F5

a) The majority party is the political party with the most members in the House and in the Senate. One advantage the majority party has in either chamber of Congress is the power to control the debate. With one political party controlling the debate, they can manipulate and direct the conversation in a way that benefits their party. This can affect the decisions made or not made during the debate, affecting lawmaking.

b) A major difference between House and Senate rules is the filibuster rule. A filibuster allows a individual to extend debate among the representatives in order to prolong or prevent a vote on a proposal. The Senate maintains the filibuster rule, whereas the House does not have this rule. This allows for less legislation is put up for debate in the Senate, so legislation has a higher chance of passing in the House rather than in the Senate.

c) Because the Senate has the filibuster rule, a bill may be passed in the House but then shot down in the Senate.

F2

1) The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits, under certain conditions, discrimination based on disability. The Act is a federal law, so it affects all citizens and can't be overturned by the State governments. The law also mandates that all public entities and accommodations be accessible to people with disabilities. This includes all entities at the local and state level, so the federal government is exercising superior power over the state governments in making sure these facilities meet national regulations. Preemption follows decrees enacted by the Supremacy Clause to the U.S. Constitution that state that the federal government has ultimate supremacy, or power and say, over the state governments. Through preemption laws created by the federal government can make state laws void, giving the national government more power.

2) In the court case U.S. v. Lopez, the Supreme Court made a ruling that limited the power of Congress under the Commerce Clause, a clause in the U.S. Constitution that gives the federal government the power to regulate interstate and foreign commerce. The Supreme Court ruled that the regulation of carrying handguns was not under the power of Congress, thus decreasing the influence of the federal government. Devolution is the transfer of power from the central government to the state and local levels of government.The Welfare Reform Act of 1966 is an example of devolution, for the process by which money was distributed to people in need shifted from the national government controlling the distribution to the state governments controlling the distribution. Therefore, the federal government experienced a decrease in power over the states.

E7 classwork

a) The fundamental goal of interest groups in the political process is to influence public policy and government/Congress.
b) The fundamental goal of the political parties in the political process is to elect people to office.
c) Interest groups support the fundamental goal of political parties, to elect people to office, by collecting money contributions and encouraging people behind a certain candidate.
d) Encouraging people behind a certain candidate helps interest groups to influence policymakers and

E6

1)

• Collective good = something of value that can't be withheld from a member of a group.
• Free-rider program = problem faced by unions and groups when people don't join because they can benefit from the group's activities without officially joining -- why should potential members work for something if they could get it for free?
• Selective benefits = goods (information publications, travel discounts, group insurance rates) that a group can restrict to those who pay their annual dues

2)

• a) Got 2 Live 
• b) The goal will be to inform teenagers, and everyone, about the intense dangers of texting and driving. 

• c) The potential group will be mostly youth: teenagers who have experienced the dangers of texting and driving firsthand and those who know and care about it all. The potential group can also include other people who want to inform everyone of the perils of texting and driving.
• d) The collective good will be that less people will be injured and less deaths will occur due to people texting while driving.
• e) Some selective benefits will be travel discounts, gas cards, t-shirts/merchandise.
• f) The group will hold assemblies and rallies in which they talk about the dangers of texting and driving, as well as create days of awareness in which people persuade (as well as inform) others to stay away from their phones while operating a vehicle.

