WELCOME TO MS. HERRING’S AP GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

CLASS

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YOUR TEACHER:MS. HERRING

• I am native Floridian, born in Tallahassee.

• Alumni of South Plantation High School in Broward County.

• Was an exchange student in High School to Australia.

• Went to University of Florida and earned a dual degree in Russian and Political Science.

• Spent a summer in Moscow, Russia studying Russian

Language at Moscow State University.

• My prior career was working as a Court Coordinator for the State Attorney’s Office.

• I also worked as a Paralegal in the Attorney General’s

Child Support Enforcement Division.

• Presently working on my Master’s Thesis for a Master’s Degree in Political Science. 1 | 2

1st Day Plan

• Introductions

• Fill out paperwork/create folder/copy schedule

• Go over syllabus

• Assign textbooks

• Highlighting and outlining review (if time permits)

• Chapter 1 Notes

• Homework assignment

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HIGHLIGHTING AND OUTLINING REVIEW

• Hand out copies- text and outlines

• Students to highlight or underline “important” and main ideas.

• Then show what should have been highlighted

• Go over proper form for outlining

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Chapter One

The Study of American Government

The Study of American Government

• What are linkage institutions?

• What is Political Power?

• What is Democracy?

• Direct versus Representative Democracy-Which is Best?

• How is Power Distributed in a Democracy?

• How has Politics Changed over time in America?

• Who Governs?1 | 6

Linkage Institutions

• Linkage institutions connect people to the government

Some examples would be:

• the media (radio, T.V. newspapers etc…)

• political parties

• elections

• interest groups

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Two Key Questions about Politics:

• Who governs?

-we want to know because we believe that those who rule-their personalities and beliefs, their virtues and vices-will affect what they do to and for us.

• To what ends?

-what is in store for us…how will the government affect our lives?

Why Government Matters: A Top Ten List

• On page 4 of the textbook you can see what the top ten post- 1950 accomplishments of the U.S. government .

• Before you check….can you guess any?

• Some clues:

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What is Political Power?

• Power: -the ability of one person to cause another person to

act in accordance with the first person’s intentions

• Authority: -the right to use power

• Legitimacy: -political authority conferred by law, public opinion

or constitution ->so, if you are legitimate, you have the authority to use power

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Kinds of Democracy• Direct democracy:

a form of democracy in which most, or all, of the citizenry participate directly.

• Representative democracy/republic:

a government in which leaders make decisions by winning a competitive struggle for the popular vote.

• Other types of government:

anarchy-

lack of government

autocracy-

rule by one (absolute monarchy, constitutional monarchy, dictatorship)

oligarchy-

rule by small group of elites (aristocracy, theocracy)

-

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Direct v Representative DemocracyWhich is best?

The Framers’ View:

• Representative Democracy better (we will see this in Federalist # 10)

• Government would mediate, nor mirror, popular views

• People were viewed as lacking knowledge (ignorant/clueless) and susceptible to manipulation (gullible)

• Framers’ goal: to minimize the abuse of power by a tyrannical majority (mob rule) or by officeholders (elites)

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Theories of Democratic Government• traditional democratic theory- government depends on the consent of the

governed, which may be given directly or through representatives;

may include criteria for the measure of “how democratic”.• pluralist theory- Interest groups compete in the political arena, with each

promoting its policy preferences through organized efforts. Conflict

among groups may result, requiring bargaining and compromise.• elite theory- A small number of powerful elite (corporate leaders, top

military officers, government leaders) form and upper class, which

rules in its own self-interest.• bureaucratic theory- The hierarchical structure and standardized

procedures of modern government allow bureaucrats, who carry

out the day-to-day workings of government, to hold the real power

over public policy.• hyperpluralism- Democracy is a system of many groups having so much

strength that government is often pulled in numerous directions at the same time, causing gridlock and ineffectiveness.

How Have Politics Changed?• In the 1920’s it was widely accepted that the government

would play a small role in our lives.

• From the 1930’s to the 1970’s it was generally

believed that the federal government would try

to solve whatever social or economic problem that existed.

• From 1981-1988 Ronald Reagan tried to reverse this assumption by attempting to reduce the power of the federal government (“government is not the solution,

it is the problem”)

• It seems that the trend now is more federal

government power with things such as…1 | 14

So, Who Governs?

• The “imperial” President?

• The “obstructionist” Congress?

• The “activist” Courts?

• The “unwieldy” bureaucracy?

• The “sovereign” people?

• Interests, corporations, PACs, the elite, Wall Street?

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How do I create my Chapter PowerPoint?

• Look at the beginning of your chapter. Use the questions as prompts for each of your slides.

• Make sure to define/explain key terms.

• Don’t go into great detail but give enough information to get a good outline/summary of the chapter.

• Make it clear, organized and add some pictures for visual interest.

• Use my PowerPoints as examples1 | 16

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PAPER HEADER• If your paper is not headed correctly, you will lose a letter grade.

Jane Doe8/18/08Herring

Period 1

Assignment title underlined- page #

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HOMEWORK

1. Read and outline Chapter 2 (use table of contents as a guide for outlining)

2. Get syllabus and other forms signed

3. Bring materials detailed in syllabus4. Chapter Power Points selection (choose top 3

choices for your chapter- I will try to assign according to preferences large chapters will be divided e.g. Congress, The Presidency….)

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