Why I chose this: Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the interests of animals, such as the interest in avoiding suffering, should be afforded the same consideration as the interests of human beings. Although animal rights advocates approach the issue from different philosophical positions, they argue, broadly speaking, that animals should no longer be regarded as property, or used as food, clothing, research subjects, or entertainment, but should instead be regarded as legal persons and members of the moral community.
Organization: Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (www.caft.org.uk)
Grievance: There is no excuse for murdering millions of animals each year for vanity. Unfair treatment to the animals.
Resources: Documented Photos and Reports, Fact sheets, Campaign Stickers and Posters.
Framing: End the global trade of all products that use real animal fur.
Alliances: Hunt Saboteurs, Fur Free Alliance, Bont voor Dieren (Dutch), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), & others.
Call to action: Boycott any products containing animal fur.
Began: 1990s in the USA
How are proponents of one side striving to achieve their goals? They are boycotting the sellers of real fur and uniting to pressure them to into discontinue.
How do they get attention? They expose the conditions in several slaughterhouses, farms, retailers, and so on by revealing photographic and video evidence of the processes.
What power do they try to exercise? CAFT has branches all around the globe. They use free speech quite often in marches, boycotts, protests, and petitions.
What sort of organization and tactics are they using? They're an informal international coalition of grassroots groups that campaign against the production and use of animal fur.
Is the movement part of the American democratic process or is it destructive of our peaceful democracy? It adds to the democratic process.
Works Cited Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. .
"Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. .
Faction - According to James Madison, a group of people who seek to influence public policy in ways contrary to the public good.
Political party - A group that seeks to elect candidates to public office by supplying them with a label, a "party identification" by which they are known to the electorate.
Functions of political parties - They organize competition by nominating candidates at party conventions, caucuses and/or direct primaries.
National convention - A meeting of party delegates elected in state primaries, caucuses, or conventions that is held every four years. Its primary purpose is to nominate presidential and vice presidential candidates and to ratify a campaign platform.
National committee - A committee of delegates from each state and territory that runs party affairs between national conventions.
Congressional campaign committee - A party committee in Congress that provides funds to members who are running for reelection or to would-be members running for an open seat or challenging a candidate from the opposition party.
National chairman - A paid, full time manager of a party's day-t-day work who is elected by the national committee.
Federal money - Money raised to support the campaign of a candidate for federal office. Amounts regulated by federal law.
Soft money - Money raised by political parties for activities other than directly supporting a federal candidate.
Political machine - A party organization that recruits its members by dispensing patronage; tangible incentives such as money, political jobs, an opportunity to get favors from government and that is characterized by a high degree of leadership control over member activity.
Political action committee (PAC) - A committee set up by and representing a corporation, labor union, or special interest group that raises and spends campaign contributions on behalf of one or more candidates or causes.
Lobbying - A person, usually acting as an agent for an organized group, who seeks to bring about the passage or defeat of legislative bills or to influence their content.
Grass-roots lobbying - Stating a position on a specific legislative proposal to the public, then asking the public to urge their legislator to support that stated position. Nonprofits are limited in the amount they can spend on grassroots lobbying.
Two-party system - A form of party system where two major political parties dominate voting in nearly all elections, at every level. As a result, all, or nearly all, elected offices end up being held by candidates endorsed by one of the two major parties.
Single-member district - Legislative districts from which one representative is chosen.
Plurality election - A single winner voting system often used to elect executive offices or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single member constituencies.
Majority election - The party winning more than 50% of the vote in a constituency is awarded the contested seat.
Runoff election - The two-rounded system used to elect a single winner. Under runoff voting, the voter cast a single vote for their chosen candidate.
Proportional representation - A voting system in which representatives in a legislature are chosen by the proportion of all votes each candidate (or party) gets.
Third party - A political party other than one of the two major parties. It also includes independents and write in candidates.
Platform - A document stating the aims and principles of a political party.
Interest group - Advocacy groups that use various forms of advocacy to influence public opinion and/or policy; they have played and continued to play an important role in the development of political and social systems.
Political efficacy - A citizen's sense that he or she can understand and influence politics.
Public-interest lobby - A political organization, that stated goals of which will principally benefit nonmembers.
Pluralist theory - A theory that competition among all affected interests shapes public policy.
Campaigns and elections/ Chapter 7
Activist - An individual, usually outside government, who actively promotes a political party, philosophy, or issue he or she cares about.
Australian ballot - A government printed ballot of uniform size and shape to be cast in secret that was adopted by many states around 1890 in order to reduce the voting fraud associated with party printed ballots cast in public.
Motor-voter bill - A bill passed by Congress in 1993 to make it easier for Americans to vote. The law, which went into effect in 1995, requires states to allow voter registration by mail, when one applies for a driver's license, and at state offices that service the disabled or poor.
Poll tax - Money that must be paid in order to vote. There used to be poll taxes in some places in the USA; this tax kept many poor people from voting since they could not afford to pay the tax. The twenty fourth Amendment to the Constitution (ratified in 1964) made poll taxes illegal.
Media consultant - A term used to describe a marketing agent or public relations executive, hired by businesses or political candidates to obtain positive press coverage.
Primary election - An election prior to the general election in which voters select the candidates who will run on each party's ticket.
Caucus (primary) - A private meeting of party members designed to seek agreement on delegates for a state or national nominating convention based on which candidate they wish to support.
General election - An election used to fill an elective office.
open primary/ blanket primary - A primary election that permits voters to choose on election day the party primary in which they wish to vote. They may vote for candidates of only one party.
runoff primary - A second primary election held in some states when no candidate receives a majority of the votes in the first primary, the runoff is between the two candidates with the most votes. Runoff primaries are common in the South.
presidential primary - A special kind of primary used to pick delegates to the presidential nominating conventions of the major parties.
closed primary - A primary election limited to registered party members. Prevents members of other parties from crossing over to influence the nomination of an opposing party's candidate.
party convention - In politics, a political convention is a meeting of a political party, typically to select party candidates.
