GOVERNMENT 2302
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT II
FALL, 2009
DR. LOCANDER
OFFICE: A-270 B
PHONE: (281) 618-5592
EMAIL: [email protected]
READING LIST/COURSE MATERIALS
American Government and Politics Today (Brief Edition 2008-2009) by Schmidt
The Broken Branch by Mann and Ornstein
The Supreme Court by Rosen
Watchdogs of Democracy by Thomas
Obama’s Challenge by Kuttner
6 Test Answer Sheet B (Form 19641)
COURSE CONTENT
This course will focus on American governmental and political institutions: Legislature, Executive, Judiciary,
Bureaucracy, and Press. An important course consideration will be how these institutions and other factors
contribute to the making of public policy. It is hoped that this course will increase your understanding of the
American political system.
LECTURES AND CLASS ATTENDANCE
Except in instances where material is difficult or I feel a need to build on what an author has said, I will avoid
repeating in lectures material contained in the texts. My lectures instead will be designed as a supplement to the
assigned reading. Your regular attendance is expected; without it, you will have difficulty doing well in this course.
OUTSIDE STUDY
Reading assignments are listed on page two of the syllabus. It is important that students complete an assignment
prior to the class lecture on that subject. Without some exposure to the topic, a student may have a difficult time in
class understanding the lecture material. To be successful in this course, students should plan to spend a minimum
of two hours outside the class reading and studying for every hour inside the class. In addition, it is recommended
that 5-10 hours should be used for exam preparation.
TESTING
During the semester, students will take four book quizzes and two major examinations: midterm and final. The
quizzes will consist of 15 multiple choice questions over the four supplementary books. The two major exams are
based on textbook chapters and class material and will be made up of 60 multiple choice questions. For students
with approved class absences, makeup testing will take place during the midterm and final exam test periods.
GRADING SYSTEM
My grading system is based on a 200 point scale. In this course, each of the four quizzes is worth 15 points for a
total of 60 points. The value of each of the two major examinations is 60 points or 120 course points. The
remaining 20 points will be based on class participation as measured by student attendance and discussion.
A----172-200
B----152-171
C----132-151
D----112-131
F----below 112
CLASS SCHEDULE, READING ASSIGNMENTS AND TESTING
I. INTRODUCTION TO GOVERNMENT
A. Schmidt, Chapter 1
II. LEGISLATURE
B. Schmidt, Chapter 9
C. Mann and Ornstein (Book)
*****QUIZ ONE*****
III. JUDICIARY
D. Schmidt, Chapters 12 and 5
E. Rosen (Book)
*****QUIZ TWO*****
IV. BUREAUCRACY
F. Schmidt, Chapter 11
*****MIDTERM EXAM *****
V. PRESS
G. Schmidt, Chapter 6
H. Thomas (Book)
*****QUIZ THREE*****
VI. PRESIDENCY
I. Schmidt, Chapter 10
J. Kuttner (Book)
*****QUIZ FOUR*****
VII. PUBLIC POLICY
K. Schmidt, Chapter 13 and 14
*****FINAL EXAM*****
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS TODAY 2008-2009 (2302)
1. What is Politics? Government? Why are governments necessary?
Distinguish among the different forms of government. Why did James
Madison fear direct democracy? Identify the principles of democratic
government. (1)
2. What is Alexander Hamilton’s view of society? Under the three theories of
American democracy, who has power in the United States? What values have
Americans inherited from Western Europe? How are liberals and
conservatives different? socialists and libertarians? Under Schmidt’s fourcornered ideological gird, what does each political ideology say government
should promote?(1)
3. What are civil rights? What were the consequences of the Dred Scott
decision? What was the separate but equal doctrine? Identify the methods
used to stop the poor and minorities from voting in elections. How did the
Brown ruling affect Plessy v. Ferguson? Differentiate between de facto and
de jure segregation. (5)
4. What was Martin Luther King’s philosophy of addressing inequality? What
roles did Susan B. Anthony and Betty Friedan play in the equal rights
movement for women? What has Title VII meant for women? What are
affirmative action and reverse discrimination? What was the Hopwood case?
