Civics, Citizenship, and Government

AM GOVT HONORS UNIT I

CIVICS, CITIZENSHIP, AND GOVERNMENT

Name:______

Chapter 1 – Government Basics

OBJECTIVES: The students will be able to: 1.) Define and explain government 2.) Compare and contrast different methods of organizing a government 3.) Distinguish between different types of governments GOVERNMENT BASICS

What would you think of a government with the following characteristics:  No Executive or President  No Court system  No army or military  No power to tax  No single currency or money system  No single set of rules on trade and business

This government actually existed and it was the 1st in the USA called the Articles of Confederation, which ran our country from 1781 to 1787.

State, Country, Nation History trivia: Is Pennsylvania a state?

Pennsylvania is a Commonwealth which is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. (4 in US = KY, MA, VA)

A State is a political community that occupies a definite territory and has an organized government with the power to make and enforce laws without the approval of a higher authority. A country is the same as state. A nation is any sizeable group of people who are united by common bonds of race, language, custom, tradition and sometimes religion, often called a nation-state.

I. THE STATE – THE BASICS

1. “GOVERNMENT” is the body within a community, political entity or organization which has the authority to make and enforce rules, laws, and regulations. It can also be used to refer to the people that hold the authority in a state. 2. What are the purposes of government?  Pass laws and provide stability  Provide Services  Settle Disputes (Court System)  Provide Defense  Make Economic decisions for a group of people

2 3. What are the essential features of a state?  Land or territory  People  Government  Sovereignty

4. TYPES OF GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS A. UNITARY SYSTEM  All government power is centralized in the national or central government  EX: China and Iran and the UK

B. FEDERAL SYSTEM (FEDERALISM)  Government power is divided between the national, state and local governments  USA  Why did the Founding Fathers choose a federal system? o The Unitary State of the UK had too much power and took away people’s rights o People were more loyal to their state governments as opposed to a new national government. They would never approve a government which took all power from their local state governments.

C. CONFEDERATION  A loose association of sovereign states that come together for a common purpose  EX: America from 1776 to 1787  EX: Confederate States of America 1861-1865  EX: The European Union for economic reasons

II. FORMS OF GOVERNMENT 1. Basic Test that distinguishes one from another-  How many people rule? The number of people that control the government power 2. Basic Forms or Types of Governments throughout history into today: A. AUTOCRACY 1.) Definition: . Government by one person 2.) Characteristics:  Rule by one person  This can be a monarch, a dictator, etc.  It is one of the oldest and most common forms of government  Most autocracies maintain their positions of authority by inheritance or the ruthless use of military or police power

Types: Monarchy: king or queen, emperor or empress Absolute Monarchy: monarchs with complete and unlimited power to rule, this power is usually justified by divine right (the view that god granted those of royal birth the right to rule their people)

EX: Great Britain with its Kings and Queens / Japan with its Emperors / Monte Carlo

3 Type: Totalitarian Dictatorship (Authoritarian Govt or Fascist Govt): the ideas of a single leader are glorified; the government seeks to control all aspects of social and economic life EX: Hitler / Castro / Stalin / Kim Jung IL in North Korea

Theocracy – Government controlled by religious leader (Iran after the Islamic Revolution in 1979 with the Ayatollah)

B. OLIGARCHY (1)Definition: Government by a small group Characteristics:  Rule by a group; a system of government where a small group holds power  This group usually derives its power from wealth, military power, social position or a combination of these; Sometimes religion is a source of power  All political opposition by the people is usually suppressed ruthlessly

EX: Like Communist China where the leaders of the Communist Party control the government powers Iran Today with the Shia Clerics running the country

C. DEMOCRACY

“Democracy is the worst form of government on earth except for all the rest.” –Winston Churchill What does it mean? Why would he say it like that? What do you think he was getting after?

(1) Definition: Government by the many – by the people  Any system of government in which rule is by the people

Types of Democracies:  Direct democracy/ Pure Democracy / Participatory Democracy: a system of government in which the people govern themselves by voting on issues individually as citizens; this works only in very small societies since they must meet regularly to discuss and decide key issues; no country today has a direct democracy, but some small towns in New England and some communities in Switzerland use this  Representative Democracy / Indirect Democracy: a system of government in which the people elect representatives and give them the responsibility and power to make laws and conduct government; this takes the form of a council, legislature, congress, or parliament  Indirect democracies and representative democracies are REPUBLICS; a republic is any system of government where the power of the government is officially in the hands of the people; the people are considered supreme and the government only rules with their consent. Leaders get and retain political authority by winning free and fair elections.

Pros of Democracy Cons of Democracy  More creative and effective in the long run  SLOW!!! and Inefficient  Satisfies the largest number of people  Requires consensus by the people; this is  People’s freedoms and rights are protected hard to get sometimes and is time  Less violent with other countries consuming; it requires patience and  Should be more internally resistant to consistent effort revolution or civil war  Requires: education, participation,

4 communication, freedom, protection of people’s rights

5 (2) 3 ways in which government today can be more like a Pure or Direct Democracy:

 Initiative – Process by which people can recommend changes to their state Constitution by way of a Petition. Yes – Tyler can make his own amendment to the PA. Constitution!  Referendum – The People’s Veto – Process by which the people get to vote “yes” or “no” to laws passed by their State Legislature. It is usually used in cases of tax increases or large spending bills (like financing a new sports stadium)  Recall – Process by which citizens can remove an elected official from power before the end of their term (See Arnold the Governator in California)

Characteristics of a Healthy Democracy

Some governments, over history or presently in parts of the world, have presented themselves democracies while not actually being democratic. Each of the categories listed below is a characteristic necessary for a government to truly be a democracy.