Spots (campaign) - Short television advertisements used to promote a candidate for government office.
Visual (campaign) - A campaign activity that appears on a television news broadcast.
Split ticket voting - Voting for candidates of different parties for various offices in the same election, for example, voting for a Republican for senator and a Democrat for president.
Party-column ballot - A ballot listing all candidates of a given party together under the same name of that party; also called an "Indiana" ballot.
Office-bloc ballot - A ballot listing all candidates for a given office under the name of that office; also called a "Massachusetts" ballot.
Straight-ticket voting - Voting for candidates who are all of the same party. For example, voting for Republican candidates for senator, representative, and president.
CONGRESS
Parliament - A national legislature composed of elected representatives who choose the chief executive (typically, the prime minister).
Bicameralism - The practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. This, a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers of houses.
Gerrymandering - The practice of redrawing electoral districts to gain an electoral advantage for a political party.
Speaker of the House - The presiding officer of the House of Representatives and the leader of his party in the House.
Majority leader - The legislative leader elected by party members holding the majority of seats in the House of Representatives or the Senate.
Minority leader - The legislative leader elected by party members holding a minority of seats in the House of Representatives or the Senate.
Franking privilege - The ability of members of Congress to mail letters to their constituents free of charge by substituting their facsimile signature (frank) for postage.
Whip - A senator or representative who helps the party leader stay informed about what party members are thinking, rounds up members when important votes are to be taken, and attempts to keep a nose count on how the voting on controversial issues is likely to go.
President - The person who holds the office of head of stare of the United States government.
pro tempore - The designated officer of the senate or house acting in the absence of the regular presiding officer.
Filibuster - An attempt to defeat a bill in the Senate by taking indefinitely, thus preventing the the Senate from taking action on it. From the Spanish filibustero, which means a "freebooter," a military adventurer.
Cloture - A rule used by the Senate to end or limit debate. Designed to prevent "talking bill to death" by filibuster. To pass in the Senate, three-fifths on the entire Senate membership (or sixty senator) must vote for it.
Senatorial courtesy - A tradition that it impossible to to confirm a presidential nominee for office if a senator files a personal objection.
Delegate - A person appointed or elected to represent others.
Trustee - A person to whom legal title or property entrusted use for another's benefit.
Pocket veto - One of two ways for a president to disprove a bill sent to him by Congress. In the president does not sign the bill within ten days of his receiving it and Congress has adjourned within that time, the bill does not sign the bill within that time, the bill does not become law.
Override - The legislature may pass a measure over the president's objection by voting to override a veto by a two-thirds majority of members present in both houses.
Standing committee - Permanently established legislative committees that consider and are responsible for legislation within certain subject areas. Examples are the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Select committee - Congressional committees appointed for a limited time and purpose.
Joint committee - Committees on which both representatives and senators serve. An especially important kind of joint committee is the conference committee made up of representatives and senators appointed resolve differences in the Senate and House versions of the same piece of legislation before final passage.
Line item veto - The power of an executive to veto some provisions in an appropriations bill while approving others. The president does not have the right to exercise a line-item veto and must approve or reject an entire appropriations bill.
Caucus (congressional) - An association of members of Congress created to advocate a political ideology or a regional, ethnic, or economic interest.
Simple resolution - An expression of opinion opinion either in the House of Representatives of the Senate to settle house-keeping or procedural matters in either body. Such expressions are not signed by the president and do not have the force of law.
Concurrent resolution - An expression of congressional opinion without the force of law that requires the approval of both the House and Senate but not of the president. Used to settle housekeeping and procedural matters that affect both houses.
Joint resolution - A formal expression of congressional opinion that must be approved by both houses of Congress and by the president. Joint resolutions proposing a constitutional amendment are not signed by the president.
Discharge petition - A device by which any member of the House after a committee has had a bill for thirty days, may petition to have it brought to the floor. If a majority of the members agree, the bill is discharged from the committee. The discharge petition was designed to prevent a committee from killing a bill by holding it for too long.
Restrictive rule - An order from the House Rules Committee in the House of Representatives that permits certain kinds of amendments but not others to be made to a bill on the legislative floor.
Closed rule - An order from the House Rules Committee in the House of Representatives that sets a time limit on debate and forbids a particular bill from being amended on the legislative floor.
Open rule - An order from the House Rules Committee in the House of Representatives that permits a bill to bill to be amended on the legislative floor.
Rider - Amendments on matters unrelated to a bill that are added to an important bill so that they will "ride: to passage through the Congress. When a bill has lots of riders, it is called a Christmas-tree bill.
Double tracking - Setting aside a bill against which one or more senators are filibustering so that other legislation can be voted on.
Voice vote - A congressional voting procedure in which members shout "aye" in approval or "no" in dissaproval: allows members to vote quickly or anonymously on bills.
Division vote - A congressional voting procedure in which members stand and are counted.
Teller vote - A congressional voting procedure n which members pass between two tellers, the "yeas" first and then the "nays." Since 1971 the identities of members in a teller vote can be "recorded."
Roll call - A congressional voting procedure that consists of members answering "yea" or "nay" to their names. When roll calls were handled orally, it was a time consuming process in the House. Since 1973 an electronic voting system learn the total automatically.
PRESIDENT
Divided government - In the United States, divided government describes a situation is which one party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of United States Congress.
Veto - Literally, "I forbid" it refers to the power of a president to disprove a bill; it may be override by a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress.
War powers act - A 1973 U.S. Congress joint resolution providing that the President can send U.S. armed forces into action abroad only by authorization of Congress or if the U.S. is already under attack or serious threat.
