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Published byJonathan Edwards Modified over 9 years ago
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Structure & Power
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Bicameral Legislature ◦ Bicameral=2 Part House of Representatives ◦ 435 members (Representatives) Senate ◦ 100 members (Senators) Why is there such a difference in the #’s?
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RepresentativesSenators Age: Citizenship (years): State of Residence (years): Term length: How many representatives much each state have? What is each state’s # of seats based on? Age: Citizenship (years): State of Residence (years): Term length: How many senators much each state have? What is each state’s # of seats based on? Turn to pg. 5 in Interactive Notebook, Complete - Use MD General Assembly article on back to complete page
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Why bicameral? ◦ H.of R.= Representation based on population Ex- New York vs. Delaware ◦ Senate= Equal representation Everyone gets 2 Enumerated Powers ◦ War Powers, Levy Taxes, etc Implied Powers
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Elastic Clause ◦ Necessary & Proper clause Effects on functioning of government ◦ Increase in size & scope ◦ Regulation of finance, health care
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Create a foldable that explains the powers of the legislative branch Cover: Create a title & picture Green= Expressed Powers ◦ Inside Left 2 Examples from each Yellow= Implied Powers ◦ Inside Middle 2 Examples from each Red= Denied Powers Inside Right 2 examples from each Effects of Necessary & Proper Clause ◦ 3 Effects (Outside left) Bicameral: House & Senate Facts (5 qualifications each) ◦ EX- # of representatives; citizenship; age; basis of # of seats Middle Outside *You may use books, notes, or Interactive notebook pgs. 2-3
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Filibuster (Senate) ◦ Historical method to delay vote or block debate ◦ Increase visibility of issue; lead to compromise ◦ 60 votes to stop it (longest ever 24+ hours) Cloture Video Clip http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6297689n http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6297689n ◦ Should the filibuster be eliminated? ◦ Do you agree or disagree with the speaker ? Why/why not?
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Conference Committees ◦ Set up by House & Senate to settle disagreement on a bill Remember, a bill must pass thru House and Senate before becoming law!!! Overriding a Presidential Veto ◦ 2/3 vote by Senate
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Lawmaking Process
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Census is taken every 10 yrs Reapportionment ◦ Change in the # of representatives each state has Based on population size # of House of Reps members Pg. 10-13 in interactive notebook ◦ Complete pg. 10, 11 & 13 ◦ Discuss
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State Legislators draw boundaries for Congressional districts ◦ Power is sometimes abused Unequal districts drawn ◦ Gerrymandering ◦ Should be base on pop. (1 person=1 vote) Many times, increase in racial/ethnic representation ◦ No guidelines in Constitution
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Drawing state lines to give one party an electoral advantage “Packing & Cracking” ◦ Funky shaped districts use to: Pack one party/group into one district Crack one party/ethnic group into many districts Both reduce influence Irregular shapes drawn for political reasons Pg. 126 Gerrymandering map
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Recall ◦ Voters kick an elected official out of office Referendum ◦ Special election used to recall official
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Citizens propose a constitutional amendment or law
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External Factors
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Media Lobbyists Political Action Committees Interest Groups Citizens Public Opinion
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The media can have a major influence on public policy ◦ Coverage of events on TV/News Amount of time certain topics get in spotlight More TV exposure means more people form opinions about a certain issue ◦ Social media Citizens get instant news and info.
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Interest Groups ◦ A group with common goals who organize to influence government Public Interest Groups ◦ A group that seeks policy goals that it believes will benefit the nation Many interest groups have ties to business, labor, or agriculture Interest Group Spending: ◦ http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/index.php http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/index.php
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Many voices with the same message have a greater impact than 1 voice!
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What is the idea behind this political cartoon?
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Free Rider ◦ An individual who does not join a group representing his or her interests yet receives the benefit of the group's influence.
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Turn to pg. 30 in Interactive Notebook ◦ Use graphic organizer to categorize interest groups ◦ Read Summaries of the different kinds of interest groups Read pgs. 31-33 Highlight key points and ideas Answer questions at the end of each section
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Lobbyist: ◦ An interest group representative ◦ Lobbying: Direct contact made by a lobbyist in order to persuade government officials to support the policies their interest group favors Political Action Committees ◦ Interest groups that raise & spend large sums of money to influence election campaigns Free Rider ◦ An individual who does not join a group representing his or her interests yet receives the benefit of the group's influence.
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Turn to pg. 35 in Interactive Notebook Read Study Guide 18.2 ◦ Mark text to pick out important points ◦ Answer the question at the end of each section
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http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7387331n http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7387331n Think about some social issues that are important to you Brainstorm at least 5 issues that America faces Select the one issue that you care about the most & come up with a name for your interest group ◦ You may either: Create a 30 second commercial script Write a newspaper article (2 paragraphs) to express your viewpoint Write a rap/song/poem to express you viewpoints Create a print ad (like from a newspaper or magazine) You will share your work with class mates at the end of the period
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Public Opinion ◦ Polls/surveys are taken to find the opinions of a representative group of Americans on many issues Government officials take poll numbers into account when making policy decisions ◦ Iraq War------------->
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You have the power to make changes! ◦ Contact local legislators City Council State Legislators Representatives ◦ Testify at Congressional Hearings ◦ Join an interest group ◦ Organize a PAC ◦ Use the news media to your advantage Call the local paper or TV station about your concerns
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As a class, read: ◦ The Public Choices of Senator Aspyer Tu More ◦ Volunteer for a role or read along ◦ Pg. 38-45 in Interactive Notebook ◦ Answer Bulleted Questions on pg. 47 of Interactive Notebeook 4 groups: Chamber of Commerce The Locals The Fishermen Retired People Discuss Roles & Answer questions
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