Day 20 - Take an interest and join a faction!

Day 20 - Take an interest and join a faction!

Learning Targets:

Students will be able to explain why and how...

• Explain the benefits and potential problems of interest-group influence on elections and policy making.
• Interest groups may represent very specific or more general interests, and can educate voters and office holders, draft legislation, and mobilize membership to apply pressure on and work with legislators and government agencies. 
• In addition to working within party coalitions, interest groups exert influence through long-standing relationships with bureaucratic agencies, congressional committees, and other interest groups; such relationships are described as “iron triangles” and issue networks and they help interest groups exert influence across political party coalitions.

Opener: Interest Group Inventory

What do you want to be when you grow up?  Chances are, there is an interest group that represents that profession.

Task:  Find at least 2 professional organizations/interest groups that are associated with the job or career field that you are planning on joining after you finish school.  Additionally, find at least one interest group that you might be interested in that is NOT tied to a profession or industry, but rather a social or political issue.

https://votesmart.org/interest-groups#.XLCv8FZKg_U

Activity #1: -  Interest Groups and PACs 

Working alone, or with a partner, answer the following questions in your notebook.  

1.  Which interest groups would you argue have the most influence in Congress? 

2.  Which groups spend the most money on campaigns/PACs?

3.  How do the interest groups that you found in the class opener compare to the groups you listed in questions 1 and 2?

https://hbl.gcc.libguides.com/c.php?g=339640&p=2285591

Activity #2:  Interest Groups - N-50

LD - an organization of people who share a common interest and mobilize to protect and promote that interest by influencing both elected and bureaucratic members of the government.

SD -

Examples - NRA, AARP, MADD, https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/mems.php

Non-Examples - Bureaucracy (CDC, FDA, FEC, etc), Political Parties

Related Terms - PAC's (Political Action Committees), Lobbyist, Voting Behavior, Incumbents

Close - Exit Ticket - ASAP+

AMONG the numerous advantages promised by a well-constructed Union, none deserves to be more accurately developed than its tendency to break and control the violence of faction.  By a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adversed to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community.

- James Madison, 1788, Federalist #10

Faction=Interest Group?

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Day 19 - The Decline of Political Parties: Is the Party Over?

Day 19 - The Decline of Political Parties: Is the Party Over?

Learning Targets:

Students will be able to explain why and how...

• Political parties change and adapt.
• Parties have adapted to candidate-centered campaigns, and their role in nominating candidates has been weakened.
• Parties modify their policies and messaging to appeal to various demographic coalitions. 
• The structure of parties has been influenced by: 

• Critical elections and regional realignments
• Campaign finance law
• Changes in communication and data-management technology
• Parties use communication technology and voter-data management to disseminate, control, and clarify political messages and enhance outreach and mobilization efforts

Opener:  The Decline of Political Parties?

1.  Describe the overall trend and pattern in the chart above.

2.  Explain why this may be the case and what impact will it have on the political process?

Activity #1 - Read one or both of the articles below to help understand some of the causes for the decline of parties over the last half century.

• https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0202-goldberg-party-paper-tigers-20160202-column.html
• https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/11/modern-political-parties-weak-and-ineffective/

After you have finished reading, describe in your notebook how each of the following contributed to to this decline:

1. The role of the media
2. The rise of interest groups
3. Political reforms like primaries and the Australian ballot
4. Money and candidate-centered campaigns
5. However, not everyone believes the rise of independent voters and the decline of political parties is real. Read this article and summarize the author's argument.

Activity #2 - State your claim and provide a line of reasoning to the prompt below:

To what extent would we be better off with a nonpartisan (non-party focused) system? 

Close:  Evaluate how have parties changed the way that they campaign.

1.  Will political parties continue to decline?
2.  Predict what this might mean for our Two-Party System

Day 18

Political Participation: Voter Turnout

Learning Targets:  Students will be able to....

• Explain the roles that individual choice and state laws play in voter turnout in elections.

Opener: Voter turnout in the US - Quickwrite

Prompt:  List 3 possible causes for low voter turnout.  How could we increase voter turnout in the US?  What would be the advantages and disadvantages of a higher turnout?

Activity #1: Voter Turnout Doc Analysis

TIP-C

Election laws generally fall into seven different categories that can influence turnout: 

1. voter-registration deadlines 
2. restrictions on registrations and registration drives
3. preregistration laws that allow people under 18 to register in advance of their first elections
4. laws governing ease of voting (like early and absentee voting)
5. voter ID requirements and 
6. polling hours.

TIP-C

OSAM

ASAP

In 1992, the most treasured voter was a voter that would sort of swing back and forth, one that might vote for Republican for president, Democrat for governor. The voter that didn't have that strong of a partisan ID. These were the voters that we targeted. 

- James Carville, Campaign Strategist for Bill Clinton

Activity #2: -  N-50 Voting Behavior

LD - a form of electoral behavior. Understanding voters' behavior can explain how and why decisions were made either by politicians or by the electorate. Involves both political science and psychology. Political psychology researchers study ways to motivate and educate voters to increase participation

SD - 

Examples - 
- Identity Politics - 
- Rational Choice -
- Prospective vs Retrospective -

Non Examples - N/A

Related Terms - Polling, Primaries, Suffrage

Close - Exit Ticket - Claim Revision - 5 minutes

Before you leave today, provide a 1-3 sentence response to the following prompt.  Your response should be a specific claim AND provide a line of reasoning.

Prompt:  What advantages does an incumbent  (a president or congressman that is seeking reelection) have over their competition that has to win primary elections*?

Day 17 - 

Political Ideology Wrap-up

Learning Targets:  Students will be able to....

