Interest Groups

Who are interest groups and what do they do?
  association of people who hold similar views and/or goals
- interest groups organize people
    organize letter writing campaigns, demonstrations
- interest groups encourage and provide means for political participation
     GOTV campaigns, group engagement in political dialogue, "checkbook participation"
- interest groups supply information to the public and to policy makers
     spreading literature, lobbying Congress, informative advertisements

Various types of interest groups
- agricultural interests
   National Potato Council, Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
- business interests
    US Chamber of Commerce, American Wind Energy Association
- labor interests
    United Auto Workers
- cause-based interests
    Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Texans for Life Coalition
- societal interests
    American Association of Retired Persons, National Organization for Women
- professional interests
    American Medical Association, American Bar Association

What interest groups do:
- endorse candidates
- lobby elected officials
- inform the public
- file lawsuits

What they don't do:
- donate money to political campaigns
   Political Action Committees (PACs) are created for the purpose of raising money and contributing money to candidates for their campaigns

The good and the bad of interest groups:
- give a voice to minority political interests
- too much influence
- emotional, narrowly-focused interest vs. good of the country

Public Opinion

Public opinion
    collection of views shared by a segment of society on issues of interest or concern

Who is 'the public'?
   - the totality of the populace
      i.e. - all Americans
     often opinions of this grouping are led by the actions of leaders

           

        --or--

           

   - smaller public groups
      i.e. - female Americans; black Americans
     often opinions of these groups drive the public agenda  








Why do we care about their opinions?
   public opinion helps shape public policy in the United States

How do we know the opinions of 'the public'?
  - writing letters to elected officials
  - speaking at a public hearing
  - public organizations
  - voting trends
  - public opinion polls


Political socialization
  the process by which people acquire their political beliefs

Influences on an individual's political socialization
- family
- peer group (school/work)
- age
- race
- gender
- religion
- socio-economic status


Impact of the media on public beliefs and opinion
- covers political happenings
- monitors and shapes public agenda by way of what it covers (and doesn't cover)

Media used to be small. Now we have mass media.
Media used to be openly biased. Then objective journalism was en vogue. Today, shaded journalism.
News agencies used to engage in broadcasting. Now they engage in narrowcasting.

Common criticism of the media
- bias in reporting
- bias in story selection
- factual inaccuracy
- media consolidation


Measuring public opinion through polling
For an accurate measure of public opinion, one must conduct a scientific poll. This is done by:
- determining your sample universe
- selecting an appropriate-sized random sample
- using carefully crafted, non-leading questions
- measuring results and determining the margin of error (roughly 3-4% is acceptable)

The Electoral Process: A Story

So you want to run for public office. Great! We need good people in public service.
First, you need to organize a campaign. Campaigning is all about getting your message out.

How do you do that? 

Locally: door-to-door. Regionally/Nationally: travel and radio/tv ads
You also need staff, unless you plan to do the whole thing yourself. Oh, and you also need some 'bling' to help spread the word and get your name out there. You know...buttons, bumper stickers, yard signs.

Wait...this sounds like its going to cost some money.

Why, yes it is. Luckily, you can go out there and get people to donate funds to your campaign.

Sweet. I'll just find a really rich guy to cut me a check.

Not so fast. There are rules regarding fundraising. They are called campaign finance laws and they put certain limits on raising money for campaigns. Money donated directly to an individual campaign is known as hard money and is limited in the amount that can be donated. Money donated to a political party or political action committee however is known as soft money and has far fewer limits on it.

So you're saying I can get around it. And by the way, isn't limiting the ability to donate money to a political campaign a violation of the 1st amendment right to petition the government for a redress of grievances?

Whoa there big fella! If you want to get into laws and Supreme Court case law on campaign financing, why don't you look up McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform, Buckley v Valeo, and the Citizens United case. But aside from that let's move this campaign train down the track.

Once you are organized, you have to formally nominate yourself for elected office. This involves paperwork and either a filing fee or getting a requisite number of signatures in support of your candidacy.

Sounds easy enough.

What? You think you're the only one? There will probably be multiple candidates you choose to run. Probably multiple candidates within your own party. That is, unless your seeking a position on a non-partisan governing body.

A what?

