Section 1

Lesson 2: Social Contract Theory

 I can identify major contributors to the Social Contract Theory

- Thomas Hobbes
· Physical security
1- Social contract should protect the right to life.

- John Locke
· Quality of Life-
1- People have rights from God that the Government cannot take away. The
Social Contract should protect life, liberty, and property.

- Jean- Jacques Rousseau

· Freedom of Choice
1- You cannot be "forced to be free" and it should protect liberty.

 I can explain key elements of social contract theory including the state of nature,
natural rights, sovereignty, and consensual political rule.

- State of Nature
· How people may have lived before societies came into existence.

- Natural Rights
· "Basic human rights" we choose how we want to live.

- Sovereignty
· A person who has supreme power/ authority.

- Consensual Political Rule

· People consent the government to make rules to follow- allowing the
government to tell you what you can and can't do.

Lesson 3: The Founding Documents

 I can identify areas of the Constitution that are influenced by the enlightenment -
Locke's natural rights and Rousseau's social contract.

- *** Article 1 Section 2 Clause 1.

- *** Separation of Powers found on Articles 1, 2, and 3.

 I can identify areas of the Bill of Rights that are influenced by the enlightenment

- Society and government are created to protect and advance natural rights.

 I can identify areas of the Declaration of Independence that are influenced by the
enlightenment
- Key natural rights are life, liberty, and property in which we are individually and equally
entitled.
Lesson 4: The Articles of Confederation

 I can explain the primary goals of the Articles of Confederation

- Limit the powers of the national government, which in return it provides greater state
sovereignty.

 I can describe the structure of government under the Articles of Confederation

- Unicameral congress = 1 chamber; confederation.

- Each state had ONLY 1 vote in congress.

- Central government was weaker than the states.

 I can list the powers of the government under the Articles of Confederation

- Borrow and coin money

- Declare war
- Make treaties
- Alliance with other nations
- Regulate trade with Native Americans
- Settle disputes among other states

Lesson 5: Problems with the Articles of Confederation

 I can list several weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

- No power to tact or interstate commerce or regulate trade. They could only request $$$
from the states.
- No national army or navy.
- No judicial or executive branches.
- Each state had 1 vote regardless or the size in congress.
- The articles could not be changed without an unanimous vote to do so.

Lesson 7: The New Jersey and Virginia Plans

 I can list several characteristics of the New Jersey Plan

- Unicameral
- State based (each state is equally represented)
- Small states are given the same power as larger states in the national legislature
- Legislature gave all states 1 vote each regardless of the population size

 I can list several characteristics of the Virginia Plan

- Bicameral
- Population based (higher population=more reps.)
 - Larger states would have more power than smaller states in the national legislature
- Legislature in which states received representation based on their population.

Lesson 8: Compromises at the Constitutional Convention

 I can describe the major compromises that occurred during the Constitutional
Convention

- Bicameral legislature = Senate and House of Reps.

- 2 senators regardless of size representation
- Representation in the house would be based upon population.
- Elected members of the house = 2 years in office.
- Appointed to senate by each state political elite would serve a term of 6 years.

 Checks and Balances

- A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other
branches in order to prevent abuse of power

 Separation of Powers

- Government separated into three different branches: legislative, executive, and judicial
powers.

 Three-Fifths Compromise

- Satisfied the concerns of the south over the counting of their slave population by
allowing 60% of slave population to be counted for state representation and tax
purpose.
- *** Northern and Southern states ***
- 5 slaves = 3 votes

Lesson 9: Federalist [Link]-Federalist

 I can describe the Federalist's views on the scope and power of the government

- Strong government for national defense and economic growth

- National currency = government power to create.
- Ability to regulate trades and place tariffs.
- Collection of taxes.

 I can describe the Anti Federalist views on the scope and powers of the government

- Feared national government and believed in state legislatures. Believed strong federal
government would favor the rich over those of the "middle sort."

 I can list reasons FOR ratifying the constitution

- Federalist wanted a strong government.