1. Individual Freedom: Democracy is based on a very strong faith in the goodness and intellect of the individual. It is also based on a belief that all individuals were meant to be free.

As such, individuals are to be given as many rights and freedoms as is possible so long as those rights and freedoms don’t restrict the rights and freedoms of other people. As one Supreme Court ruling declared: “your right to swing your fist ends where someone else’s nose begins.”

Also, democracy guarantees a right of equal opportunity. Democratic governments do not promise to make anyone equal in wealth, physical condition, or any other matters of fact. But democratic governments do have an obligation to ensure that everyone is given the ability to succeed to the best of their abilities with as few obstacles or limitations as possible.

2. Rule of Law – principle holds that a nation’s laws should be codified (written down) and published for all to learn and that the laws should be applied equally to all citizens. No one person is above the law!

3. Majority Rule with Minority Rights: For most issues, the majority opinion is believed to be the best way to make decisions. But in no case can the majority make decisions that would strip the minority of its rights (e.g. the rights to: voting, equal justice, property, freedom of speech and religion, etc.)

4. Free, Fair and Frequent Elections: There should be as few restrictions or obstacles to one’s ability to vote as possible. Voters should be able to make an informed choice among competitive candidates.

5. Competing Political Parties: Voters must have a real choice between at least two distinct competing viewpoints when casting votes. Otherwise the function of voting has no practical effect on the path that government takes.

6. Civil Society – It is tied to freedom of association in the 1st Amendment. It refers to the web of associations and organizations that people can join in order to advance their interests. It is all those Interest Groups that exist in American Politics like the NRA, the AMA, the ABA, the NEA, Labor Unions, and Amnesty International among thousands of others.

6 III. Spectrum of Economic Systems No government control à total government control

1. COMMAND ECONOMY Defined:  A centrally planned and controlled economy / or  Government dictates pricing and production

FEATURES / CHARACTERISTICS OF A COMMAND ECONOMY: • Central Planning • Central power makes all decisions • Fixed or gov’t set pricing • Govt’ control of distribution and production • Gov’t control of employment and wages • State owned econ resources • Highly Restricted property rights if any • Use of production quotas and PLANS

Socialism Government owns basic means of production, determines use of resources, distributes products and wages, provides social services- education, health, welfare.

Communism Government decides how much to produce, what to produce, how to distribute goods and services, command economy

2. MARKET ECONOMY DEFINED: An economy in which decisions regarding investment, production and distribution are based on supply and demand based on the private market with little to no government control

FEATUES / CHARACTERISTICS OF A MARKET ECONOMY • The Private sector controls and makes econ decisions and sets prices • Supply and demand determines allocation of resources • Private property rights • Freedom to choose jobs and econ decisions • Focus on profits • Emphasis on competition • Income / Wage inequality / unemployment • Economy booms and busts - instability

Capitalism

7 Government is mostly hands off the means of production, use of resources, distribution of products and the determination of wages. The essentials of capitalism are free enterprise, free market, freedom of choice, individual incentive and laissez-faire.

8 IV. POWER AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE STATE AND CITIZENS

1. SOVEREIGNTY: The right to rule – The ability of a state to carry out actions or policy within its territory independently without external or internal resistance A. Sources – What are the sources of Sovereignty for the US government?

2. Legitimacy - LEGITMACY: A value whereby an institution is accepted by the public as right and proper, thus giving it authority and power.

President Obama Job Approval Job Approval on Economy | Job Approval on Foreign Policy Polling Data Poll Date Sample Approve Disapprove Spread

RCP Average 8/30 - 9/10 -- 41.3 54.6 -13.3

FOX News 9/7 - 9/9 833 LV 38 57 -19

Gallup 9/8 - 9/10 1500 A 40 54 -14

Rasmussen Reports 9/8 - 9/10 1500 LV 48 51 -3

ABC News/Wash Post 9/4 - 9/7 RV 42 54 -12

NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl 9/3 - 9/7 1000 RV 40 54 -14

CNN/Opinion Research 9/5 - 9/7 1014 A 43 55 -12

Reuters/Ipsos 8/30 - 9/3 1811 A 38 56 -18

The Economist/YouGov 8/30 - 9/1 729 RV 41

A. Explain the information presented in these tables and describe what do they have to do with Legitimacy?

9 3. Political Efficacy – The extent to which citizens understand their political system and feel confident in their ability to take part in the system as well as confidence that the government will respond to them.

A. How does this make you feel about government? Agree or disagree?

10 Chapter 2 – Citizen Behavior and Participation

OBJECTIVES: The students will be able to: 1.) Identify the responsibilities of good citizens 2.) Describe methods of participation possible in a democracy 3.) Explain the rules for voting in Pennsylvania 4.) Discuss why citizens do not vote Civics and Good Citizenship 1. CIVICS means a social science that studies the rights and duties of citizens. 2. CIVIC DUTY means a belief that one has an obligation to participate in civic and political affairs. 3. CIVIC COMPETENCE means a belief that one can affect government policies. 4. POLITICAL EFFICACY means a citizen’s capacity to understand and take part in political affairs (Internal Efficacy) and to influence political events (External Efficacy). 5. In order for Democracy to work, the people have to be responsible and productive citizens. What are the major responsibilities of good citizens?

6. How many ways can a person be active in their society and democratic government besides the voting / electoral method?