Nevermind. Let's move on. You're going to need to devote some of your resources to winning your party nomination. This is usually done one of two ways. Through a party caucus or a primary election. Most primary elections are direct primaries in which the voters select the candidate.

How do I convince them I am the best candidate?

Well, you need to know who you are talking to. Who is choosing the candidate? Is it all potential voters, which happens in an open primary? Or is it a closed primary in which only registered voters of your party choose who they want to represent the party in the big general election? Obviously, in a closed primary, you need to speak the language of the party faithful and the hardcore base of the party to win their support. In an open primary, you would want to be more moderate and attractive to as many potential voters as possible.

Seems like there is a lot of strategy. 

You bet. You'll probably want to hire a professional for that.

Spend more money??!

Yep. Welcome to politics. If you are good enough to be able to win the party primary, then you must prepare for the general election against the chosen candidate of the other party. And now you really have to appeal to as many possible voters as you can. And really get the message out.

So be more moderate and spend more money?

Now you've got it! Keep in mind that the objective is just to get a plurality of support. That means, just get more votes than everyone else running for that position and you win. You don't even have to get over 50%. Just the plurality. Try and convince them early though. Because while most people will simply go to the polling location for their precinct on election day, a good number of people choose to vote early and some vote absentee.

So I should get out the moderate message of who I am and what changes I am going to bring into office early and often? And that's the key to winning elected office?

If only it were that simple. Even those who do that the best won't win. That's because voter behavior is a beast. The 1st thing to keep in mind is that most Americans don't bother to vote.

What? Why? This is America, isn't it? Why wouldn't they vote?

As Americans, we are fat, dumb, lazy, and happy. We would rather sit on the couch eating Doritos while we watch stuff blow up than actually get off of the couch and go down the precinct polling place to cast a vote.

That's terrible.

God bless America. No...really... God bless America. We believe in individual liberty so much, we're not even going to make you vote. Vote; don't vote; what business is that of the government? So long as you play by the rules.

What are the rules of voting?

Well, you have to be 18, a citizen of the state you are going to vote in, and you have to be registered to vote by the deadline before that election. Unless you are in North Dakota, where you don't even have to registered.

Why don't you have to be registered in North Dakota?

I don't know. Probably because there are only like ten guys named Hank and a couple of moose living in the whole state so if someone drops by and wants to vote, they're glad to have the company. Its cold up there.

Okay then.

So even if someone is registered and actually gets off their couch to go and vote, then you have to deal with the human element of voting. Despite the message that you have been trying to get out, voters rely heavily on a few things that influence their voting patterns. Party identification, their own views on the issues, your background and their background. Can they relate to you? Do they feel like you understand the issues that are important to them? Even if they think you do, some people are single-issue voters and your stance on one issue can cause them not to vote for you even though they really like everything else about you. And then there is your party. There are some people who will vote for, literally, anybody so long as their is a blue-D or a red-R next to their name. It doesn't matter what you say. They won't vote for you. You could be facing a goat in a hockey jersey in this election and they would vote for the goat because the goat represents their party.

So why do we do this?

Because of the opportunity to serve your community and to try and make things better for people. Look, elections can be rough. Negative campaigns win. People don't get registered on time and they don't vote. Money seems to have undue influence. Its enough to make anyone cynical. But campaigns and elections inform the voters and allow them to express their views on what should be done for society. That is the essence of the democratic process.

Alright then....let's do this.

Political Parties

Political parties lay claim to different areas along the political spectrum. From the extreme left to the extreme right and all points in between. The most successful parties are those that are able to lay claim to the most space on the political spectrum, thereby, appealing to the highest number of possible voters.

When the Constitution was written, there were no political parties in the United States. There were, however, ideological factions. While the Framers knew there was no way to avoid faction (see Federalist No.10) , Washington feared that organized parties would, well....., read for yourself above.

One thing the Framers did not anticipate was the fact that organized parties would be created so quickly. The creation of the two-party system was a natural reaction to the electoral system of the United States of America; a winner-take-all system. 

Two-party systems aren't the only way to operate though. 

There are One-party systems (China, Cuba) and there are Multi-party systems (India, Italy)

There are three main roles that political parties in America serve.