How did the Supreme Court rule in the 2003 University of Michigan cases? (5)
5. How was mandatory retirement handled by Congress in 1978 and 1986?
What did the ADA mean for citizens with disabilities? How did the Bowers
and Lawrence rulings affect gays in America? How have same sex marriages
been addressed by Congress in 1996, Vermont in 2000, most states in 2005,
and Massachusetts today? (5)
6. What is public opinion? How was American public opinion distributed on
President Bush’s handling of the 9/11 terrorist attacks? the abortion ruling in
2007? What is political socialization? How do parents influence their
children? Who are formal opinion leaders? What does Bernard Cohen have
to say about media influence? (6)
7. What generational effects occurred to voters who grew up during the Great
Depression, Vietnam and Watergate, and the Reagan years? What are two
important religious factors in predicting political attitudes? What is the
gender gap? Which geographic regions generally support Republicans?
Democrats? (6)
8. What is an opinion poll? What went wrong with the Literary Digest poll?
How are the Gallup and Roper polls conducted? Why did pollsters predict a
Truman defeat in 1948? In 2007, which institution did Americans show the
greatest confidence in? least confidence? What did the American people
identify as the most important problem facing the country in 1987, 1997, and
2007? (6)
9. Identify the functions of the mass media? What is the most influential news
medium? Why is television news often criticized? What are sound bites?
What impact did the “daisy girl” commercial have on political advertising?
How do campaign advisers try to influence press coverage? What political
effect does Schmidt say that YouTube may be having on the candidates?
How did the U. S. government control press coverage during the Second Gulf
War? (6)
10. Why was Congress created? What are the functions of Congress? Identify
the following terms: bicameralism, ombudsman, and oversight. Contrast the
trustee and delegate legislative roles. What are the most important domestic
and foreign powers of Congress? (9)
11. What is the central difference between the House and the Senate? What are
the filibuster, cloture, and the nuclear option? Compare House and Senate
members in the 110th Congress on the following characteristics: age,
percentage of females, and percentage of lawyers. (9)
12. How much do winning Senate and House campaigns cost? Why was 1974 a
bad year for House Republicans? 1994 for House Democrats? In 2006, how
likely was it for House and Senate incumbents to win reelection? (9)
13. Distinguish among reapportionment, redistricting, and gerrymandering. What
is packing and who benefits by partisan redistricting? Why do we have
minority-majority districts? What did the Supreme Court say in 2001 about
North Carolina’s Twelfth District? (9)
14. How many people work on Capitol Hill? Distinguish among the four types of
congressional committees. What is the seniority system? Who are the formal
leaders of Congress? (9)
15. How does a bill become law? What does it take for Congress to override a
presidential veto? How did the federal government budget change in 1974?
When does the fiscal year begin and end? What is the difference between the
authorization and appropriation process? What does Senator Tom Coburn
think of earmarks? (9)
16. According to Article Two, who can become President? Which presidents
were chosen by the House of Representatives? What constitutional roles does
a President play? Why did Congress pass the War Powers Resolution?
Identify the powers the Constitution gives to the President as Chief Diplomat.
What are the two advantages of executive agreements over treaties? (10)
17. What presidents does Schmidt identify as successful chief legislators? What
is the pocket veto? What notice did President George W. Bush serve by
issuing so many signing statements? During the late 1990’s, what important
roles have presidents played as party chiefs? Which constituencies must
presidents consider before taking executive action? What does Kernell mean
by “going public?” (10)
18. How did President Truman use his emergency presidential power? During the
Watergate era, how did the Supreme Court treat President Nixon’s executive
privilege claim? Which chief executives have been impeached? Which
offices within the EOP does Schmidt identify as the most important? Why
were Al Gore and Dick Cheney picked by Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to
run as their vice-presidents? What matters does the Twenty-Fifth Amendment
cover? (10)
19. What is bureaucracy? How have Presidents Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and
Bush II tried to make government more efficient? Distinguish among the
three standard models of bureaucracy. In 2006, how many people worked for
government at all levels? Identify the four major types of structure within the
federal bureaucracy. (11)
20. What are the principal functions of the Interior, Commerce, and Health and
Human Services Departments? What are the two categories of bureaucrats?
