Search Results for: the politics of public opinion
The Dual Court System
LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this section, you will be able to: Describe the dual court system and its three tiers Explain how you are protected and governed by different U.S. court systems Compare the positive and negative aspects of a dual court system Before the writing of the U.S. Constitution and the establishment Read more »
Guardians of the Constitution and Individual Rights
LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this section, you will be able to: Describe the evolving role of the courts since the ratification of the Constitution Explain why courts are uniquely situated to protect individual rights Recognize how the courts make public policy Under the Articles of Confederation, there was no national judiciary. The U.S. Read more »
The Design and Evolution of the Presidency
LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this section, you will be able to: Explain the reason for the design of the executive branch and its plausible alternatives Analyze the way presidents have expanded presidential power and why Identify the limitations on a president’s power Since its invention at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the presidential Read more »
Congressional Representation
LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this section, you will be able to: Explain the basics of representation Describe the extent to which Congress as a body represents the U.S. population Explain the concept of collective representation Describe the forces that influence congressional approval ratings The tension between local and national politics described in the Read more »
Congressional Elections
LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this section, you will be able to: Explain how fundamental characteristics of the House and Senate shape their elections Discuss campaign funding and the effects of incumbency in the House and Senate Analyze the way congressional elections can sometimes become nationalized The House and Senate operate very differently, partly Read more »
Interest Groups as Political Participation
LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this section, you will be able to: Analyze how interest groups provide a means for political participation Discuss recent changes to interest groups and the way they operate in the United States Explain why lower socioeconomic status citizens are not well represented by interest groups Identify the barriers to Read more »
Collective Action and Interest Group Formation
LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this section, you will be able to: Explain the concept of collective action and its effect on interest group formation Describe free riding and the reasons it occurs Discuss ways to overcome collective action problems In any group project in which you have participated, you may have noticed that Read more »
Interest Groups Defined
LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this section, you will be able to: Explain how interest groups differ from political parties Evaluate the different types of interests and what they do Compare public and private interest groups While the term interest group is not mentioned in the U.S. Constitution, the framers were aware that individuals Read more »
Introduction to Interest Groups and Lobbying
The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, represented a substantial overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system. Given its potential impact, interest group representatives (lobbyists) from the insurance industry, hospitals, medical device manufacturers, and organizations representing doctors, patients, and employers all tried to influence what the law would look like Read more »
The Shape of Modern Political Parties
LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this section, you will be able to: Differentiate between the party in the electorate and the party organization Discuss the importance of voting in a political party organization Describe party organization at the county, state, and national levels Compare the perspectives of the party in government and the party Read more »