Impoundment - The refusal of a President to spend money that has been appropriated y the U.S. Congress. The precedent for presidential impoundment was first set by Thomas Jefferson in 1801.
Commander in Chief - The commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function.
Pardon - Legal forgiveness for a crime. Governors can issue pardons for state crimes and the President for federal crimes.
Electoral College - A set of electors who are selected to elect a candidate to a particular office. Often these represent different organizations or entities, with each organization or entity represented by a particular number of electors or with votes weighted in a particular way. This group formally elects the U.S. president and vice president.
Cabinet - By custom, the cabinet includes the heads of the fifteen major executive departments.
Executive privilege - A presidential claim that he may withhold certain information from Congress.
Trial balloon - Information provided to the media by an anonymous public official as a way of testing the public reaction to a possible policy or appointment.
Impeachment - An accusation against a high federal official charging him or her with treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. An impeachment requires a majority vote in the House of Representatives. To be removed from office, the impeached official must be tried before the Senate and convicted by a vote of two-thirds of the members.
Budget resolution - A proposal submitted by the House and Senate budget committees to their respective chambers recommending a total budget ceiling and a ceiling for each of several spending areas (such as health or defense) for the current fiscal year. These budget resolutions are intended to guide the work if each legislative committee as it decides what to spend in its area.
Continuing resolution - A congressional enactment that provides funds to continue government operations in the absence of an agreed-upon budget.
Budget deficit - A situation in which the government spends more money than it takes in form taxes and fees.
Budget surplus - A situation in which the government takes in more money than it spends.
JUDICIAL
Judicial review - The power of the courts to declare acts of the legislature and of the executive to be unconstitutional and, hence, null and void.
Adversary system - The system of law that relies on the contest between each advocate representing his or her party's positions and involves an impartial person or group of people, usually a jury or judge, trying to determine the truth of the case.
Stare decisis - A Latin term meaning "let the decision stand." The practice of basing judicial decisions on precedents established n similar cases decided in the past.
Precedent - A judicial rule that permits the court ruling settling an old case to settle a similar new one.
Political question - An issue that the Supreme Court refuses to consider because it believes the Constitution has left it entirely to another branch to decide. Its view of such issues may change over time, however. Fore example, until the 1960s the Court refused to hear cases about the size of congressional districts, no matter how unequal their populations. In 1962, however, it decided that it was authorized to review the constitutional implications of this issue.
Remedy - A judicial order preventing or redressing a wrong or enforcing a right.
Original jurisdiction - The right to hear a case for the first time as opposed to appellate jurisdiction when a court has the right to review a lower court's decision. In the U.S. these courts are known as trial courts.
Appellate jurisdiction - Appellate jurisdiction is the power of a court to review decisions and change outcomes of decisions of lower courts. Most appellate jurisdiction is legislatively created, and may consist of appeals by leave of the appellate court or by right
Habeas corpus - A Latin term meaning "you shall have the body." A court order directing a police officer, sheriff, or warden who has a person in custody to bring the prisoner before a judge and show sufficient cause for his or her detention. The writ of habeas corpus was designed to prevent illegal arrests and imprisonment.
Senatorial courtesy - A tradition that makes it impossible to confirm a presidential nominee for office if a senator files a personal objection.
Judicial activism - Judicial rulings that are suspected to be based upon personal and political considerations other than existing law. Judicial restraint is sometimes used as an antonym of judicial activism.
Strict construction - A close or literal interpretation of an issue. Commonly applied to that view of the U.S. Constitution that limits federal powers to those specifically described in that document. As opposed to loose construction.
McCulloch v. Maryland - Trial involving the state of Maryland & their right to tax the federal bank---sets precedent for the "loose clause"---increased Fed's power.
Marbury v. Madison - Supreme Court case decided in 1803 that established the concept of judicial review---the of the Supreme Court to review acts of the president and Congress and determine if they are constitutional.
Constitutional court - A high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether or not laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional.
District court - The lowest federal courts where federal cases begin. They are the only federal courts where trails are held. There are a total of ninety-four district courts in the U.S. and its territories.
Courts of appeals - The federal courts with authority to review decisions by federal district courts, regulatory commissions and certain other federal courts. Such courts have no original jurisdiction: they can hear only appeals. There are twelve in the U.S.
Legislative court - A court that is created by Congress for some specialized purpose and staffed with judges who do not enjoy the protection of Article III of the Constitution. Legislative courts include the Court of Military Appeals and the territorial courts.
Federal-question case - Cases concerning the Constitution, federal law, or treaties over which the federal courts have jurisdiction as described in the constitution.
Diversity case - Cases involving citizens of different states over which federal courts have jurisdiction because at least 75,000 is at stake.
In forma pauperis - A procedure whereby a poor person can file and be heard in court as a pauper, free of charge.
Fee shifting - A law or rule that allows the plaintiff (party that initiates the lawsuit) to collect its legal costs from the defendant if the defendant loses.
Standing - A legal concept establishing who is entitled to bring a lawsuit to court. Ab individual must show personal harm in order to be heard in court.
Writ of certiorari - A Latin term meaning "made more certain." An order issued by a higher court to a lower court to send up the record of a case for review. Most cases reach the Supreme Court through the writ of certiorari, issued when at least four of the nine justices feel the case should be reviewed.
Amicus curiae - A Latin term meaning "a friend of the court." Refers to interested groups or individuals, not directly involved in a suit, who may file legal briefs or make oral arguments in suppose of one side.
Opinion of the Court - A supreme court opinion written by one or more justices in the majority to explain the decision in a case.
Friend of the Court brief - Information on a point of law or some other aspect of the case to assist the court in deciding.
Dissenting opinion - A Supreme Court opinion by one or more justices in the minority to explain the minority's disagreement with the Court's ruling.
