CFHS AP GOVERNMENT

5/21/09

2009-05-29T01:21:00.000-07:00

Everyone went to get their yearbooks excluding Grayson+ myself.

YAY

Thursday, May 21, Third Period

2009-05-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

Sorry this is so late!
We watched All In The Family today.
There were two letters to the President from one household. :)

May 26th, 4th Period

2009-05-26T17:17:00.000-07:00

I haven't done the blog yet this 9 weeks so I'm just gonna go ahead and post this:

Today in class G divided the class into 2 teams for an intense game of Jeopardy: Government Style. We were quizzed on our knowledge of various things from both US and Comp. that we have learned this past year. The winning team gained 12 extra credit points, and the losing team gained 6. Don't forget, the group game project is due next Monday, June 1!

blog from last Tuesday

2009-05-26T07:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry this is a little late. Last Tuesday we started the trial and Period 7 almost completed it. Both sides went through their witnesses to plead their case and tomorrow the jury will announce their verdict.

Since this post was last, we already know that Yertle was found not guilty.

7 days left of school!

Monday, May 18th, 4th Period

2009-05-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

We worked on the Yurtle the Turtle case, with the prosecution and defence getting ready to go at it the next day.

May 20

2009-05-20T11:50:00.001-07:00

Today in class, we finished our Yurtle the Turtle trial.
The jury found Yurtle not guilty. They made their decision based on the lack of evidence of Yurtle's wrongdoings. The government system is a monarchy, and there are no laws against forcing turtles to stack on top of each other to create a throne.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

2009-05-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

Today in class we began our trial of Sadie vs. Yertle the Turtle.

The defense successfully called on all of their witnesses: Sadie, Slither, Yolanda, and the doctor.

We left off just before the Defense called upon their first witness and will proceed from their tomorrow.

Monday- 7th Period

2009-05-19T13:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry for a day late post, I wasn't signed up!

Anyway, onto Monday's festivities...

We went back and finished off the last few "Questions Americans Should Ask" (mine included). It seems that most people find the economy and what will be done to fix it to be the most important question right now and understandably so. If you get newsweek, look in the issue that arrived today (tuesday) and read the little thing in the back about President Obama's 2010 budget, its kinda related and really interesting. Anyway...back on topic...
Once we finished up all the questions, we split into our Yertle groups and prepared for the trial. The defense and the prosecution worked on making their cases and that was about it.

Friday, May 15th

2009-05-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

Today we discussed the trial about Yertle the Turtle and we each drew a piece of paper from a hat with a character on it whom we would embody in the trial. Mr. G also read to us about the lovely tale of Yertle the Turtle, who wanted to rule over all he could see by stacking his subjects underneath him to form a throne. During the trial on the 19th, Yertle will be put on trial for causing injury to one of his subjects, Sadie. Sadie and her supporters will form the prosecution, and Yertle's supporters will form the defense. The rest of the class consisted of the defense and the prosecution getting together and working on what questions they'll ask and such.

Sorry this is late....

Friday

2009-05-17T13:46:00.001-07:00

Today we were assigned positions for the upcoming trial of Yertle the Turtle.

Trials are on Tuesday be ready!

2nd Period: 5/14/09

2009-05-15T06:15:00.001-07:00

Today we continued our discussion about The Most Important Questions. :) :) :) :)

Note's for May 11, 2009

2009-05-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

Today in class we had a discussion period. We discussed the following questions as certain people shared their answers and we opened up a dialogue on certain points.
The questions were:
1. What are the most important questions Americans should be asking?
2. What are the most critical things people should be doing right now?
a. Regual citizens
b. Parents
c. Schools
d. High School/College Youth
e. Government officials
f. World leaders
g. Religious leaders
3. What do you think are the biggest challenges before us?
4. What do you hope will happen? Why?

BLOG MONDAY 5/11/09

2009-05-13T05:56:00.000-07:00

yes i know its wednesday but heres the run down for monday. In class we were supposed to have prepared answers for the "what do you think?" assignment. Myself, and a few others went all through our responses and then the class was opened into a forum for discussion. our main topic of discussion was the war in Iraq as well as other topics such as Pakistan, the economy,etc.

May 12, 2005

2009-05-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

Today we handed back any of the books or packets we got for U.S. and comparative gov. Make sure to bring them back whenever you can.

Tuesday, May 12th

2009-05-12T06:26:00.000-07:00

Today we continued our discussion on the discussion questions we were assigned over the weekend.