E2

1. I visited dailykos.com
2. The site is definitely more liberal than some other news sites, functioning mostly as a group blog, so there is a lot of opinion. In an article about the election, the author called Romney's efforts to undermine Obama as "so transparent it's kind of laughable." There's also an article entirely about the 'Republican's war on women', stating "there's a war to win and no time to waste." Both of these examples are loaded with opinion. Using an adjective like "transparent" to describe Romney's efforts to undermine Obama is a direct opinion of the author of the piece, for obviously not everyone feels that way. The Republican 'war on women' is a term coined by liberals/the democratic party, and therefore is already displaying a one-sided opinion.
3. Quotes from candidates in the articles are all fact, like Obama's comment about "No, no, no, Don't boo. Vote. Voting is the best revenge," and Romney saying "It's time we lead America to a better place."
4. The site is a discussion forum, comprised of blogs from various democratic activists. The activists/bloggers write pieces for the site, and they are published in the form of an advanced blog.
5. Dailykos.com is definitely democratic. The articles highlight "the war on women," "the war on voting," and other topics that bash the Republican party and strengthen the Democratic party. The articles present a strictly liberal-minded side of the arguments. For example, a recent article entitled "Mitch McConnell's fake congratulations, or fake hysteria" bashes McConnell's, a Republican, supposedly fake congratulations to president Obama on being re-instated as President.
6. This site is very left-leaning, and presents information in a liberal way. However, the information is not distorted, it's just very opinionated because it's written in a blog form. So, if people realize that this site is very liberal and opinionated, then they can take it how they will. But the democratic display of information could affect the way Americans receive information. If an average citizen where to randomly search for information about current news, and his/her found this one site and only read the articles on this site, they would not know the other side of the arguments (the Republican side), and this could definitely influence they way they perceive American politics and the way they vote.

E4

1. Connecticut, House

2. Elizabeth Esty (D) and Andrew Roraback (R)

3.  Elizabeth Esty Andrew Roraback4. A poll conducted by Roraback's campaign showed Roraback ahead of Esty, 45-39 percent. However, a previous poll conducted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee showed Esty ahead of Roraback by 9 points. These are the only poll results I could find, and they don't seem very sound...5. The big issues in this race reflect the issues that are prominent in most races across the country: economic growth and job creation, women's rights, health care. I noticed though that on each candidate's website, the issues are listed in a different order, which may allude to which issues each candidate is most concerned with. On Esty's page, "Job creation and economic growth," "women's rights," "protecting seniors," and "clean and affordable energy" were at the top of the issues list. On Roraback's page, "Economic growth and job creation," "federal deficit reduction," "tax reform, and "women's rights" were at the top, whereas environment and energy were at the bottom of the list. I'm sure both candidates are concerned with all the issues, but it's interesting how they chose to present them on the site. 6. Recently, Esty was endorsed by the New York Times, Hartford Courant, and other Connecticut newspapers, along with former president Bill Clinton. These endorsements will definitely strengthen the support among democrats for Esty, along with perhaps sway some independent or undecided voters in her favor, those who are proponents of the New York Times and/or Bill Clinton. The Roraback campaign has been busy raising money. In 17 days the campaign committee raised over $240,000 in campaign funds. Roraback said "I am proud that so many people across the 5th District and Connecticut are support me and helping my campaign with the resources we need..." This grand amount of money may give Roraback an edge of Esty, for he can create more ads and more literature aimed at recruiting the voters of undecided voters in Connecticut. Roraback also created a radio ad in Spanish, obviously trying to appeal to the Spanish-speaking population of Connecticut, therefore trying to get more supporters. 
7. An article in the Hartford Courant noted how "The generic lean of this seat may ultimately give Esty a tiny edge, but socially liberal GOP state Sen. Andrew Roraback is a good fit for this district's upscale voters...this race a place in the Toss Up column." This Connecticut race is one of the closest races in the nation. 8. In Esty's most recent ad, "Answers," she enforces how she will protect the middle class, because the middle class is the "backbone of our society." I thought this was interesting, because all the candidates across the country seem to be illuminating the middle class topic. In such a close race, perhaps Esty should be highlighting some other aspects of her platform that will convince voters to vote for her. Roraback's "Move out" video ad has a quote from Esty about people moving to neighboring towns, takes it out of context, and attacks Esty. The ad claims that this quote is proof that Esty does not care about seniors and families, and therefore does not care about Connecticut. This is a classic example of an attack ad that manipulates quotes by opposing candidates in order to make them look bad. 





 

D10

1. Geography of a state plays a huge role in which area gives the most money. Chicago donated over $85,000,000 more than the second top donor in Illinois. Chicago is the densest city in Illinois, so candidates target these areas for more money.