7. Please explain why citizens choose not to vote

11 PENNSYLVANIA VOTING

“All elections by the citizens shall be by ballot . . . secrecy in voting shall be preserved . . . Article VI of the Pennsylvania Constitution

In order to vote in Pennsylvania, a person must be:  Age – 18 years of age  A Citizen of the USA  Residency – Must have resided in their election district at least 30 days before the election  Registration – Voters must be registered in their election district

The following types of elections are held in Pennsylvania:  GENERAL ELECTIONS = For the election of national and state officers. These elections are held every even-numbered year on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November.

 PRIMARY ELECTIONS = These elections are held so that the political parties may choose their candidates for office. They are held in the Spring (usually in May) before the General Elections. Pennsylvania uses a CLOSED PRIMARY system which means that only voters registered in that political party may vote in the Primary election for that party’s candidates. (As opposed to an OPEN PRIMARY which allows anyone to vote in any political party primary)

 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS = These elections are held in odd-numbered years on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November, and the Primaries are held in the Spring of those years. In these elections, county, city, ward, borough, And township officers are elected along with some PA judges.

BALLOTS = When voting in Pennsylvania, voters receive a paper ballot or use some kind of automatic (electronic) voting device such as a voting machine. Instructions for using a voting machine are available at each polling (voting) placed.

BOARD OF ELECTIONS = The conduct of elections in Pennsylvania comes under the supervision of the Bureau of Elections of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In each county, where the actual elections are managed, the Board of Elections is made up of the three (3) county commissioners (called a City Board of Commissioners in Philadelphia). These bodies control elections in their areas.

REFERENDUMS = Voters are sometimes asked not only to vote for candidates but also to vote on public issues of some governmental body. Referendums are often used when a governmental body is issuing a bon d (to raise money) or spending large amounts of money (like stadium financing) or when changing the state constitution.

Voting Procedures: Where do you vote and what is the procedure when you arrive there? You go to your assigned polling place between 7 am and 8 pm. They will ask you for your name and signature; then compare it to your signature in the roll book; they then give you a voter slip; and then you go to the voting booth and cast your vote.

Provisional ballot- if you are at the wrong polling place or your name does not appear on the roll Absentee ballot- is used if you will be out of town during the election.

12 Untapped Power I once asked a Democratic politician in New York why the Democrats didn't make an all-out push to increase the voter registration rolls, since it seemed apparent that a large majority of the new voters would vote for candidates of his party. His reply was blunt. ''You start registering a lot of new voters and you got trouble,'' he said. ''They might vote for a Democrat, but which Democrat? You could get a primary challenge. Who needs it?''

That's the way it is with voters. They have clout. They make demands. Ignore them and they can press the eject button on that previously safe seat. Conversely, the folks who don't vote can be ignored, even reviled, with impunity. Each ballot they fail to cast is an affront to their own interests, a self-inflicted wound.

The folks at the top of the socioeconomic ladder understand this completely. The levels of voter registration and Election Day turnout for people with four or more years of college and incomes above $50,000 annually are extremely high. For people with less than a high school education and incomes of $15,000 or less, the voter participation rates are dismayingly low.

Kari Moe, an aide to Senator Paul Wellstone, a Minnesota Democrat, said: ''People often don't understand that they actually do affect the outcomes of elections in meaningful ways. And it's a lot easier for government officials to ignore the agenda of the people who don't vote. That's rolling around in the back of people's minds all the time -- who votes and who doesn't.''

Part of the reason for the poor voter participation rates of lower income people has been the near-total focus of the major political parties on the concerns of upscale Americans. The Republicans are locked in a near- permanent embrace with the upper middle class and the very wealthy, and the Democrats are assiduously courting suburbanites while trying desperately to conceal their historical alliances with the poor and ethnic minorities.

This was reflected in a comprehensive survey of voters and nonvoters sponsored by the League of Women Voters. The league's president, Becky Cain, said: ''The people who voted seemed to feel that when they watched the election process -- the campaign, the debates, etc. -- they seemed to feel that the candidates were talking to them, that it was their interests that were being talked about.

''The people who didn't vote felt there was no connection between what was being said and what was happening in their daily lives. It wasn't that they didn't care. They just didn't feel the dialogue or the rhetoric was directed toward them, had any meaning for them.'' While this reasoning is valid to a point, it should be recognized that the inclination of many politicians to give short shrift to the interests of the young, the poor, the working classes, the black and the brown, has been encouraged by the consistently poor voting records of those groups.

There is, as Ms. Cain said, ''a vicious cycle'' at work. ''Look at the 18- to 24-year-olds,'' she said. ''They do not normally register in large numbers. When the candidates look over the voter registration lists, they are not there. So the candidates say, 'I better talk to the people who are going to show up on Election Day.' You won't hear a lot in the campaign about tuition tax credits, or early job market entry. But you will hear a lot about Social Security.''

