FRQ 14

The President of the United States' domestic influence can be quite limited, however, always resourceful politicians have found ways to make the most of their small enumerated powers to exert power. The president has the final say on legislation and can strike it down with a veto if it is not a policy he supports. This can be overruled by 2/3 of Congress, but the inconvenience can often be enough to stop a bill from passing. He also has considerable power over appointees such as the Cabinet Secretaries. Through his appointments he can influence labor, commerce, energy, etc.

Party polarization is increasing lack of consensus of policy issues within a party. This can greatly affect a president's influence in Congress because he does not have a strong backing by his party. It makes it easier for the opposing party to block legislation. Also, it does not build strong coalitions in the voting populace, which does not bode well for future elections. The lame -duck period is the few months between the election and the swearing in of a new president when the current president is still in office. Since he is heading out of office, the president's power is seen as weak. While his practical powers may not have diminished, his perceived influence has. This perception also creates a resistant Congress, as they will not have to deal with the current president for much longer.

2008-2)A number of factors enable presidents to exert influence over Congress in the area of domestic policy. However, presidents are also limited in their influence over domestic policymaking in Congress.

-The Constitution grants the president certain enumerated powers. Describe two of these formal powers that enable the president to exert influence over domestic policy.

-Choose two of the following. Define each term and explain how each limits the president’s ability to influence domestic policy making in Congress.

*Mandatory spending

*Party polarization

*Lame-duck period

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/_ap07_us_go_po_sgs_final.pdf

FRQ 13

Congressional reapportionment is the process of redistributing House Representatives among the states based state population. This is important to the states because it keeps the policy makers more representative of the populace. As states grow, they receive more Representatives in the House, and vice versa. Congressional redistricting is the changing of district lines for voting for the House of Representatives. Politicians gerrymander, or try to manipulate the redistricting to their advantage. They can 'pack' districts by moving the lines in a way so the area is solidly of their party; this strengthens their position while weakening the other party's. Redistricting is also used by politicians to help underrepresented minorities in areas by creating districts with higher minority densities. Packing and cracking is discouraged by the United States Supreme Court, as demonstrated by limits imposed. Districts must contain the same size population and the borders of districts must be a continuous line encompassing an single area. 


2008-1) Congressional reapportionment and redistricting are conducted every ten years. When redistricting is conducted, politicians often engage in gerrymandering.
(a) Define congressional reapportionment and explain one reason why it is important to states.
(b) Define congressional redistricting.
(c) Explain two goals of politicians when they gerrymander during redistricting.
(d) Describe two limits that the United State Supreme Court has placed on congressional redistricting.

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap08_us_gopo_q1.pdf

Deepwater Horizon

Works Cited

"Blowout: The Deepwater Horizon Disaster." 60 Minutes. CBS. 20 May 2010. Television. Through an interview with crewman, Mike Williams, Scott Pelley chronicles the destruction of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. Although it had gone a remarkable seven years with out any crew injuries, After encountering issues with a drilling line, the crew was forced withdraw and start a new line, but not before a vital piece of safety equipment was damaged. On May 20, when executives came to congratulate the stellar safety record, the rig blew. Williams was left on the rig with two other crew members. He eventually jumped over 90 feet into the ocean and survived the destruction and his account has given the offshore rig investigator valuable information.

Smith, Martin, and Marcela Gaviria. "The Spill." Frontline. OPB. WGBH, Chicago, Illinois, 26 Oct. 2010. Television. The Frontline program, "The Spill," provides an informative account of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The controversial oil conglomerate has a spotted past and history of cost cutting (but safety endangering) practices as seen by the Texas City and Alaska incidents within a short time span. Despite three CEO's in less than four years, reforms were not made. After the spill, the heads of other major oil companies testified that BP's practices were unsafe and the company was banned from off shore drilling for seven years.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/14/world/middleeast/sales-of-iranian-crude-oil-rose-in-january.html?

Inkley, Doug, and David Mizejewski. "How the Gulf Oil Spill Could Hurt Animals." - National Wildlife Federation. N.p., 4 May 2010. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. <http://www.nwf.org/news-and-magazines/national-wildlife/animals/archives/2010/oil-spill-species.aspx>.

Meth

"The Meth Epidemic." PBS. PBS, 17 May 2011. Web. 06 Feb. 2014.

This Frontline piece is a scholarly, semi-popular video that describes the meth epidemic that initially hit the west coast. It chronicled the efforts of law enforcement to identify and cut off the sources of meth. The control of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine was integral to the DEA and local police's efforts but with every victory, the cooks managed to find a new way around regulations. This is a reliable source because they drew information from a reporter who spent years dedicated to looking into this epidemic and it was produced by PBS. Much of the information is outdated for today's audience because it is several years old.

Davies, Dave, perf. Big Pharma And Meth Cooks Agree: Keep Cold Meds Over The Counter.

Fresh Air. Rec. 26 Sept. 2013. WHYY, 2013. MP3.

The recording of Fresh Air, originally aired on the radio, describes the meth and the way that "cooks" create it. It is relatively easy to produce when someone has the right ingredients but can be highly volatile. Meth labs are generally more common in rural, poor areas of the United States but the regulation of pseudoephedrine is attempting to cut down on meth production and addiction. Big pharma, however, is against the regulation of the highly lucrative chemical needed many common cold medicinces. This scholarly interview is reliable because it was produced by NPR and has sufficient research and first hand accounts to back it up.

Rayman, Noah. "Breaking Bad Comes True: Blue Meth On Rise in New Mexico Read More:

'Breaking Bad' Blue Meth Appears in New Mexico http://nation.time.com/2014/01/14/breaking-bad-comes-true-blue-meth-on-rise-in-new-mexico/#ixzz2sfHsnfDO." Breaking Bad Comes True Blue Meth On Rise in New Mexico Comments. Time, n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2014.

Based on the popular tv show, Breaking Bad, "blue meth" is on the rise in New Mexico and surrounding areas. Blue crystalized candy has been sold by stores as a tourist gimmick, but the presence of actual drug is increasing rapidly. The drug, though marketed well with Breaking Bad, is impure as it is cut with additional chemicals stateside that cause adverse sideffects beyond addiction. This article is reliable because it is based on a news story from the area and it was produced by Time magazine, a reputable institution.