Mr. Pedone's AP Government Blog: November 2011

janettectam@gmail.com has joined

8:28 PM me: ok, we start in 2 minutes. From here on in, I'll go ALL CAPS.

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8:29 PM jennylamx93: uno minute

me: OK CLASS. PLEASE TYPE "HERE" IF YOU CAN SEE THIS.

brianarroberts: Here

jennylamx93: here

nchham: here

tran.seph: hereeee

chowhuiyanangel: here

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poptarts600: here

janettectam: here

8:30 PM hong.thi.nguyen.17: here

me: OK. LOOKS LIKE 11 STUDENTS TONGHT. LETS GET STARTED.

EXAM FORMAT WILL BE......

8:31 PM nchham@gmail.com has left

me: EIGHT MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS AND ONE FRQ.

jennylamx93: =[

janettectam: aww

tran.seph: aw.

chowhuiyanangel: :(

tran.seph: goodbye B hello C

brianarroberts: Lol

janettectam: ditto

hong.thi.nguyen.17: cool

brianarroberts: Have faith

8:32 PM me: YOU GUYS WILL DO FINE.

jennylamx93: are you able to tell us the particular subtopic?

me: LETS PREPARE.

tran.seph: thats what you said about the last FRQ. lol lets go!!

me: SOME GENERAL FRQ TIPS:

1) EXPLAIN WHAT YOU MEAN.

8:33 PM 2) PRETEND YOU'RE EXPLAINING IT TO A LITTLE KID

WHICH TEST TOPIC WOULD YALL LIKE TO GO OVER?

8:34 PM chowhuiyanangel: interest group

tran.seph: interest group because we didnt really cover it in class so much

brianarroberts: Interest groups

janettectam: gerrymandering and malapportionment

8:35 PM me: OK. SOUNDS LIKE INTEREST GROUPS ARE THE WAY TO GO HERE. THEN ILL DO GERRYMANDERING FOR JANETTE.

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me: INTEREST GROUPS ARE GROUPS THAT TRY TO INFLUENCE PUBLIC POLICY.

8:36 PM THEY TRY TO DO THIS IN FOUR MAJOR WAYS: LOBBYING, ELECTIONEERING, EDUCATING THE PUBLIC AND MOBILIZING THE PUBLIC.

jennylamx93: an example of how this might be questioned on test?

me: A SAMPLE QUESTION COMING....

jennylamx93: ok

8:37 PM me: 1) WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS TRUE OF INTEREST GROUPS AND POLITICAL PARTIES?

WAIT, HOLD ON TECHNICAL DIFFFICULT

...........

8:38 PM cheunglisa11@gmail.com has joined

me: 5) A major difference between political parties and interest groups is that:
A. Interest groups typically shift their positions on issues over time, while political parties tend to keep the same position on issues over time.
B. Interest groups usually recruit candidates for office, while political parties usually limit themselves to making campaign contributions to candidates.
C. Political parties seek to gain control of government, while interest groups seek to influence public policy
D. Political parties tend to have narrow coalitions of support, and interest groups tend to have broad coalitions of support
E. Political parties usually focus on one issue, while
interest groups focus mainly on many issues

brianarroberts: I can't see the other answers

tran.seph: C

jennylamx93: c

cheunglisa11: c

poptarts600: c

8:39 PM hong.thi.nguyen.17: C

chowhuiyanangel: c

me: YUP.

THATS AN ACTUAL AP QUESTION

janettectam: c

jennylamx93: hope it appears again

me: THE ANSWER IS C

8:40 PM IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT INTEREST GROUPS TEND TO FAVOR THOSE IN POWER ALREADY.

8:41 PM tran.seph: should we wait for you to say "GO" next time?

jennylamx93: is there questions that ask specific things about the major ways of interest groups?

me: SURE.

*SURE TO JOW

JOE

INTEREST GROUPS USUALLY DONATE PAC MONEY TO INCUMBENTS.