2. In Nevada, the top two donors are casinos/gambling and health professionals. In New York, the top donor is from securities and investment. This shows how the candidates and campaigns target the most prominent economic players of the state, for they have the most money to give. 

3. Presidential campaigns gain the most money. The numbers for each state are highest in regards to amount of money donated to presidential candidates, understandably because the presidential elections are the most prominent in America.

D9

A.
1) This survey asked voters who they think will "win" the second presidential debate, how personally critical each presidential candidate acted against the other, whether Ryan or Biden did better during the vice-presidential debate, and the likeliness that voters will watch the next debate.
2) Each candidate could use the results of this survey to determine how his tone was interpreted by the American audience. Obama can see that over time voters see him as more personally critical, however less people still see him as personally critical, as compared to Romney. The candidates can reflect on how they feel they behaved during the debate, and how the voters felt.
3) The survey indicates how, compared to the same survey conducted after the McCain/Obama, Kerry/Bush, Gore/Bush, etc. debates, "no Republican candidate has been viewed as less personally critical of their opponent than Romney is today." This shows how the Republican party is generally more aggressive and personally critical at debates. If Romney wants to specifically target the Republican party, perhaps he should be more forthright and critical of Obama.

B.
1) PEW.5 (And) Do you think Barack Obama has been too personally critical of Mitt Romney, or not?
2) Based on the question about Obama being too personally critical, the results showed that each Democratic candidate became more and more personally critical with each of the three debates. Between mid-March 2004 and September 2004, the numbers for Kerry went up from 48-52. From June 2008 to October 2012, Obama's numbers went up from 19-35. There is definitely a change over time here, for Kerry's numbers were initially much higher than Obama's.
3) The question is fairly unbiased. The question could be changed to : "Do you think Obama's fiery attacks and blatant lies against Romney make him more personally critical?" to make it more biased.

C.
1) The survey was conducted October 12-14, 2012.
2) The total sample size was 1,006 adults 18 years or older living in the continental United States.
3) The margin of error was plus or minus 3.7%
4) There was a 97& confidence level

D6

As Chief of Staff I continued collecting work from each sector of our campaign team, and checked in with individuals. I worked mostly with the print-ad team to produce flyers that accentuate key points of our platform that will be appealing to the CHS student body. One aspect of the platform that we emphasize is an increase in vacation days, bringing back troops from overseas, more jobs, and universal healthcare. The recent presidential and vice presidential debates have shown candidates who have a list of points that they want to talk about, and know extensively about, and are able to manipulate questions in order to touch on these points. The executive team has been working on prepping Potter for the upcoming debate on Friday, coming up with ways to successfully answer difficult questions, possibly even 'spinning' the question in our favor. 

D7

Policy:

Obama:

- Encouraging natural gas industries, drilling, coal industries

- Continue tax cuts for middle class families and small businesses

- Companies provide contraceptive coverage through health insurance, maintain funding for planned parenthood

- Close loopholes for companies gaining tax cuts when they invest overseas - create more jobs at home

Romney:

- Get America energy independent, through more drilling offshore in Alaska, in Virginia, the pipeline from Canada

- Get as much energy as we need in North America, restrict trade- "get out of China," -- "On day one I will label China as a currency manipulator"

* For mock election: Both Romney and Obama are committed to driving home their own points - successfully twisting the answer to a question in order to talk about what they want to talk about. Have a set list of points that  candidate feels strongly about, is very informed of, and hit on those points

Quotes:

Obama:

- "He has a one point plan...to make sure that folks at the top play by their own rules." 

- "Women getting the same fair deal that men are...I have two daughters, and I want to make sure they have the same opportunities as any man does."

Romney:

-"The middle class has been crushed for the last four years."

- "I want to make sure we use our oil, coal, gas, renewable energy...getting us energy independent within eight years." 

*For mock election: Candidate should try not to stutter, or stumble over words. Have a few zingers, and original phrases for the audience to remember.

