East Penn Academic Government Notes

Bicameralism Legislature made up of two houses, the Senate and House. Main goal: prevents Congress from becoming too powerful. House Qualifications Citizen of US for 7 years 25 years old Live in state in which you are elected Representatives have four year terms. Reapportionment Redistribution of seats in the House, always done according to population. Gerrymandering occurs when congressional districts are drawn to give a certain party an 'edge'. Senate Qualifications Citizen of the US for 9 years 30 years old Live in state in which you are elected Senators have six year terms. Voting and Ideological Alignments Delegates vote on an issue based on their constituents' views. Trustees make decisions based on their own analysis. Partisans cast vote in line with their party's platform. Politicos balance a variety of positions, this is most ideal for constituents and nations as a whole.

A union is an organization of workers who share the same type of job. They focus on improving wages, benefits, and working conditions for their members. They present the interests of employees during collective bargaining. These are negotiations between a group of employers and employees negotiating demands related to work. Taft-Hartley Act Outlawed "closed shop" practices which were contractual agreements requiring employers to hire only labor union members. This made right-to-work possible. People are not forced to pay union dues under this ideology or participate in union activities if hired by an employer where a union is present. Right-to-work allows people to opt out of union membership if they are not interested. Public Sector Unions Represents workers at every level of government. They focus on good wages and high pensions. Union Strikes When discussions, negotiations, and collective bargaining falter, a labor stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employe...

An interest group is a collection of people who share certain views on public matters and work to shape public polity to their benefit. Strategies of Interest Groups Lobbying is when interest groups attempting to influence public officials' governing. They can influence decisions through amicus curiae briefs, which are written arguments submitted to the courts in support of one side of a case. They also raise money for campaigns.

Political Socialization Process by which people gain their political attitudes and form their opinions. Education More education means more political involvement. Income As income increases, so does the likelihood of becoming politically active. Age Political participation and voting rates increase with age. Family Most influential factor in the political socialization process, which is not the same as voting. Religion More religion usually translates to more political activism. Party Identification People are most likely to vote along party lines. Reasons people do not vote Midweek elections Disgust with political system Registration is difficult in certain states Belief that their vote doesn't matter

How has media changed politics? Investigative Journalism - reporting that attempts to unearth political scandal. Media has contributed to public negativity about politics. Focuses more on controversy of political issues. Image has become increasingly relevant. Personal life and constant professionalism can influence election results. Political issues seem less important then they used to be. Public persuasion and ability to appeal to the public are more important. Private control of media The majority of political media in the U.S. is under private ownership.  Media conglomerates have formed that own large numbers of subsidiaries in TV, radio, publishing, movies, and the Internet.