Textbook Terms and Focus Points for the Final Exam

Spring 2013Chapters 10- 15, 17, 18

READINGS: ha!ter "#$%edia
Key Textbook Terms
mass media
prior restraint
Textbook !o"#s $oints
1. What medium is the dominant new source today? Between newspapers, television, Internet, and radio
new sources, which one has seen the largest increase in usage in recent years?
2. Which branch of government normally receives the lion's share of press coverage?
. !o "national press" #ournalists tend to be more conservative than the general public in their
"ideological self$rating"?
%. !o the authors suggest that every media outlet was bias$free in every presidential election from 1&%'$
&(?
). What effect can the media have upon the public opinion on "politically inattentive individuals"?
READINGS: ha!ter ""$Political Parties
Key Textbook Terms
political parties
unified vs. divided government
national party convention *presidential nominating convention+
party platform
Textbook !o"#s $oints
1. What roles have minor *or third+ parties played in ,.-. political history? .ave any of these parties
elected a president during the 1&//'s? Which third party presidential candidate has been the most
successful since 1&//?
2. What factors promote a two$party system in the ,.-.?
. Based upon the data presented in the te0t, 1now which groups *of those listed below+ tended to be
strong support groups for either the !emocrats or the 2epublicans in the last presidential election3 which
of the groups below had the highest overall support for a party4s candidate? *table 11.2 in te0t+5
.ispanic67atino
8frican$8merican
White evangelical6born$again
9o religious affiliation
%. 9ationally, what are the fundamental public policy differences between !emocrats and 2epublicans
today?
READINGS: ha!ter "&$Interest Grou!s
Key Textbook Terms
interest group
political action committee *:8;+
independent e0penditures
lobbyist6lobbying
grassroots lobbying
Textbook !o"#s $oints
1. What are the primary strategies and tactics that interest groups use with respect to the three
branches of government to achieve their policy goals *elections and lobbying of all the branches+?
2. What are the individual and :8; limits for contributions to a political candidate?
. 8ccording to the table presented in the te0t, which specific tactics do interest groups report that
they use "very often"?
READINGS: ha!ter "'$The on(ress
Key Textbook Terms
standing committees
bill
filibusters
cloture
Textbook !o"#s $oints
1. What e0ecutive officers may be impeached and removed from office by the ;ongress? What is
"impeachment," and what body carries this out? Who may conduct the trial of impeachment? .ave
any presidents actually been impeached or removed from office? If so, which president*s+? (Also see
ch. 14 for more info on impeachment and removal of a president)
2. What are the two "theories of representation" with respect to members of ;ongress? 8ccording to
the research, what type of issue will representatives most li1ely vote as delegates?
. What are the 1ey party leadership positions for the -enate *:resident :ro <empore, =a#ority
7eader, =a#ority Whip, =inority 7eader, =inority Whip+ and the .ouse of 2epresentatives *-pea1er,
=a#ority 7eader, =a#ority Whip, =inority 7eader, =inority Whip+? What are the basic powers and
responsibilities for each leadership position? Which leaders play the most important role *most
powerful+ in each house of ;ongress?
%. >now the basic steps re?uired for a bill to become a law, including5 introduction, standing
committee action, rule committee action *.ouse only+, floor action, possible conference committee
action, final passage, the choices for presidential action, and possible congressional override of
presidential veto. 8ccording to data presented in the te0t, do most bills become law?
READINGS: ha!ter ")$ The Presidenc*
Key Textbook Terms
@cabinet *permanent members+
@veto, poc1et$veto, line$item veto
@e0ecutive agreements and orders
Textbook !o"#s $oints
1. 8ccording to data presented in the te0t on page %'/ *A:residential Bictories on 2oll$;all BotesC+, did
presidents usually have his party in control of both houses of ;ongress *1&)$2/1/+? Which president was
most successful with ;ongress in a single year? 8nd least successful? *use the same table as above+
2. What constitutional powers does the president e0ercise alone? What powers are shared with -enate? What
powers are shared with the ;ongress as a whole?
. 8ccording to the authors, how important is a president's power to persuade?
%. What e0ecutive and #udicial officers may be impeached and removed from office by the ;ongress? What
is "impeachment," and what body carries this out? Who may conduct the trial of impeachment? .ave any
presidents actually been impeached or removed from office? If so, which president*s+? *also covered in the
chapter on the ;ongress+
). Drom <ruman to Eeorge W. Bush, what has happened to presidential "approval ratings" comparing the rate
when they come in office versus the rate when they leave office? *please see Digure 1%.%+ 8ny e0ceptions to
the general trend?