• Describe different political ideologies on the role of government in regulating the marketplace.
• Explain how the ideologies of the two major parties shape policy debates. 
• Explain how U.S. political culture (e.g., values, attitudes, and beliefs) influences the formation, goals, and implementation of public policy over time. 
• Describe different political ideologies regarding the role of government in regulating the marketplace. 

Opener: R or D - A quick review

Number 1-10, then decide whether each statement represents a Democratic or Republican stance

1. More government is the problem, not the solution
2. I would rather see my taxes cut and lose benefits
3. Public education needs the assistance of federal funding
4. Medical coverage is a right and should be provided by the government
5. Corporations should be heavily fined for violating environmental laws
6. There can be no limits placed on the right to bear arms
7. Only legal immigrants should be entitled to any government benefits
8. A flat tax rate is the only fair way in which to distribute the burden of taxes
9. The federal deficit should be reduced even if we have to cut benefits
10. Traditional family values and religion are the heart of society

Activity #1: Political Party Stances

See T-Chart on whiteboard

Activity #2: Unit 4 Quiz

Topics:

• Political Ideology
• What does "Liberal" and "Conservative" mean?
• Political Socialization
• How do we form our political views?
• Party Stances
• Democrat, Republican, Green, Libertarian
• Polling
• Types, uses, advantages/disadvantages, etc.

Close - Student CPE Presentations 

Day 16 - 

Economics and US Gov't

Learning Targets:  Students will be able to....

• Describe different political ideologies on the role of government in regulating the marketplace.
• Explain how political ideologies vary on the government’s role in regulating the marketplace.
• Understand how fiscal policy and taxation can shape the economic realities of citizens

Essential Knowledge:

• Liberal ideologies favor more governmental regulation of the marketplace, conservative ideologies favor fewer regulations, and libertarian ideologies favor little or no regulation of the marketplace beyond the protection of property rights and voluntary trade.
• Ideological differences on marketplace regulation are based on different theoretical support, including Keynesian and supply-side positions on monetary and fiscal policies promoted by the president, Congress, and the Federal Reserve.

Opener: Quickwrite

• "Taxation without representation is tyranny"
• James Otis
• "The only certain things in life are death and taxes" 
• Ben Franklin
• “To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.” 
• Thomas Jefferson

• Article I of the Constitution gives Congress the power to levy taxes.  Besides raising revenue, what other motives do legislators have to tax a good or service?  Is there anything that government can't tax?

Activity #1: Mini-Lecture - Taxes and Ideology

• If consumers are spending their money, and business is struggling, would it be better for the federal government to lower taxes or just inject more money into the economy?
• 
  
• Supply-side economics and "Reaganomics" - Increase production by lowering regulations and taxation on business.  This increases the supply of goods and services (thus lowering the cost to consumers), creates jobs, and company profits "trickle-down" to workers.  This idea is generally favored by Conservatives/Repubicans
• 
  
• Demand-side economics a.k.a Keynsian economics - Government should spend money (create jobs, inject cash) which will encourage consumer spending.  This usually means borrowing, which increases the national debt . However, this increased demand will encourage companies to hire on more workers to meet this increased demand.  This idea is generally favored by Liberals/Democrats

Activity #2: YOU MAKE THE CLAIM!

Below are several documents, graphs, charts, cartoons, etc.  Quickly analyze each and then answer the following prompt using these documents and graphs to support your argument.  Make sure that you make a clear claim, provide a line of reasoning, and support your claim with evidence.

Prompt:  If consumers are not spending their money, and business is struggling, would it be better for the federal government to lower taxes or just inject more money into the economy?

1.

2.


3.


4.
https://www.thebalance.com/trickle-down-economics-theory-effect-does-it-work-3305572

5. 

Close - Student CPE Presentations 

Day 16 - B Day Enrollment

While you are waiting to enroll, take this survey:  https://forms.gle/kUGd8BYRPscGa9t86

Day 15

Public Opinion: Analyzing polls about polling

Learning Targets:  Students will be able to....

• Explain how public opinion data that can impact elections and policy debates is affected by such scientific polling types and methods as:
• Type of poll (opinion polls, benchmark or tracking polls, entrance and exit polls)
• Sampling techniques, identification of respondents, mass survey or focus group, sampling error
• Type and format of questions

• Describe the relationship between scientific polling and elections and policy debates is affected by the:
• Importance of public opinion as a source of political influence in a given election or policy debate
• Reliability and veracity of public opinion data

Opener: ASAP

Strategists and operatives should not design a strategy based off today's conditions. They should be setting a strategy for where the trajectory of polling is headed. 

    - James Carville, campaign strategist/political commentator, following the 2016 presidential election.

Activity #1: Polling - Analysis

#1

#2

Activity #2: -  N-50 - Polling

LD - Polling a sampling or collection of opinions on a subject, taken from either a representative or random group of persons for the purpose of analysis.

SD - 

Examples - Telephone, internet, mail-in, exit polling

Non-Examples - US Census, election "polls", 

Related terms - Elections, Primaries, Political Parties

Close - Build Your Own Poll 

Open the link below and post your own polling questions using the provided template

  https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1jayY79FLfhZVO-PQMAg4PKPhs6fTlTlz9o2UMAPukuI/edit?usp=sharing

Choose what you believe is your best polling question and submit it via the link below to contribute to the "2020 Election Issue Poll".  

3A - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1I--ApVJt0ZnCF-HbT68bcsvyBnwr_ADE86KQoVimECY/edit?usp=sharing

Simply press the + button on the right-hand side of the screen to add a question.