Concurring opinion - A supreme court opinion by one or more justices who agree with the majority's conclusion but for different reasons.
Sovereign immunity - A doctrine that a citizen cannot sue the government without its consent. By statute Congress has given its consent for the government to be sued in many cases involving a dispute over a contract or damage done as a result of negligence.
Class-action suit - A case brought into court by a person on behalf of not himself or herself but all other persons in the country under similar circumstances. Example Brown v. Board of Education affects/includes all other similar cases.
STATE & LOCAL
Recall - The act of removing an official by petition.
Initiative - A means by which a petition is signed by a certain number of registered voters can force a public vote on a proposed statute, constitutional amendment, charter amendments or ordinance.
Referendum - A legislative act is referred for final approval to a popular vote by the electorate.
Lt. Governor - A high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor, "second in command."
Secretary of State - Oversees elections and signs it. Keeps official records of legislation and distributes copies to each county. Handles charters for cities and counties. Also handles business licenses and charters for corporations.
CA Supreme Court - Consists of seven justices all appointed by the governor and approved by judicial commission. They're confirmed by a state-wide election.
Superior court - County by county courts of primary jurisdiction. The judges are appointed by the governor and confirmed by election every 6 years.
Term limits - A legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office.
State Assembly - State equal of the House. Consists of 80 members that are elected in State Assembly districts and can serve up to two four year terms.
State Senate - Consists of forty senators that are elected in state senate districts. Can serve up to two 4 year terms.
Redistricting - A constitutionally mandated redrawing of local, state, and federal political boundaries every ten years following the U.S. census. The lines of Assembly, Senate, and Congressional Districts are redrawn to reflect changing demographics and population shifts.
Special Districts - Special purpose districts that are independent government unites separate from and exist with substantial administrative and fiscal independence from general purpose local governments, such as county, municipal, and township governments.
CA Public Records Act - A 1968 law mandating disclosure of governmental records to the public upon request, unless there is a specific reason not to do so.
Judicial commission - ?????
County board of supervisors - The body governing counties in California; the equivalent body is a police jury.
City council - The legislative body that governs a city, municipality, or local government area. They pass ordinances and appropriate funds.
School board (trustees) - School committees in charge of local public schools. They elect trustees to oversee management of a school district and represent the interests of residents.
Mayor - The head of a city government whose main responsibility is organizing how the town is run.
City Manager - An official appointed as the administrative manager of a city whose main duties include: to advise, inform, and recommend actions to the mayor and city council.
Social Movements
Social movement - A group of people with a common ideology who try together to achieve certain general goals.
Grievance - A wrong or hardship suffered, which is the grounds of a complaint.
Resources - The "tools of power." For example money, groups, connections, etc.
Framing - Presenting the issue to the public in one's perspective; defining the issue.
Alliances - Formal agreements that establish associations between other groups to achieve a particular aim.
Call to action - Words that entice recipients to do something.
Freedom of Information Act - Rules that guarantee access to data held by the state.
IN WHAT WAYS IS THE CALIFORNIA REPUBLIC MORE democratic THAN THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT?
1. Suppose the school board announced that it intends to close the small, neighborhood grade schools currently dotting your community and replace them with one large school in the center of town. You believe this move would be a disaster (for whatever reasons). What can you do? Outline a strategy to gain influence over this decision, remembering both the concepts we learned in our discussion of social movements and the structure of federal, state, and local government we studied.
2. Would the Founding Fathers recognize the American Government they created through the Constitution? In what ways is it the same and in what ways is it different?
3. "The major theme in America's political evolution is the continuing expansion of popular participation." Respond to this statement. Be sure you use specific examples of how the US has evolved or remained constant over our 200+ year history as a nation.
4. Thomas Jefferson feared that the Constitution was fatally flawed because the Judiciary had insufficient checks to reign in its potential tyranny. With 200+ years of history to use to evaluate his critique, was Jefferson correct? Illustrate your answer with relevant cases in history.
5. California’s political system is an exact replica of the US Political system, but in miniature. Respond to this statement, rejecting it, confirming it, or modifying it. Use specific examples to illustrate your point.
The one difference will be that I am picking one mandatory short answer question as noted above; the other two will still be based on your choice of two from among 4 possibilities. There will be about 40 multiple choice questions.
(Questions to answer) What did you learn? (1 page on this) What rules were you limited and guided by? (1 page on this) What role do citizen volunteers play in voting? (1 page on this) What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of the registration and voting system you participated in? (1 page on this) Total = 4 pages
Thesis: Clarity (clear message), content (detailed procedures), completeness (all events), and persuasiveness (is it important). Do NOT write a book report!
Pros: - Poll workers cooperating well. - Clean and professional service. - I know how the voting process works now.
Cons: - Mildly confusing setup. - No clear path for voters to follow. - Some people were somewhat confused. - Some errors made the process choppy for a couple of people.
I learned: - Poll workers MUST give proper and friendly service as well as privacy for the voter. - Do NOT rush the voters! It is illegal and poll workers can get FIRED for doing so! Wait at least until 8:00 pm and after the last voter has left the building before even starting to remove signs and other items. - You MUST follow printed instructions on what steps you should do while setting up.
Something about Our Republic: My Experience as a Poll Worker
Everybody likes to have their say and voices heard. That is why the United States has a day set by law known as Election Day in which citizens choose what representatives they want elected as their public officials (Is the United States a Democracy). Louis Brandeis once said, "The most important political office is that of the private citizen." This quote is true; citizens do play an important role as they are responsible for choosing the most qualified candidates. On November 2, 2010, I saw firsthand how the voting process works and how citizens make their voices heard. As a poll worker, I learned and obliged to certain rules while serving my time as a volunteer. I was limited and restricted on some terms, yet that allowed me to focus more on other important aspects such as Election Day's strengths and flaws. The key idea still remains: a person's vote is a person's voice.