- Anti- Federalist wanted to protest people's rights.
Lesson 10: The Federalist Papers

 Federalist #10

- America is divided into groups that are in conflict others. The purpose of the
government is to make sure these group reach some sort of compromise.

 Federalist #51

- Separation of Powers/ Checks and Balances protect people from an abusive

government.

Lesson 12: Separation of Powers

 Purpose of having Separation of Powers

- In order to avoid the possibility of the government ignoring the rights of its citizens.

 I can list several powers held by each branch of government.

- Congress
· Legislative Branch
· 100 U.S. Senators / 2 senators per state
· 435 U.S. House of Reps- Reps are determined by state.
· Declares war on foreign countries
· Passes the national budget
· Makes laws
· Only congress can control international trade and trade among states.

- Courts (Federal/ Supreme)

· Judicial Branch
· Settles disputes, hears court appeals, and determines if it is constitutional.
· 9 Justices in Supreme Court who are appointed for life.

- President and Vice President

· Executive Branch
· Appoints government officials
· Commands armed forces
· Meets with leaders of other nations
· President or his people negotiate the treaties

Lesson 13: Checks and Balances

 I can explain how the system of Checks and Balances functions

- Legislative branch
· introduces and votes on a bill.
 - Executive branch
· approves, signs, and bills become law

- Judicial branch
· law gets tested and if someone believes it is unfair, they can file a lawsuit.

 Checks on the Executive Branch

- LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
· Only Congress can declare war.
· Presidential nominees must be approved by the Senate.
· Impeachment is made by 2/3 of the Senate
· Can override a presidential veto by 2/3 of the vote in chamber
· Control of funding activities of the executive branch

- JUDICIAL BRANCH
· Serves during good behavior to maintain independent of judiciary.
· Can overturn actions of the president with Judicial review if the actions violate
the constitutions.

 Checks on Legislative Branch

- EXECUTIVE BRANCH
· Can veto Legislation.
· Can use executive orders and agreements.
· Negotiates treaties.

- JUDICIAL BRANCH
· Can influence laws by interpretation
· Serve during good behavior to maintain independence of judiciary
· Can overturn acts of Congress as unconstitutional if they violate the law

 Checks on Judicial Branch

- EXECUTIVE BRANCH
· Nominates judges.
· Power of pardon

- LEGISLATIVE BRANCH –
· Senate must approve judges and justices
· Controls jurisdiction of the courts
· Determines the size of Supreme Court
· House can impeach judges and Senate can remove them by 2/3 vote

Lesson 14: The Principles of Federalism

 Several characteristics of federalist systems of government

- 1st - Two levels of government: National government (war, federal jobs, property
banking, insurance) and State government (licenses, education, elections)
 - 2nd - No changes to be made to the constitution

- 3rd - Checks and balances to both national and state level

- 4th - Conflicts between states and federal government are adjudicated by federal courts
with U.S. Supreme Court being the final arbiter

 Advantages of Federalism

- Innovates ways that they deal with problems.

- States are able to adapt to local conditions and design programs that are best fit for
them.
- States can add to a national program if needed to.
- Protection against oppression with divided power.

 Disadvantages of Federalism

- $$$$
- Voters are less willing to pay to avoid problems when negotiating consequences occur
in another state
- Every state needs educational, transactional dept, Medicaid, unemployment benefits, a
host of other jobs = cost $$$

Section 2: Structure of the U.S. Government

Lesson 1: The Legislative Branch

 I can define the three types of Congressional powers including implied, enumerated,
and inherent powers.

- Implied Powers
i. Not in the constitution but it is necessary for national government.
1. Ex: Minimum wages, maximum hours worked, federal aid programs, etc.

- Inherent Powers
ii. Exist due to the country’s existence.
1. Ex: Immigration, borders, expands territories, etc.

- Enumerated Powers
i. Powers in the constitution.
1. Ex: Declare war, lay and collect taxes.

 I can classify Congressional powers as either implied, enumerated, or inherent.