Monday, May 11, 2009

2009-05-11T17:26:00.000-07:00

We began the "What Do You Think?" presentations. Mr. Gottschalk treated the assignment as a class discussion where each student presents their findings and classmates respond to those opinions. Every student must present to the class to receive a grade.

Tuesday 4/28

2009-05-06T19:11:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday April 28th we went over more material for AP tests and we were given the chance to look over the princenton review books.

April 30th Thursday

2009-05-04T03:08:00.000-07:00

we went over timed write questions mainly with the US government to prepare for the AP exam

KATE LAWLOR for 4/30

2009-05-03T17:22:00.000-07:00

In class we went over a released multiple choice test on the overhead. STUDY for AP test on Monday. Meet in room 102 at 7:40

Thursday 4/30

2009-05-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

Today in class we reviewed an old AP Comparative Governemnt test together and we got through about half of it before the bell rang. The general consensus was that we are prepared for the AP exam and that the questions in class seemed relatively easy.

4/27 (Late: SORRY!)

2009-05-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

On Monday the 27th, we looked at our Mid Term in preparation for our AP exams. We spent the class answering any questions in regards to the mid term. AP exams are on Monday! AHH STUDY TIME!!

Mexico Notes for 4th pd (intended for 4/20)

2009-04-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry its really late!

Political Socialization: Supportive of political institutions since revolution and 1917 democratic constitution. This leaves it deemed legitimate.

The society is, hoever, critical of government's performance of meeting goals
Self serving elitists/Corrupt Bureaucrats
Cynical Mexicans on the electoral process (PRI)
The mexicans "just did it..." as a merely ritualistic system (only for the government benefits)
Strong Patron-client relations (Camarilla)
PRI dependent on these patron client systems to mobilize votes
Media, schools, church, are all vital social agent

Political Participation: Voting, 18 years of age, rallys and government ceremonies brought small rewards (free meals, bus prizes, door prizes.

PRI Regime:

Failure to participate held benefit loss.

Now, more recently, a multi party system:

Harder to push non-voters since there were no prizes
Middle class recruited for elites
Revolution led for middle class, religious, educated,
Technico's advanced in the system
1970-76, politicols losing to technicos College, advanced degrees, foreign universities, economic and public administrations
Upper middle class spent entire career as civil servants (financial and planning particularly)
Technicos did NOT run for officse
Technicos rize to leadership positions faster AND in younger conditions.

Interest Groups:

No party platform telling the president of PRI what to do
PRI had 3 large National Organizations: (TM--Work, labor) (CNC--Rural Peasants) ("Popular Sector"--everyone else) Bureaucrats small business.

Corpratists System

PRI lost power since 2000, other organized interest groups: Entrepeneurs, military, Catholic Church
Business Community: Several private interest groups, pluralist
Patron Clients as well! Had advantages (of TM or CMC had large demand of govermnent, they had to listen, but with small patron clients its easier to say no, which was common)

Myth of right Connection: If citizens appealed governmnet and got declined, they kept looking.

Growth of middle class, angry peasants, (mad at credit squeezes, and urbanization) and large growing low income urban population left to independent org's

Party system: up to 2000: PRI supported president pretty much

Able to maintain power by being dominant over every system
PRI limited citizen demands to depressureize president
Co-opting (absorb into PRI all of the political interests possible, and give them their own "faction" of sorts
Today PRI is inclusive.
Before 2000, democratization of PRI was predominant, no independend policy influence
Mexico all 2000, was dominated by PRI, guaranteed election untill 1988-89.
They had access to mass media
PRI controlled Federal Election Commission to manipulate results
PRI vote declines due to population shifts (rural to urban)
Cheap goods =Cheap labor

Opposition parties in the 70's were helpful

Oppositions overtime became competititive
PAN (2nd party) 1939, nationwide following.
present in federal legislature; it controlled major cities but not Mexico city.
Social, political right, opposed anti-church
Opposed PRI monopoly on public education
Supported urban middle class, conservative peasants, working middle class
Forced PRI to move right on the political spectrum.
PRI became supportive of free economic policies
PRI signed nafta.
3rd party PRD democratic revolutionary party (political leftist) after 1988 presidential election.
Tries to appeal to poor and workers unions.

