Campaign Finance
This landmark 2010 ruling stated that corporate and union funding of independent political broadcasts cannot be limited, leading to the rise of Super PACs.
What is Citizens United v. FEC?
This term describes funds given to nonprofit 501(c)(4) groups that can be spent on elections without the public ever knowing the identity of the original donor.
Dark Money
The 3/5ths compromise led to the creation of what election institution?
Electoral College
Established that Congress has implied powers under the Necessary and Proper Clause of the Constitution.
McCulloch v. Maryland
Governments derive their power from the consent of the governed. This is an example of what concept?
Explain popular sovereignty
Describe the role that lobbying plays in the political process
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence the decisions made by government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies.
What is a Super Pac?
Organizations that do not have limits on the amount of money they can donate
Voting eligibility and elections are left to who?
States
Establish Judicial review, the courts have the power to review the actions of the other two branches of government and declare laws unconstitutional if they violate the Constitution.
Marbury v. Madison
The NEA, NRA and AARP are all examples of what?
Special Interest Groups
This is the specific federal agency tasked with enforcing campaign finance laws and overseeing public disclosure of funds.
FEC
What is a special interest group?
is a formal association of individuals or organizations that attempt to influence public policy in favor of a specific cause or shared concern.
What are some ways interest groups influence the political process?
Give money to campaigns
Lobby
File Lawsuits
Inform politicians on specific issues
What was the basis for the Supreme Court Decision in Brown v. Board of Education?
14th Amendment
In the event of no presidential candidate getting the needed 270 electoral votes to win the election would be decided by which branch of government?
The House
This theory of democracy argues that many competing interest groups should all have a "seat at the table," ensuring that no single group dominates.
Pluralism
These are the three specific "corners" that make up an Iron Triangle.
What are a Congressional Committee, a Bureaucratic Agency, and an Interest Group?
What are Amicus Curiae briefs used for?
Used by special interest groups to lobby the Courts
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the Gun-Free School Zones Act was unconstitutional. Chief Justice William Rehnquist argued that:
Possessing a gun in a school zone is not an economic activity.
The connection between guns in schools and interstate commerce was too "attenuated" (stretched too thin).
If the Court allowed this, Congress could essentially regulate anything by claiming it eventually affects the economy, which would eliminate the distinction between state and federal power.
These are all examples of what?
Federal Reserve Board
Securities and Exchange Commission
Federal Trade Commission
Regulatory commissions
This cynical theory suggests that a small number of wealthy, well-connected individuals—often from business or the military—actually hold the real power in government.
Elitst
This phrase is often used to describe the 501(c) organizations that act as "shells," funneling money into Super PACs to keep the actual source of the money hidden.
social welfare organizations
Gives Congress the power to enact laws as needed to enforce the Constitution and carry out its powers given in the Constitution.
Aka Implied Powers
Necessary and Proper Clause
Describe Gideon v Wainwright
legal counsel is a fundamental right that applies to all criminal defendants. The court also ruled that states must provide defense lawyers to those who cannot afford them.
Confirmation bias refers to the fact that many people do what when choosing what media to consume?
They pick media outlets that re-enforce their own beliefs rather than challenge them