- Implied Powers
i. Regulates banks
ii. Minimum wage

- Inherent Powers
i. Borders
ii. Countries defense
 - Enumerated Powers
i. Declares war
ii. Collection of taxes
iii. The Congress shall have Power to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and
Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general
Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform
throughout the United States.

 Powers held by the Legislative Branch

- Confirm executive appointment
- Veto
- Reject foreign treaties

Lesson 2: How the Legislative Branch Makes Laws

 I can describe the process of legislation and how bills become law.

- Process of Legislation and how bills become law

i. 1. Bill is introduced and given to the appropriate standing committee.
ii. 2. Bill is sent to the rules committee.
iii. 3. Bill is debated in House of Representatives and the Senate.
iv. 4. Bill is voted upon.
v. 5. Bill is sent to the conference committee to form unified bill.
vi. 6. Unified bill is sent to House of Representatives and Senate.
vii. 7. Bill is then sent to the President to sign or vote. If vetoed, congress can
override.

Lesson 3: Reapportionment and Gerrymandering

- Reapportionment
i. Redistribution of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives based upon
population change.

- Redistricting
i. Redrawing of district lines to adjust for census changes.

- Gerrymandering
i. Drawing of electoral boundaries to favor a particular party.

 I can explain the ruling in, and significance of, the Supreme Court case Miller v.
Johnson.

- Miller v. Johnson
i. Race is not the "dominant and controlling motivation in redistricting."

Lesson 4: The Executive Branch

 Presidential duties/power
 - the power to veto legislation
- commander in chief
- preparing the budget to send off to Congress.

Lesson 5: The Powers of the Executive Branch

 I can explain how executive orders are used by presidents

- Signs statements, power of removal and pardon, appoints federal judge's executive
orders (limits- court rulings, successor reversal.)
- Executive agreements are used in international relations.
- They are agreements with foreign leaders.

 I can explain how presidential powers are limited by the system of checks and balances

- Judicial
i. Declare presidential acts unconstitutional.

- Legislative
i. Controls budget, presidential impeachment.

Lesson 6: Organized to Govern

 I can describe the transfer of presidential powers from one administration to the next

- Outgoing transitioning staff

i. Communication staff are hired to communicate with current and prospective staff.

 I can describe the conditions that must be met in order to make a recess appointment

- Must occur when the senate is NOT in session, the president then has the ability to put
someone in office.

Lesson 7: The Judicial Branch

 I can describe the evolution of the federal judiciary in the United States

- 1787: Beginning of Federal Judiciary

- 1789: Judiciary Act
- 1803: Marbury v. Madison
- 1824: Gibbons v. Ogden

 I can identify several powers of the federal judiciary

- Original and appellate jurisdiction

 - Appellate jurisdiction
i. A court hears on appeal from a lower court's decision.

- Original jurisdiction
i. A case that is heard for the first time.

 I can explain how Marbury v. Madison was the key case for the full development of
judicial review by the Supreme Court.

- Marbury v. Madison
i. In 1789 the Judiciary Act was passed by Congress in which full system of federal
courts were established.

 I can describe the impact of the decision of the Supreme Court in McCulloch v.
Maryland

- McCulloch v. Maryland
i. Maryland was trying to tax the national bank and Supreme Court ruled that
federal law was stronger than the state law

 I can define and provide examples of stare decisis.

- Stare decisis
i. Reliance on previous decisions and established precedents, and it also means to
let the decision stand.

 I can define and provide examples of stare decisis.

- Loose interpretation
i. Constitution can be changed

- Strict interpretation
i. How strictly constitution should be read

 I can explain judicial activism.

- Judicial activism
i. Supreme court makes ruling that overturns a law of congress or of a president.

Lesson 8: The U.S. Court System

 I can distinguish between civil and criminal court cases.

- Civil Court Cases

i. Involves 2 or more private parties
ii. Individuals/ Corporations
iii. One must allege harm or be injured by another.
iv. Cases will state the names of the 2 private parties. Ex: Divorces, lawsuits, etc.
 - Criminal Court Cases
i. Harm to society
ii. State presses charges
iii. Misdemeanors= less crime
iv. Ex: Stealing road signs,
v. Felonies = higher crime
vi. Ex: Murder
vii. Establishes rules and punishment to prohibit harm to others.