Contrast the spoils system and the merit system. What was the Hatch Act?
How did Congress change the 1939 act in 1993? (11)
21. What are sunshine laws? How did 9/11 affect these laws? What is the
purpose of sunset legislation? Where has privatization been most successful?
Who is a whistleblower? Why were farmers in Oregon and California upset
with the EPA in 2001? Identify the iron triangles and issue networks in
Washington. What is the RPO? (11)
22. How do judges get on the Supreme Court? What is stare decisis? Identify the
sources of American law. What is the structure of the federal court system?
How many district courts are in Texas? What specialized federal courts deal
with issues and cases related to terrorism? (12)
23. How do interest groups try to influence judicial decisions? When does the
Supreme Court meet? What is the Rule of Four? Distinguish among the four
different types of court opinions. What is senatorial courtesy? Looking at the
backgrounds of Supreme Court judges in 2008, what typically can be said
about them in terms of their race, gender, and party affiliation? (12)
24. Why have federal courts turned rightward in their rulings? Who is John
Roberts? Harriet Miers? How successful have presidents been in getting the
Senate to confirm their high court nominees? What about President Bill
Clinton’s nominations? (12)
25. What is judicial review? Distinguish between judicial activism and judicial
restraint. How does Schmidt characterize the ideological balance on today’s
Supreme Court? How do the executive, the legislature, and the public check
the Supreme Court? What is the political question doctrine? How did the
doctrine come into play on the question of gays in the military? (12)
26. What is domestic policy? Identify Schmidt’s five policy stages. What are the
explanations for rising health care costs? What are Medicaid and Medicare?
Who fought against the Clinton health program in 1993? Who opposed
universal health care in 2008? What was the official 2007 poverty rate for a
family of four? Identify TANF, SSI, and EITC. (13)
27. What moved Congress to pass the National Environment Policy Act of 1969?
Identify the goals of the Clean Air Act of 1972. How do liberals and
conservatives stand on the issue of global warming? Distinguish between
fiscal policy and monetary policy. What was the estimated national public
debt in 2008? (13)
28. What are the functions of the Federal Reserve System? For single persons in
2007, what were the marginal tax rates for individuals making $10,000,
$100,000, and $1,000,000 annually? What is the current tax rate for Social
Security? Medicare? What future options does Schmidt offer as a way to
salvage Social Security? (13)
29. Identify foreign policy, national security policy, and defense policy.
Distinguish between moralism and realism in foreign policy. What terrorist
attacks occurred in 1972, 2004, and 2005? What is the Bush Doctrine? How
did the First and Second Gulf Wars begin? (14)
30. Identify the three principal ethnic groups in Iraq. In 2005, how were
conditions in Iraq seen by Schmidt as favorable or unfavorable for US
soldiers, the Iraq election, and an Iraqi Constitution? By 2008, what was said
about President Bush’s reasons for going to war in Iraq? (14)
31. Which nations are a part of the Nuclear Club? What was the Cold War? How
did Presidents Nixon, Bush I, and Clinton deal with China? Why has the
conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians been so hard to resolve?
Who makes up Hamas and Hezbollah and what do the groups think of Israel?
What world situation did Congress label as “genocide” in 2004? (14)
32. What powers did the Constitution give to the President in the area of foreign
policy? Identify the four policymaking sources within the Executive Branch?
What did CIA critics say about the Agency in 2001? Why did Congress fail
to cut off funding for the Iraq War in 2007? (14)
33. What is the Military Industrial Complex? What did the Monroe Doctrine
mean for American foreign policy? What was George Kennan’s “X” Article?
