Essential Questions

1. Essential Questions Contrast Republican v. Democrat platforms on Taxing Spending Trade Labor Privacy

2. Chap. 11 Political Ideology and Policy Essential Question: How do political ideologies shape policy debates and choices in American politics?

3. Political Ideology Grand set of political beliefs one holds.

4. Party Ideology and Policy Making • Republicans • Against wasteful spending • For strong national defense • Limited regulation of businesses • Maintain cultural traditions • Democrats • Civil rights • Women’s rights • Civil liberties • More government services to solve problems • Greater environmental regulations

5. Party Platforms List of principles and plans it hopes to enact. Includes: legacies of each party’s noted historical heroes specific proposals Accusations against the opposite party

6. Majoritarian Policymaking Interaction of people with government in order to put into place and carry out the will of the majority Legislatures – will reflect popular ideas Presidents – will go with public opinion Referenda & Initiatives – make public will into law Republic of states – protect minority from majority

7. Interest Group Policymaking Fund candidates who support their agendas Provide experts to testify at hearings Push for specific areas of policy to satisfy philosophy Pluralist approach to policymaking

8. Policy Agenda • Agenda – list of potential policy ideas, bills, or plans to improve society • Sequence: • Issue gains attention • Congressional testimony • Bill or executive directive developed • Law passed • Finance the enforcement • Evaluate after implementation • Challenges to new laws

9. Fiscal Policy (Taxing & Spending)

10. Keynesian Economics (Liberal)

11. Supply-side Economics (Conservative) Arthur Laffer created this during the Reagan administration Reduce taxes, so more money stays with the citizen (supply) to do what they want Supply-side economics holds that increased taxation steadily reduces economic activity within a nation and discourages investment.

12. 16th Amendment Passed in 1913 Allows Congress to tax individual income Largest share of federal revenue today Resulted in creation of Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

13. Taxes • Progressive • Tax rate increases as income increases • Highest is now 37% • Middle class = 12-22% • 18 million not required to file • 30 million pay nothing • Flat • Taxes all citizens at the same rate • Social Policy • taxes used to encourage behavior (sin taxes) • Energy-efficient homes; child tax credits

14. Inflation Rising prices and devaluation of the dollar Occurs when too many dollars in circulation

15. Federal Reserve Board • Created in 1913 along with 12 Federal Reserve Banks • Independent Agency of the executive branch • 7 “governors” appointed by Pres./approved by Senate • 14 year terms • One serves as Chairman for 4 year term • Sets monetary policy by: • buying and selling securities or bonds • Government “IOUs” • regulating money reserves required at commercial banks • How much cash banks must keep in vaults • setting interest rates - “discount rate” • Rate at which government loans dollars to commercial banks

16. Political Ideologies on Trade • Globalization – process of an ever-expanding and increasingly interactive world economy. • Trade Balance – import/export ratios of a country • NAFTA – lifted trade barriers among U.S./Canada/Mexico • Removed import taxes • Created battle between conservative manufacturing firms and liberal labor unions

17. Mandatory Spending Entitlements – government services Congress has promised by law to citizens Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, block grants, financial aid, food stamps, interest owed on bonds, etc. Social Security = 20% of federal budget Medicare & Medicaid = 20% of federal budget Most cannot be cut, especially those where citizens have paid into the system: SS & Medicare

18. Mandatory Spending 2019

19. Discretionary Spending Spending that Congress has discretion in funding Military Transportation Education Veterans’ benefits Law enforcement Science Foreign affairs Natural resources

20. Discretionary Spending 2019

21. Federal Spending 2019

22. Social Security Act of 1935 FDR – created during Great Depression as safety net for elderly. Insurance program that is funded by a payroll tax that requires employee to pay 6.2% and employer to pay 6.2% into a fund designed to assist unemployed and retirees. Additional program for blind, elderly, and less fortunate. Means Test – developed for less fortunate under age 65 – determines who qualifies for aid.

23. Social Security Baby boomers retiring Less workers to pick up slack

24. Medicare & Medicaid Medicare – medical insurance for elderly Medicaid – medical insurance for the poor 1965 – LBJ’s Great Society program Funded by a payroll tax of 1.45% paid by employer and employee (income > $200,000 = 3.8% tax)

25. Medicare v. Medicaid

26. Affordable Care Act of 2010 (Obamacare) Passed with zero Republican votes Conservatives believe private insurance companies can do better job providing health care services Liberals believe removing insurance companies will provide better health care services

27. Government subsidies increased at the same rate to keep price fairly static for most purchasers

28. Labor – Conservatives & Liberals Economically: Conservatives – labor should be regulated by free market, not government Liberals – government should protect labor Socially: Conservatives – organized labor (unions) = negative Liberals – organized labor (unions) = positive

29. Congressional Labor Acts • Wagner Act 1935 (aka National Labor Relations Act) • National Labor Relations Board – regulates labor organizations & hears complaints of unfair labor practices • Fair Labor Standards Act 1938 • Established minimum wage • Defined 40-hour work week • Required payment of overtime • Taft-Hartley Act 1947 • Counteracted labor movement • States could outlaw “closed shop” policies • States could pass “right to work” laws • Federal gov’t could stop a strike if endangered national safety

30. Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 Inspects factories and other workplaces for occupational hazards Regulatory agency Can fine a company or close it down

31. Ideological Differences on Privacy • Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) • Unconstitutional to forbid married couples from using contraceptives • Roe v. Wade (1973) • Unconstitutional to forbid a woman an abortion • Lawrence v. Texas (2003) • Unconstitutional to forbid same-sex relationships • Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) • Unconstitutional to forbid same-sex marriage • “Right to Privacy” • Conservatives > not in Constitution

32. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Liberals and conservatives both agree that government should have to get requests for information approved by the court authorized by the FISA. FISA warrants at heart of Russia collusion probe – were they granted based on credible information

33. Political Ideologies & the Marketplace https://www.pbs.org/video/crash-course-government-and-politics-46/

34. Ideological Difference on Social Issues https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlxLX8Fto_A

35. Monetary Policy (Interest Rates & Money) How government manages the supply and demand of its currency and thus the value of the dollar. https://www.pbs.org/video/crash-course-government-and-politics-48/

36. Essential Questions Contrast Republican v. Democrat platforms on Taxing Spending Trade Labor Privacy

37. World’s smallest political quiz https://www.theadvocates.org/quiz/