 I can describe the jurisdiction of federal and state courts

- Federal Courts
i. Hears cases involving "federal question" involved constitution, federal laws or
treaties, or a "fed party" in which U.S. government is a party to the case.
ii. Hears Civil & Criminal matters
iii. Hears "interstate" matter, diversity of citizenship involving parties of 2 different
states or U.S. citizen and another nation.

- State Courts
i. Hears most day to day cases approx. 90% of all cases.
ii. Hears both civil & criminal matters.
iii. Helps states retain their own sovereignty in judicial matters over their state laws,
distinct from national government.

- How many justices are currently serving on the Supreme Court

i. 9 justices currently serve in the Supreme Court

- Supreme Court justices nominate justices

i. The president nominates justices, and the senate confirms it
ii. Presidents choose justices that have similar eye to them
1. Ex. Liberal nominates a liberal.

Lesson 10: Power under the American Federalist System

 I can explain the differences between expressed, implied, reserved, and concurrent
powers.

- Expressed Powers
i. Powers of the National Government

- Implied Powers
i. Powers of the National Government that are not written in the constitution.

- Reserved Powers
i. State powers only

- Concurrent Powers
i. National and State government shared powers
  Examples of...

- Expressed Powers
i. Raise an Army
1. (establishing a draft to raise and Army, develop new armored tanks, and
construct military bases)
ii. Collection of taxes
1. (establishing the IRS and national bank, punishing those who fail to pay
taxes)
iii. Regulate commerce
1. (prohibition of importation and exportation of certain goods.)

- Implied Powers
i. Minimum wages
ii. Maximum working hours
iii. Federal aid programs

- Reserved Powers
i. Marriage, divorce, adoption laws.
ii. Speed limits
iii. Conducting elections
iv. License requirements

- Concurrent Powers
i. Defining crimes
ii. State's levying a tax on alcoholic beverage

 I can explain how the Constitution grants supremacy to the national government with
the Supremacy Clause.

- How does the Constitution grants supremacy to the national government?

i. Constitution grants supremacy to the national government allowing national
government to override state laws when in conflict with one another.

 I can explain the purpose of the Full Faith and Credit clause and the Privileges and
Immunities clause.

- Full Faith and Credit clause and the Privileges and Immunities clause
i. Article IV, Section 1 Requires the states to accept court decisions, public acts,
and contracts of other states. Adoption or licenses is valid in all states, and
marriage certificate.
1. For ex; if I were to get married in Hawaii it must be valid in WA State.

Lesson 11: Federal and State Power

 I can explain how Gibbons v. Ogden and McCulloch v. Maryland illustrate how the Supreme
Court expanded the power of the national government through the Necessary and Proper
Clause’s implication of expanded powers, the Supremacy Clause, and the expressed power of
Congress to regulate commerce.

- Gibbons v. Ogden
 i. Supreme Court
1. Congress has the ability to regulate interstate commerce.

- McCulloch v. Maryland
i. Supreme Court can establish a national bank states cannot tax national banks.

Section 3: Political Participation

Lesson 1: Congressional Elections

 I can identify some of the differences between the House of Representatives and Senate,
including constitutional eligibility, term lengths, and number of members.

- House of Representatives must be

i. 7 years in the U.S. & 25 years old
ii. Term: 2 years
iii. # of reps is based upon states population.

- Senators must be
i. 9 years in the U.S. & 30 years old
ii. Term: 6 years
iii. 2 senates for each of the 50 states.