Style:

Obama:

- Red tie

- More attacks specifically on Romney than the last Presidential debate

- Seemed more passionate, came back strong

Romney: 

- Blue tie

- Defensive, attacks on Obama as well

* For mock election: Counting out points (first, second, third), not too many hand motions, look sharp

Wild Card:

- Standing up, attacks on one another, arguing

- Woman asked pointed question to Romney - distinguished Romney policies (tax breaks for wealthy, education restrictions) that would affect the middle class, how are these policies supposed to help the middle class?

- Loaded question: "What do you think about people without green cards who are productive members of our society?"

      - Romney won't grant amnesty to illegal immigrants, won't give driver's licenses or "magnets" for illegal immigrants, but we're still a "nation of immigrants" 

      - Obama "talent from all around the world want to come here...people want to take risks to come here" - streamline legal immigration system (make it easier, cheaper, for immigrants), more border patrol, for the young people "think of them as citizens" (DREAM Act)

*For mock election: If candidate knows he/she is answering second, he/she should really listen to the first candidate's answer. Make notes to touch on and possibly attack.

D4

Policy: 

Biden:

 - Cutting taxes for middle class --- "level the playing field" for taxes on super wealthy -- "It's about time they take some responsibility"

- Let Bush tax cuts for the wealthy expire (minimum of a million dollars will pay a little more), want to extend Bush's middle class tax cut

- Religion plays a role in decision about abortion:: Personally believes life begins at conception, but refuses to impose it on everyone else. 

Ryan:

- Creating "4 million jobs over the next four years" 

- Medicare coverage for 'the young people' "50 million future seniors determining their own health care..." -- raise retirement age

- 'Fundamental tax reform'   -- Cut tax rates by 20%

- Religion plays a role in decision about abortion: 

        -Not pro-life simply because of his faith, "because of reason and science" "I believe that life begins at conception" 

        - Opposes abortion, except for rape, health of mother, incest 

Quotes:

Biden: "This is a bunch of stuff!" "Let's take a look at the facts." "But I always mean what I say" "Stop talking about how you care about people, show me something" "Folks, use your common sense"

"Not mathematically possible (talking about cutting taxes without reducing programs for middle class - college...) "Fill in the details!"

Ryan: "Let me tell you about the Mitt Romney I know" "Medicare and Social Security are going bankrupt. These are indisputable facts" 

Style:

Biden - Laughing at Ryan. Very confident, passionate. Talked to camera, to the people

Ryan - Stone-faced, vey serious.

Wild Card:

Moderator, Martha Raddatz, was very composed and organized - asked very good follow-up questions.

D2

As Chief of Staff, I have been checking in with each division of the campaign team, and I have been collecting copies of everyone's work for the portfolio. This week, I also organized the mini-event of Richard Potter being endorsed by the Young Liberals club. We collaborated with the print-ad team, and a new ad will be posted around school with pictures of endorsements. Other members of the executive team and I have also been discussing tactics for gaining the most votes, and specific topics that will help us win the electin.

C9

1. From the very beginning, Romney articulated five plans for the nation (if he were to become president): America to become more energy independent, more trade, enhance the skills of the American people, balance the budget, and build up small business. Obama indicated plans to maintain and strengthen the Affordable Care Act, and to refuse to give tax cuts to corporations that send work overseas.

2. Romney said "By the way, I like coal!" This quote emphasizes the difference in liberal and conservative views  on our sources of energy. On the other side of the energy spectrum, in response to Romney noting the $2.8 billion tax break to oil companies, Obama said "It's time to end it."

3. Obama seemed calm, but also more reserved. Romney talked very quickly, used big hand motions, and became easily defensive in his comments. 

4. Obama and Romney went back and forth on the issue of taxation/ tax cuts and health care. Obama seemed very tired, he looked like he had four years of presidency riding on his back. Romney attacked Obama and his policies a lot, Obama seemed reluctant to attack Romney back. The mediator did not do a very good job of keeping the time consistent and the candidates in line. 

