Government Institutions and Public Policy

Institutions Making Public Policy

• Government institutions collectively make public policy decisions for a society
• Institutions include Congress, the courts, and the government.

Governmental Sovereignty Protection

• Government protects its national sovereignty through various means
• Maintaining armed forces
• Maintaining essential services (schools, libraries, hospitals, highways)
• Collecting taxes
• Politically socializing the young

Governmental Leader Selection

• Media influences the choices people make in governmental leaders.
• Public opinion is a key factor in selecting leaders.
• Public policy is a means by which political leaders prioritize and pursue policies.

Political Participation

• Political ideals, participation, and opinions guide people's political involvement.
• Individuals get involved in politics through various routes.

Government Response to Public Priorities

• Policymaking systems are how governments respond to public priorities
• Public opinion polls are a common way to gauge and analyze public priorities.
• Relevant political processes involve political science and tolerance aspects.

Linkage Institutions

• Linkage institutions connect people's concerns to the government's policy agenda
• These channels for concerns include special interest groups, channels for expressing concerns, and the environment of learning about the political process.

Government Policy Agenda

• Components of a government's policy agenda include:
• Issues talked about in campaigns.
• Concerns of public officials.
• Public opinion polls.
• Single-issue interest groups.

Defining Policy Impacts

• Policy impacts consist of the consequences of policies on individuals and society

Defining Democracy

• Democracy is a system that guarantees justice, freedom, and peace to all citizens.
• It involves actively selecting leaders to address citizen concerns and implement appropriate policy responses.
• The process involves recognizing and balancing the needs of various groups within a society.

Defining Equality in Voting

• Equality in voting is exemplified by the principle of one person, one vote.
• The principle ensures equivalent voting power for all citizens.

Defining Pluralism and the Theory of Pluralism

• Pluralism is a theory that suggests intense competition among groups leads to a reasonable representation of public interests in policy-making.

Defining Different Governmental Theories

• Elitism is a theory that states American society is divided along distinct class lines
• Hyperpluralism suggests that special interest groups have become dominant, resulting in a system where the government is primarily serving those groups' interests
• Divided government: a condition where political forces aren't strong enough for a clear majority to emerge; no party has complete authority to lead or make policies.

Political Culture

• Political culture is a collection of values shared by a society.

Understanding Examples of Public Policy

• Public policy consists of laws passed in Congress and regulations adopted by governmental agencies

Understanding Democracy Theory Principles

• Effective participation, enlightened understanding, citizen control of the political agenda, and equality in political processes are essential for traditional democratic theory.

Civil Rights Movement Timeline and Goal

• The Civil Rights Movement began in the 1950s and pushed for racial equality immediately prior to the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Reconstruction Period

• Reconstruction was the period immediately following the Civil War. The federal government occupied the southern territories to implement legislative and social changes to aid the transition of the former slaves into society.

Jim Crow Laws

• Jim Crow laws were a series of statutes and practices established in the American South to enforce racial segregation.

Poll Taxes

• Poll taxes were collected to restrict the right to vote, particularly for African Americans.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

• The Voting Rights Act of 1965 aimed to end discriminatory voting practices in the United States, particularly in the South.

Fifteenth Amendment

• The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits federal or state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on race.

Reconstruction

• Reconstruction was the era after the Civil War, encompassing a period when the federal government attempted to rebuild and reorganize the South. A significant aspect of the Reconstruction era was the establishment and enforcement of civil rights.

Supreme Court Decisions

• The Supreme Court's rulings impact societal structures.
• Brown v. Board of Education decision declared school segregation unconstitutional, while Plessy v. Ferguson sanctioned separate-but-equal facilities.

Thirteenth Amendment

• The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States.

Fourteenth Amendment

• The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees equal protection of the law to all people, notably abolishing the concept of different classes of citizenship and codifying protections for citizens.

Fifteenth Amendment

• The Fifteenth Amendment prohibited denying citizens the right to vote due to race.

Black Codes

• Black Codes were local laws created in the American South to restrict the rights of African Americans.

Congressional Responsibilities and Powers

• Congress's responsibilities encompass passing revenue (money) bills.
• Their powers involve holding oversight and impeachment proceedings of the President.

Congressional Membership Requirements

• Members of the House of Representatives must be American citizens for a minimum of 7 years, and must be at least 25 years old at the time of election
• Senators must be American citizens for at least 9 years, and at least 30 years old at the time of election

Congressional Structure and Membership

• The current size of the U.S. House of Representatives is 435 members
• The current size of the U.S. Senate is 100 members
• The House of Representative members serve two-year terms
• The Senate members serve six-year terms

Presidential Powers and Responsibilities

• The President can pardon federal offenses.
• The President must give Congress updates on the state of the union.
• The President can negotiate treaties with the consent of the Senate.
• The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Armed Forces, and has the power to issue pardons, reprieves, and commutations.

Impeachment Process

• A simple majority vote in the House of Representatives is required to impeach the President
• A two-thirds majority vote in the Senate is required to convict the President of an impeachable offense and convict them.
• The House of Representatives has the power to impeach. The Senate has the power to conduct impeachment trials

Twenty-Fifth Amendment

• The Twenty-Fifth Amendment clarified the issues surrounding presidential powers. It described presidential succession and disability. This Amendment also established guidelines for presidential succession procedures.

The Line of Succession

• The line of succession outlines the order of leadership when the President is unable to fulfil their duties.

Cabinet Size

• The number of cabinet members has varied. Currently, there are 15 Cabinet Secretaries.

Presidential Veto Override

• Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate.

Presidential Terms

• The Twenty-second Amendment limits presidents to two terms in office.

Presidential Residence Requirement

• The Constitution mandates that a President must be a natural-born citizen and must have resided in the United States for at least 14 years prior to taking office.

Supreme Court Justices

• The current number of Supreme Court justices is 9. Justices are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

Executive Branch

• The Executive Branch of the federal government includes presidents, vice-presidents, cabinet secretaries, and various agencies.

Judicial Branch

• The Judicial Branch includes the Supreme Court and other federal courts. The Supreme Court's responsibilities include reviewing lower court decisions, and upholding federal statutes and constitutional rights.

Federal Court System

• District courts are the lowest level of federal courts
• Federal courts of appeal are the next level above district courts.

Supreme Court Appointment

• Supreme Court justices are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

Writs of Certiorari

• A writ of certiorari is a formal request from the Supreme Court to review a case.

Case Hearing Requirements

• A minimum of 5 justices must be able to vote to hear a case to determine if it will be reviewed by the Supreme Court.

Supreme Court Opinions

• The Supreme Court's opinions contain legal justifications and justifications for the reasoning behind the decisions.

Judicial Nominations

• The president nominates judges to federal courts, including district courts. The Senate confirms these nominations.

Supreme Court Justices

• Supreme Court justices are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

Supreme Court Sessions

• The Supreme Court convenes its sessions according to its schedule. This schedule is typically determined and published with an advance notice.

This quiz explores the role of government institutions in making public policy decisions, including the influence of media and public opinion on leader selection. It also discusses governmental sovereignty and the importance of political participation in shaping public priorities. Test your understanding of these key concepts in political science.