 I can explain how the structural differences between the two-year term of a member of
congress and the six-year term of a senator forces the House of Representatives and Senate
to function very differently

- House of Representatives
i. Higher Partisanship
ii. Answers to constituents' demands regularly (2 years)
iii. Seeks narrow interest of smaller groups of constituents
iv. Disagrees with same party because of specific district demands
v. Deals with popular/ fleeting demands faster
vi. Requires stronger structured leadership

- Senate
i. Lower Partisanship
ii. Takes longer time before they answer to constituents (6 years)
iii. Maintains a broader view to retain majority support from constituents across a
state.
iv. Slows down or stops legislation
v. Requires less structured leadership

- Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission - Led to the removal of spending limits
on corporations.

 I can explain how congressional campaigns are funded in the United States, including
important reforms that have shaped the process.

- Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

i. Led to the removal of spending limits on corporations.
 - McCain-Feingold Act.
i. The purpose of this law was to limit the use of "soft money," which is raised for
purposes like party-building efforts, get-out-the-vote efforts, and issue advocacy
ads.
ii. McCain-Feingold placed limits on total contributions to political parties, prohibited
coordination between candidates and PAC campaigns, and required candidates
to include personal endorsements on their political ads. Until 2010, it also limited
advertisements run by unions and corporations 30 days before a primary and 60
days before a general election.

 I can distinguish between hard money and soft money.

- Hard money
i. Directly for the candidate and campaign to spend.

- Soft money
i. Given to political parties for party building activities.

Lesson 2: Presidential Elections

 I can describe the process to become a president, including meeting constitutional

eligibility requirements, finding supporters, winning primaries and caucuses, and
appearing at a national nominating convention for their party.

- Becoming a president you must

i. 35 years or older, citizen born in the U.S., 14 years as a U.S. resident.
ii. Candidate winning primaries must align and commit him/herself to the ideology of
the party.

 What a candidate must do to win the general election

- Candidate must win majority of electoral votes.

Lesson 4: The Electoral College

 I can explain how the Electoral College works

- # of senators + # of House of Reps. = # of electoral votes

 I can differentiate between “safe states” and “swing states”.

- Safe state
i. States in which presidential campaigns are certain they'll either win or lose.

- Swing state
i. States that have yet to make up their mind.
Lesson 5: Interest Groups

- Interest groups
i. A group of organizations or individuals that attempt to influence government
decision on the making of public policy.
1. Ex; National Right to Life -> abortion group.

 I can compare various types of interest groups...

- Public interest
i. Promote interests for the collective or the greater good.
1. Ex: Public Safety

- Private interest
i. To gain particularized benefits for specific interest.
1. Ex: Corporate tax breaks.

 I can identify various strategies of interest groups.

- Strategies of Interest Groups

i. Issuing press releases, building public support for a cause, placing stories on the
media.

Lesson 6: PACS and Super PACS

 I can explain how interest groups seek to influence elections by contributing money to
election campaigns.

- Legislative strategy
i. Interest groups donate to try and influence the choices a legislator makes.
ii. Give money to have access to a representative.

- Electoral strategy
i. Groups work hard to re-elect candidates who already support their preferred
position.

 I can compare interest groups to PACS and Super PACS.

- PACs
i. Can’t give more than $5000 p/year. Collection of money to donate to or against
candidates or issues.

- Super PACs
i. No limit

 I can describe how the Supreme Court’s decisions in Buckley v. Valeo and Citizens
United v. Federal Election Commission affected campaign funding.
 - Cannot directly donate but can fund an ad focused on a federal candidate/ campaign.

Lesson 7: Interest Group Strategies

 I can describe several strategies used by interest groups to influence the actions of the
government.

- 1st: Target lawmakers they think will support or introduce their preferred policies.
- 2nd: They target members of relevant committees.
- 3rd: Interest groups target lawmakers when legislation is on the floor of the house or
senate.

 I can describe strategies used by interest groups to increase voter turnout and
influence voters

- Scorecards: Produced by interest groups to rate the candidates.

Lesson 9: Factors That Affect Voter Registration

 I can explain how state-run elections result in somewhat different election rules.

- Election rules vary by state because they each have their own requirements.

 I can describe voter registration processes.

- Registering online, fill out an application, look out for voting timelines,

 I can explain how some voter registration requirements have historically disenfranchise
African Americans.

