Prime Minister's Questions (Wed Dec. 18th)

Link: Questions for the PM (approx 37 min)

Take notes

Create a list of the topics discussed and if possible the positions that each side takes

TEST Wednesday

YIIPPPEEE!

30 Multiple Choice in class...  take home FRQ

FRQ for Thursday:

(a) Describe Mexico’s current electoral system.

(b) Describe one electoral reform made in Mexico in the 1990s and 

(c) explain how that reform affected Mexico’s party system.

Mexico has experienced economic liberalization and political liberalization.

(d)  Define economic liberalization and define political liberalization.

(e)  Describe one economic liberalization policy pursued in Mexico since 1985

 (f)  Describe one political liberalization policy undertaken in Mexico since 1985

PRIs Downfall

Create a webmap / flow chart using the following terms to illustrate PRIs rise and eventual fall from power.

debt crises
Calles
election reforms
earthquake
Miguel de la Madrid
GATT
NAFTA
Salinas
SAP (structural Adjustment Programs)
Neoliberal economic reforms
Patron- client systems
Camarillos
Federal Elections Commission
elections of 1988, 1997, 2000, and 2006
Zedillo
Fox
Calderon (vs Obrador)

Read Chapter 5 (Mexico) section 3 for Tuesday

As of Tuesday you should have through section 3 of chapter 5

Political Institutions Chart

Be sure to pick up a political institutions chart from me.  We will be filling this out for each country we study.

Wyden Visit (3rd Period only)

Senator Wyden Visit
Thursday we will meet in the auditorium (3rd) period
We need to prepare by researching Wyden's Congressional career
Create a biographical outline of his background
Find out what committees he's on: pick out an issue or two to focus on and create some questions (2-3) for the senator.

Go to his Website : Ron Wyden

Biography:
1-2 paragraphs (born and raised, education, political career, family)

Committees:
list:

Position on the Issues:
list:

Questions for the Senator:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Dem or Rep or other? Take the Quiz

Go to QUIZ

and

Go to QUIZ #2

Frontline: Top Secret America

Link to the video in class.

Top Secret America

Civil Society, Interest groups, and Participation

Read pages 26 (civil society); 36-38 (Interest group systems); and 24 (forms of participation) in the BLUE book in class.  Define pluralist system and corporatist system.

Answer the following FRQ: (First decide which of the 6 core countries you will focus on)

A. Does this country have a pluralist or corporatist interest group system?
B. What is the nature of civil society in this country and why?
C. What forms of political participation occur?
D. How and why do the forms of political participation vary from country to country?

Scoring FRQs

Verbs: The following is a list of verbs that alert you to specific tasks you need to perform for points

Identify (the two parties that formed a coalition government in Britain); List, Describe, Define, and Explain.

1. Describe the relationship between interest groups and the state in a pluralist system. Describe the relationship between interest groups and the state in a corporatist system. Identify one country studied in the AP Comparative Government and Politics course that historically was corporatist but is now pluralist.

            How many points is this question worth?

Interests, Social Movements, and Protest

Kesselman argues that Americans are losing "social capital" as a result of fewer discussions over politics and we are less likely to be part of networks that allow for collective political action.  He also makes the argument that Interest groups representing single issues or groups, with professional staffs not volunteers are replacing traditional forms of political organization. The following Frontline video discusses PACs and the Supreme Court case of Citizens United.

Campaign Finance

Political Culture and Election Procedure

On Thursday we defined political culture and First-past-the-post (FPTP) elections and how both have led to a (2) party system in the US (democrats and republicans) The following video does a great job of explaining how the FPTP model leads to a 2 party system:

Consequences of FPTP elections

Chapter 3 section 4

Read pages 121-126 and take notes

In class we defined legitimacy (traditional, charismatic, and rational-legal) along with first-past-the-post and single member district (plurality)

Read 3-3 (pgs 112-116)

Read about the 1st section of chapter 3 (executive and bureaucracy)

Section 3 (Comparing US presidents)

Based on your reading in Chapter 3 section 3 we are going to rate (or justify) the presidents rankings on several criteria.  You will be assigned one (1) president. You need to evaluate his ability to expand presidential power.

go to the following website: Presidential Power Rankings
Read through the first part of the article and click on "20 categories" (8th paragraph)

In groups of 3-4 evaluate and argue your president's ranking.

Readings through 10/4

Monday nights reading is pages (13-16) and (95-100)
     *A list of terms is on the previous post
Wednesday's reading is pages (100-102) and (102-106)
Thursday's reading is (pages 19-22)

Link to the Thursday's Fed Video

Link to Friday's Cairo Video

Textbooks Are In!!! Yeah!!!

Define the following terms in your notes or in your vocabulary packet: (* = vocab term)
1. Critical Juncture
2. Globalization*
3. World Bank
4. HDI*
5. Keynesianism
6. neoliberalism
7. bureaucracy
8. legitimacy*
9. nation-state*
10. rational choice theory

Read Pages 13-16.  Take notes based on the following guiding questions:
     1. What are the biggest internal influences on governments (states)?
     2. What are the biggest external influences on governments (states)?
     3. Are any countries free from external forces? (Does absolute sovereignty exist?)

