Twyman, whitney



AP U.S. Government and Politics

Learning Activities for Chapters Six Through Eleven

Required Reading: Edwards, et al, Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy, 11th Edition (PearsonLongman publishers), these chapters:

• Chapter 6: Public Opinion and Political Action, pages 172-205

• Chapter 7: Mass Media and the Political Agenda, pages 206-235

• Chapter 8: Political Parties, pages 236-265

• Chapter 9: Nominations and Campaigns, pages 266-294

• Chapter 10: Elections and Voting Behavior, pages 296-321

• Chapter 11: Interest Groups, pages 322-351

1. Lesson: Political Parties

a. Open up this URL in your Web browser: . Read over the outline of topics covered in this lesson, then click on the Start Lesson button at the bottom of the page.

b. Listen to and view the presentation regarding Political Party Eras (see the navigation bar at the top of the page), then read over the text that has been prepared for you.

i. Click on the hyperlink to the “Alexander Hamilton” short presentation in the Explore section at the right. Read the introductory paragraph, click on “View Biography” and read the short biographical sketch of this Revolutionary War hero and Founding Father, then click on “View Gallery” and look over photos, etc., of Hamilton’s life.

ii. Click on the hyperlink to the “Daniel Webster and Henry Clay” short presentation in the Explore section at the right. Read the introductory paragraph, click on “View Biography of Daniel Webster” and “View Biography of Henry Clay” and read these biographical sketches of two giants of Congress in its early decades. Answer the multiple choice question regarding Webster and Clay.

iii. Click on the hyperlink to “The Progressive Era” short presentation in the Explore section at the right. Read the introductory paragraph, click on “View Synopsis,” and read over the information about this very important period of America’s political history (one that today’s conservatives seem to loathe). Answer the multiple choice question regarding the three different Progressive political parties.

c. Listen to and view the presentation regarding Third Parties (see the navigation bar at the top of the page), then read over the text that has been prepared for you.

i. Click on hyperlink to the “Third Party Spoilers” short presentation in the Explore section at the right. Read the introductory paragraph, click on “View 1992 Presidential Election,” read the short biographical sketches of the three candidates, and look over the results on the electoral vote map. Click on “View 2000 Presidential Election,” read the short biographical sketches of the three candidates, and look over the results on the electoral vote map.

ii. Click on the hyperlink to the “Examining Third Parties” short presentation in the Explore section at the right. Read the introductory paragraph about third parties in America’s electoral system.

d. Use the “roll-over” mouse function in the Glossary section to check your understanding of the terms used in this lesson.

2. Lesson: Party Function and Structure

a. Open up this URL in your Web browser: . Read over the topics covered in this lesson, then click on the Start Lesson button at the bottom of the page.

b. Listen to and view the presentation regarding The Function of Parties in America (see the navigation bar at the top of the page), then read over the text that has been prepared for you.

i. Click on the hyperlink to the “Multiparty Systems of Government” short presentation in the Explore section at the right. Read the introductory paragraph, then click on “View Chart” and study the information given in the “Multiparty Systems” chart. Answer the multiple choice question in this section.

c. Listen to and view the presentation regarding Organization of Parties (see the navigation bar at the top of the page), then read over the text that has been prepared for you.

i. Click on the hyperlink to the “2000 Party Platform” short presentation in the Explore section at the right. Read the introductory paragraph, then click on “View Chart” and look over this excerpt from both major party’s platforms (statements of what they “stand for” or believe in). Answer the multiple choice question regarding the major party platforms in the election of 2000.

ii. Click on the hyperlink to the “Political Machines” short presentation in the Explore section at the right. Read the introductory paragraph, then click on “View Synopsis” and read over this very short overview of the history of political machines in American politics. Answer the multiple choice question in this section regarding the tactics used by the bosses of political machines.

iii. Click on the hyperlink to the “Tweed Political Cartoon” short presentation in the Explore section at the right. Read the introductory paragraph, then check out the cartoon commentary regarding the infamous political boss William Marcy Tweed. Use the “roll-over” mouse function to read the explanation provided for you inside the blue-lined boxes.

d. Use the “roll-over” mouse function in the Glossary section to check your understanding of the terms used in this lesson.