--Darryl

3rd Period: April 29, 2009

2009-04-29T20:10:00.001-07:00

Today in class, we went over the free response questions for last years ap us gov exam. Here's the links to the scoring guidelines and questions:
Free response questions: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap08_go_po_us_frq.pdf
Scoring guidlines: http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/ap/students/govpol/ap08_gopo_us_sgs.pdf

Remember, that your answers don't have to be long! Just get straight to the point and answer the question.

AP Test on Monday! STUDY and GOOD LUCK!!

April 21 2009

2009-04-29T17:25:00.000-07:00

Constitution
With the PRI dominating, it was kind of hard to classify Mexico’s system,
and we call it a democratic system today. Under the PRI, it was part-free,
part-authoritarian, and then over time, in the 80s and 90s, it was a system
that became increasingly competitive in its elections as the PRI became
less and less able to pull off voter fraud. With that change, the system in
Mexico is more committed to fair and honest elections. Mexico has had a
modern authoritarian regime that under the PRI dealt successfully with
recruiting elites to run for political office and then managed to get them
elected. The system was always one under the PRI that tried to co-op rather
than eliminate or crush pesky political forces or groups that were being
critical. Under the PRI, the Mexican government tried to have the broadest
range of social economic and political interests all inside the PRI or
inside the PRI within its mass organizations. As potential opposition
groups would appear, usually their leads would be co-opted into existing
government organizations, or new ones would be created to meet the needs.
Historically, opposition which could not be co-opted was dealt with
harshly. Ordering the army into the state of Chiapas in 1998 when EZLN came
out of the jungle and refused to negotiate. Another example would go back
to 2000, when more than 2000 federal police stormed Mexico’s largest
university to oust radical students who had taken over the campus. The
students had taken over the campus, barricaded building, forced classes
closed for nine months. Government put up with it, dealt with it
differently than they had in 98, when they killed 300 rebellious students.
The police this time do not injure anyone. The 2000 dispute with the
students also kind of illustrates the types of problems that Mexico faces
as it becomes more modern. The university students who took it over took an
old line dinosaur approach and were demanding a free education. The
increasingly technocrat government of Mexico wanted to modernize the
university, and they had proposed raising tuition from the current tuition,
two cents a year, to $140 a year, which is a steep change. This proposal
sparked a backlash from students, their parents, and university alumni, and
many left-leaning political people who all strongly endorsed the
university’s 89-year tradition in providing a free education to anyone in
Mexico who could gain admission. Under this protest, the government drops
the proposal for tuition, and then the students, rather than stopping and
going back to class, began to press for more admittance, and they began to
demand that they be given more time to complete their education. They were
also calling for relaxation of admissions standards.

On paper, the Mexican government looks very much like that of the US. They
have a president, three separate branches, checks and balances, and clearly
it is a federal system ON PAPER. In practice, especially during the PRI,
the government acts very different. Some differences:
1. Mexican President elected for six years, no opportunity for reelection.
Other than that, president must be native-born with Mexican parents and at
least 35 years old
2. There is no Vice President
3. Elections are held if the president dies or becomes disabled in the
first two years of his term. After the first two years, if the president
dies or becomes disabled, the Congress will select a substitute to finish
out the term.
4. Mexico has a two-house legislature, but it’s chosen by a system of mixed
single-member districts and proportional representation.
5. There is a federal judiciary, headed by a Supreme Court with 21
magistrates appointed for life by the President with the approval of the
Mexican Senate.
6. The federal courts in Mexico have the power to invalidate a law or an
act that it finds to be unconstitutional. However, in Mexico, a Court’s
decision, even by the Supreme Court, does not nullify the law. Instead, if
a court finds the law to be unconstitutional, it suspends the law in the
case they’re looking at, but it still applies in every other case.
7. In Mexico, five consecutive decisions without an intervening contrary
decision have the effect of a precedent. So if a law is challenged in
court, and the Supreme Court strikes it down five times, it’s no longer a
law.
8. According to the Mexican Constitution, judicial review does exist, but
the Supreme Court during the years of PRI dominance, cooperated with the
PRI presidents on political matters, and in all those 70 years of PRI
dominance, the Supreme Court never invalidated any major policy of an
incumbent PRI president. They break that after the 2000 presidential
elections. When Zedillo comes in, the Supreme Court pretty much stunned the
country by ruling against Zedillo in a dispute with the Congress. The Court
rarely strikes down a President still, though. Constitution was written in
1917.

Tuesday 4/28

2009-04-29T05:26:00.000-07:00

In class today we had a choice of mid term review or ap review book. Yay.