- To identify and nominate candidates for elected office

- To inform the electorate

     (party platform, registering voters, educate voters, 'brand name', serve as 'watchdog')

- To run the government once elected

Each political party has its own hierarchy and structure. (precinct -> ward -> county -> state -> national)

Debbie Wasserman Schultz - Chair - DNC

Reince Priebus - Chair - RNC

The good and the bad of political parties:

- limits extremism

- provide stability

- build consensus

- identifiable 'brand'

- can't fulfill all promises

- big party contributors hold overwhelming influence

- gridlock

Civil Rights

The right for all people to have fair and equal treatment under the law. The Constitutional basis for civil rights case law is found in the 1st, 5th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th, 24th, and 26th amendments.

Topics in civil rights:

- equal protection clause
   Amendment XIV: nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws 

   As we have said, this becomes the basis for the incorporation of civil liberties and civil rights to all people in all jurisdictions throughout the United States. This is why the government cannot discriminate. Or can it??


- basis for acceptable discrimination
  The courts have determined that there are acceptable times when the government can make a reasonable distinction between people. Therefore, the government can discriminate. However, if the government is going to discriminate, the Court will review the discrimination using one of three tests.
     - Rational Basis Test
              Are reasonable methods used to accomplish a legitimate goal of government? 
              ( Example: age limits on driving)
     - Intermediate Scrutiny Test
             Same question but often with cases involving gender discrimination
             ( US v Virginia ) ( Example: selective service )
     - Strict Scrutiny Test
              Same question but: 1) a fundamental right is being restricted     and 2) involves race/origin
              ( Korematsu v US )  ( Loving v Virginia )


- segregation (de facto & de jure)
    Segregation was the law in many states throughout the south from the post-Reconstruction era through the mid 20th Century. These statutes were referred to as Jim Crow laws and constitute what we call segregation de jure (segregation by way of law). These laws were upheld, even by the courts, until the 1950's. While segregation de jure started to be repealed by way of Court rulings and Congressional acts of the 50's and 60's, certain economic and social facts remained and left us with segregation de facto (segregation as a matter of fact).


- Plessy & Brown
    Plessy v Ferguson  - established the doctrine of 'separate but equal' as precedent
    Brown v Board of Education  - determined that 'separate but equal' was inherently not equal


- extending equal protection
    To women:
      Equal Pay Act of 1963
      Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
      Meritor Savings v Vinson
 
    To Hispanics:
       Hernandez v Texas
       Voting Rights Act of 1975

     To the disabled:
        Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
        

- affirmative action
   What is affirmative action?
     Policies whereby institutions and employers provide opportunities for members of historically underrepresented groups
   What is the government and Court opinion on affirmative action?
      President Johnson's Executive Order #11246 (1965)
      Regents of the University of California v Bakke
      Johnson v Transportation Agency
      Gratz v Bollinger
      Fisher v University of Texas

      

Global Awareness Series: Capitalism: A Love Story

Registration is now open for the next showing.

Capitalism: A Love Story
Thursday November 14 @ 3:30pm in the library

Individual Liberties: The 2nd, 4th, & 5th Amendments

Amendment II: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed

The Right to Bear Arms:
  US v Miller
  Heller v Washington DC










Amendment IV: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized

Protection Against Unreasonable Search & Seizure
  - law enforcement must have a warrant or probable cause to search and/or seize
  - "plain view" doctrine
  - evidence obtained via a warrantless search is subject to the exclusionary rule
  - electronic communications have been determined by the Court to be a person's "papers"
  - civil liberties of students are even more limited

Search & Seizure:
  Arizona v Hicks
  Weeks v US
  Mapp v Ohio
  Olmstead v US
  Katz v US
  New Jersey v TLO
  Board of Ed of Pottawatomie Co v Earls


Amendment V: No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation

- Grand Jury cluase
- double jeopardy clause
- self-incrimination clause
- due process clause
- eminent domain clause

Due Process:
 Federal government cannot deprive person of life, liberty, or property with the due process of law
substantive due process v procedural due process
procedural due process - correct procedures must be followed (can't make it up as you go)
substantive due process - the laws themselves must be fair
Due process can be denied if the state has a compelling case for it.
  Mackey v Montrym


The 'Right to Privacy'
Like 'separation of church and state', this does not exist as text in the Constitution. However, the Court has upheld its belief that Americans have a right to privacy through their interpretation of the 4th, 5th, 9th, and 14th Amendments.
  Olmstead v US
  Griswold v Connecticut
  Roe v Wade
  Planned Parenthood v Casey

The First Amendment

The most cherished and argued about Amendment to the Constitution.

