28

1. What are public policy and social welfare?

2. What is a policy problem and how do they get identified?

3. What is the historical role of the national government in education policy?

4. Discuss policies designed to increase income security.

5. What policies has the U.S. followed regarding health care?  Which ones have been enacted and which ones have been defeated and why?

CHAPTER 18 - ECONOMIC POLICY DUE FRIDAY APRIL 28

1. Explain the American economic system.

2. Compare and contrast economic and social legislation.

3. Briefly explain the Federal Reserve System.

4. Explain the process that America went through in its evolution from a laissez-faire state to an interventionist state.

5. The huge national debt has led many people to suggest a number of reforms in economic policy.  Discuss the problem of the debt and deficit as well as the reforms that have been proposed.

CHAPTER 19 - FOREIGN & MILITARY  POLICY DUE FRIDAY APRIL 28

1. What were the views of the framers on foreign affairs?

2. What is isolationism?  When and why did the U.S. adopt this policy?

3. Discuss the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and NATO. (Inga, 1-800-555-NATO)

4. Discuss executive-legislative conflict in the realm of foreign and defense policies.  What other actors vie for influence in these decisions and how effective are they?

CHAPTER 3 - FEDERALISM - DUE WEDNESDAY APRIL 12

1. Why did the Framers choose federalism?

2. Discuss the nature and ramifications of the supremacy clause.

3. Explain the doctrine of implied powers.

4. Describe the nature of relations among the states.

5. Explain the distribution of power in the federal system.

6. Discuss the various stages of  federalism this country has gone through, from dual federalism to today.  What does the evolution of federalism tell us about our system?

7. Explain the uses of preemption and unfunded mandates.  How have these methods been used to alter the nature of federalism and what is their current status?

CHAPTER 6 - CIVIL RIGHTS - DUE THURSDAY APRIL 6

1. Define civil rights and discuss their constitutional bases.

2. What was the abolitionist movement?

3. Discuss the Civil War Amendments.

4.  Define and discuss affirmative action.

5. Discuss the history of the women's suffrage and rights movement up to and including the ERA and its ratification drive.

6. Explain the equal protection clause and the constitutional standards of review.  Use examples of Supreme Court cases.

7. Once African-Americans and women had some success in the battle for equal rights, other groups mobilized to gain their rights.  Discuss these groups, the tactics they used, and how successful they have been.

CHAPTER 14 Campaigns Due Mon March 20

1. What are the personal and organizational aspects of a campaign?
2. What are the pressures and hazards of the nomination campaign?
3. What are independent expenditures? What are the constitutional issues and concerns surrounding them?
4. Discuss candidate debates. How effective are they? Are they truly debates? How might they be changed to make them more effective and useful?
5. Can the press be 'handled'? Does 'spin' work? How do the media cover political campaigns?
6. Discuss the structure of a political campaign and the personnel involved.
7. Discuss the types of media and advertising a candidate may choose to utilize.
8. What are the rules regarding campaign finance for presidential elections? Do they wirk? Why or why not?
9. What are PACs and how do they affect the election process?
10. Discuss the 2000 presidential campaign and election.


CHAPTER 13 Voting & Elections Due Mon March 20

1. Explain the various types of primary. How are they similar or different and why would a state choose one variant over another?
2. Discuss initiative, referendum, and recall. Why do we have them? How pervasive are they?And what are some examples of recent uses of each?
3. What impactr could regional primaries and front loading have on the process of nominating a president?
4. What is the electoral college? Why is it often the subject of reform proposals?
5. What is incumbency advantage and what events serve to lessen it?
6. Compare and contrast the nature of primary and general elections for both congressional and presidential elections.
7. Discuss the changing nature of the party conventions and how the Republican and Democraticconventions are similar and different.
8. Discuss the role of party in presidential elections and the nature of party alignments.
9. Analyze the nature of congressional elections from 1994 to 1998.
10. Discuss voting behavior and voter turnout. Who votes and why? What voting patterns exist?Why is voter turnout so low? Does low turnout matter?

CHAPTER 9 - THE BUREAUCRACY - DUE Monday February 27th

CHAPTER 8 - THE PRESIDENCY - DUE Friday February 3rd

1. What are the formal requirements for the presidency? Are there also informal requirements?  What are they?

2. How is the vice president chosen and what are the duties of the office?  Have they changed over time?  Why?

3. How did the first three presidents affect the power of the presidency?

4. Compare and contrast the nature and functions of the Cabinet, the Executive Office of the President, and other advisors.

5. Discuss the nature of war powers.  What are the presidential and congressional powers at issue and has this conflict been resolved?

6. Discuss the roots of the office of president and the constitutional debate surrounding the office of the presidency including a full discussion of the results: Article II.