3. Lesson: Party Identification

a. Open up this URL in your Web browser: . Read over the outline of topics covered in this lesson, then click on the Start Lesson button at the bottom of the page.

b. Listen to and view the presentation Factors That Lead to Party Identification (see the navigation bar at the top of the page), then read over the text that has been prepared for you.

i. Click on the hyperlink to the “Political Party Demographics” short presentation in the Explore section at the right. Read the introductory paragraph, click on “View Chart” and study the information given in the “Party Coalitions” chart. Answer the multiple choice question in this section.

ii. Click on the hyperlink to the “Andrew Jackson” short presentation in the Explore section at the right. Read the introductory paragraph, click on “View Biography” and read this short biographical sketch of this president, the only one to be a soldier in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.

iii. Click on the hyperlink to the “George Wallace” short presentation in the Explore section at the right. Read the introductory paragraph, click on “View Biography” and read this short biographical sketch of a man who created a political career by playing to the racism, bigotry, hatreds and fears of conservative white Southern voters for several decades in U.S. political history. Ask yourself, at this point, in which of the two major political parties – Democratic Party or Republican Party – would a politician like George Wallace most likely find an ideological home, today?

iv. Click on the hyperlink to the “New Deal Realignment” short presentation in the Explore section at the right. Read the introductory paragraph, click on “View Synopsis” and read over this short overview of the New Deal Era and its legacy through four presidential administrations – Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John Kennedy, and Lyndon Johnson. Answer the multiple choice question regarding Harry Truman’s policy agenda.

c. Use the “roll-over” mouse function in the Glossary section to check your understanding of the terms used in this lesson.

4. Lesson: Voting Behavior and Intensity

a. Open up this URL in your Web browser: . Read over the outline of topics covered in this lesson, then click on the Start Lesson button at the bottom of the page.

b. Listen to and view the presentation Demographics (see the navigation bar at the top of the page), then read over the text that has been prepared for you.

i. Click on the hyperlink to the “Demographic Voting in Presidential Elections, 1968-1996” short presentation in the Explore section at the right, click on “View the Chart” and study the voter statistics in that chart. Answer the multiple choice question regarding the information in the chart about voter demographics in presidential elections during this period of time.

c. Listen to and view the presentation Intensity (see the navigation bar at the top of the page), then read over the text that has been prepared for you.

i. Click on the hyperlink to the “Voter Turnout, 1952-1998” short presentation in the Explore section at the right, click on “View Chart” and look over voter participation in presidential and congressional election years during five decades. Answer the multiple choice question regarding the fluctuation in voter turnout every two years.

ii. Click on the hyperlink to the “Voter Turnout in Selected Democracies” short presentation in the Explore section at the right, click on “View Chart” and review the percentage of voters who actually DO VOTE in nine other democracies and the U.S. So… how do U.S. citizens rank in their participation in their own democratic elections, compared to residents of these other countries?

d. Use the “roll-over” mouse function in the Glossary section to check your understanding of the terms used in this lesson.

5. Lesson: Financial Participation in Elections

a. Open up this URL in your Web browser: . Read over the outline of topics covered in this lesson, then click on the Start Lesson button at the bottom of the page.

b. Listen to and view the presentation Cost of Elections (see the navigation bar at the top of the page), then read over the text that has been prepared for you.

i. Click on the hyperlink to the “Campaign Finance Reform” short presentation in the Explore section at the right, read the introductory paragraph, click on “View Presidential Primary Spending Graph” and look at what’s happened over the years to spending, just on primary election campaigns (and it’s gotten way more expensive since these years). Click on the link to “View PAC Contribution Chart” and see what happened over a 20-year period to campaign contributions from political action committees. Click on the link to “View Finance Reform Poll Results” to find out what the public thinks about campaign finance reform (are there some cynical citizens, out there?). Finally, answer the multiple choice question regarding campaign spending and special interest groups.

ii. Click on the hyperlink to the “Growth of Political Action Committees” short presentation in the Explore section at the right, read the introductory paragraph, click on “View Chart” and look at what’s happened to the number of PACs since 1977.

c. Listen to and view the presentation Campaign Finance Reform (see the navigation bar at the top of the page), then read over the text that has been prepared for you.

1. Click on the hyperlink to the “Senator John McCain” short presentation in the Explore section at the right, read the introductory paragraph, click on “View Biography” and read the short biographical sketch on this Vietnam War hero and conservative U.S. Senator from Arizona.

2. Click on the hyperlink to the “Buckley v. Valeo” short presentation in the Explore section at the right, read the introductory paragraph, click on “View Synopsis,” and read this overview of a very important Supreme Court case from 1976. Make sure to pay especially close attention to the Majority Opinion and the precedents set by the Court’s ruling, as this is one of the cases students must know about for this course and for the AP U.S. Government and Politics Exam in May! Finally, consider the question in purple text on the page: do you think that donating financial contributions to candidates qualifies as free speech, as the Court decided in Buckley v. Valeo?

d. Use the “roll-over” mouse function in the Glossary section to check your understanding of the terms used in this lesson.