- African Americans no longer need to participate in literacy test to vote. Poll taxes
required to pay a fee to vote (mainly targeting AA) 24th amendment took away poll
taxes requirement.

Lesson 10: Voting Amendments

 I can explain how voting laws and amendments have influence political participation.

- They both have surpassed barriers that minority groups were experienced.

- 15th Amendment - Opened voting rights to African Americans right to vote.

- 19th Amendment - Women's right to vote

- 24th Amendment - Prohibition of poll taxes

- 26th Amendment - Extended the voting age to 18 year olds.

Lesson 11: Factors that Affect Voter Choice

 Factors that influence voter choice

- Education, income, age, gender.

 I can explain how voter turnout is measured

- Counts how many ballots were casted. Next, count how many people have voted in the
same election.

 I can describe factors that decrease voter turnout.

- Socioeconomic status, age, race, and gender.

Section 4: Civil Liberties & Civil Rights

Lesson 1: Civil Rights

 I can contrast civil rights from civil liberties.

- Civil Liberties
i. Protections from the Government. What the Government CANNOT take from us.
1. Such as; purchases, occupation, religion, marriage, free speech, vote,
right to privacy.

- Civil Rights
i. Equal social opportunities and equal protection under the law, regardless of race,
religion, or other personal characteristics.
ii. 13th, 14th, 15th amend.
1. Right to vote, fair trial, public education.

- Discrimination - Unequal treatment demanded by civil rights

 I can explain the 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th, 24th, and 26th Amendments

- 13th Amendment (1865)

i. Abolishes slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime.

- 14th Amendment (1868)

i. Declares that all persons born in the U.S. are citizens and are guaranteed equal
protection of the laws

- 15th Amendment (1870)

i. Prohibits the denial of the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition
of servitude

- 19th Amendment (1920)

i. Prohibits the denial of the right to vote based on sex
 - 24th Amendment (1964)
i. Prohibits the revocation of voting rights due to non-payment of a poll tax or any
other tax

- 26th Amendment (1971)

i. Prohibits the denial the right of US citizens, eighteen years or older, to vote on
account of age

 I can identify laws that protect against various forms of discrimination.

- Age Discrimination in Employment Act

i. (ADEA) - Prohibits discrimination against applicants and employees 40 years of
age or older in hiring, promotion, termination, and other employment practices.

- Age Discrimination Act

i. Prohibits any form of discrimination in federal assistance programs and activities.

Lesson 2: Discrimination and Plight of African Americans

 I can describe the struggles African Americans and other groups have faced in securing
civil rights = equality under the law.

- African Americans were denied civil rights and human dignity.

i. Intentionally treated poorly.

 I can describe the three levels of scrutiny

- 1. Rational Basis Test

i. Included more types of discriminations.

- 2. Intermediate Scrutiny
i. a. If the law's classification scheme is based on gender or on the legitimacy of
children
ii. b. According to this standard, the law is constitutional only if it is substantially
related to an important government objective

- 3. Strict Scrutiny
i. When fundamental freedoms or (suspected classes) of persons are the targets of
discrimination. (race and ethnicity)

 I can trace the roots to the Civil Rights Movement prior to 1954.

- Prior to 1954: Civil Rights of African Americans and women- denied the rights to vote
and equality.

Lesson 3: Civil Liberties

 I can explain the significance of Brandenburg v. Ohio.

- Brandenburg v. Ohio
 i. Government restricted from punishing speech in the absence of "imminent
lawless(ness)"

Lesson 4: Balancing Rights, Liberties, and Public Safety

- 4th Amendment
i. Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures

- 5th Amendment
i. The Right to Remain Silent/Double Jeopardy, right to due process

- 6th Amendment
i. Right to a speedy trial

- 8th Amendment
i. No cruel or unusual punishment, and protection against excessive bail or fines.

Lesson 5: Bill of Rights: Protections and Privacy

- 2nd Amendment (1791)

i. Right to bear arms provides the liberty of self-defense.