Before Election Day came around I had no definite knowledge about the primary or midterm elections. However, as November's elections approached, I did some research on the purpose of these elections and when they occurred. To my surprise I discovered how substantial the primary and midterm elections really are. The November 2010 elections where in fact not primary but midterm elections. What occurs during these midterm elections does not directly decide if the presidential position will be changed, so the president will still remain president after the midterm ends. In contrast the primary elections are when the voters select the delegates that will run in the general election and then soon after the winner of the presidency is chosen (Thebigshowernie, 2007). Either way, both of the elections call for the voice of the people. Remember that the people do not work for the representatives; the representatives work for the people (Muellerleile, 2010)
Even after learning this new information, some of my own views about Election Day continued to modify. During the poll worker training session two things stood out to me: the specified procedures for setting and cleaning the voting equipment and the rules and regulations applied specifically for Election Day. I will first begin by explaining the Election Day rules and regulations. The simple but most important rule is to give the voter privacy while offering professional and friendly service. Smiles and assistance may give the the voter a more joyful voting environment, rather than an one filled with cold demeanors. Most importantly, voters should have the utmost positive and welcoming experience possible so they may choose to vote again in future elections. As for the privacy, people need theirs because it is solely their own business on what they choose and decide on. I as a poll worker could not directly look at the voter's marked ballot because then I would be interfering with their privacy. Per contra, if someone asked for help and does not mind sharing their decision, assistance may override the issue over privacy for this specific circumstance. As polls near eight o'clock and voters dwindle, poll workers have to remain in position until the last ballot is cast. It does not matter if it is ten minutes past closing time; as long as there is still a voter who has not cast their ballot, the poll workers cannot begin the closing process. Workers cannot rush the voter or else the worker can get fired for doing so. Another thing to keep in mind, offering incentives to voters and wearing anything that is affiliated with a political party are illegal under both state and federal laws (Election Day Do's and Don'ts). There is freedom of speech but that freedom comes with responsibility, not freedom from responsibility (TBug, 2010).
Citizens' votes are the oxygen needed in order for the body of the republic to survive. All citizens are entitled to think and believe what they want- as long as they do not place others, and sometimes themselves, in harm's way (Muellerleile, 2010). Election Day is one of many ways for the citizens to have their voices heard without putting anybody at risk. Some may argue that outcome will remain the same no matter if they vote or not, believing that their vote is meaningless. They have a similar ideology that is similar to a quote by Joseph Stalin that says, "The people who cast the votes do not decide an election, the people who count the votes do." However this is untrue in our republic. Maureen Leidy wrote, "Many people think that their vote does not matter. Imagine if everyone felt that way – we would never elect a president! There have been many, many elections – not just on a local level – that have been decided by less than 100 votes. So thinking that one's vote does not count could not be farther from the truth" (Leidy, 2002)
As I have greatly emphasized throughout this paper, the vote of the citizen is his or her individual voice, so they must exercise it. There is a saying directed towards those who do not participate in elections that says, "If one does not vote, they have no right to complain." For example, if an individual does not like how the local government is handling a specific issue the person has the opportunity to voice their opinion when they vote (this applies to national government as well). However, if the circumstance is that one can not vote, the chance at making a statement towards the government is failed. "The peoples' votes hold the local and national leaders responsible for the decisions they make. The votes send a message about the issues people think are important. The votes affirm the rights as free citizens to elect their government and take part in democracy. Without voting, there could be no democracy" (Importance of Voting).
While helping as an assistant poll worker, I realized how most of the voting process worked, So when I become old enough to legally vote I would have prior knowledge on how things are properly settled during the voting process. Election day had a lot of strengths, the most significant being the cleanness and organization of the voting location. The tables were neatly established around the room, with proper table names visible and easy to follow. Poll workers were cooperating very well. Poll workers were working and correcting each other when those small were errors occurred. On the other hand, voters were sometimes sent to the wrong table, causing temporary confusion. It is a small error that was easily remedied by the organized setup.
Election Day is a time for citizens to practice their right to vote that many take for granted. Citizens are not capitalizing, which is sad because voting is one of our own constitutional rights. There are probably more people contemplating who should continue in "Dancing with the Stars" than there are contemplating who should be the next trustee member of a school board that governs their childrens' schools (Bliss, 2010). By volunteering as a poll worker, I realized that my vote is the only way to be heard. Everybody likes to have their voice heard.
Works Cited Bliss, Shane. "The Real Importance of Voting." The Globe. College Media Network, 19 Oct. 2010. Web. 27 Nov. 2010. .
"Election Day Dos and Don'ts | Recordnet.com." Recordnet.com Home Page | San Joaquin County News, Jobs, Cars, Real Estate and More. San Joaquin Media Group, 31 Oct. 2010. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. .
"Importance of Voting." About Voting and Elections. Pennsylvania Department of State. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. .
Leidy, Maureen. "Understanding the Importance of Voting." Essortment Articles: Free Online Articles on Health, Science, Education & More.. Pagewise, 2002. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. .
Muellerleile, Hermine. "The Importance of Elections." EzineArticles Submission. Ezine Articles, 22 Oct. 2010. Web. 21 Nov. 2010. .
TBug. "Freedom of Speech Does Not Mean Freedom of Responsibility." Daily Kos: State of the Nation. Kos Media, LLC, 16 Oct. 2010. Web. 24 Nov. 2010. .
Thebigshowernie. "What Is the Purpose of the Primary Election ? - Yahoo! Answers." Yahoo! Answers - Home. Yahoo!, 2007. Web. 24 Nov. 2010. .
"ThisNation.com--Is the United States a Democracy?" ThisNation.com-American Government & Politics Online. Web. 21 Nov. 2010. .