There are other chronic factors, mostly ignored, that hamper voter participation. A surprising number of Americans are mystified and intimidated by the voting process. And they are not anxious to advertise their misgivings. ''We found that people needed more information,'' Ms. Cain said. ''Very basic things. They would say to us, 'Like, O.K., where is precinct 432?' They would ask, 'Can I go on my lunch hour, or do they close the polls so the people there can eat lunch?' They would say, 'What do we vote on here? A voting machine? A punch-card thing? How does it work?' ''

Like the energy embedded in every grain of matter, there is enormous untapped power in the hands of the tens of millions of Americans who choose each election not to vote. Much of that power will be released when voting becomes as common, as easy and lacking in mystery, as running out to the bodega, or going to the mall. 13 1. According to this article, why is it a lot easier for politicians “to ignore the agenda of the people who don't vote”? a. Because they won’t help the politicians get elected. b. Because they won’t help the politicians’ opponent get elected. c. Because nonvoters don’t know what they want from politicians. d. Because poor voters don’t contribute money to politicians’ campaigns. e. A and B

2. Which groups are more likely to vote? a. people with higher incomes b. younger people c. older people d. A and C e. B and C

3. According to the article, discussion about which of the following examples show that politicians pay attention to the concerns of the people who vote? a. Funding for tuition tax credits. b. Political strategies to help early job market entry. c. Improving voter education. d. Social Security e. A and B

4. According to the article, what other obstacles reduce voter turnout? a. Poor voters can’t afford to leave work to vote. b. Voting cannot be done on a person’s lunch hour. c. Confusion about basic issues of when and how to vote. d. Primary elections could cause existing politicians to lose their positions. e. A and B

5. Which statement best describes the “vicious cycle” that reduces voter turnout? a. Some citizens don’t understand the voting process and therefore are not allowed to vote. b. Specific groups of people don’t vote if politicians aren’t talking about their issues and politicians don’t talk about the issues of nonvoters. c. You can’t solve the problems of Social Security and college tuition costs at the same time. d. Voters make demands and politicians don’t like it. e. Better educated citizens vote and then earn more money.

14 FREAKONOMICS Why Vote? By STEPHEN J. DUBNER and STEVEN D. LEVITT Published: November 6, 2005

A Swiss Turnout-Boosting Experiment

Within the economics departments at certain universities, there is a famous but probably apocryphal story about two world-class economists who run into each other at the voting booth.

"What are you doing here?" one asks. "My wife made me come," the other says. The first economist gives a confirming nod. "The same." After a mutually sheepish moment, one of them hatches a plan: "If you promise never to tell anyone you saw me here, I'll never tell anyone I saw you." They shake hands, finish their polling business and scurry off.

Why would an economist be embarrassed to be seen at the voting booth? Because voting exacts a cost - in time, effort, lost productivity - with no discernible payoff except perhaps some vague sense of having done your "civic duty." As the economist Patricia Funk wrote in a recent paper, "A rational individual should abstain from voting." The odds that your vote will actually affect the outcome of a given election are very, very, very slim. This was documented by the economists Casey Mulligan and Charles Hunter, who analyzed more than 56,000 Congressional and state-legislative elections since 1898. For all the attention paid in the media to close elections, it turns out that they are exceedingly rare. The median margin of victory in the Congressional elections was 22 percent; in the state-legislature elections, it was 25 percent. Even in the closest elections, it is almost never the case that a single vote is pivotal. Of the more than 40,000 elections for state legislator that Mulligan and Hunter analyzed, comprising nearly 1 billion votes, only 7 elections were decided by a single vote, with 2 others tied. Of the more than 16,000 Congressional elections, in which many more people vote, only one election in the past 100 years - a 1910 race in Buffalo - was decided by a single vote.

But there is a more important point: the closer an election is, the more likely that its outcome will be taken out of the voters' hands - most vividly exemplified, of course, by the 2000 presidential race. It is true that the outcome of that election came down to a handful of voters; but their names were Kennedy, O'Connor, Rehnquist, Scalia and Thomas. And it was only the votes they cast while wearing their robes that mattered, not the ones they may have cast in their home precincts.

Still, people do continue to vote, in the millions. Why? Here are three possibilities: 1. Perhaps we are just not very bright and therefore wrongly believe that our votes will affect the outcome.

15 2. Perhaps we vote in the same spirit in which we buy lottery tickets. After all, your chances of winning a lottery and of affecting an election are pretty similar. From a financial perspective, playing the lottery is a bad investment. But it's fun and relatively cheap: for the price of a ticket, you buy the right to fantasize how you'd spend the winnings - much as you get to fantasize that your vote will have some impact on policy. 3. Perhaps we have been socialized into the voting-as-civic-duty idea, believing that it's a good thing for society if people vote, even if it's not particularly good for the individual. And thus we feel guilty for not voting.

But wait a minute, you say. If everyone thought about voting the way economists do, we might have no elections at all. No voter goes to the polls actually believing that her single vote will affect the outcome, does she? And isn't it cruel to even suggest that her vote is not worth casting? This is indeed a slippery slope - the seemingly meaningless behavior of an individual, which, in aggregate, becomes quite meaningful. Here's a similar example in reverse. Imagine that you and your 8-year-old daughter are taking a walk through a botanical garden when she suddenly pulls a bright blossom off a tree. "You shouldn't do that," you find yourself saying. "Why not?" she asks. "Well," you reason, "because if everyone picked one, there wouldn't be any flowers left at all." "Yeah, but everybody isn't picking them," she says with a look. "Only me." In the old days, there were more pragmatic incentives to vote. Political parties regularly paid voters $5 or $10 to cast the proper ballot; sometimes payment came in the form of a keg of whiskey, a barrel of flour or, in the case of an 1890 New Hampshire Congressional race, a live pig. Now as then, many people worry about low voter turnout - only slightly more than half of eligible voters participated in the last presidential election - but it might be more worthwhile to stand this problem on its head and instead ask a different question: considering that an individual's vote almost never matters, why do so many people bother to vote at all?