6. Lesson: Congressional Elections

a. Open up this URL in your Web browser: . Read over the outline of topics covered in this lesson, then click on the Start Lesson button at the bottom of the page.

b. Listen to and view the presentation Incumbency (see the navigation bar at the top of the page), then read over the text that has been prepared for you.

i. Click on the hyperlink to “Incumbency Re-election 1994” short presentation in the Explore section at the right, read the introductory paragraph, click on “View Graph,” and learn about the importance of incumbency in getting re-elected to Congress. In some elections, incumbency has a different impact, so answer the multiple choice question related to the graph.

ii. Click on the hyperlink to “PAC Contributions” short presentation in the Explore section at the right, read the introductory paragraph, click on “View Chart” and explore the amount of contributions made by PACs, individuals, and others in these election campaigns. Answer the multiple choice question regarding why PACs supply more support to incumbents than to new candidates.

c. Listen to and view the presentation House and Senate Elections (see the navigation bar at the top of the page), then read over the text that has been prepared for you.

i. Click on the hyperlink to “Seventeenth Amendment: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)” short presentation in the Explore section at the right, read the introductory paragraph, click on “View Text,” and read this excerpt from the amendment. Answer the multiple choice question regarding what the amendment actually requires.

ii. Click on the hyperlink to “Apportionment” in the Explore section at the right, read the introductory paragraph, follow the directions to learn about re-apportionment after the 2000 Census.

d. Use the “roll-over” mouse function in the Glossary section to check your understanding of the terms used in this lesson.

7. Lesson: Presidential Elections

a. Open up this URL in your Web browser: . Read over the outline of topics covered in this lesson, then click on the Start Lesson button at the bottom of the page.

b. Listen to and view the presentation The Electoral College (see the navigation bar at the top of the page), then read over the text that has been prepared for you.

i. Click on the hyperlink to “The Election of 1800” short presentation in the Explore section at the right, read the introductory paragraph, click on “View Electoral College Map,” and check out the results of this important presidential election. Next, click on “View Excerpt from Jefferson’s Inaugural Address” and read this very short excerpt, in which the newly-sworn-in President Thomas Jefferson reaches out to the political opposition to try and secure their help in governing the nation. Now, click on the link to “View Political Cartoon” and analyze for meaning what the cartoonist thinks the Devil is doing to the Federal Government.

ii. Click on the hyperlink to “The Impact of the Electoral College” short presentation in the Explore section at the right, read the introductory paragraph, click on the link to “View Gallery” and read through the four presidential elections where the Electoral College system led to unintended results (the “wrong” candidate was elected). Answer the multiple choice question regarding the political cartoon and its message about the presidential election of 1800.

c. Listen to and view the presentation Primaries, Caucuses and the Conventions (see the navigation bar at the top of the page), then read the text that has been prepared for you.

i. Click on the hyperlink to “Iowa Caucus” short presentation in the Explore section at the right, read the introductory paragraph, click on the link to “View Chart,” look over the Democratic Party and Republican Party presidential candidates, their fortunes in the Iowa Caucuses versus their success – or not – in the November presidential election that followed. Answer the multiple choice question regarding a main advantage of winning the Iowa Caucuses.

d. Listen to and view the presentation General Elections (see the navigation bar at the top of the page), then read the text that has been prepared for you.

i. Click on the hyperlink to “Election of 2000” short presentation in the Explore section at the right, read the introductory paragraph, click on the link to “View Cartoon,” and read for meaning this Halloween version of the results of the presidential election in 2000 (oh, how Al Gore must have felt about Ralph Nader!). Answer the multiple choice question about that!

ii. Click on the hyperlink to “Voter Turnout” short presentation in the Explore section at the right, read the introductory paragraph, click on the link to “View Chart,” and check out which American social groups did, and did not, participate in the election of 2000. Answer the multiple choice question regarding the demographic characteristics most likely to vote in a presidential election.

e. Use the “roll-over” mouse function in the Glossary section to check your understanding of the terms used in this lesson.

8. Test your knowledge

a. Open up this URL in your Web browser: .

b. Test your knowledge of the content in these chapters (6 through 11) of the text by taking the Multiple-Choice Quiz for each chapter (click the hyperlink on the navigation bar at the left). When you complete each quiz, click on Submit Answers for Grading, complete the Email Your Results box at the bottom of the page and include your instructor’s address – cwhitney@nkcsd.k12.mo.us – and click on E-Mail Results. Each correct answer is worth one point towards your semester grade.

c. Review the vocabulary terms online by clicking on the Flashcards link on the navigation bar on the left at the Web page, above. Click on the link called Click here to view the Flash Cards. Choose the box in Step One for this chapter in the Government in America textbook. For Step Two, click on the radio button to view the cards by definition. Click on Go at Step Three, and build your deck of flash cards. Use these electronic flash cards to review the terms and their definitions for the Vocabulary Test in class.

9. Take the practice tests

a. Open up this URL in your Web browser: .

b. Test your knowledge of the vocabulary terms and content in these chapters of the text by taking the practice tests online; taking them repeatedly until you achieve a perfect score will serve you well, later, on the real tests in class. Ask your instructor for the username and password if you have forgotten them.

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