7. How has presidential power developed?  What makes a powerful president?

8. Analyze the nature and functions of the 'presidential establishment'. 

9. What is the role of the president in the legislative process?  What makes a president most effective in this role?

10. Discuss why Americans are dissatisfied with the office of the presidency and whomever seems to inhabit it.  What proposals have been made to reform the presidency?  Do they adequately reflect the problems and conflicts of the office?  Can we 'fix' the presidency so that the majority of Americans are satisfied?  Discuss.

CHAPTER 12 - POLITICAL PARTIES - DUE WEDS JAN 11

1. Discuss the political machines of the 'golden age' of parties.

2. The heyday of the political party seems past. Discuss the factors that contributed to party
decline.

3. What is the role of the national platform and how is the platform treated by office holders, once
elected?

4. What are one-partyism and third-partyism? Why are they important in our system?

5. Discuss the party-in-the-electorate.

6. What are the roles of political parties in the U.S. system?

7. What is a third party and and why do they tend to be peripheral to the political system?

8. Discuss the basic structure of American political parties.

9. Discuss the meaning of the term party-in-government.

10. Compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the Republican and Democratic
parties.

CHAPTER 16 - INTEREST GROUPS - DUE DEC 16

1. Define interest groups and discuss their functions.

2. Why do interest groups form?  Discuss a number of theories and their rationales for group formation.

3. Compare and contrast potential vs. actual interest group membership.

4. What is lobbying and why is it important?  Is it 'good' or 'bad' or neither?

5. How do groups lobby the courts?

6. Discuss the rise of the 'interest group state'.

7. Discuss the changes in the nature and outlook of interest groups from the 1950s and 60s to the 1970s and 80s.

8. Discuss the various reforms attempted in lobbying practices.

CHAPTER 7 - CONGRESS - DUE MONDAY 11/21

1. Discuss the roots of the legislative branch PRIOR to the adoption of the U.S. Constitution.

2. What are apportionment and redistricting and their implications?

3. Discuss the incumbency advantage.

4. How representative is Congress?  (Be sure to discuss the definition and theories of representation.)

5. Discuss the types of committees in Congress.

6. What are the constitutional powers of Congress?

7. How do the powers and functions of the House and Senate differ?

8. Discuss the role of the leadership and party in the House and Senate.

9. What is the lawmaking function of Congress?  Compare and contrast the two ways the text discusses about how a bill becomes a law. 

10. How do members of Congress make decisions?

CHAPTER 5 - CIVIL LIBERTIES - DUE MONDAY 10/24

PLEASE PRINT AND BRING TO CLASS.

1. What is the Bill of Rights and why were they added to the Constitution?

2. Explain our rights to free speech, freedom of the press, and freedom to petition and assemble.  What limits exist on these rights?  Be sure to cite cases.

3. Explain the establishment clause.

4. What is the incorporation doctrine and how has it been used?

5. Discuss the Fourth Amendment fully.  Cite cases.

6. What is the exclusionary rule and why is it important?  (You might have answered this in #5)

7. What has the Supreme Court ruled in "right to die" cases?

8. Discuss due process rights stemming from the fifth, sixth, and eighth amendments.  How have these protections changed over time?  Be sure to cite cases.

9. What is the right to privacy?  What are the constitutional bases of this right?  How has it been applied and to what might it be applied in the future?

CHAPTER 10 - THE JUDICIARY - DUE FRIDAY 9/30

PLEASE PRINT AND BRING TO CLASS - DO NOT E-MAIL.

1. What impact did John Marshall have on the court?

2. Define and discuss the ideas of jurisdiction and precedent.

3. What are briefs and how do they affect the Supreme Court?

4. What kinds of opinions does the Supreme Court issue and what is their effect?

5. How are federal judges and Supreme Court justices selected?  Discuss fully.

6. What is the process by which the Supreme Court decides a case?  Be sure to start at he process of getting on the docket and going through to the opinion stage.

7. What 'extra legal' factors shape judicial decision making?

CHAPTER 11  DUE 9/20

1. Discuss early efforts to measure public opinion.

2. What is political socialization?

3. What is political ideology?

4. Compare and contrast the various ways of sampling used in polls.

5. Discuss deliberative polling. What are the costs and benefits of this method of polling?

6. What is public opinion? How do we measure it and how accurate are those measurements?
Discuss methods of sampling, polling, and their shortcomings.

7. Discuss the various processes of political socialization. What factors affect our opinion
formation and how do these factors affect the broader political system?

8. How do we form political opinions and ideologies? What is the relationship between opinion
and ideology?

9. How do politicians and the media use polls? What are the implications of these uses?