8:42 PM OTHER THAN THAT, I THINK WE'RE FAIRLY COVERED ON INTEREST GROUPS FOR THIS EXAM.

GERRYMANDERING?

jennylamx93: yes

brianarroberts: Wait

me: YES BRI?

brianarroberts: Whats mobilizing the public

8:43 PM me: MOBILIZING THE PUBLIC: GETTING PEOPLE TO ACT TOGETHER TO DRAW ATTENTION TO YOUR ISSUE. EXAMPLE: AN INTEREST GROUP SPONSORED WOMEN'S RIGHTS MARCH.

brianarroberts: Thanks

8:44 PM me: GERRYMANDERING NEXT?

tran.seph: sure

janettectam: yes

jennylamx93: si

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me: THE PRACTICE OF GERRYMANDERING IS ABOUT 200 YEARS OLD.

8:45 PM westleyglazer@gmail.com has joined

me: IT CONSISTS OF CREATIVELY REDRAWING DISTRICTS TO BENEFIT A SPECIFIC GROUP.

8:46 PM SAMPLE QUESTION?

jennylamx93: yuhhuh

8:47 PM brianarroberts: Can you put it up one at a time??

me: 4) Which of the following is an example of gerrymandering?
A. A presidential candidate only campaigns in states with a large amount of electoral votes
B. A city council votes to redraw district lines to better protect those already in power
C. A judge rules to limit mayors to two consecutive terms
D. An interest group lobbies a Congressman to vote against a harmful regulation
E. A city council has a district with substantially fewer constituents than other districts

tran.seph: b

poptarts600: b

8:48 PM me: uh....OK GO

janettectam: b

chowhuiyanangel: b

me: ANYONE ELSE?

jennylamx93: no im confused with e

8:49 PM cheunglisa11: b

me: THE ANSWER IS B.

tran.seph: wouldn't E be malappointment?

me: E IS AN EXAMPLE OF MALAPPORTIONMENT

janettectam: is that actually a ap question?

jennylamx93: ohhhh i got it mixed up

janettectam: an*

me: MALAPPORTIONMENT IS WHEN ONE DISTRICT HAS SUBSTANTIALLY MORE OR LESS CONSTITUENTS.

8:50 PM NOT ACTUALLY AN AP QUESTION THAT TIME.

FOR LATECOMERS: TOMORROW'S EXAM IS 8 MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS AND AN FRQ.

chowhuiyanangel: im still confused with these two now

8:51 PM janettectam: same

me: OK. CLARIFICATION.

GERRYMANDERING IS ALL ABOUT CHANGING THE SHAPE OF A DISTRICT. MALAPPORTIONMENT IS ABOUT CHANGING THE POPULATION OF A DISTRICT.

tran.seph: Gerrymandering is rearranging border lines so one group has more power, and as a result malappoortionment happens?

8:52 PM jennylamx93: ohh ok better

janettectam: ohhh i see

me: YES JOE, SOMETIMES MALAPPORTIONMENT IS A RESULT OF GERRYMANDERING, BUT NOT ALWAYS.

jennylamx93: another sample on this?

please?

8:53 PM me: WILL SEARCH MY STUFF....HANG ON.....

8:54 PM 6) Which best defines malapportionment?
A. When judges are appointed based solely on their political beliefs
B. When presidential candidates choose to use their resources in swing states
C. When an electoral district has an abnormally large or abnormally small population
D. When minorities are “packed” into one electoral district
E. The restrictions placed on district size by the Federal Elections Commision

OK GO

chowhuiyanangel: c

jennylamx93: c

hong.thi.nguyen.17: c

janettectam: c or d

oh wait not d

tran.seph: c

8:55 PM me: THE ANSWER IS C. GOOD JOB.

