continuing review.

We will discuss these in class today.

Practice Test tomorrow.

1)  How have the Internet and cable television impacted American politics?

2)  Most describe government and election news coverage as superficial, narrow, and limited. Explain what factors contribute to these tendencies in news coverage in the United States. Who do government officials and candidates blame for the nature of news coverage? Who do journalists blame?

3)  How do the news media shape what people believe about the American political system? Give examples from research in this area.

4)  Compare and contrast the two major party platforms on the following issues: abortion, the environment, health care, taxes, defense spending and education.

5)  Present evidence to support the argument that political parties have waning influence on American politics.

7)  Describe what lobbyists do, and how effective they are. Toward whom is most lobbying directed, and why? Explain.

10)  Describe the powers of the Speaker of the House, the majority and minority leaders, and the whips. What limits to their leadership powers exist in their respective parties?

11)  Some founding fathers feared that the president might become a monarch if given too many powers. Comment on the argument that the presidency can be a threat to democracy. What implications might a powerful president have for the size of government in America?

12)  Describe the major strengths and weaknesses of the president in his role as chief legislator. What factors strengthen his ability to pass legislation he prefers? What factors weaken his ability to pass legislation?

15)  Describe the purpose of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. What factors made it a successful case of implementation? Why are laws and regulations seldom this successful? Explain.

16)  What is an independent regulatory agency, and what does it do? Briefly name two or three examples of such agencies. How do they differ from Cabinet departments in terms of presidential control? How do they differ from government corporations? Are these differences appropriate? Explain.

17)  Explain how the courts have affected the policy agenda throughout American history, citing specific court decisions as examples.

18)  Describe the typical participants and types of cases involved in the judicial system.

20)  Describe how Social Security is funded and why the text describes it as "living on borrowed time." Why are the possible scenarios for its future? What do you think will happen, and why?

21)  What role does the government play in providing health care in the United States? What are Medicare and Medicaid, and why are they significant? To what extent is health care rationed in the United States?

22)  Describe the rise of detente in the 1970s, and why President Ronald Reagan initiated a different policy when he took office. How do conservatives and liberals differ on interpreting the legacy of Reagan's policies toward the Soviet Union? What do you think? Explain.

23)  Explain how the media determine what is news, and how it is presented to the public.

24)  Do parties keep their campaign promises? For what purpose is a party platform, and how well does it predict the policies the party attempts to carry out when its candidates win office? In your opinion, are America's two political parties sufficiently different, or too much the same? Explain.

29)  Who are the bureaucrats and how do they become government workers? Compare and contrast the theories on what bureaucrats do and how they behave.

30)  How are court decisions translated into actual policy? What elements of the population are involved in judicial implementation, and how might implementation be hindered or helped? Use examples to illustrate your answer.

32)  Compare and contrast entitlement and means-tested social welfare programs in the United States Which one is more costly? Popular? Why?

33)  Describe the development of health management organizations in the United States. What are the key characteristics of HMOs? What problems did they solve? What problems have they created?

34)  How does the term interdependency explain the nature of the international economy? What are the major features of American international economic policy?

35)  Has the increase in information technologies in society created a more informed citizenry? Why or why not? What claims do the commercial media make regarding why citizens are or are not informed?

36)  Some political scientists talk about a party dealignment in process today. What is meant by this, and what evidence do they give for it? How does party neutrality fit into this argument? Explain.

37)  Explain what factors work to make an interest group successful.

38)  How important is party membership to a senator or member of the House in casting a vote? Are votes on some issues more or less likely to follow party lines? What other factors influence how an individual legislator casts a vote?

39)  List and briefly describe the Constitutional powers of the president. Which are the most important, and why?

40)  Describe the role of incrementalism and uncontrollables in the budget process and what alternatives have been offered for each. Is incrementalism necessary for an efficient bureaucracy? In what sense are uncontrollables "really" uncontrollable? Why, or why not?