*Skip 5 pages in your notes (2 1/2 pieces of paper)

Read Pages 95-100. Take notes on the critical junctures in US history. What defines them?

For Tuesday (9/30)

Iran's new president

Listen to the following broadcasts: NPR Sept 26th 2013 #1
                                                      NPR Sept 26th 2013 #2

How is Iran's new president changing US / Iranian relations?
Who is/are Iran's top decision maker(s)?
What is at stake for Iranians when negotiating with the US?
Describe Iran's media.  Does Iran have a free press?

Independent Judiciary

Define an independent judiciary
Define a substantive democracy

Read the following articles:

Kremlin crack down on critics
Punk band faces possible 7 years

1. Why is an independent judiciary necessary in a substantive (liberal) democracy?

       Think about what is necessary for courts to be fair and impartial. Argue that Russia does not have an independent judiciary (court system that is free to rule without fear of consequences from the executive or legislative branches)
     
2. What might account for Russia's inability to produce an independent judiciary?

Country Reports - Freedom House

Go to the following link: Country Reports

Scroll to the bottom of the page and select the "country reports" tab
click on your assigned country
scroll down to the section labels political rights and civil liberties
using the information in those paragraphs, fill in your charts as best you can

At the top of the page select 2005 to to complete your chart rankings

In class for Tuesday 9/17

Link to Democratization Briefing Paper

UN Summit

Starting today (Tuesday 5/28) you will work in groups and come up with a solution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.  You have been assigned a country which is on the wall in the classroom.  Today and tomorrow you will need to research your country's position.  Thursday and Friday groups will present their solutions at a "mock Summit"

I have handouts in class to assist you in brainstorming ideas and possible solutions.

Final Study Guide

Study Guide

Review Power Points

Review #1
Review #2

Review #3 (in class)
Review #4

Panel moved to Wednesday

We will finish up Iran with a review on Monday, test Tuesday, and panel on Wednesday.

Link to Panel articles:

Article #1
Article #2
Article #3

TEST Friday ... Panel Discussion moved to Monday

Here the links to articles for the panel discussions on Monday.  Remember you need to have 4 questions for the panel.

Article #1
Article #2
Article #3


FRQ for Friday... you need to have this FRQ completed when you come to class. We will score these in class after the multiple choice section of the quiz.

link to google doc FRQ

Nigeria Unit Reading schedule

Section 1 (240-253) Tuesday
Section 2 (254-264) Thursday
Section 3 (264-273) Friday
Section 4 (273-283) Monday
Section 5 (284-289) Tuesday

Friday Panel (4/12) Democracy in Nigeria will collapse due to conflict and corruption

Short answer questions Due Monday 4/8

Answer the following questions for Monday 4/8. You may want to partner up and share the work load.

Great Britain and Nigeria are both considered democratic states.  However, their systems of government differ significantly.

(1)   Describe two structural differences in the procedure for selecting the head of government in Nigeria and in Great Britain.

(2)  Identify one structural difference between the legislature in Great Britain and the legislature in Nigeria.

(3)   Explain one difference between the bureaucracy in Great Britain and the bureaucracy in Nigeria.

Clientelism is a common feature of many systems of government. Respond to the following in the context of the past two decades.

(1)   Define clientelism.

(2)  Describe one attempt to reduce clientelism in Mexico.

(3)   Describe one attempt to reduce clientelism in Nigeria.

(4)  Describe two reasons why Mexico has been more successful in reducing the impact of clientelism than Nigeria.

For Thursday

Read the article you received in class (either "little emperors" or "gendercide")
Also for Thursday read China section 4 (representation and participation)

Friday is panel day
Attached are the articles you need to read

China Panel "yeah"
China Panel "nay"

China Panel (neutral)

Read China (chp 8) section 3 (governance and policy making)

Have 8-3 read for Tuesday's class

Thursday 3/7

Read chapter 8 section 2 and take notes :)
Pay attention to the Focus questions on page 351 as well as:
     - list specific policies undertaken to achieve economic reform
     - How has the government dealt with social consequences of reform?

Russia Test

If you have not yet taken the russia test, contact me asap to schedule a time to make it up.

For Wednesday

Read the first section on China; chapter 8 (pages 338-350)

Russian Political Parties

Working in groups of six or less, research one of Russia's political parties and present to the class.

1. Decide on your group members and ask the teacher for a paper with your party's name
2. Budget your time in the lab accordingly (15 minutes for research and answering the questions on your sheet of paper- 15 minutes to build your poster)  You will need to store your posters in the classroom for Monday.  Be sure to attach your question and answer sheet to your poster and include member names.

Read Chapter 4 Section 4

For Friday's class read about Political Parties, Political Culture, and Civil Society (172-182)
In class on Friday you will research political party's platforms and leadership.

For Tuesday 2/19

Read Chapter 4 section 1 "The Russian Federation" The making of the modern russian state before Tuesday's class. (140-151)

EU Debt Crisis

Link to Debt Crisis Article

Have this article read for Thursday's class (we will discuss after the EU quiz)

EU groups

6 group questions were divided up into groups.  You need to get the handouts in class.  We will cover the information in class on Friday

European Union

For Monday Feb. 4th be prepared to answer the following:

1. Define “nation” and “state,” and explain how each concept relates to the European Union.
2. When was the EU founded?  Who were the founding members?