Amendment I: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances

Religion:
The Constitution does not say anything about 'separation of church & state'. That phrase is taken from a writing of Jefferson  in which he said that he believed that the 1st Amendment created "a wall of separation between Church and State". What the Constitution does say, and what the federal court system has been tasked with interpreting regarding religion is:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion (establishment clause) nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof  (free exercise clause)
Establishment clause:
  Lynch v Donnelly
  McCreary County v ACLU
  Van Orden v Perry
  Everson v Board of Education
  Engel v Vitale
  Lemon V Kurtzman
  Wallace v Jaffree
Free exercise clause:
  Reynolds v US
  Minersville School District v Gobitis
  WV State Board of Ed v Barnette
  Wisconsin v Yoder

Speech & Press:
Congress cannot make a law abridging the freedom of speech or of the press. But, again, that is not absolute. There are limits. The Court has traditionally protected individuals from defamation by way of slander (spoken) and libel (print). The Court has also traditionally protected the government in its attempts to prevent treason and sedition.
Speech:
  Schenck v US
  Whitney v California
  Brandenburg v Ohio
Press:
  New York Times Co v Sullivan
  Reno v ACLU
  Near v Minnesota
  New York Times Co v US
Symbolic Speech:
  Tinker v Des Moines Independent Community School District
  Texas v Johnson

Assembly & Petition:
Congress cannot abridge the right of the people peaceably to assemble. The people also have the right to petition their government for a redress of grievances. (Hence, all of those lobbyists people love to hate are legit)
  DeJonge v Oregon
  Edwards v South Carolina
  NAACP v Alabama
  

  

The Bill of Rights & the 14th Amendment

Remember the ratification battle for the Constitution and the demand that Antifederalists had for "guarantees" of their liberties. This battle, of course, produced the Bill of Rights.

Bill of Rights - 1st ten amendment to the Constitution; protect civil liberties and civil rights

Civil liberties
   freedom to think and act protected from government abuse
      - regards personal actions in eyes of government
      - protected from abuse; can be limited

Civil rights
   right of fair and equal status/treatment for all people
      - regards status as person in eyes of government
      - right of fair treatment; much more difficult to limit

Bill of Rights

Civil liberties are the most litigated part of the Constitution. Since the Constitution is somewhat gray by nature, the openness to interpretation that many of the amendments exhibit leave it wide open to challenges over intent and application. The heart of these amendments are the liberties of the individual people. But what if they contradict? What if one person exercising their liberties interferes with another person exercising theirs? Or with the government attempting to carry out its responsibilities?

Where do your liberties end and mine begin?

This is why the study of civil liberties and civil rights is wrapped up in case law.

What does the 14th Amendment have to do with the Bill of Rights?

The 14th is how the Bill of Rights becomes applicable to the states. Prior to the 14th, they only apply to citizens of the United States, not the individual states. 

Read 14th Amendment

 - citizenship clause

 - due process clause

 - equal protection clause

Again, it is up to individuals to challenge institutions if they feel that their rights or liberties are being violated. Because of the 14th, the Bill of Rights has been applied to the states on a case-by-case basis. This is the process of selective incorporation.

The United States Supreme Court

Overview the history of the Supreme Court (p.234-236 in the text), paying attention to these things
- the differing visions for the Court among the Framers
- the significance of the Marshall Court
- the historically-viewed mistakes of the Court
- the significance of the Warren Court

The process of appointing a Supreme Court nominee is the same as what we have examined before regarding judicial appointments. However, the harshness of the critique of the nominee is much greater.

- legal expertise

- party affiliation

- judicial philosophy

- acceptability to Senate

All of these are unofficial requirements to be a justice of the Supreme Court. There are no formal qualifications. But because of the scrutiny of being appointed to the highest court in the land, the Senate is usually much more deliberate about confirming a nominee.