C8

As Chief of Staff I mostly checked in with each campaign team, as well as helped create our official party platform. The event team is planning to go into certain classes tomorrow to give an introduction to Richard Potter as the independent candidate running for Senate. The speechwriting team is writing a one to two-minute long speech that will cover the basics of the party platform and introduce the candidate to the student body. The online team has created both a facebook profile and facebook fan page for Richard Potter, along with a twitter page. The video team is creating a film that will introduce the candidate. I also worked with the print ad team to collaborate with CHS clubs that will endorse our candidate for Senate. So far, the Young Liberals club and possibly the Amnesty International club and the Environmental Awareness club will be endorsing Richard Potter.

C6

1. Economic Left/Right: -4.88
    Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.85

2. I want to know more about the seemingly random questions, like "abstract art that doesn't represent anything shouldn't be considered art at all." Are these questions just supposed to create a response in the quiz-taker? I know for me I had a kind of "whaat?" initial response, for I didn't see how these questions pertained to my political orientation.

C5

1. What do you think about publicly funded health insurance?
2.  Medicaid, a health insurance program funded by the federal and state governments, accounted for 15.9% of health care coverage in 2010. What do you think about publicly funded health insurance?

C4

Print Ad Maven -- I think this job would be both interesting and exhilarating. I can already think of many places that we could place he ads, and I think it would be fun to help create ideas for ads.

Chief of Staff -- I think I could do a good job of motivating people to get work done and delegating responsibility. I also think it would be exciting to work closely with both the candidate and the other positions related to the campaign, and I do think I work well with other people.

C3

My fellow classmates, Mr. Robinson, it’s a pleasure to be speaking in front of you this afternoon. As you all know, the election is upon us. Ideas are circulating as to what our main focus should be as the independent party of this election. My opinion is that we should focus on the issue of women’s rights.

I know that this topic is highly debated in politics today. However, the fact of the matter is that we need to enforce the law as the federal government has already written it, and not as how the states have tried to circumvent it. The law in the United States is that abortions are legal. Thirty-nine years ago in the 1973 case of Roe v. Wade the United States Supreme Court ruled that abortions are a fundamental right guaranteed under the US Constitution. However, in the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey case, these established legal protections were weakened by giving the states the right to enact regulations, as long as they don’t create an “undue burden” for women seeking abortion. Currently thirty-seven states enforce parental notification or consent laws for minors seeking an abortion, fourty-six states allow healthcare providers to refuse to participate in the abortion process, and forty-three states allow institutions to refuse to perform abortions. These sound like undue burdens to me.

Take a moment and think about women. Think about a young woman going through this process. The emotional turmoil involved is anything but slight, and trust me when I say that no woman will take this option lightly. But all women have the fundamental right to be able to choose to have an abortion, and no state should be able to establish policies that strictly undermine the process of this right.

Also, keep in mind that we will not be stripping the states of their rights. The Roe v. Wade decision specifically recognizes state interests in protecting the health of the pregnant woman. So, federal law should ensure that all states are securing this heath. This is accomplished through publicly funded family planning services. In 2006, family planning services like Planned Parenthood helped women avoid 1.94 million unintended pregnancies, which would have led to 860,000 unintended births and 810,000 abortions. All citizens, especially women and men of low income, need access to contraceptives. With contraceptives, less pregnancies occur, and therefore less abortions are needed.

        All in all, I ask you to keep in mind the rights of the American people, and the rights of women, when establishing our party platform.

References:

ttp://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/data_stats/index.htm#Abortion
http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/births_deaths_marriages_divorces/family_planning_abortions.html

C2

           Beliefs on abortions and a woman's right to choose are main differences between the democratic and republican platforms. The democratic platform is very straightforward in stating that government should not restrict women's health care. In their platform they declare that "the Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay." Republicans feel the opposite way towards abortions, and want government to immediately cut federal funding for clinics that perform abortions and for insurance that covers preventive measures for women. The Republican Party wants "to permanently ban all federal funding and subsidies for abortion and healthcare plans that include abortion coverage." Abortion and women's healthcare are some of the many topics over which the two parties quarrel and disagree on, and will undoubtedly be a part of the upcoming debates.

C1

1. According to the quiz, I am a Statist. My personal issues score is 40% and my economic issues score is 10%.
2. I was conflicted on how direct the questions were. I found myself answering 'maybe' on so many because the questions only presented one side of an argument, and I was on the fence about my answers. I was mostly indecisive about the draft, governmental barriers on international trade, and governmental censorship questions.

