1. Politics, Polls, and Parties
9/1-9/2

2. Warmup
What are the names of the two dominant political parties in the United States?
What other political parties do you know about?

4. Legislative Branch The Legislative Branch makes laws
House of Representatives = 435 members
Senate = 100 members
Powers = collect taxes, create money, regulate commerce with foreign countries, declare war
Congress

5. Executive Branch The Executive Branch carries out laws
Made up of the President, Vice President, Cabinet members, and the heads of federal agencies (CIA, FBI, etc.)
The President is the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, makes treaties, propose and veto legislation, appoints Cabinet members, nominates ambassadors and Supreme Court Justices
Obama with his Cabinet members

6. Judicial Branch
The Judicial Branch reviews the laws that the Executive Branch and Legislative Branch create
They evaluate the laws by interpreting the Constitution and issue judgments
9 Justices (including 1 Chief Justice)
Serve for life with good behavior
9 Supreme Court Justices
1 Chief Justice = John Glover Roberts, Jr.

7. Enumerated Powers
These are expressed powers for Congress (powers that are specifically written down in the Constitution) – Article 1, Section 8
Examples:
Congress can create money and raise taxes
Punish piracy
Elastic Clause – “all laws necessary and proper”
Declare war

8. Checks and Balances
Checks and balances is a system where each branch can “check up on” each other to be sure they’re following the rules/the law

9. Checks and Balances
The President can “check” the legislation by vetoing a law they want passed
Congress can “check” the President by passing a law with 2/3 majority (even if the President vetoes it)
The judicial branch can “check” Congress and the President by ruling a law they pass as unconstitutional

10. Separation vs. Checks
Separation of powers = different branches have different responsibilities/powers based on the Constitution
Checks and balances = each branch can make sure the other branches are following their respective responsibilities/powers and the law

11. Videos
Who has power?

12. American Population

13. Political Socialization
AKA “How Americans learn about politics”
Political socialization is the process of how people learn about and develop their own political knowledge/ideals
Family
Friends
Mass/Social Media
Coworkers

14. Political Socialization
The Process of Political Socialization
School
Used by the government to socialize young people into political culture
Better-educated citizens are more likely to vote and are more knowledgeable about politics and policy.
Mass Media
Radio, television, internet/social media, magazines, newspapers
Chief source of information as children age

15. Political Socialization
Political Learning Over a Lifetime
Aging increases political participation and strength of party attachment.

16. How do we know what people are thinking about politics?
How Polls Are Conducted
Sample: a small proportion of people who are chosen in a survey to be representative of the whole
Random Sampling: the key technique employed by sophisticated survey researchers which operates on the principle that everyone should have an equal probability of being selected for the sample
Sampling Error: the level of confidence in the findings of a public opinion poll

17. Polls The Role of Polls in American Democracy
Polls help politicians detect public preferences.
But critics say polls make politicians think more about following than leading public
Even though politicians do not track opinion to make policy
Question wording may affect survey results

18. Polls The Role of Polls in American Democracy
Polls may distort election process
Exit Polls: used by the media to predict election day winners
May discourage people from voting
“Dewey Defeats Truman”
Chicago newspaper reported incorrectly that Harry Truman was defeated by Thomas E. Dewey because they only read the exit polls in Chicago

19. Political Ideology Political Ideology:
A coherent set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and public purpose
Who Are the Liberals and Conservatives?
Predominance of conservative over liberal thinking
Currently about 38% conservative, 24% liberal, 38% moderate
Gender gap: women tend to be less conservative than men
Ideological variation by religion, too

20. Political Ideology

21. Decline of Trust in Government

22. Political Parties
There are two main political parties in the United States:
Democratic Party:
Roots back to Thomas Jefferson
Modern-day party founded in 1828
Republican Party:
Also called the “Grand Old Party” (GOP)
Roots back to anti-slavery activists
Founded in 1854

23. Democrats vs. Republican Presidents
Democratic Presidents:
Andrew Jackson
Martin van Buren
James K Polk
Franklin Pierce
James Buchanan
Grover Cleveland
Woodrow Wilson
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Harry Truman
John F. Kennedy
LBJ
Jimmy Carter
Bill Clinton
Barack Obama
Republican Presidents:
Abraham Lincoln
Ulysses S. Grant
Rutherford B. Hays
James Garfield
Chester Arthur
Benjamin Harrison
William McKinley
Theodore Roosevelt
William Taft
Warren Harding
Calvin Coolidge
Herbert Hoover
Dwight Eisenhower
Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
Ronald Reagan
George H.W. Bush
George W. Bush

24. Third Parties Tea Party Green Party Libertarian Party
Working Families Party
Conservative Party of New York State
Independence Party of New York
And A TON of minor political parties including the Socialist Party and the Communist Party

25. Vocab!
Platform = A statement of a political party’s principles, beliefs, and positions on vital issues
One-party system = A system in which only one political party exists because the government does not tolerate opposition (authoritarianism)
Single-issue party = A political party that focuses exclusively on one major social, economic, or moral issue
Single-member district = An electoral district in which only one candidate is elected to office

26. Interest Groups
Interest Groups = Groups of people who share common goals and organize to influence government and policies

27. Lobbyists I'm Just A Bill Parody Crash Course Interest Groups
Lobbyists = A paid representative of an interest group who contacts government officials on behalf of these interest groups
Remy Danton – House of Cards

28. Snapshot of My Political Ideology
Using the scoring system on the worksheet “A Snapshot of My Political Ideology”, you will score yourself on how strongly you agree/disagree on certain issues (front and back of worksheet)
Total your score using a calculator
Divide by 15
When you are finished, come see me for a sticker