How did President Truman approach the Soviet Union? Why did the United
States go to war in Korea and Vietnam? (14)
34. What was the Cuban Missile Crisis? Who initiated the foreign policy of
détente? How did President Reagan react to the Soviet Union in 1983 and
1987? What happened to the Soviet Union in 1989? How did Russian
President Vladimir Putin react to President George W. Bush’s war on
terrorism? (14)
GOVT. 2302
THE BROKEN BRANCH
DR. LOCANDER
1. How did House Republicans “win ugly” on the Medicare Prescription Drug bill? When
did the institutional decline of Congress begin? Who is the first governmental official
mentioned in the Constitution? What does bad process lead to? (1)
2. Which is the First Branch of Government? How did George Mason and George
Washington think of the House and the Senate? Identify the three critical organizational
developments in congressional history. Who was the House’s first powerful speaker?
When was the Senate’s golden age? (2)
3. What was the revolt against Cannonism? How was President Thomas Jefferson able to
succeed with Congress? What did William Rehnquist think of the Senate’s acquittal of
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase? What partisan seeds in 1969 did Mann and
Ornstein identify which would create future problems for Congress? (2)
4. What was the conservative coalition in Congress? Democratic Study Group? Why were
DSG reformers against teller voting? What two reform actions did Congress take against
President Nixon’s overstepping his authority? As a freshman member of Congress, what
was Newt Gingrich’s view of the legislative institution? (3)
5. What was the 92 Group? Who succeeded Tip O’Neill as Speaker? What was
Rubbergate? How did Senator Mike Mansfield run the Senate? What was Borking?
How did moderate Democrats react to the Clinton health care plan? (3)
6. Who was the political architect of the Republican stunning House victory in 1994? What
provision of the Contract for America was not passed by the House? What prevented
Gingrich’s partisan-style leadership style from being effective? What was the
centerpiece for Congress and the President in the 104th Session? (4)
7. How was President Bill Clinton able to avoid a Senate battle with Republicans over his
judicial nominations during his first two years in office? Who was the driving force
behind the Clinton impeachment drive in the House? What key issue deeply influenced
Democratic hostility toward President George W. Bush? How do Mann and Ornstein
characterize Bush’s congressional approach? (4)
8. What pattern did the bankruptcy bill represent? How did congressional members in the
early 1990’s view Washington? What happened to congressional oversight after George
W. Bush became president? What was the nuclear option and what did Mann and
Ornstein think of it? What was the Gang of 14? (5)
9. What are earmarks and who was one of the most avid proponents of this practice?
What is soft money? What was the K-Street project? Why was the Ethics Committee
forced to investigate Tom Delay? (5)
10. How are Senate vacancies filled? House vacancies? Where did Ornstein and James
Sensenbrenner stand on House appointments to fill vacant seats? Four years after 9/11,
how do Mann and Ornstein feel about the House commitment to the institution of
Congress? (6)
11. What were the signs of Congress as a broken governmental branch? What is the
essence of lawmaking in Congress? Why did the highway bill become so notorious?
What was the one congressional committee that raised serious questions on Iraq for the
Bush White House? What potholes in 2005 did congressional reform hit? Why are the
authors troubled by the congressional broken branch? (Conclusion)
12. What did the 2006 election mean for Congress? How was Congress changed in 2007?
What did the Democrats legislative harvest include? What delaying tactics were found
in the 110th Senate? What was one of the major achievements of the House majority in
2008? (Epilogue)
GOVT. 2302
THE SUPREME COURT
DR. LOCANDER
1. What did the U. S. Supreme Court declare in Youngstown Sheet & Tube v. Sawyer and
Hamden v. Rumsfeld? Despite the similarities between Hugo Black and Clarence
Thomas, what was the critical difference? How did Oliver Wendell Holmes describe the
judges on the Supreme Court? What were the positions of Chief Justices Fred Vinson
and Earl Warren on the Brown case? (Introduction)
2. What has been the judicial temperament of successful chief justices? According to
Rosen, who have been the least successful chief justices in the modern era? Who was
the most activist judge on the Rehnquist Court? Where did Sandra Day O’Connor’s self
confidence come from? What is the focus of Jeffrey Rosen’s high court book?
(Introduction)
3. Why did Republicans and Federalists in Congress not object to John Marshall’s Marbury
decision? How did Thomas Jefferson and John Marshall view Shay’s Rebellion? What
constitutional principle did Jefferson place at the center of his mature philosophy?