B8

A)
1. The first principle was the supremacy of the national government over the states. Article VI, Clause 2 of the Constitution pertains to this principle. In the McCulloch v. Maryland case, Marshall and the courts interpreted this clause to declare that as long as the national government is in agreement with the Constitution, its actions and policies take precedence over the states.

2. The second principle was that the national government has implied powers that are not specifically written in the Constitution, but that are strictly interpreted from those powers given to it in the Constitution. Article I Section 8 of the Constitution is important to this principle. This part of the Constitution lists the enumerated powers given to the national government, and it also states that the federal government has the power to "make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers." Therefore, the national government can use this "necessary and proper" statement to have certain implied powers.

B)
1. The full faith and credit clause means that full faith and credit must be given to public acts, records, and civil judicial proceedings across state lines. This means that loans acquired in one state still need to be paid back if you cross a state line, and marriage licenses are valid if you move between states. One exception is if all states are required to recognize same-sex married couples. Congress instituted the Defense of Marriage Act which allowed states to deny gay marriages, even if they're legal in other areas of the U.S.

2. The privileges and immunities clause entitles people to the benefits and obligations of citizenship in any state they visit. One exception is that residents of a state are offered reduced tuition to public universities, and out-of-state students have to pay a higher rate.

B7

A)

1. Federal governments seem to have shared powers between the national and state levels. Although there has been and most likely will always be disputes about the division of power (which level gets to regulate certain policies), these debates keep one level from having too much control over the other. The federal system also decentralizes politics. This leads to more opportunities for political participation, which is always a positive aspect.

2. Life would be better under a unitary government, for there would be no arguments over division of power between the state and national governments. The central government will have the main authority, and can therefore regulate the activities of the state governments. This way, the central government controls policies that affect the entire nation, and therefore laws and regulations are uniform throughout the country. This will allow politics to focus less on the useless, time-consuming debates between state and national governments over a division of power, and more on creating and enforcing effective public policy.

B)

1. One enumerated power that belongs to the national government is the power to declare war. If this power was given to the states, one state may declare war on another country. Then, violence would inevitably ensue in the one state. However, the violence could then continue into the other states. The other country could definitely attack parts of our entire nation, harming many who weren't involved in the war the one state declared to begin with.

2. One power reserved to the states is the power to establish local governments. This makes sense, for each state government is essentially a unitary government. So, the state government has power over thel local governments, and should have the power to create them. 

3. One concurrent power is the power to make and enforce laws. Because there are certain laws that fall strictly under the state's jurisdiction, and certain laws that the national government can regulate, each level of government needs to have the power to make and enforce these laws. 

B6

a. There are four ways of formally adding amendments to the Constitution, for there are two different methods of proposal and two different methods of ratification. One method of proposal is that two-thirds of the state legislatures request for Congress to call a national convention. At this national convention, or meeting of state representatives, an amendment may be proposed. An amendment can then be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures.

b. One informal way of changing the constitution is the Supreme Court's power of judicial review, the right to decide whether the actions of the executive and legislative branches agree with the Constitution, and are therefore legal. Judicial review is an informal method of changing the Constitution over time, for the Constitution never clearly states that the Supreme Court has such power. The 1803 case of Marbury v. Madison was the first case in which the Supreme Court realized and exercised this power, and the first case in which the federal court declared an act of Congress illegal. Another informal way of changing the Constitution is by altering political practice, or the components of the government. An example of this is the development of organizations that aim to gain influence in government, or political parties. When the Constitution was written, political parties did not exist. However, over time political parties have taken root and now greatly influence the policy-making process.

c. Informal methods are used more often to change the constitution than the formal amendment process because informal methods take less time to reach approval. Informal methods rely on the interpretation of the constitution, and therefore yield more flexibility among government. This allows for the process to be quicker. The amendment process, on the other hand, involves proposals and ratifications by many state legislatures or a majority of Congress. This process takes more time, effort, and cooperation: a combination that is difficult to come by in politics. 