READINGS: ha!ter "+$ The Federal ourt S*stem
Key Textbook Terms
@#udicial review
@stare decisis
@writ of certiorari
Textbook !o"#s $oints
1. What are the differences between appellate courts and trial courts *courts of original #urisdiction+?
.ow may the ,.-. -upreme ;ourt be classified?
2. >now the basic structure and #urisdictions of the following federal courts5 ,.-. !istrict ;ourts, ,.-.
;ourts of 8ppeals, and ,.-. -upreme ;ourt.
. >now the basic steps of how the -upreme ;ourt reaches a decision in a case5 "rule of four," briefs, oral
arguments, conference, and the *written+ decision. >now the following 1inds of signed opinions5
ma#ority, concurring, dissenting.
%. What are the basic differences between criminal and civil law? Who may "bring" or prosecute a
criminal case?
). What is the significance of =arbury v. =adison *1'/+ in the development and power of the ,nited
-tates -upreme ;ourt?
(. What are basic differences between the #udicial philosophies of "#udicial restraint" and "#udicial
activism"?
F. .ow are -upreme ;ourt #ustices and other federal #udges selected *according to the ;onstitution+?

READINGS: ha!ter ",$ Economic and Social Polic*
Key Textbook Terms
Ereat !epression
gross domestic product *E!:+
laisseG$faire economics
monetary policy
fiscal policy
budget deficit
public debt
entitlements
means tested
unfunded mandate
Ereat -ociety
Textbook !o"#s $oints
1. What is the Dederal 2eserve? .ow may the :resident influence the direction of the Dederal 2eserve
Board? Hssentially, what power does the Dederal 2eserve Board have over the economy?
2. -ocial -ecurity5 1now when this was enacted, whether this program is means tested or an entitlement
*non$means tested+. .ow has the "wor1ers per beneficiary" demographic help to cause a serious challenge to
-ocial -ecurity solvency. .ow is -ocial -ecurity funded?
. Be able to identify all of the programs identified in the section as "means tested"5 8D!; *now <89D+,
--I, WI;, -98:, and HI<;. With each of these programs, be able to identify the 1ind of assistance that is
offered and "who" is covered by the program. Were any of those programs part of national public policy
before the 1&/s?
%. 8ccording to the data provided in the te0t, how has the ,.-. fared in international comparisons of student
achievement?
). Which level of government retains the constitutional responsibility to provide public education?
(. =edicare and =edicaid5 with each of these programs, be able to identify the 1ind of assistance that is
offered, whether the program is "means tested," and "who" is covered by the program. >now the dates when
these programs were created.
F. 8ccording to the data provided in the te0t, for the industrialiGed nations compared to the ,.-., is the ,.-.
spending more of a share of its E9: on health care? 8nd in ran1ings of health care systems around the
world *World .ealth IrganiGation study+, does the ,.-. ran1 in the top 2)?

READINGS: ha!ter "-$ Forei(n Polic*
Key Textbook Terms
7eague of 9ations
;old War vs. detente
treaties
Textbook !o"#s $oints
;ompare the role and "grand strategy" of the ,nited -tates in the 1'//s to its role and strategy in the 1&//s
*especially from World War II and on+.
In what sense do the president and the ;ongress "share" foreign policy powers *in terms of defined
authorities in the ;onstitution of the president and the ;ongress+?
What was the containment *<ruman !octrine+? <o which country was it primarily directed? Be able to relate
how the =arshall :lan and 98<I were designed to contain the -oviets.
.ow may ;ongress' appropriation power be used to influence foreign policy? >now how the president can
be limited in his ability to use military force by the War :owers 8ct *specifically, whether the president may
1eep troops in an armed struggle for a long period of time without congressional consent+.