What types of judges did President Jefferson choose for the Supreme Court? (1)
4. What happened to Jefferson’s strict construction principles in the case of the Louisiana
Purchase? How did the Marshall Court rule in McCulloch v. Maryland? What case
marked Marshall’s last hurrah for national supremacy? Where does Rosen say that
Jefferson’s greatness can be found? Who was able to remake the Constitution in his
own image? (1)
5. What did Oliver Wendell Holmes say was the most important event in his life? What
was John Marshall Harlan’s most famous opinion? In the Dred Scott decision, how did
the Supreme Court rule? What lessons did Holmes take from the Civil War? From 19021911, how did Holmes and John Marshall Harlan rule on civil rights cases? What was
Harlan’s last dissent? How did Harlan understand the central goals of the
Reconstruction amendments? (2)
6. What was William O. Douglas’ view of the law? Who was Hugo Black named after?
Why did Black say that he had joined the Klu Klux Klan? What was the lifelong desire of
William Douglas? Who were the common judicial adversaries of Black and Douglas? (3)
7. What did the Supreme Court say in the Korematsu case? Contrast the Douglas and
Black operating styles inside the Supreme Court. What was Hugo Black’s correct
prediction about the Court and its outlawing of segregation? How did the Supreme
Court rule in Gideon, Miranda, and Mapp? What were the changing views of William
Douglas in the Engel case? After Hugo Black left the Court, what parts of his liberal
legacy remained unchallenged? (3)
8. Why did William Rehnquist go from Miranda critic to Miranda supporter? How does
Antonin Scalia interpret the Constitution? What book had a great influence on
Rehnquist’s judicial philosophy? What was President Richard Nixon’s first impression of
Rehnquist? Who appointed Scalia to the Supreme Court? (4)
9. Why did the liberals on the high court consider Rehnquist to be a great and successful
Chief Justice? How did Scalia get along with his fellow court members? What was
Scalia’s vote on Planned Parenthood v. Casey? Where did Rehnquist and Scalia stand on
flag burning? (4)
10. What does Rosen think of the temperament of chief Justice John Roberts? Who would
be Roberts’ chief justice model? What did Roberts say was his only court power?
According to Roberts, how do DC Circuit judges see their roles? What does Rosen say
that the success of John Roberts as Chief Justice would depend on? (Conclusion)
GOVT. 2302
WATCHDOGS OF DEMOCRACY
Dr. Locander
1. What are the three main principles of practical journalism ethics, according to the
National Society of Professional Journalists? What was the Jayson Blair story? What
ethical problems surrounded Columnist Armstrong Williams? What is the WoodwardBernstein model of reporting? Who was Deep Throat? (1)
2. Who was Ida Tarbell? How did President Richard Nixon react to the publication of the
Pentagon Papers? What Nixon Administration figure said that the “Vietnam War
stinks?” Which newspaper first broke the Iran-Contra scandal? On what grounds did
the House impeach President Bill Clinton? (2)
3. What name did President John Kennedy use for the White House press corps? Why did
President George W. Bush shun official state dinners? What was Helen Thomas’ most
memorable presidential trip? How did John Sorrels characterize the newspaper
business? (3)
4. What two worlds are press secretaries caught between? What innovation did Pierre
Salinger introduce into presidential-press relations? How does Thomas describe
President Lyndon Johnson’s relationship with the press? Why does she call Jerry
terHorst the real champ among press secretaries? What criticism did Thomas direct to
Bush-2 press secretaries? (4)
5. Which President was the first news manager? Identify the five techniques of news
management. Which president is associated with the credibility gap? What was Richard
Nixon’s secret plan to end the Vietnam War? Why did Jerry terHorst resign as press
secretary? What was President George W. Bush’s prime goal of his 2004 election
campaign? (5)
6. During the Vietnam War, who briefed White House reporters on background? Who is a
whistle-blower? In the post Watergate era, what free press-First Amendment clashes
have occurred? How did the Branzburg court decisions affect reporters? In 2004, how
many reporters received federal subpoenas? What was Abraham Lincoln’s view of a
free press? (6)
7. What is the biggest growth area of print media in the United States? What has media
ownership consolidation meant for the news media? What is the nation’s largest wire
service? (7)
8. What dominates the broadcast media industry? What are the FCC’s powers? What
happened to the Fairness Doctrine? What was the Hush Rush Law? How dominant are
the seven largest media companies in America? (8)
9. How did the “New York Times” and the “Washington Post” cover the period just before
the American invasion of Iraq? What did Colin Powell feel about his UN speech? What
did the “Times” say to its readers on May 26, 2004? What was the “Downing Street
Memo?” What are President Bush’s objective sources? Who at ABC News did Thomas
miss from the White House beat? (9)
10. Who dominated the news briefings at the Pentagon? What was embedding? Who were
the unilateral? How did the Pentagon spin stories about Pat Tillman and Jessica Lynch?
