teaching exercise. what is a bill? what is a law? how does a bill become a law?

Teaching Exercise

• What is a bill? What is a law? How does a bill become a law?

• What does the president do?

• How would you evaluate a candidate who claimed that “when I’m elected, I’ll get rid of red tape”?

• What does stare decisis mean, and why is it important?

• What is the rule of law? Why is this an important concept for citizens to understand?

• How does the Electoral College work?

• In what ways can judges change the Bill of Rights?

• Why did the colonists fight the British?

• Does the Constitution guarantee a right to privacy? Why or why not?

• What is a federal system? Why do we have one?

• Why do some states have lots of representatives in the House and some states have only one?

• Would you rather be Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid? Why?

• What is a regulation? How do they get written?

• What are some powers only that the states have?

• Name all of the 14 states that border the Atlantic Ocean

• Do bureaucrats make important policy decisions? Explain your answer.

• Why would the president prefer to have unified government?

• What does a Congressional committee chair do?

Back to political parties…

Electoral rules affect party strength

• The golden age of parties 1828-1912

• Declining party strength 1912-1972

• Era of weak parties 1972-1994

• Stronger parties? 1994-???

The golden age of parties 1828-1912

• Party conventions

• Patronage/Spoils system

• No secret ballot

• Politics as entertainment

• Grass roots parties

• High voter turnout

Declining party strength: 1912-1972

• Australian (secret) ballot• Civil service reforms• Primary elections• Direct election of senators• Nonpartisan local elections• New Deal welfare state• More candidate-centered campaigns

Era of weak parties 1972-1994

• TV• Campaign finance• Deep ideological divisions within parties

– (Particularly the Democratic party!)

• Weak party discipline in Congress• Candidate centered elections• Rise in number of “independents”• Split ticket voting

Stronger parties? 1994-???

• Southern realignment• Ideological polarization• Strong party discipline in Congress• Highly partisan, competitive presidential

elections• Increased turnout

• New restrictions on party-building?

Which side are you on?

Democrats to the LEFT

Republicans to the RIGHT