essays

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2005_4The U.S. Congress has debated a variety of campaign finance reforms over the last decade.  The proposals debated have included the following:

Eliminating soft money

Limiting independent expenditures

Raising limits on individual contributions

a.    Select one of the listed proposals and do all of the following:

-Define the proposal

-Describe an argument that proponents make in favor of the proposal

-Describe an argument that opponents make against the proposal.

b.    Select a different listed proposal and do all of the following:

-Define the proposal

-Describe an argument that proponents make in favor of the proposal

-Describe an argument that opponents make against the proposal.

c. (you will have to research this separately).  Explain how citizens united affects the proposals you listed.

2009_3In the United States Congress, the majority party exerts a substantial influence over lawmaking. However, even when one party has a numerical majority in each chamber of the United States Congress, there is no guarantee that legislation supported by that majority party will be passed by both chambers. Rules of each chamber independently influence the likelihood that legislation will pass in that chamber; legislation passed by one chamber is not always passed by the other.

(a)  Describe two advantages the majority party in the United States House of Representatives has in lawmaking, above and beyond the numerical advantage that that majority party enjoys in floor voting.

(b)  Describe two differences between House and Senate rules that may make it likely that legislation may pass in one chamber but not in the other.

(c)  Explain how the differences identified in (b) can lead to the passage of a bill in one chamber but not in the other.

DATA for 2009_4 (below)

Viewer’s Ages and Frequency of Viewing of Network Nightly News: 1974 and 2002 Combined

1974                  frequently (%)                    rarely (%)

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18-29                  45                                                  13

30-44                  50                                                 12

45-64                  68                                                  8

65+                      71                                                  5

2002                 frequently (%)                    rarely (%)

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18-29                  19                                                  22

30-44                  22                                                17

45-64                  40                                                  11

65+                      53                                                  8

2009_4. One of the most important ways the news media influence politics is through agenda setting.

(a)  Define policy agenda.

(b)  Explain how the national news media engage in agenda setting.

(c)  Explain the primary reason the president tends to have an advantage over Congress in gaining media attention.

(d)  Consider the table above.

-Describe the difference in the viewing patterns of older and younger age-groups.

-Describe the change from 1974 to 2002 in viewing habits that exists for all age categories.

(e)  Given the information in the table, describe one implication for presidents in their use of the media to promote their political and policy objectives to the American public.