- 3rd Amendment (1791)

i. No quartering of troops

- 5th Amendment (1791)

o Right to due process, no self-incrimination, eminent domain, double jeopardy,
and grand jury

- 7th Amendment (1791)

i. Right to jury in civil trials.

Lesson 7: Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause

- Establishment Clause
i. The government will NOT establish a specific religion.

- The Free Exercise Clause

i. This is the part of the clause above that tells us what we can do when it comes to
religion.
1. Examples: Individual rights

 Court Case Outcomes

- Lemon v. Kurtzman
i. Government cannot give taxpayer money to private religious schools.

- Minersville School District v. Gobitis

i. Religious liberty must give way to political authority.
ii. One must always salute the flag regardless of their religious views.
- West Virginia v. Barnette
i. Jehovah witnesses don't have to salute the flag.

- Sherbert v. Verner
i. Government cannot interfere with one’s religious beliefs.
ii. Rational Basis Test
iii. Intermediate Scrutiny
iv. Strict Scrutiny

- Gillette v. United States

i. Individual cannot use religion to get out of particular war, must be against all
wars.
1. Free Exercise of Religion
a. Can be a 'conscientious objector' against military draft and all wars.
CO has to oppose all wars not just one.

- Oregon HR vs. Smith

i. Two individuals were not required to receive unemployment benefits since they
were fired for work-related reasons.

- Burwell v. Hobby Lobby

i. The ruling supported the religious rights of individual owners.
ii. Free Exercise of Religion: Companies can exercise religious freedom.
1. Whether or not a corp. can provide birth-control to their employees - they
don't.

- Obergefell v. Hodges
i. The case made it clear that all the states had to recognize same-sex marriages
and issue licenses to couples seeking one.

- Mapp v. Ohio
i. Evidence illegally gathered by the police may not be used in a criminal trial

- Miranda v. Arizona
i. The accused must be notified of their rights before being questioned by the
police

- Gideon v. Wainwright
i. A person who cannot afford an attorney may have one appointed by the
government

- Roe v. Wade
i. Legalized abortion on the basis of a woman's right to privacy

- Griswold v. Connecticut
i. Established that there is an implied right to privacy in the U.S. Constitution

- Planned Parenthood v. Casey

i. A 1992 case in which the Supreme Court loosened its standard for evaluating
restrictions on abortion from one of "strict scrutiny" of any restraints on a
 "fundamental right" to one of "undue burden" that permits considerably more
regulation.

Lesson 8: Freedom of Speech

 I can explain the freedom of speech and its parts.

- Freedom of speech, press, assembly, and petition.

 Court Case Outcomes

- Texas v. Johnson
i. First Amendment/Freedom of Speech/symbolic speech - flag burning is protected
speech.

- Tinker v. Des Moines

i. Students have the right to symbolic speech at school as long as it is not
disruptive

- Cohen v. California
i. 1st amendment denies government the power to prohibit speech just because it
is "offensive"

- Miller v. California
i. Holds that community standards determine what obscenity is

Lesson 9: Restriction of Individual Rights

 I can explain how the court system uses strict scrutiny, intermediate scrutiny, and the
rational basis test.

- In order to determine if a law that discriminates has a legitimate purpose, the court
system uses strict scrutiny, intermediate scrutiny, and the rational basis test.

- Plessy v. Ferguson
i. Separate but equal

- Brown vs. Board of Education (1954)

i. Court decision that declared state laws segregating schools to be
unconstitutional. Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

 I can explain influence of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and related cases
including United States v. Windsor and Obergefell v. Hodges.

- Defense of Marriage Act

i. DOMA - (1996) Defines marriage as man-woman. No state is forced to recognize
same-sex marriage

- United States v. Windsor –

i. Federal government must provide benefits to legally married same-sex couples

- Obergefell v. Hodges
 i. States obligated to recognize same-sex marriage from other states.

Lesson 10: Protection and Expansion of Individual Rights

 I can describe the events that led up to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting
Rights Act of 1965.