The answer may lie in Switzerland. That's where Patricia Funk discovered a wonderful natural experiment that allowed her to take an acute measure of voter behavior. The Swiss love to vote - on parliamentary elections, on plebiscites, on whatever may arise. But voter participation had begun to slip over the years (maybe they stopped handing out live pigs there too), so a new option was introduced: the mail-in ballot. Whereas each voter in the U.S. must register, that isn't the case in Switzerland. Every eligible Swiss citizen began to automatically receive a ballot in the mail, which could then be completed and returned by mail.

From a social scientist's perspective, there was beauty in the setup of this postal voting scheme: because it was introduced in different cantons (the 26 statelike districts that make up Switzerland) in different years, it allowed for a sophisticated measurement of its effects over time. Never again would any Swiss voter have to tromp to the polls during a rainstorm; the cost of casting a ballot had been lowered significantly. An economic model would therefore predict voter turnout to increase substantially. Is that what happened?

Not at all. In fact, voter turnout often decreased, especially in smaller cantons and in the smaller communities within cantons. This finding may have serious implications for

16 advocates of Internet voting - which, it has long been argued, would make voting easier and therefore increase turnout. But the Swiss model indicates that the exact opposite might hold true.

But why is this the case? Why on earth would fewer people vote when the cost of doing so is lowered? It goes back to the incentives behind voting. If a given citizen doesn't stand a chance of having her vote affect the outcome, why does she bother? In Switzerland, as in the U.S., "there exists a fairly strong social norm that a good citizen should go to the polls," Funk writes. "As long as poll-voting was the only option, there was an incentive (or pressure) to go to the polls only to be seen handing in the vote. The motivation could be hope for social esteem, benefits from being perceived as a cooperator or just the avoidance of informal sanctions. Since in small communities, people know each other better and gossip about who fulfills civic duties and who doesn't, the benefits of norm adherence were particularly high in this type of community."

In other words, we do vote out of self-interest - a conclusion that will satisfy economists - but not necessarily the same self-interest as indicated by our actual ballot choice. For all the talk of how people "vote their pocketbooks," the Swiss study suggests that we may be driven to vote less by a financial incentive than a social one. It may be that the most valuable payoff of voting is simply being seen at the polling place by your friends or co- workers. Unless, of course, you happen to be an economist.

Stephen J. Dubner and Steven D. Levitt are the authors of "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything." More information on the academic research behind this column is at www.freakonomics.com.

17 Chapter 3 – OBJECTIVES: The students will be able to explain the process of US citizenship and to discuss the issue of Immigration. CITIZENSHIP RIGHTS 1. Every nation has rules on who is a member of, owes allegiance to, and is a subject of that nation.. 2. How is citizenship acquired and lost? A. How is citizenship conferred on an individual? 1.) JUS SOLI – Citizenship by PLACE OF BIRTH – If you are born on US soil, then you are automatically a US citizen. EX: 50 states, Washington DC, Territories like Puerto Rico / Guam / Virgin Islands / Northern Marianas Islands, and US embassies around the world.

2.) JUS SANGUINIS – Citizenship by Blood. You are a citizen regardless of where you are born if one of your parents or grandparents is a US Citizen.

3.) BY NATURALIZATION – What? The process of conferring citizenship on a person

b.) Congress set Naturalization requirements for Nonenemy Aliens: (1.) over 18 years of age: (2.) lawfully admitted to the US for permanent residence and has resided in US for at least 5 years and in this state for at least 6 months: (3.) file Petition for Naturalization (4.) be able to read, write, and speak English (5.) possess good moral character (6.) understand US history and principles of US government (7.) demonstrate that he / she is well disposed toward the good order and happiness of US (8.) does not believe in, or in the last 10 years belong to, an organization that is communist or is in favor of the violent overthrow of the government (9.) need to renounce allegiance to your former country and swear to support, defend, and take up arms for the US

All aspects are investigated by the INS and the FBI.

B. Can citizenship be revoked? NO – Once a citizen, always a citizen (Even for Timothy McVeigh). C. What is the Right of Expatriation? The right of a citizen to renounce and to give up their citizenship in a country. (Ask Cat Stevens – a/k/a Yusuf Islam)

3. What is Dual Citizenship? Citizenship in more than 1 country at a time A. Which countries allow Dual Citizenship? Many such as Canada and Mexico (wonder why), Italy, France, India, among others

4. RIGHTS OF ALIENS A. We are now in a period of growing hostility toward aliens. B. The Constitution protects many rights of ALL persons and not just citizens. C. Congress can deny or limit some federal benefits to aliens and illegal immigrants. D. Can states deny a public education for children of illegal aliens? How about welfare?

18 No according to the US Supreme Court since we do not want to punish children for the decisions of their parents. 5. ADMISSION TO THE UNITED STATES A. Aliens do NOT have a Constitutional right to enter the USA. B. Congress has complete power (and wide discretion) over admission. C. IMMIGRATION ACT OF 1965 1.) Sets the annual ceiling for nonrefugee aliens allowed entry as permanent residents. 2.) It also sets limits on the numbers of aliens admitted from each country. 3.) Preferences are given for family reunification or for people with special skills or who are needed for jobs that US workers do not want. 4.) Preference for “Millionaire Immigrants”??? 5.) Diversity Category with visas for 55,000 immigrants from 34 different countries set for qualified applicants by lottery. D. Political Refugees – The Attorney General can grant asylum for people who can show a specific danger of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, social group / class or political opinion.