CLICK HERE TO PRINT FILE ================================================= Intro Lectures: Politics - the management of conflict over who shall rule and what policies shall be made. Power - The ability to give or withhold support for a course of action. Authority/Legitimacy - Political authority conferred by public opinion. Force - Physical Violence or credible threat. Rewards - Payment for good behavior. Rational legal authority - Authority established through a process. Government - The system of offices that oversee and guide the interactions of individuals in a political system. Capitalism - Private property with market incentives.
Democracy/Constitution Chapter 1 & 2: Democracy - Political system where the people rule. Direct Democracy - Political system in which most citizens make policy as in a town meeting. Republic - A form of democracy in which power is vested in representatives elected by means of popular competitive elections. Representative Democracy - Political system in which policy is made by official elected by the people. Parliamentary System - A government that vests power in an elected legislature that chooses the chief executive. Presidential system - A government that vests power in a separately elected president and legislature. John Locke - English philosopher who wrote the Treatises of Government. Capitalism - Private property with market incentives. Civil Society - Volunteer organizations or associations that citizens join to achieve goals independent of government. Articles of Confederation - A constitution drafted by the newly independent states in 1777 and ratified in 1781. It created a weak national government that could not levy taxes or regulate commerce. In 1789 it was replaced by our current constitution in order to create a stronger national government. Sovereignty - A governmental unit that has supreme authority and is accountable to no higher institution. Shay's Rebellion - A rebellion in 1787 led by Daniel Shays and other ex-Revolutionary War soldiers and officers to prevent foreclosures of farms as a result of high interest rates and taxes. The revolt highlighted the weaknesses of the confederation and bolstered support for a stronger national government. Constitutional Convention - Meeting of state delegates in Philadelphia in 1787, which resulted in the writing of the constitution. Bicameral legislature - A lawmaking body made up of two chambers or parts. The congress in the U.S. is a bicameral legislature composed of a senate and a house of representatives. Unicameral legislature - A lawmaking body with only one chamber, as in Nebraska. James Madison - "The father of the constitution" that prepared the Virginia Plan which formed the basis for the deliberations at the 1787 convention. Majority rule - The doctrine that states those candidates who win the most votes will fill office and whichever side in a legislature has the most votes determines which laws will be made. Minority Rights - Rights of any group less than a majority. Normal individual rights as applied to members of racial, ethnic, class, religious, linguistic, or sexual minorities. Virginia Plan - A proposal by Virginia delegates, drafted by James Madison at the Philadelphia Convention of 1787. New Jersey Plan - The New Jersey Plan was a proposal for the structure of the United States Government which recommended that Congress be unicameral, and that all states be equally represented in Congress. It was proposed by William Paterson at the Philadelphia Convention on June 15, 1787. Three-fifths compromise - A compromise between Southern and Northern states reached during the Philadelphia Convention of 1787 in which three-fifths of the population of slaves would be counted for enumeration purposes. Federalists - Supporters of a stronger central government who advocated ratification of the constitution. After ratification they founded a political party supporting a strong executive and Alexander Hamilton's economic policies. Federalist Papers - A series of eighty five essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay that were published in New York's newspapers in 1787-1788 to convince New Yorkers to adapt to the newly proposed constitution. Coalition - An alliance among different interest groups or parties to achieve some political goal. Antifederalists - Opponents of a strong central government who campaigned against ratification of the constitution in favor of a confederation of largely independent states. Faction - A group of people who seek to influence public policy in ways contrary to the public good. Separation of powers - A principle of American government whereby constitutional authority is shared by three separate branches of government - legislative, judicial, and executive. Checks and balances - The power of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government to block some acts by the other two branches. Bill of Rights - The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, containing a list of individual rights and liberties such as freedom of speech, religion, and press.
Civil Liberties Chapters 3 & 4 First Amendment - Freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and of the right to petition the government. Civil rights - Rights of the citizens to vote, receive equal treatment before the law, and to share the same benefits of public facilities. Civil liberties - Rights accorded to an individual by the constitution. due-process clause - Protection against arbitrary deprivation of life, liberty, or property as guaranteed in the fifth and fourteen amendments. equal protection clause - The provision in the fourteen amendment guaranteeing that no state shall deny to any person the equal protection of the laws. Incorporation - A doctrine whereby the Supreme Court incorporates--that is, includes---many parts of the Bill of Rights into restrictions on government actions. Clear and present danger - A standard for judging when freedom of speech can be abridged; "no one has a right to shout `fire' in a crowded theater when there is no fire because such an action would pose a clear and present danger to public safety." Prior restraint - The press is guaranteed freedom from censorship. After publication however the government can punish the press for material that is judged libelous or obscene. Libel - Injurious written statements about another person. Poll tax - Money that must be paid in order to vote. There used to be poll taxes in some places in the USA; this tax kept many poor people from voting since they could not afford to pay the tax. The twenty fourth Amendment to the Constitution (ratified in 1964) made poll taxes illegal. Literacy test - An exam to determine that a voter can read, write and understand public issues. In 1965, President Johnson enacted the Voting Rights Act, which abolished literacy tests and other voter restrictions and authorized federal intervention against voter discrimination. Commerce clause - The Commerce Clause is an enumerated power listed in the United States Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3). The clause states that the United States Congress shall have power "To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes". Ex post facto law - Any law that makes an act a crime that was not a crime at the time it was committed or that increases penalties or renders conviction easier after the fact, was outlawed by the constitution. Lemon Test - Three tests may be gleaned from the cases. First, the statute must have a secular legislative purpose; second, its principal or primary effect must be one that neither advances nor inhibits religion; finally, the statute must not foster an excessive government entanglement with religion. Establishment Clause - A clause in the First Amendment to the Constitution stating that Congress shall make no law "respecting an establishment