ID LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THIRD PARTIES ON PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS NEXT...OBJECTIONS?

janettectam: nope

brianarroberts: Yes

8:56 PM I mean no

jennylamx93: yes

i mean

yea wat she sed

michaeldavidson2012@gmail.com has joined

me: WELL LOOK WHO JUST STRUTTED IN

michaeldavidson2012: SO Sorry :(

brianarroberts: Oooooh

jennylamx93: :o

8:57 PM tran.seph: welcome to the party mike

michaeldavidson2012: Practice was intense, I had no excuse to leave early. New years is approaching swiftly. SORRY

me: I WAS JUST ABOUT TO GO OVER THE ROLE OF 3RD PARTIES IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.

michaeldavidson2012: Alright, awesome

8:58 PM me: THIRD PARTIES HAVE ALMOST NO SHOT AT WINNING, BUT CAN OFTEN IMPACT PRESIDENTIAL RACES. TWO WAYS THIS HAPPENS....GO.....

michaeldavidson2012: They can take votes from a candidate of the same party.

me: TRUE

8:59 PM tran.seph: they take votes away. they can help promote another candidate?

me: IF BY SAME PARTY YOU MEAN SIMILAR PARTY

michaeldavidson2012: Yes.

brianarroberts: Popular vote??

me: ONE MORE WAY....

ANYONE?

brianarroberts: Electoral votes

9:00 PM me: BRIANA, HOLD UP A SEC.

michaeldavidson2012: Hmm...

me: ANYONE ELSE HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW 3RD PARTIES CAN CHANGE A PRESIDENTIAL RACE BESIDES SIPHONING VOTES?

9:01 PM michaeldavidson2012: Hmm, thats the only one I remember....

9:02 PM me: OK, HERE IS ANOTHER: A THIRD PARTY CAN BRING AN ISSUE THEY ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT TO THE NATIONAL DEBATE AND GET MAJOR PARTY CANDIDATES TO DISCUSS IT.

jennylamx93: ohhh

michaeldavidson2012: I don't remember discussing this....

me: IT WAS IN THE READING AND MENTIONED IN CLASS.

michaeldavidson2012: They have more power then I thought.

9:03 PM me: THEY ARE STILL FAIRLY POWERLESS.

brianarroberts: So the third parties ideas will be taken away by the major candidates??

9:04 PM me: THEY CAN BE, BRIANA. THAT IS CONSIDERED A MAJOR SUCCESS BY A 3RD PARTY..

michaeldavidson2012: Can a third party candidate appear at a debate that is on TV?

9:05 PM me: BOTH PEROT IN 1992 AND NADER IN 2000 APPEARED IN NATIONAL DEBATES.

DEPENDS ON HOW POPULAR THEY ARE...

PEROT ENDED UP WITH ABOUT 20% OF THE POP. VOTE

michaeldavidson2012: Wow.

me: AND SIPHONED ENOUGH VOTES AWAY FROM BUSH SR. TO GIVE THE WHITE HOUSE TO CLINTON.

9:06 PM hong.thi.nguyen.17@gmail.com has left

michaeldavidson2012: That might've been the best outcome.

me: THIS IS THE REASON WHY THE REPUBLICANS ARE CURRENTLY WORRIED ABOUT RON PAUL DROPPING OUT OF THE PRIMARIES AND RUNNING AS AN INDEPENDENT. MAKES SENSE EVERYBODY?

9:07 PM brianarroberts: Yeah

poptarts600: yeah

michaeldavidson2012: Ahh, cause then they will have even less chance against Obama.

me: MOST AMERICANS AGREE THAT SUPPORTING A THIRD PARTY IS LIKE THROWING YOUR VOTE AWAY.

HOWEVER, THE PARTIES HAVE THEIR USES.

9:09 PM michaeldavidson2012: Are the third party candidates siphoning votes deliberately?

me: LIKE INTRODUCING NEW ISSUES INTO DEBATES OR EVEN EARNING POSITIONS IN MAJOR PARTY ADMINISTRATIONS.

NOT DELIBERATELY, NO. BUT IT IS COMMONLY KNOWN IN THE POLITICAL WORLD.

michaeldavidson2012: They already know they stand no chance, so why run third party to lose?

me: THEY RUN TO GET THEIR PLATFORM ISSUES RECOGNIZED BY THE PUBLIC.