What were the Five O’clock Follies? When did photo journalism come into its own?
(10)
11. What has television done for journalists? How did H. L. Mencken feel about
government? Who won a Pulitzer Prize for his reports on the human tragedy of war?
Why did CNN fire Correspondent Peter Arnett? What was the My Lai Massacre? (11)
12. What advice does Helen Thomas give to potential reporters and editors? What does the
political right think of CNN? What is the essence of a government news story? What
was the mantra at UPI? What does Helen Thomas see as the purpose of twenty-first
century journalists? (Epilogue)
GOVT. 2302
OBAMA’S CHALLENGE
DR. LOCANDER
1. Who are transformational presidents? What two reasons does Robert Kuttner offer to
indicate that Barack Obama may become a transformational leader? What difficult set
of economic challenges are facing Obama? Why does America, according to Kuttner,
face the most severe financial crisis since the Great Depression? (1)
2. In 2008, what did Obama and Hillary Clinton say about taxes? What three investments
does Kuttner propose for the $700 billion in new public outlays? How does Obama say
that the Team of Rivals has affected his view of governing? (1)
3. What does Kuttner mean by the forgotten Franklin Roosevelt? What was the subject of
FDR’s first Fireside Chat? What did the civil rights bill mean for the South? What did the
song, “We Shall Overcome,” represent in 1965? Which two core qualities did Jimmy
Carter lack which hurt his presidency? (2)
4. Why does Kuttner call President Obama an anti-party Democrat? Why does Kuttner say
that President Bill Clinton got things backward when it came to interest groups? Who
was America’s greatest wartime president? By the time of Pearl Harbor, what had FDR
accomplished? What does Kuttner see as the America’s paradox for 2009? (2)
5. What four points does Kuttner identify as today’s consensus frame of mind? How can
Medicare’s budget problems be solved? What does Robert Greenstein say is the most
damaging aspect of the Brookings-Heritage document? What tax credit makes sense to
Kuttner? What have center-right Democrats gained by embracing the free-market
view? (3)
6.
Why does Drew Western say that Al Gore lost the 2000 election? What alternative
frame of thinking does Kuttner say Democrats should offer to counter Republican
dogma? What did the Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II tax cuts do? (3)
7. Who joined with right-wing Republicans to scale back the first stimulus package? What
was the Frank-Dodd housing bill? What three separate abuses does Kuttner say brought
about the current economic collapse? Why was Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson’s
2008 report a contradictory document? What does Kuttner say is the most effective
force for decent wages and working conditions? (4)
8. What does Kuttner propose for the new administration in the human-services-jobs
area? What have the labor trends of casualization and Taylorism meant for employees?
What is the flexicurity model? What does Kuttner think of the American idea of wage
insurance? (4)
9. What does Amory Lovins say is the most cost-effective way to reduce energy
consumption? What energy goal did Barack Obama announce on August 4, 2008?
What does Kuttner say is wrong with Obama’s health care approach? How does the
private health insurance system hold down costs? Why is the debate between free
trade and protectionism a false one? What do today’s business elites want to see? (4)
10. Why did Obama appeal to some conservatives? What did the McCain supporters
campaign mean when they referred to Obama as “The One?” How did Lyndon Johnson
and Bill Clinton build national unity behind their programs? What did Obama learn from
Howard Dean? What did Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt teach Kuttner about
presidential leadership? (5)