- Civil Rights Act of 1964

i. No segregation in public places and no discrimination in employment based on
race, gender, or national origin.

- Voting Rights Act of 1965

i. No literacy test required.

- Federal officials can supervise voter registration.

 I can explain how women gained the right to vote with the 19th amendment.

- Through mass demonstration, protestation, campaigns to hold sex from husband, much
activism, to get women to vote.

Section 5: Public Opinion & Media

Lesson 1: Influence of Media on Democracy

 I can define media, mass media, and public relations.

- Media –
i. # of different communication formats.

- Mass media –
i. Designed to communicate info and entertainment to the general public.

- Public relations –
i. Communication carried to improve the image of companies, organizations, or
candidates for office.

 I can explain several theories relating to media bias.

- hypodermic theory
i. info is "shot" into the receivers mind and readily accepted

- Minimal effects theory

i. Media has little to no effect on citizens and voters.

- Cultivation theory
i. Media develops ones view of the world by presenting a perceived reality.

 I can define and provide examples of framing and priming and defining pack journalism
 - Framing
i. the power of the media to influence how events and issues are interpreted

- Priming
i. Predisposes readers/ viewers to think a particular way.
1. Ex: Unemployment, homelessness = bad economy.

- pack journalism
i. Journalist who cover same stories as everyone else... instead of their own.

 I can describe the media's role in shaping opinion and political discourse.

- The media effect on campaigns.

- The media's effect on governments.
- The media's effect on politics.

Lesson 2: Media as a Political Watchdog

 I can explain how the media uses the first amendment.

- Freedom of the press has not been taken by the courts as granting protection to source
confidentially.

- Media allows citizens to become informed, media informs the citizens their right to
petition against government.

- Slander - Speak false info to harm a person or entity.

- Liber - Print false info to harm a person or entity.

- prior restraint - government censorship of information before it is published or broadcast

- equal time rule

i. the rule that requires broadcast stations to sell air time equally to all candidates
in a political campaign if they choose to sell it to any

- Sunshine Laws / Act

i. Federal and State government proceedings and meeting docs. Must be available
to the public.

 I can describe the role of the media as a political watchdog organization

- Watchdog- alerts the people of gov wrong doing.

- Media tries to correct the gov by alerting the American people as to what is going on.

Lesson 3: Political Socialization

 Liberal (left wing)

 - Communism
i. Common ownership of property materials, and all that means of production by
the government or states.
- Socialism
i. Leaders use their authority to promote social and economic equality.
- Classical liberalism
i. Believes in individual rights and liberties. Views government with suspicion and
rejects government intervention.
- Modern liberalism
i. Focuses on equality and supports government intervention in society in the
economy in order to promote equality.

 Conservative (right wing)

- Fascism
i. Total control of the country by the ruling party or political leader.
- Authoritarianism
i. Leaders control the politics, military, and gov. of the country.
- Traditional conservatism
i. Believes that gov. provides the rule of law and maintains a safe and organized
society.
- Modern conservatism
i. Elected gov. guards against individual liberties; prefers a smaller government
that stays out of the economy.

- progressive - very liberal

- independent - doesn't know where to go

- moderate - half and half

Lesson 4: The Demographics of Public Opinion

 I can explain how people rely on heuristics to form an opinion on a given candidate

- Voting for one who's beliefs are similar to their own.

 I can list several types of demographics used to measure public opinion.

- Geographic location
- Workplace
- Age
- Gender
- Race
- Religion
- Community

Lesson 5: Political Actors and Public Opinion

 bandwagon effect
- Media pays closer attention to candidates who are in a higher lead.
i. Ex; Bernie Sanders, Trump, and Hilary Clinton when they were in the primary
elections. Media payed closer attention to them because they had high vote
counts.

 horse-race journalism
- Media calls out every candidate move throughout the entire presidential campaign.

 I can describe the conditions that must exist for a mandate to occur.
- Majority of the popular vote and high approval ratings among the public.

 I can explain how political actors and policy are influenced by public opinion.
- Popular legislators have increased popularity to get stuff done.