TOPICS
TO BE COVERED IN PLS 101: AMERICAN DEMOCRACY AND CITIZENSHIP
THE CONSTITUTIONAL
CONVENTION / THE CONSTITUTION / CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES
.
Major
features of the national government under the Articles of Confederation
.
Major
weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
.
Declaration
of Independence > Thomas Jefferson > John Locke (principles/premises)
.
The
major compromises at the Constitutional Convention
.
The
Federalist Papers .> Purpose (Publius > Madison, Hamilton, and Jay)
.
Constitutional
Principles:
--Separation of powers, checks and balances, republicanism,
federalism, popular sovereignty
--Methods for Amending the U.S.
Constitution/types of amendment: institutional, substance
FEDERALISM
.
Definition
of a federal system
.
Interstate
obligations (full faith and credit, privileges and immunities)
.
Differences
between federal and unitary systems
.
Federal
mandates
.
Grant-in-aid
programs > different types of grants
.
Concepts
of federalism (i.e., dual [layer cake] and cooperative federalism [marble cake]
.
10th Amendment > Reserved
Powers > States Rights
.
Necessary
and Proper Clause (elastic clause) > implied powers
.
McCulloch V. Maryland > Necessary and Proper
Clause > Implied powers
.
Marbury v. Madison > power of judicial
review > definition
CIVIL LIBERTIES AND CIVIL RIGHTS
.
Constitutional
Amendments and Laws
First
Amendment > Freedom of the press, speech and assembly, religion (free
exercise /establishment)
.
Fourth
Amendment > Exclusionary rule > no unreasonable search and seizure
.
Fifth
Amendment > no self-incrimination
.
Sixth
Amendment > Right to a speedy and public trial; right to a trial by jury in
criminal prosecutions
.
Thirteenth
Amendment > abolished slavery
.
Fourteenth
Amendment > due process of law, equal protection of the law; dual citizenship
.
Civil
Rights Act of 1964
.
Voting
Rights Act of 1965
.
Important
concepts and court cases:
--Exclusionary
rule > search and seizure > Mapp v. Ohio
--Prior restraint > freedom of the
press > NY Times v. Sullivan, NY Times v.
U.S.
--Freedom of Speech > Clear and Present
danger > Schenck v. U.S; Gitlow V. NY,
--Miranda rights – Miranda v. Arizona
--The Lemon Test > Lemon v. Kurtzman
--Prayer in public schools > Engle v. Vitale
--Right to an attorney > Gideon v. Wainwright
--Right to Privacy > Griswold v. CT
--Right to an abortion > Roe v. Wade
--Plessy v. Ferguson > separate but equal
--Brown
v. Board of Education > 14th Amendment > Overturned "separate but equal"
doctrine
--Affirmative action > Reverse
Discrimination > Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
> University of Michigan cases
PUBLIC OPINION, POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION, AND THE MASS MEDIA
.
What
is public opinion? The role of public opinion in a democracy.
.
Random
sample > Margin of error > Sample size
.
Relationship
between socio-economic and demographic factors and public opinion
.
What
is political ideology?
.
What
is political socialization? What are the agents of socialization and their
influences
.
Different
types of mass media
.
Role
of mass media and agenda setting in American politics
POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND VOTING
.
Fifteenth
Amendment > Right to vote can not be denied on account of race
.
Nineteenth
Amendment > gave women the right to vote
.
Twenty-sixth
Amendment > voting age – 18 years old
.
Methods
and forms of political participation
.
Relationship
between socio-economic and demographic factors and voting and political
participation
.
Straight
ticket voting > Split ticket voting
.
How
does U.S. compare with other nations in voter turnout? What are the causes of
lower voter turnout?
POLITICAL PARTIES
.
Differences
between political party and an interest group
.
Functions
performed by political parties
.
What
does party identification refers to? What are the trends in distribution of
party identification?
.
Coalition
base of the two major political parties > Which
groups tend to support what party?
.
Reasons
for the persistence of two-party system? > single-member district >
proportional representation
CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS
.
Referendum
> initiative > recall?
.
National
Conventions > presidential primaries, caucuses
.
Electoral
College
.
Primary
v. general elections, debates
.
Campaign
finance reforms
.
INTEREST GROUPS
.
Functions
of interest groups
.
Types
of interest groups
.
Resources
of interest groups
.
Tactics
and strategies of interest groups > lobbying, testifying, campaign contributions,
class action lawsuits, etc.
.
Political
Action Committees
CONGRESS
.
Powers
of the Congress
.
Functions
of the Congress
.
Reapportionment
> redistricting > gerrymandering>state representation in Congress
.
Structure
and organization of Congress > committee system > seniority
.
Impeachment
– the role of the House and the Senate
.
Congressional
elections: advantages of incumbency > campaign finance
.
Congressional
legislative process > how a bill becomes law; method for overriding
presidential veto
.
Leadership
positions in Congress:
--Senate: Majority leader > minority leader > party
whips
--House: Speaker, majority leader, minority leader, party
whips
.
Congressional
agencies: Government Accountability Office, Congressional Budget Office
.
Other
concepts: Party caucus, logrolling, filibuster, cloture, Congressional
oversight
THE PRESIDENCY
.
Powers
of the President: constitutional and informal
.
President
and the legislative process: state of the union address, veto, pocket veto,
line item veto,
.
President' s Executive Office, Cabinet
.
Foreign
presidency v. domestic presidency
.
Impeachment
of President/Vice-President
.
THE BUREAUCRACY
.
What
is a bureaucracy? Factors that explain the growth of bureaucracy
.
Structure
of federal bureaucracy
.
Spoil
or patronage system; merit system and the civil service
.
What
is administrative discretion – what factors account for it?
.
Regulatory
law
THE
JUDICIARY
.
Marbury
v. Madison > the power of judicial review > national supremacy
.
Dual
system of courts
.
Organization
of the federal court system: Supreme Court > Appeals Courts > District
Courts
.
Types
of jurisdictions: original v. appellate jurisdiction
.
Judicial
activism v. judicial restraint
.
Method
for selecting federal judges > president > senatorial courtesy >
congress
.
Other
concepts: Precedents, stare decisis, common law, amicus curiae brief, rule of
four, concurring opinion, dissenting opinion, majority opinion
MISSOURI GOVERNMENT
Missouri Constitution
.
Methods
for amending the Missouri Constitution
.
Provision
for automatic referendum of state Constitution every 20 years to determine
whether to call for a new constitutional convention
Missouri Legislature (The General Assembly)
.
Terms
for Senate (4 years) and House (2)
.
Term
limits
.
Top
leadership positions in the Missouri General Assembly
.
Special
sessions
Missouri Executive
.
Powers
of Governor
.
Line-item
veto over appropriations
.
Duties
and terms of office of elected other state officials:
--Lt. Governor
--Auditor
--Attorney General
--Secretary of State
--Treasurer
Missouri Judiciary
.
Three-tiered
court system
.
Criminal
versus civil courts
.
Missouri
Nonpartisan Court Plan