Confirmation hearing of Justice Elena Kagan

Procedure of the Supreme Court

- October - June/July

- prepare for block of cases, hear block of cases, decide and write opinions on block of cases (rinse, lather, repeat)

- law clerks do tremendous amounts of work for justices

- Court decides which cases it will hear during term (original and appellate)

- Justices must decide which appeals they want to take up (minimum 4 justices)

- Court grants certiorari to cases it will hear

- Justices prepare by reading case briefs, studying law, researching and reviewing precedent

- Court may consult amicus briefs in preparation for oral arguments

- Oral arguments before the Court (30 minutes per side); Justices pepper with questions

- Justices meet behind closed doors to review/discuss case

- Chief Justice assigns duty of writing majority and (if necessary) dissenting opinions

- Many justices often offer concurring opinions

- Court opinions are detailed legal explanations of reasoning for the decision that was reached

- Opinions of case become part of Court precedent

Federal Justices, District Courts, & Appellate Courts

All federal judges, whether they be at the district, appellate, or Supreme Court level, are appointed by the President (with...guess what).
When deciding who to nominate for appointment, the President usually considers 4 things
  - legal expertise
             integrity, competence, experience, knowledge
  - party affiliation
             usually affiliated in party politics before serving as a judge; people associated with
  - judicial philosophy
             loose interpretationist (judicial activism) or strict constructionist (judicial restraint)
  - likelihood of confirmation by the Senate
             senatorial courtesy with lower positions; non-divisive for SC

Appointees to any of the three tiers of the Federal Court System have a lifetime appointment. That does not mean, however, that there is no check on the power of the judiciary. While the Courts wield the power of judicial review, their power can be checked by
 - appointment (executive and legislative)
 - impeachment (legislative)
 - amendments to the Constitution (legislative)
 - inability to create action (nature of the institution)

District & Appellate Courts
see map on p.228

District Courts
- 94 districts nationwide
- minimum of 2 judges per district (Southern District of NY has 44)
- each has separate bankruptcy court

Appellate Courts
- 13 courts (12 circuits plus DC)
- mostly hear appeals from District Courts (US govt cannot appeal rulings)
- majority of cases are civil/criminal
- most rulings of lower courts upheld (fewer than 4% overturned)
- do not retry case; reexamine facts, court proceedings, and legal briefs of litigants (on occasion, oral                   argument is allowed)

Be familiar with various other federal courts

Federal Court Jursidiction

Before we begin, let us consider for what purpose courts exist. They are a way for people to resolve conflict without having to resort to violent measures.
Where does this conflict come from? It comes from the fact that someone feels that an offense has been committed.
That offense is, in a certain legal context, referred to as a tort. (Hence, if you hear the phrase 'tort reform', they are talking about legal reforms)
Once we have established that there has been an offense, the next question is then "Who has been offended?" Is it
     - an individual  (civil matter)
     - society as a whole   (criminal matter)
If it is a criminal matter (society has been offended), then what segment of society has been offended?
     - the municipality
     - the state
     - the nation
The prosecution of the offender in these matters often then comes down to which level of society that has been offended is willing to devote its limited resources (time, money) to hold the offender accountable.
The court system for that society that has been offended and seeks to hold the offender accountable is then considered to have jurisdiction in that matter.
jurisdiction - the authority to hear and decide a case

Okay...what does all of that have to do with the judicial branch of the federal government?

What is the offense is related to a Constitutional matter? Then we must look at the Constitution to see what is says regarding this issue based on the facts present.
Who gets to interpret the Constitution?  What's that called? Where did it come from?
What if the offender or the offended party is the United States of America?

In these matters, and a few others (see chart on p.221), the United States Federal Court system has exclusive jurisdiction. They are the only ones with the authority to hear and decide these cases.

So, if you feel that your Constitutional rights have been violated, you would take that grievance to the federal court system. The first court to hear you case in that process would be considered to have original jurisdiction.

