Civics Unit 5

“Elections”

I. Funding CampaignsA. Private Funds- money from individual

contributors, large corporations, or fundraisers

1. limit of $2300 per person2. can fund own campaign w/o limit

B. Public Funds- help by matching funds raised but has limits

C. PACs and Soft Money1. Political Action Committees

(PACs)- interest groups that try to elect candidates ($5000 limit)

2. lobbyist- activist for an interest group

3. Soft money- unlimited money not for campaign but may help one sidea. Ex: Swift Boat Vets, MoveOn.org

4.01-2 Review1. Name and explain three different types of

third-parties2. What is an advantage of a multi-party

system over a two-party system?3. Give an example of a plank for both

political parties4. What is a way for PACs or other interest

groups to get around campaign contribution limits?

5. What is the purpose of primaries in the election system?

II. Nominating CandidatesA. Primaries- voting for party candidate for

general election (diff. ways of counting votes- winner take all vs. divided)

B. Caucuses- group of people meet and select candidate

C. Conventions- Party members meet and pick candidate

III. General ElectionA. Campaign

1. Labor-intensive- volunteers, rallies, events2. Media-driven- TV, radio, internet

B. Electoral College- 1. determined by number of representatives in

state 2. need 270 of 538 to win; if no 270, House

decidesC. Inauguration- swearing in

Assignment Option 1: Pick a party

Pick which of our two parties you most support. Explain why you support this party. What positions of the party do you agree with and why? Are there other factors like people in gov’t or the culture of the party that affect your affiliation?

Option 2: Pick a candidate Who will you vote for in the 2012 election, who

would you have voted for and why? Think about party, personal qualifications, positions on issues, etc.

We will work on this in class on Friday. Length- 1-1.5 Double-spaced typed pages

Civics Unit 5

Media and Public Opinion

I. MediaA. Propaganda-

technique of persuasion to influence behavior

1. create belief good or bad

2. Mass media- tv, newspaper, radio, etc.

3. canvassing- targeting a group of people personally

B. Methods of propaganda1. Glittering generalities-

values w/o explanations2. Bandwagon-

everybody’s doing it3. Stack Cards- show one

side4. Just Plain Folks- show

as one of the people5. Name Calling-

accusatory generalizations

6. Transfer- combine ideas to transfer attitude toward one idea to the another

7. Euphemisms- call things by better names

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://techbuddha.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/barack_obama_muslim1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://techbuddha.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/hacktivism-offensive-computing-and-the-rise-of-the-political-hacker/&usg=__rHxwNAKbXV1UhQSaDBFMhz2xaQs=&h=431&w=550&sz=72&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=DcMMP2G4GhJ7VM:&tbnh=104&tbnw=133&prev=/images?q=obama+muslim+picture&hl=en&safe=active&um=1

II. PUBLIC OPINIONA. Very important because reflects voting

behaviorB. Public Opinion polls- collect information

by asking questions1. straw poll- unreliable, no control over who

responds (ex: internet polls, voluntary polls)2. scientific polling- get accurate information (ex:

Gallup Organization or Harris Survey)a. sample size about 1000 peopleb. margin of error +3-5%

CIVICS 4.04“Interest Groups and Political Action”

I. INTEREST GROUPSA. Group of citizens coming together to

effect public policyB. Protected by 1st Amendment: speech,

assembly, petitionC. Public Interest Groups- support causes

that affect Americans in general1. ex: League of Women’s Voters: educates

voters

II. OTHER POLITICAL ACTIONSA. Lobbying- representatives from interest

groups contacting gov’t officials to further cause

B. Litigation- using courts to further cause1. NRA stopping DC handgun law

C. Protest- ex: Bus Boycott against segregation

D. Recall- allow voters to remove an elected official from office

CIVICS 4.06“Citizenship”

I. CITIZENSHIPDef: members of a country that have rights

and responsibilitiesA.Citizenship by birth- born in state, territory,

military base or to American parentsB.Naturalization- legal process to become

a citizen1. Must demonstrate civic and history

knowledge2. expatriation- give up citizenship

C. Legal Aliens (immigrants)1. resident aliens have

permanent residence in US

2. cannot vote; but pay taxes, attend schools, have legal protection

D. Illegal Aliens risk being deported- sent back to native country

II. DUTIES OF CITIZENSA. Follow lawsB. Pay taxes C. Jury dutyD. Attending schoolE. selective service (draft)- men must sign

up for at age 18

III. RESPONSIBILITIESA. Democratic process

1. voting in elections2. stay informed, participate in events, contact

representatives, try to make a change3. Must be 18, citizen, registered, and not a

felon

B. Volunteering C. Be educated

IV. Modern IssuesA. Electoral CollegeB. Separation of Church and State

C. American multiculturalism: “melting pot” vs. “tossed salad”

1. “E Pluribus Unum”- “from many one”2. Tolerance- willingness to respect others

different than yourself3. Affirmative Action- preferences given

to minorities to correct historical injustice

E. Pro-choice vs Pro-lifeF. Homosexual rights

G. Balancing budgetsH. Poverty, public transfer payments,

progressive tax