- List and explain three differences as to how the US House and Senate handle legislation in their respective chambers in the Congress. Your response should focus on who assigns bills to committee, how floor debate is conducted in both houses, and the process by which bills get from the assigned committee to the floor of both houses of Congress. In other words, you should discuss the law-making process in some detail. What are several differences in the structure, application of term limits, and “direct democracy” of the California Legislature versus the US Congress?Assume that US Senator Mike Enzi (R.-Wyo.) introduces a bill in the Senate to relax the strict anti-pollution requirements/laws currently imposed on the domestic coal mining industry. Based on the topic of this bill, which Senate committee should be assigned this bill to consider? Explain your response. Name one special interest group that would support this bill and one which would oppose it. Justify your response. Hint: Do a little internet research and look at their “mission statements.” Assume that this bill gets passed by the Congress. What are at least three ways the other two branches of the US government can prevent the bill from actually being enforced?
- The structure and operation of state government in California (and most states) is somewhat different than that of the U.S. government. List and explain at least five of these differences among the executive and judicial branches of the national and California state governments. These distinctions should cover such issues as the organization of the state and national
executive and judicial branches – e.g., elected v. appointed officials; term limits, direct democracy, etc. Your response to this question must include a discussion of the “plural executive” concept. The voters can hold the US President accountable for the performance of the members of his cabinet. How does the plural executive concept make it more difficult for a governor to be held politically accountable for the performance of the members of the state “plural executive branch? - How do the civil liberties and civil rights concepts differ from each other? Assume that Joe Johnson is charged with a murder. List at least five due process rights that Johnson has in the “processing” of his murder case. Explain what each one of them means. What is one difference in the due process rights that defendants in a civil case have, versus those in a criminal case, such as Johnson’s? As you know, discrimination is a necessary part of life. For the good of society, both government and the private sector must engage in some form discrimination when evaluating whether a person is entitled to some sort of economic, educational, or other benefits or to participate in the processes of politics/government. Cite two types of discrimination against people by government and make an argument that that particular discrimination is rationally related to a legitimate goal of government. These two examples should be ones that we discussed in the video lecture, where courts have upheld those types of discrimination.
- The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is a part of the federal bureaucracy. The FCC may soon be considering a proposal to end “net neutrality” of the world wide web (internet). For the purposes of this question, net neutrality means that internet service providers could not give preferential treatment in terms of speed of service to those who are willing to pay for faster data transmission speeds. A. What is the difference between an independent/regulatory agency and a government corporation? Into which category does the FCC belong and why? What are several things that Congress has done over time, to “insulate” independent agencies or government corporations from politics? In other words, why do such independent agencies/corporations enjoy a measure of protection from the “politics of patronage” that even cabinet-level departments don’t have?B. Considering the “iron triangle” of politics and the bureaucracy, what are at least three different ways interest groups can influence whether the FCC orders an end to “net neutrality” rules. C. Name and explain the mission of three interest groups (not individual businesses NOR other governmental entities) which want to (and do) influence the FCC in general.Do a bit of research on the web.
- All fifty states have local (sub-state) governments. Explain how the relationship of state governments to their local governments is “unitary” in form rather than federal or confederal in nature. In California, name two examples of city governments, two examples of school districts, and two examples of other special districts. If you wish, you may list all of your examples from Humboldt County. What two common characteristics do all special district governments (including school districts) share with one another? In other words, what makes these entities true independent “governments” as opposed to merely a bureaucracy which are a part of a county, city or town government? Are federally-recognized Indian tribes just another type of local government? Why or why not? Explain. Where do such tribes “fit” in the “federal-state-tribal government to government relationship?
Welcome to Legit Writing