Article III Section 1
- established a Supreme Court and "such inferior courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish"

Judiciary Act of 1789
- established a three-tiered court structure (district, appeals, Supreme)

notes on the Federal Court structure
- 94 Federal District Courts spread throughout the United States
- 12 Federal Courts of Appeal (appellate courts, circuit courts)
- Supreme Court (court of last resort)
           - appellate jurisdiction
           - original jurisdiction in certain cases
           - does not hear all cases appealed; justices choose
           - hear roughly 100 cases of 8,000 petitions per year
- Article I courts (various other courts created by Congress for specific matters; see graphic on p.222)

Financing the Government

Sources of revenue for the federal government
- income taxes
- payroll taxes
- corporate taxes
- excise taxes
- other sources

Income taxes
- direct tax on individual income
- accounts for roughly 47% of government revenue
- progressive tax
- FICA

Payroll taxes
- tax paid by the employer (money is withheld from your pay)
- accounts for roughly 34% of government revenue
- SSI (Social Security Insurance) portion is regressive
- Medicare portion is proportional

Other taxes
- excise tax
- tariffs
- estate tax (death tax)

Revenues v Expenditures

Federal taxes    v    Federal spending

If expenditures < revenues, then .....

surplus

Possible solutions: decrease revenues, increase expenditures, both

If revenues < expenditures, then .....

deficit

Possible solutions:  increase revenues, decrease expenditures, both, borrow money

In order to borrow money, the US government must sell bonds. Money will be paid back, plus interest, to the bond purchaser. 

Deficit   v   Debt

year to year budget imbalance     v       total sum over time

United States debt problem??

Solution to debt? Eliminate deficits
Solution to deficits? See above

It's not as easy as it may seem.

Categories of government spending

- mandatory spending

- discretionary spending

Mandatory spending

- required by law; not negotiable as a part of the budget; already spoken for

- roughly 69% of total spending

- Social Security (34%), Medicare/Medicaid (23%), VA benefits (3%), interest payments on debt (9%)

       see chart on p.209

Discretionary spending

- spending authorized at Congressional discretion; budget negotiations

- roughly 31% of total spending; mostly tied up in defense (21% of total spending)

- Remaining 10%: Education, Job training, Social Services (3%), Transportation (3%), Justice (2%), International Aid (1%), Environment (1%), other (>1%)

Budget process

- President (w/ help from OMB) proposes budget (Jan-Feb)

- Congress (w/ help from CBO) formally proposes its budget (Mar-Oct)

- House & Senate Budget Committees pass framework resolutions for budget (Mar-Oct)

- House & Senate Appropriations Committees then work out details/ pass bills (Mar-Oct)

- Bills go to President for signature

Note: Government can operate without a budget by way of continuing resolutions for spending

Fiscal & Monetary Policy

Fiscal Policy - policies directed at taxing and spending

  - To encourage economic activity in a slow economy, the government can...

       - cut taxes (consumers have more of their money with which to buy goods)

       - increase spending (government itself directly buys good and/or services)

       - both (risky proposition; see graphic on p.212)

Monetary Policy - policies directed at the value of currency

  - To encourage economic activity in a slow economy, The Fed can...

       - lowering interest rates (encouraging borrowing for consumption/business)

Wait..wait.. Who is "The Fed"

The Federal Reserve System, created in 1913, is as a regulatory commission that serves as the nation's central banking system. 'The bank for banks' The Chairman of the Fed is nominated by the President (guess what comes next..) and, with input from Fed Board members, makes decisions regarding monetary policy. The overall focus is on the amount of money in circulation. If there is more money in circulation (more money available) it may trigger economic growth, but will also trigger inflation. Conversely, if there is less money in circulation, it may slow inflation but may also slow down economic growth.

Ron Paul hates The Fed

I mean, he really hates The Fed.

Other ways in which the Fed carries out monetary policy

- regulating the banking reserve requirement (higher or lower)

- buying and/or selling US government bonds

Note all of the various ways that the government tries to manage the economy. But aren't we the nation of free enterprise and free markets? Hmmmm......

Independent Government Agencies

These are independent organizations tasked with doing something on behalf of the government.
- Can only be created by an act of Congress
- Usually created for specialized tasks to complex or cumbersome to be legislated
- Congress retains oversight
- Agencies have quasi-legislative and quasi-judicial power

The text identifies 3 types of agencies
   - independent executive agencies
   - independent regulatory commissions
   - government corporations

Okay, technically Education and Commerce are Executive Departments, not agencies. But still, a classic moment.