of religion". Free Exercise Clause - A clause in the First Amendment to the Constitution stating that Congress shall make no law prohibiting the "free exercise" of religion. Wall of Separation - A Supreme Court interpretation of the Establishment clause in the First Amendment that prevents government involvement with religion, even on a non-preferential basis. Employment Division v. Smith(1990) - Smith a Native American in Oregon, gets fired for the religious use of peyote. Smith doesn't get jailed or hired. Division wins. Double jeopardy - The prosecution of a defendant for a criminal offense for which he has already been tried; prohibited in the fifth amendment to the United States Constitution. White primary - White primaries were primary elections in the Southern States of the United States of America in which any non-White voter was prohibited from participating. White primaries were found in many Southern States after about 1890 and through the mid-1960s. Miranda Rights - Rights read by an officer to a person in custody before they are interrogated. If rights are not read before interrogation of the person in custody, then the answers to the questions may be kept out of court. Probable Cause(Search Warrant) - A reasonable belief that a crime has occurred, is occurring, or will occur, which is sufficient to justify an arrest of a person, a search, or a seizure of property. It is often described as more than a mere suspicion. Exclusionary rule - The legal rule that states where evidence has been obtained in violation of the search and seizure protections guaranteed by the US Constitution, the illegally obtained evidence cannot be used at the trial of the defendant. Good-faith exception - In United States constitutional law, the good-faith exemption (also good-faith doctrine) is a legal doctrine providing an exemption to the exclusionary rule. Separate but equal - A legal doctrine in U.S. constitutional law that justified systems of segregation. Plessy v Ferguson (1896) - Homer Plessy was told to sit in the colored car even though he was only 1/8s black, so he went to the court, but in a 7 to 1 decision the court declared Plessy guilty and rejected Plessy's arguments based on the fourteenth amendment then ruling the law for separate but equal. Brown v Board of Education (1954) - Ruled that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. This swept through the nation beginning the civil rights movement. Brown v. Board of Education is a victory for democracy. Civil rights act of 1964 - Piece of legislation that outlawed major forms of discrimination against blacks and women and ended racial segregation in the U.S. It prohibited discrimination in public facilities, and in employment, invalidating the Jim Crow laws in southern states. Affirmative action - The requirement imposed by law or administrative regulation, that an organization take positive steps to increase the number or proportion of women, blacks, or other minorities in its membership. Suspect classification - Classifications of people on the basis of their race and ethnicity. The courts have ruled that laws classifying people on these grounds will be subject to strict scrutiny. Strict scrutiny - The standard by which the Supreme Court judges classifications based on race. To be accepted, such a classification must be closely related to a compelling public purpose. Quasi-suspect classification - Any classification of groups meeting a series of criteria suggesting they are likely the subject of discrimination. Heightened scrutiny - Classifications based on gender and illegitimacy. Reverse discrimination - Using race or sex to give preferential treatment to some people. Reasonableness test - Procedure to examine the logic of accounting information. Shelly v. Kraemer (1948) - A U.S. Supreme Court case which held that courts could not enforce racial covenants a on real estate, declaring they violate basic civil rights via the fourteenth amendment. Voting rights act of 1965 - An act that outlawed discriminatory voting practices that had been responsible for the widespread disenfranchisement of African Americans in the United States.
Federalism Chapter 5 Federalism - A political system in which ultimate authority is shared between a central government and state or regional governments. Federal system - Power is divided between central and local, state, or regional governments. Both the central government and the constituent governments act directly upon the citizens. Both must agree to constitutional change. Unitary System - Power is centralized. State or regional governments derive authority from central government. Confederation/confederal system - A political system in which states or regional governments retain ultimate authority except for those powers that they expressly delegate to a central government. Express powers - Those delegated powers of the National Government that are spelled out, expressly, in the constitution; also called the "enumerated powers". Implied powers - Those delegated powers of the National Government that are suggested by the expressed powers set out in the Constitution. Necessary-and-proper clause/Elastic clause - The final paragraph of Article I, Section 8, of the constitution, which authorizes Congress to pass all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out the enumerated powers. Sometimes called the elastic clause because of the flexibility it provides to Congress. Nullification - A legal theory that a U.S. State has the right to nullify any federal law which that state has deemed unconstitutional. Federal mandate - A federal law or act compelling state to take certain actions, sometimes without providing funds such as "No child left behind", an example of an unfunded mandate. Full faith and credit clause - A name used to refer to Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution, that addresses the duties that states within the U.S. have to respect the "public acts, records, and judicial proceedings" of other states. Supremacy clause - The clause in the U.S. constitution, Article VI, stating that all laws made furthering the constitution and all treaties made under the authority of the U.S. are the supreme law of the land. Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) - Ferry Service in New York Harbor. Outcome: Feds win; states must recognize licenses issued by federal government. Justification: "Interstate Commerce" clause and "Supremacy" clause. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) - U.S. National Bank. Outcome: Feds win(McCulloch); bank is constitutional. Justification: "Necessary and Proper Clause and "Supremacy" clause. Wickard v. Filburn (1942) - Grain Production in Ohio. Outcome: Feds win; Farmers crops can be regulated by federal government. Justification: "Interstate Commerce" clause, argued that farmers affect the interstate commerce even if they buy or sell nothing. Heart of Atlanta (1964) - Discrimination in private business, specifically a motel that wanted to serve only white clients. Outcome: Feds(U.S.) wins; civil rights can be imposed by federal government, even on private business. Justification: "Interstate Commerce" clause and "Supremacy" clause.
Grants In Aid - Federal funds provided to states and localities. Grants in aid are typically provided for airports, highways, education, and major welfare services.
Block grants - Grants of money from the federal government to states for programs in certain general areas rather than for specific kinds of programs.
Categorical Grants - A federal grant for a specific purpose defined by federal law; to build an airport, for example, or to make welfare payments to low-income mothers. Such grants usually require that the state or locality put up money to "match" some part of the federal grant, though the amount of matching funds can be quite small.