6. Aliens who are legally in the USA have a full range of obligations: obey the laws, pay taxes, etc.

7. When can deportation occur?  Commit a felony  Terrorist Actions  Illegal voting  Spousal Abuse

8. Immigration Test

Part 1: Take the Naturalization Test use site below or use link on my webpage. Go to www.uscis.gov (Department of Homeland Security- US Citizenship and Immigration Services), click on “The Naturalization Test”, click on “Naturalization Self Test”, complete 5 rounds of the sample questions, print out a copy of your results (passing is 70%).

Chapter 4 – OBJECTIVES: The students will be able to: 1.) Define what an Amendment is 2.) Explain the Amendment process set out in Article V of the US Constitution 3.) Explain the Civil Liberties and Civil Rights guaranteed in the Amendments to the US Constitution.

YOUR RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS THE US CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

1. A written change or addition to a Constitution is called an AMENDMENT. 2. There have been 27 Amendments to the US Constitution since 1787. 3. The BILL OF RIGHTS is the first 10 Amendments to the US Constitution which contain the basic rights and freedoms of the American people. 4. Today, we are going to focus on the Amendments which lay out the basic rights and freedoms which every responsible US citizen should know and cherish. Fill in the chart below with a list of your basic rights and freedoms as protected by the US Constitution. 5. IMPACT – What impact did each Amendment have on our political system?  Add or subtract (+ or - ) national government power  Add or subtract (+ or -) state government power  Increase / Expand or decrease the power of the electorate  Structural changes to the US Political system

AMENDMENT RIGHT AND FREEDOM PROTECTED IMPACT 1ST

1ST

1st

2nd

4th

5th

6th

20 6th

6th

8th

12th

13th

14th

15th

16th

17th

18th

19th

20th

21st

22nd

23rd

24th

25th

26th

21 Chapter 5 - Political Ideology: Ideological Groups OBJECTIVES: The students will be able to: 1.) Define Political Ideology and the Political Spectrum 2.) Compare and Contrast the major schools of Political Ideologies

Political Ideology: a basic set of beliefs and values about government and public policy (as well as how they should influence life, culture, and society)

The Political Spectrum Left wing Right Wing

Radical Liberal Moderate Conservative Reactionary

Radical: "someone who advocates extreme measures to create an entirely new system" (dictionary definition)

They usually view society’s problems similarly to liberals, but radicals are more extreme in what they identify as the causes and what they want as solutions. They usually see society as exploiting someone or something for the benefit of those in power. At most, they make up one to two percent of the population and probably don’t belong to one of the major political parties because they’re too mainstream. They’re sometimes violent, but many are not. examples: Earth First, Communists (here in the U.S.A.), anarchists

Liberal: "someone in favor of reform or change for something new" (dictionary definition)

They want government to get involved by fixing those things which seem unfair in society; want to help by creating programs and policies to improve health, education, equal opportunity, and protection from unfair criminal justice proceedings.

The Democratic Party is considered more liberal. But while many liberals are Democrats, not all Democrats are liberals. There are conservative Democrats in many parts of the country.

Moderate: Someone who holds beliefs that fall between the liberals and conservatives. The ideological views of this group will vary over time. Moderate belief is defined by what the liberals and conservatives of the times are advocating.

This is where most Americans are ideologically (usually about 40% of the population.)

Conservative: "someone resistant to change or inclined toward traditional views" (dictionary definition)

They believe that the role of government in society should be very limited and leave individuals responsible for their own well-being.

The Republican Party is considered more conservative. But while many conservatives are Republicans, not all Republicans are conservatives. There are moderate Republicans in some parts of the country.

22 Reactionary: "favoring a reverse movement in direction" (dictionary definition) These are ultra-conservatives who wish to take society back to an earlier form when, as they see it, things were better.

They usually view society’s problems similarly to conservatives, but reactionaries are more extreme in what they identify as the causes and what they want as solutions. At most, they make up one to two percent of the population and probably don’t belong to one of the major political parties because they’re too mainstream. They’re sometimes violent, but many are not. examples: militia groups, some religious groups, the K.K.K., fascists like Hitler & Mussolini also used these ideas, and people favoring royal dictatorships (like a king or queen)

Libertarian - An adherent of a political ideology that is conservative on economic matters (NO TAXES AND NO GOV”T REGULATION) and liberal on social issues. This ideology advocates a small, weak government. They are in favor or individual rights and freedoms (Legalize drugs) and against government rules and regulations (No child safety seats).

23 Chapter 6 – Political Socialization and the Influences on Political Ideology

Political Socialization: The process by which parents and other adults teach children about values, beliefs and attitudes of our American political culture.

Below is a list of the various factors that shape most people’s ideology. Which of these factors influence each of us most may vary.  Family & Home Influence: This is the most influential force for most people, probably because children learn so much at home, especially during their early years, from family stories, experiences, living conditions, and family activities.

 Religious Institutions and Influences

 Community Influences – EX: Rural vs. Urban / Northern vs. Southern / Eastern vs. Western – It is clear that one’s political attitudes will vary based on their geographic region (The Solid South)

 Peer Groups: Especially from adolescence onward, friends and social groups have important influences.

 Education and Schools: At the public school level, this should be more limited, but might include shaping political values like an appreciation of our system of government, a commitment to becoming a good citizen, knowledge of our history, and valuing diversity. Students who go to college or some other schooling after high school experience school influences on their ideology more. Many colleges, universities, and trade schools have very specific political climates that tend toward the left or right of the political spectrum. Students are often influenced by those cultures.