Independent Executive Agencies
- Similar to executive departments
- Not Cabinet level
- Administered by the executive branch; President appoints head of agency
- Congress retains oversight
- Example: NASA

Independent Regulatory Commission
- Created to help regulate some aspect of the economy
- Governed by board; members of board nominated by President (and ......)
- Board composition must be bipartisan
- Creates rules and enforces rules (judge, jury, and executioner)
- Examples: ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission), SEC (other SEC: Securities & Exchange Commission), FCC (Federal Communications Commission) 

Government Corporations
- Operate under traditional business model
- Differences: owned by government; service v profit
- Purpose: provide service to American people
- Examples: Amtrak, USPS

Bureaucracy

If it is associated with the federal government and has:
  - a formal structure
  - a division of labor
  - a set of rules/procedures by which it operates
then it is most likely a part of the bureaucracy.

All organized under the Executive Branch
Employs about 2.7 million people
Top administrators are political appointees
Most other bureaucrats are knowledgeable/skilled employees



Civil Service
  the civilians who carry out the work of the federal government (i.e.-postal carrier)
Originally staffed by people friendly with the President (spoils system)
Reformed by the Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883 (competitive hiring based on merit)

Executive Departments
Major units of administration and policy making
Headed by Secretary
Account for roughly 60% of all government employees
Often smaller departments within each executive department
Only 3 departments to start with (State, Treasury, War)
New departments often created when issues became to big for Congress to legislate solutions
Currently 15 departments (see chart on p.198-199); Can you identify problem/response?
HHS is a good case-study on functioning of Executive Departments (read on p.197-198)
Homeland Security is the most recent addition
Defense Department is largest Executive Department by far
     over 3 million employees and budget of $480 billion in 2008

Term Paper Notes

Here are a few notes to remember as you are tweaking and polishing your term paper.
- refer to the grading guidelines
- 'A' papers have a good numbers of sources with supporting evidence (5-6 high quality sources)
- if you need more high quality supporting evidence, refer to the policy center links provided
- your target audience is someone involved in government
- your objective is to persuade them to support a change (or perpetuation) of current government policy
- your analysis of the issue and analysis/argument for your policy must be thorough
- proofread!! (spell check will not catch everything)
- double-check to make sure that your paper is correctly formatted

Also remember, the term paper is due on Monday.
- it must be submitted to TurnItIn
- a hard copy must be submitted in class

Good luck!

The Vice President & the Cabinet

3 main roles of the Vice President per the Constitution
- presiding over the Senate
- opening and counting electoral votes after presidential election
- serving as President should the President become incapacitated

Throughout American history, the role of the Vice President has changed. Early on, it merely entailed performing those tasks laid out above and waiting around in case the President may die. After the ratification of the 12th Amendment (requiring electors to cast one vote for President and one vote for Vice President), political parties started to pair the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidate together on 'the ticket'. This pairing of candidates led politically minded leaders to start trying to balance their ticket to make the candidacy of 'the ticket' more attractive to more voters. The Vice Presidency itself however, was still not seen as a job opportunity one would desire. (Note the quotes of John Adams, Theodore Roosevelt, and John N Garner on p.184 concerning the Vice Presidency.) The role of the Vice President has grown since the 70s into a position that serves as an extension of the President himself. The Vice President is often consulted regularly on policy decisions and will be tasked with executing certain duties (being point-man / head executive) on behalf of the President.

Wilson Institute:Distinguished Lecture Series on the Vice Presidency

The Cabinet
- consists of the heads (Secretary) of each of the executive departments (State, Defense, Treasury, etc)
- serves as advisory council to the President
- Secretary is nominated by President ( and ......)
- 16 official Cabinet positions, incl Vice President

The Executive Office of the President

Who is "the administration" that they are always talking about?
Many of these people work in the Executive Office of the President (EOP).

I don't know what's up with the foreign subtitles.

