Students,
Please place your individual links here so we can go view and comment on your issue paper sites
Friday, September 24, 2010
APGovA- Blog Posts
Teams,
Please place your links for your poll result blogs here so we can all go check them out
Please place your links for your poll result blogs here so we can all go check them out
Sunday, September 19, 2010
AP Gov A- Congressional Campaigns
We are in the heat of Congressional Campaigning. In years past, re-elections are almost a "lock" for incumbents....making many of them life-long public servants. This makes some desire term limits for senators or congressmen.
Senators run for election every 6 years, meaning 33 of them get elected every 2 years.
In the House, the congressmen serve only a 2-year term so all 435 are up for election/re-election every 2 years. That means right now there are about 470 congressional seats up for grabs.
We've already talked about the roll of the Tea Party in this year's primaries and now general election. Another key player is the media..... but to run for office people need money. period. Campaign funding is a MAJOR issue in politics. As you read this week you will be exposed to campaign finance rules.
But for this week's blog I want you to find a "hot" congressional campaign from around the country. There are tons to choose from.
Here's what I want you to do:
1. identify the Dem and Rep candidate
2. what is their story/type of government service.
3. What are the key issues in that campaign
4. who supports them- which types of interest groups endorsed and donated to their campaign.
For this week's blog- you do not need to reply to each other. Just scroll through the posts and check out the different types of contests going in the country.
I will give you until Thursday since you have to do some online searching this week!
Senators run for election every 6 years, meaning 33 of them get elected every 2 years.
In the House, the congressmen serve only a 2-year term so all 435 are up for election/re-election every 2 years. That means right now there are about 470 congressional seats up for grabs.
We've already talked about the roll of the Tea Party in this year's primaries and now general election. Another key player is the media..... but to run for office people need money. period. Campaign funding is a MAJOR issue in politics. As you read this week you will be exposed to campaign finance rules.
But for this week's blog I want you to find a "hot" congressional campaign from around the country. There are tons to choose from.
Here's what I want you to do:
1. identify the Dem and Rep candidate
2. what is their story/type of government service.
3. What are the key issues in that campaign
4. who supports them- which types of interest groups endorsed and donated to their campaign.
For this week's blog- you do not need to reply to each other. Just scroll through the posts and check out the different types of contests going in the country.
I will give you until Thursday since you have to do some online searching this week!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
APGov A- Political Culture
Welcome back.
We live in a society that prefers negative ads and a lot of them. How we develop our political ideology is based on these primary factors:
Family
Education
Peer/Media Influence
Region
To get started this week please take this political ideology quiz:
http://www.politicalcompass.org/testMake sure to scroll down and see where you fall and what that compares to.
Here are some common trends:
over 50% of families share the same ideology
age 18-30- more likely to be to the "left"
over 65- more likely to be to the "right"
South/Midwest- right
coasts- left
higher education levels- left
but higher incomes- right
Christians- right
Catholics- left
Blue Collar workers- left
So, here's what we are discussing this week:
**NOTE** Sharing your ideology is personal and is OPTIONAL.
1. What influences your own political socialization?
2. Are you similar or different than your parents?
3. People usually have social values and fiscal values. How do you balance these in choosing a political party....? (this is the real discussion here)
Monday, September 6, 2010
APGov B Week 2- The RIse of the Tea Party and It's Purpose in America Today
This week we were going to do a reading on Gay Marriage but that issue is evolving quickly right now so we will wait until we get to Civil Liberties unit.
We are going to instead look at the evolution and hopes of the Tea Party. Please first look at ALL of these sources:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/vp/38805749#38805828
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/us/politics/23rubio.html?_r=1&hp
http://elections.nytimes.com/2010/senate/florida?ref=politics
http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/08/22/sunshine-state-political-shift-establishment-candidates-favored-win-0
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/22/AR2010082201288.html
An important key to politics and political parties is to remember that all politics are LOCAL. But we have "National" political parties:Republican and Democratic parties. a rising sect of the Republican party, the "Tea Party" started by Libertarians who wanted smaller government budgets and a smaller overall government involvement- fiscal conservatives.
Social conservatives quickly joined in and now the beliefs of the "Tea Party" are almost as diverse ans that of the straight of D and Rs.
In every midterm election the party in power loses seats. This is a 100% fact. How many seats is up to campaigning and relative party successes or failures.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK: How are voters supposed to identify with candidates and make informed decisions? Can they rely on party label? Does party label mean anything? What is the role of the Tea Party. Think about the Bull Moose Party, the Progressive Party....... How do they pick a party if issues are so diverse from state to state......all politics is local.... what do the Tea Partiers give to the Republican Party....?
We are going to instead look at the evolution and hopes of the Tea Party. Please first look at ALL of these sources:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/vp/38805749#38805828
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/us/politics/23rubio.html?_r=1&hp
http://elections.nytimes.com/2010/senate/florida?ref=politics
http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/08/22/sunshine-state-political-shift-establishment-candidates-favored-win-0
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/22/AR2010082201288.html
An important key to politics and political parties is to remember that all politics are LOCAL. But we have "National" political parties:Republican and Democratic parties. a rising sect of the Republican party, the "Tea Party" started by Libertarians who wanted smaller government budgets and a smaller overall government involvement- fiscal conservatives.
Social conservatives quickly joined in and now the beliefs of the "Tea Party" are almost as diverse ans that of the straight of D and Rs.
In every midterm election the party in power loses seats. This is a 100% fact. How many seats is up to campaigning and relative party successes or failures.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK: How are voters supposed to identify with candidates and make informed decisions? Can they rely on party label? Does party label mean anything? What is the role of the Tea Party. Think about the Bull Moose Party, the Progressive Party....... How do they pick a party if issues are so diverse from state to state......all politics is local.... what do the Tea Partiers give to the Republican Party....?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)