Conditions of aid - Federal rules attached to the grants that states receive. States must agree to abide by these rules in order to receive the grant.
Public Opinion and Media Chapter 6
Political Ideology - A coherent and consistent set of attitudes about who ought to rule and what policies out to be adopted.
Liberal - In general, a person who favors a more active federal government for regulating business, supporting social welfare, and protecting minority rights, but who prefers less regulation of private social conduct.
Conservative - In general, a person who favors more limited and local government, less government regulation of markets, more social conformity to traditional norms and values, and tougher policies toward criminals.
Libertarian - One who advocates liberty either generally or on a specific issue. A believer in a political doctrine that emphasises individual liberty and a lack of governmental regulation and oversight.
Populist - An advocate of democratic principles and the political doctrine that supports the rights and powers of political doctrine that supports the rights and powers of the common people in their struggle with the privileged elite.
Public Opinion - A belief or sentiment shared by most people; the voice of the people.
Poll - A survey of public opinion.
Random Sample - A sample selected in such a way that any member of the population being surveyed has an equal chance of being interviewed.
Sampling error - The difference between the results of two surveys or samples. For examples, if one random sample shows that 60 percent of all Americans like cats and another random sample taken at the same time shows that 65 percent do, the sampling error is 5 percent.
Partisanship - A member devoted to a cause or a party.
Political elite - A relatively small dominant group within a large society, having a privileged status perceived as being envied by others of a lower line of order.
Political socialization - The component of the process of individuals coming to learn and internalize the culture of their society or group that is directly related to the transmission of political values and behaviors.
Political culture - Widely shared beliefs, values, and norms concerning the relationship of citizens to the government and to one another.
Institutions of Socialization - The groups, practices, and systems that convey and inculcate the values of political culture to rising generations and new members.
Reinforcing Cleavages - If cleavages overlap with each other, this can heighten the conflict and be more divisive. The disagreements produced by one division (e.g. class), will reinforce the divisions produced by another (e.g. race). Finding agreement and compromise across groups in this situation can be that much more difficult.
Cross-cutting Cleavages - If cleavages cut across each other, this can lessen the presence of conflict across groups. Disagreements produced by one division can produce cross-pressures for individuals and mitigate the divisions they may experience by way of another cleavage. Cross-pressures help produce "bridges" across the cleavages, making agreement and compromise more likely.
Gatekeeper - In human communication, in particular, in journalism, gatekeeping is the process through which ideas and information are filtered for publication. The internal decision making process of relaying or withholding information from the media to the masses.
Watchdog - A person or organization that monitors and publicizes the behavior of others (individuals, corporations, governments) to discover undesirable activity; To perform a function analogous to a watchdog; To guard and warn.
Media profit motive - A "horse race" that rakes in the cash for the media.
Freedom of the press - The freedom of communication and expression through vehicles including various electronic media and published materials.
Slanted stories -
Media bias - Media bias refers to the bias of journalists and news producers within the mass media, in the selection of which events and stories are reported and how they are covered.
Selection bias - When the treatment and control groups involved in the program are initially statistically unequal in terms of one or more of the factors of interest. This is a threat to internal validity.
Perception bias - Perspective in theory of cognition is the choice of a or a reference (or the result of this choice) from which to sense, categorize, measure or codify experience, cohesively forming a coherent belief, typically for comparing with another.
Horse Race - Used as a metaphor for an election campaign, “horse race” conveys the feeling of excitement that people experience when watching a sporting event.
Contreras1 Daniel Contreras Professor Jeff Keele POLS P101 CRN 72530 25 September 2010 The Writ of Habeas Corpus The Bill of Rights contains many of the undeniable privileges of the citizens. These rights are commonly referred to as the ten amendments of the constitution. What lays not too far off are the protection laws: Bill of Attainder, Ex Post Facto Law, and Writ of Habeas Corpus. (Wilson 23) In Latin, Habeas Corpus literally means you shall have the body. This is a fundamental protection right that grants a meeting with a judge to discuss the case and penalty. This is crucial for deflecting, or bringing to light, unreasonable and illegal treatment or imprisonment for a certain cause. Even though it is a shared right, it may be revoked or denied in certain circumstances. The criminal justice system is supposed to be unbiased and fair. Sometimes however, social class can play in someone's advantage or disadvantage. (Henslin 213) For example, if a wealthy upper class person where to get convicted, their trial could be different trial than that of a lower class and unprivileged person, due to the availability of resources such as money. However, both of them have the right to Habeas Corpus. Overall, Habeas Corpus is an important protection right that everyone should know about, or even exercise when the time is right. Contreras1 Works Cited Henslin, James M., and James M. Henslin. Life in Society: Readings to Accompany Sociology, a Downto- earth Approach, Eighth Edition. Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon, 2007. Print. Wilson, James Q. American Government: Brief Version. Boston: Wadsworth, 2009. Print.
Daniel Contreras Professor Jeff Keele POLS P101 11 September 2010
An article that I evaluated briefly analyzed how the United States appears to be in a state of "halt" economy-wise. Unemployment rose from 9.5 percent to 9.6 percent due to the fact that more job-seekers are available than the jobs themselves. In good time the unemployment rate may gradually decrease, but it will not happen abruptly. The road to economic recovery may require many months, or maybe even a year. Regarding the number of lost jobs during the decline, President Barack Obama responded, "It reflects the steps we've already taken to break the back of this recession. But it's not nearly good enough." I entirely comprehend this situation because I myself have applied to a couple of local stores, but never got the position due to the huge numbers of applicants and very limited number of openings. It is bittersweet news, because President Barack Obama announced that his new proposal will trigger job growth. On the other hand, the growing population of job seekers is rising as we speak.