Executive Office of the President
- The White House Office (The West Wing)
see chart on p.182

There was a television show: The West Wing

- National Security Council (NSC)

- Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)

yawn

- Office of Management & Budget (OMB)

A good 6 minute overview 

A Good Example of Policy Writing

Follow the link below and you will find the work of Leia Guccione (Mrs Guccione's daughter). She is writing of a possible solution to climate change that she is in favor of. Regardless of your position on the issue or interest in the issue, you should read it and pay attention for the way in which she writes it. You will notice how she:
- Introduced the issue
- Gave a bit of background
- Clearly identified the problem that exists currently
- Overwhelmingly argued in favor of her position
- Provided evidence (through the use of statistics and hyperlinks to sources)

http://blog.rmi.org/blog_2013_10_02_microgrid_solution_to_macro_challenge_of_climate_change

Remember, your objective in this paper is to try and convince people in government to adopt your position concerning this policy issue. This is exactly what Ms Guccione is doing in this work.

psst.... it is also what Mr Edghill does in his writing.... just saying

How to be a Foreign Policy Genius

This was shared with me by a friend of mine who graduated from Nolan, taught at Nolan for a year, got his MA from Yale, and now works for the State Department. Oh, and he has also been published in The Atlantic. So pay attention.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/09/30/how_to_be_a_foreign_policy_genius_in_7_minutes?page=full&wp_login_redirect=0

Policy Centers to refer to for your Term Paper

Below is a partial list of 'think tanks' and policy centers that may be of use to you.

For focusing on domestic issues:
The Brookings Institute - http://www.brookings.edu/
The Cato Institute - http://www.cato.org/
The Heritage Foundation - http://www.heritage.org/
Center for American Progress - http://www.americanprogress.org/
American Enterprise Institute - http://aei.org/

For focusing on foreign policy:
Council on Foreign Relations - http://www.cfr.org/
Center for Strategic & International Studies - http://csis.org/
Wilson Center - http://www.wilsoncenter.org/

Wikipedia has an extensive list of think tanks. You may want to look through it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_think_tanks_in_the_United_States

High-quality journalist sources
The Atlantic - http://www.theatlantic.com/
The Economist - http://www.economist.com/
Foreign Affairs - http://www.foreignaffairs.com/
The Christian Science Monitor - http://www.csmonitor.com/

Don't forget that all of the Executive Departments (State, Treasury, etc) have their own studies and publications as well as all if the Congressional Committees (Foreign Affairs, Budget, etc).

Good luck.

Executive Branch: The President & Presidential Powers

You will remember from our discussion about Congress that the Speaker of the House is the most powerful person in the entire United States Congress and is, perhaps, the second most powerful person in the entire United States government.
Well, that is the 2nd most powerful to the President of the United States of America as this clip from the television show The West Wing highlights for us.

What does the President do? What are the roles of the President of the United States?

Official Roles - Head of Government
- Chief Executive
- Chief Administrator
- Commander in Chief
- Chief Diplomat
- Chief Agenda Setter

Unofficial Roles - Head of State
- Chief of State
- Party Chief
- Chief Citizen

Formal Qualifications to be President of the United States
- minimum 35 years of age
- resident of US for minimum of 14 years
- natural-born US citizen

Unofficial qualifications??

- wealthy
- male
- WASP
- prior executive experience
- good communicator
- charisma

A bit cheesy but the info is solid.

How does the President get elected?
Win the electoral college (not the popular vote....though it doesn't hurt to win that one too)
See graphic on p.165

The electoral college explained

Presidential succession was defined by both the Presidential Succession Act (1947) and the 25th Amendment.  (See chart on p.166)
- Vice President
- Speaker of the House
- President Pro Tempore of the Senate
- Secretary of State
- Secretary of the Treasury

Presidential Power

Presidential Powers
Unique Executive Powers
- appointment & removal powers
- executive orders
- executive privilege

Diplomatic & Military Powers
- make treaties with foreign nations
- diplomatic recognition
- Commander in Chief

Legislative & Judicial Powers
- set the agenda
- propose legislation
- veto
- nominate federal judges
- alter sentences (reprieve, pardon, amnesty, commute)





Informal Powers

- access to media
- party leader








In order to keep the press "on his side" so that he can maximize that informal power, the White House annually holds a Correspondent's Dinner. Wine & Dine them so they will say nice things about you.