 Mass Media: TV, movies, music, books, magazines, newspapers, internet, etc. As communities and families change, there is an expectation that the media is growing in influence. Past research has concluded that media doesn’t often directly change whether we’re liberal or conservative, but it does influence what issues we think about and what we are concerned about. For example, as the media presents more dramas involving violence and as TV news gives violent events more coverage, then the public begins to feel that violence is a greater concern even at times when crime date statistic have said that violent crime is declining.

 Government: Elected leaders and government officials have the responsibility to communicate issues to the public. If the country needs to take a particular action or treat an issue as a priority, then they must work to persuade the public to support it at election time.

 Race and Ethnicity - Demographic and social categories (Social Class): A variety of other categories that we fall into also shape our experiences and values. These would include things like the region where you live (rural vs. urban vs. suburban or the part of the country), your age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, profession, social and economic status, and your religion.

24 LESSON 8 - THE RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE I. PRESIDENTIAL VS. CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGNS 1. What are the differences between presidential and congressional campaigns?  Size – presidential candidates need to work harder and spend more $  Presidential races are more competitive- winner is usually less than 55% of votes and is often under 50% (more people voted against Slick Willy)  Lower voter turnout for congressional elections  Different steps in the process

II. DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT 1. There are 3 stages to a Presidential Election A. GETTING THE NOMINATION Need experience – most helpful to be governors or military leaders / war heroes or former V-P’s rather than straight from Congress Need a lot of money – Review Campaign finance rules Need a large support staff to help with campaign Need a Strategy and a Theme

2 methods of getting the nomination today? Caucuses or primaries CAUCUSES:  Oldest and simplest method of allocating delegates for the convention  Definition? o A closed meeting of party leaders or party members to select the party’s candidate or to set policy

 These are centered on the political party machine and organization  EX: IOWA PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES  What is it? Defined  An electoral system in which people vote on a political party’s candidates for office  Today, this is the main method of choosing a party’s candidates  Types of primaries:  Open Primary – A voting system that permits voters to choose the party primary of their choice without disclosing their party affiliation  Closed Primary – A voting system in which the selection of party candidates is limited to party members  2 Parts to the Primaries: The Beauty Contest and the Delegate Selection Process  Delegate Selection methods: Proportional Representation (mandatory in democrats), Winner-Takes-All, Delegate Selection, or Delegate Selection with Advisory presidential preference, or Binding presidential preference –  DO NOT FORGET THE SUPERDELEGATE – A party leader (Gov, Senator, Rep, etc) or election official who’s granted the right to vote at a party’s national convention due to their political position and not due to any primary election or caucus – NOT PLEDGED prior to convention  What is Front Loading? - The practice of scheduling presidential primary elections during the early parts of election campaigns to increase the amount of influence that certain states or regions exert on the nomination

25  Super-Tuesday? –A Tuesday in March (now February 5th in 2008) in which a large number of presidential primaries, caucuses or conventions are held – many in the South

B. THE CONVENTION What is the National Convention? The meeting held every 4 years by each major political party to select a President and a V-P candidate to rep the party in the general election, to write a platform, to choose a national committee and to conduct party business What is its importance and significance today? Less Significant in the nomination process – WHY??? Describe the process of the convention. What happens each day?

What is the Party Platform and what is its impact on the candidate? – A platform is the Party’s official stance or position on the major issues – It has NO BINDING EFFECT ON A CANDIDATE - The DNC certainly did not envision a president supporting welfare reform and a reduction of welfare but Slick Willy did =just that How is the V-P chosen? “Balance the Ticket” - Geographically or ideologically How does TV handle the convention in modern times? It used to be gavel to gavel but not as much coverage now.

C. THE GENERAL ELECTION What is the General Election? What factors go into winning the General Election? Party, Money, Issues like the economy, how the campaign is run, building a winning coalition What is a “Clothespin Vote”? A vote cast by one who is not happy with either candidate and so votes for the least objectionable of the people running. Put a clothespin over your nose to keep out the stench. What is the importance of TV and the media today?  “Spots” vs. “Visuals”  Issue Ads and Independent Expenditures and 527 Groups  TV has more of an impact on the primaries as most voters do not change their vote in the general election How important are the presidential debates? What is the role of the Internet? Howard Dean revitalized the campaign process by tapping into the Internet The “SOLID SOUTH” – Once a Democratic strong hold since the Civil War and now a Conservative Republican base.

III. CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS “It does not matter what they say about you as long as they spell your name right!” “There is no such thing as bad publicity!”

CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS – WHY BOTHER?

I. GENERAL ELECTION INFORMATION 1. The American political system permits citizens to vote more often and for more offices than citizens of any other democracy. 2. Despite the present Candidate-Centered era of election campaigns with its emphasis on television and radio, elections still come down to what same basic rule?

26 3. The United States has regularly scheduled elections. They are set in advance and at fixed intervals. Should the United States move to a system with Votes of No Confidence like in the UK and Israel? 4. The United States electoral system is based on FIXED TERMS OF OFFICE. This means that the length / term of office is specified and not indefinite. 5. The United States electoral system also has STAGGERED TERMS OF OFFICE for some positions. This means that not all members of a branch are up for reelection at the same such as the U.S. Senate. 6. Some U.S. public officials have term limits and some do not. A. Which amendment limits the President to 2 terms of office? B. What is a LAME DUCK? C. Do the U.S. Senate and House have term limits? D. Would it surprise you that 75% of Americans think there should be term limits for the U.S. Congress? E. Should the US have term limits for Congress?