B4

1. When you want to break up with someone else, you should tell them why you're doing it.
2. Intended audience / Why write this :
           - King George III
           - British parliament
           - Continental Congress
           - In a sense, all of humanity (for Jefferson/other members of Continental Congress must hope that anyone will read it and strive for a just government)
           - The colonists (anyone who could read or be read to, copies would be posted up around towns)                             -                -The document also serves to rally the spirits of the Americans, it attempts to justify the reasons for why they're declaring independence
3. - Dramatic, a little whiny
    - "He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures"  -- Does this mean King George III was calling meetings in places that no-one could go to, like in England?
   - A lot of points about the military and the king sending troops without the colonists' consent
   - "He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance" ... "Eat out"? I didn't realize this was a common phrase back then!
   - "...the merciless Indian Savages..." - Even here they're awful to the Native Americans. And they capitalize Savages, therefore officially defining them as uncivilized and violent.

B2

Three different ways the government increased its power after 9/11:
1. Terrorist detentions - Guantanamo Bay
2. Domestic surveillance - PATRIOT act
3. Airport Security - body scanning technology



1. I'm opposed to Guantanamo Bay. The extremity with which the U.S. government deals with terrorist threats, to me, is ridiculous and completely un-American. People are being held under conditions that are expressly prohibited by our constitution. As stated in the article, multiple administrations have detained prisoners at Guantanamo Bay "indefinitely without granting them access to independent judges or any protections of the Geneva Conventions." How can our nation can allow for independent liberties at home, and then deny these same inherent rights to others?

Unit A Test Review Question

In what way do some theorists believe the definition of the pluralist theory is less applicable to the involvement of citizens in interest groups today?

a. No one likes politics anymore, so there's no involvement
b. Theorists argue that people are becoming more self-defined, and therefore less actively involved in interest groups
c. Interest groups conflict too much, causing citizens to abandon hope
d. Too many citizens are involved, so the groups are overwhelmed

Amendment

The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall be restricted to the government-run militia, the law-enforcing agencies, such as the police and sheriff departments, and those persons who use arms for the purpose of hunting. Federal law mandates that licenses are required in all states and in all cases. No person shall have a license who shall not have attained to the age of twenty five years, and completed an application and all measures for acquiring a federal firearms license imposed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

A4

1. Yesterday I went to school at Charlottesville High School and was taught by educated teachers. My life was therefore affected by the government because each of my teachers is certified and paid by the state. CHS, a public school, also did not hold a prayer session, for it is prohibited by the federal government.
2. The person in my family who cares most about politics is my older sister, Emma (I care a lot too though!). Although my sister is very educated about the government and politics, the person that knows most about politics is my dad (partly because he's been around longer).
3. Well, since the World Wide Web was first widely available in 1991, I think our generation has the Internet in common. Although our generation is unfortunately marked by being too dependent on technology, most of us are also pretty technologically savvy. Also, we communicate widely through the internet, with social networks and entertainment sites like Youtube.
4. According to the book, an example of a public good provided by the government is a hospital. Traffic lights and street signs are other examples of public goods provided by the government.
5. One category of a linkage institution is a party. Locally, the Jefferson Area Tea Party is working as a linkage institution by organizing an Obama counter-rally, ensuring that the voices of the members of the party are heard. Another category is the media. When both local and national television stations cover stories on crime, violence, and/or disruption in a community they are educating the people about social problems. Interest groups are also linkage institutions. Amnesty International USA and Greenpeace USA are examples of interest groups that work with the public in order to encourage or prevent policy changes. Lastly, elections are linkage institutions. This year, the race between Obama and Romney for the presidential seat puts the power in the hands of the people by allowing them to make their opinions heard by electing officials to represent them.
6. Four categories of policymaking institutions are legislature, executive, courts, and bureaucracy. John Boehner is the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the legislature, President Obama is the president of the United States and part of the executive institution, John G. Roberts is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in the courts institution, and Robert S. Mueller is director of the FBI and part of the bureaucracy.