7. The U.S. electoral system is based in most cases on “winner-take- all”. A. What does “winner-take-all” mean?

B. What is a SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT?

C. What is meant by PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION?

8. ELECTIONS FOR THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES A. Size and Term of Office? B. When are the House elections?

9. RUNNING FOR THE SENATE A. SIZE and TERM OF OFFICE? B. When are the Senate Elections?

1.) Why are the Senate elections set up in this way?

27 THE FOX IS IN CHARGE OF THE HEN HOUSE! Tom Delay – the Donna Karan of Designer Districts! “Keep fishing and maybe you’ll get a bite!” Esteemed Associate Justice Kennedy’s advice to anyone looking to challenge a partisan gerrymander in the future. I. REDISTRICTING AND PARTISAN GERRYMANDERING – WHAT THE FAINT OF HEART OUGHT TO KNOW ABOUT AMERICAN ELECTORAL POLITICS! 1. Key Vocabulary Terms:  Census  Partisan Gerrymandering  Reapportionment  Single-member districts  Malapportionment  Proportional Representation  Redistricting  Majority-Minority Districts  Gerrymandering  Racial Gerrymandering

2. What does the Constitution say about redistricting? Very Little  Article I, Section 2 says that Representatives shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers.  Article I, Section 4 says that elections for the House and Senate shall be prescribed by the State legislatures  The 14th Amendment prescribes any type of racial gerrymandering under strict scrutiny rules. 3. There are 4 problems to be solved in deciding representation in the House: A. establishing the total size of the House B. allocating seats in the House among the states C. determining the size of congressional districts within the states D. determining the shape of each district within a state 4. Redistricting Basics:  It occurs to accommodate population shifts, which are discovered after each national census done in 10-year intervals.  All states with more than 1 Representative use single-member districts  In 1911, Congress set the maximum number of House seats at 435  In 1929, Congress accepted a complex statistical system for use as a formula in apportioning seats among the states.

5. Redistricting Rules (That’s really an oxymoron!) – Thanks to the USSC Justices  Voting Rights Act of 1965 was designed to eliminate racial discrimination in voting and redistricting  Baker v. Carr 1961  Issues: Did the Supreme Court have jurisdiction over questions of legislative apportionment?  Decision: YES - In an opinion which explored the nature of "political questions" and there were no such questions to be answered in this case and that legislative apportionment was a justiciable issue. In his opinion, Justice Brennan provided past examples in which the Court had intervened to correct constitutional violations in matters pertaining to state administration and the officers through whom state affairs are conducted. Brennan concluded that the Fourteenth Amendment equal protection issues which Baker and others raised in this case merited judicial evaluation.

28  Reynolds v. Sims 1964  Facts: Challenge to an Alabama Redistricting plan by county / region. System had population ratios as great as 41 to 1.  Issue: Did Alabama's apportionment scheme violate the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause by mandating at least one representative per county and creating as many senatorial districts as there were senators, regardless of population variances?  Decision: Yes – In an 8-to-1 decision, the Court upheld the challenge to the Alabama system, holding that Equal Protection Clause demanded "no less than substantially equal state legislative representation for all citizens...." Noting that the right to direct representation was "a bedrock of our political system," the Court held that both houses of bicameral state legislatures had to be apportioned on a population basis. States were required to "honest and good faith" efforts to construct districts as nearly of equal population as practicable. STANDARD – “ONE PERSON ONE VOTE”  Districts cannot be based solely on race. But Majority-Minority Districts are possibly constitutional provided that there are other race neutral factors involved.  (Shaw v. Reno 1993 and Miller v. Johnson 1995) Supreme Court applied strict scrutiny to strike down racial gerrymandering where race was the overriding and predominant factor in drawing of district lines and where state plan was not narrowly tailored to meet the state’s interest in complying with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Court also said that a state needs racially neutral considerations like compactness, contiguity, and respect for political subdivisions, shared interests of communities.

6. Is Partisan Gerrymandering constitutional?  Apparently so according to the U.S. Supreme Court  Vieth v. Jubelirer 2004 was the 1st modern case on gerrymandering to reach the SC. It was a 5/4 ruling upholding Pennsylvania’s partisan gerrymandering plan, which resulted in PA Republicans getting 13 of 19 seats in the Legislature. (Is PA more or less Democratic?)  Scalia, Thomas, Rehnquist, and O’Connor made it very clear they would reject any political gerrymandering claim. Kennedy told citizens to “keep fishing”.

7. Political Reality Today  Sophisticated software and polling results with demographic surveys allow incumbent legislators to pick the voters before the voters get to pick the legislators  Most major newspapers have called for reforms to make it a fairer system and to give voters choices. It is rare when the Wall Street Journal and the NY Times agree on anything but they do here!  There is no electoral accountability. Example: More House members died in office than lost in primaries in the last decade!  The # of women and minorities in the House has come to a standstill after a sharp rise in 1992.  From 1954 to 2006, there had been only 1 change in the party in control of the House  In the 2000 election, Gore got more votes than Bush yet the Republicans won 241 House seats to the Democrats 194. Gore won more votes than Bush in FL, MI, OH, and PA but unfettered Republican control of redistricting left Republicans with 51 out of 77 House seats in those states.  Based upon the above was the 2002 election a key election for the Republicans? YES AND NO – THE GROUND WORK WAS LAID IN THE MORE IMPORTANT ELETCTIONS OF 1998 Congress and the States have the right and the responsibility to correct this situation. However, Congress buries its head in the sand. Some states are working on ballot initiatives at this time.

8. What are the alternatives to today’s redistricting system? 29 30