9:10 PM michaeldavidson2012: ROEMER!

me: IF GORE DID A BETTER JOB OF ADDRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS IN 2000, HE WOULD'T HAVE LOST SO MANY VOTES TO THE GREEN PARTY (NADER)

tran.seph: wait!!!

michaeldavidson2012: He did make a movie.....

9:11 PM me: INCONVENIENT TRUTH CAME OUT AFTER HIS CAMPAIGN.

michaeldavidson2012: ahh.

tran.seph: i was going to ask you something like this. Gore won popular vote, but im confused why didnt he win presidency. i know that u said majority vote doesnt mean win but im confused about what happened

me: WHICH IS WHY I WILL BE FOREVER ANGRY WITH AL GORE.

michaeldavidson2012: I wonder what kind of economical status we would be in if Gore won.

me: OK, JOE'S QUESTION:

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me: BUSH WON A MAJORITY OF THE ELECTORAL VOTE WHILE GORE WON THE POPULAR VOTE.

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michaeldavidson2012: That can be a little confusing...

9:13 PM me: BECAUSE OF THE WINNER TAKE ALL SYSTEM IN THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE, IT DOESNT MATTER IF YOU WIN A STATE BY ONE VOTE OR ONE MILLION VOTES. SAME RESULT.

9:14 PM BUSH WON A LOT OF STATES BY A THIN MARGIN. GORE WON FEWER STATES, BUT BY A LARGER MARGIN.

michaeldavidson2012: well the confusing thing is, don't the electoral votes represent the popular vote?

OHHHHHHHH

THATS IT!

9:15 PM tran.seph: wait how come nobody tries to win by using the 20 percent thing we saw today?

me: THINK OF IT THIS WAY: THE WORLD SERIES IS THE BEST OF SEVEN GAMES. YOU HAVE TO WIN FOUR GAMES TO BE CHAMPION. IT DOESNT MATTER HOW MANY RUNS YOU SCORE, SO LONG AS YOU WIN THOSE FOUR GAMES.

michaeldavidson2012: That is a lot of states you have to win Joe.

9:16 PM which means a lot of time and money candidates dont have

me: YOU CAN SQUEAK OUT 1 RUN WINS IN FOUR GAMES AND GET BLOWN OUT IN THE OTHER THREE. STILL CHAMPION.

POPULAR VOTE IS SIMPLY: ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE. CANDIDATE WITH THE MOST VOTES WINS.

9:17 PM chowhuiyanangel: but isnt when the candidate win the majority votes, he/she will get the electoral votes due to the winner take all system?!

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me: GOOD QUESTION. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE POPULAR VOTE, WE ARE TALKING NATIONWIDE.

NOT IN AN INDIVIDUAL STATE.

michaeldavidson2012: ohh.

9:18 PM chowhuiyanangel: get it now :)

jennylamx93: his computer crashed

joe*

me: OUR STAGGERING GENIUS BROKE JOE'S COMPUTER.

9:19 PM michaeldavidson2012: Oh Mr.Pedone, I've been meaning to ask. How have states like California and Texas become totally obstinate to their opposite party.

9:20 PM me: THEY AREN'T, ACTUALLY. THERE ARE MANY, MANY DEMOCRATS IN TEXAS. HOWEVER BECAUSE OF THE WINNER TAKE ALL SYSTEM IN THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE, THEIR VOTES FOR PRESIDENT WILL NOT COUNT.

THEY ARE SIMPLY OUTNUMBERED BY REPUBLICANS BY TOO WIDE A MARGIN.

michaeldavidson2012: But I mean how did it just become totally Republican in Texas, did it just happen?

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9:21 PM me: COMBINATION OF SEVERAL FACTORS: IMMIGRATION, GUN CONTROL, CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY, DEATH PENALTY, ETC...

michaeldavidson2012: Ahh.

9:22 PM Especially since Texas is right on the border.

me: I'VE GOT ABOUT 8 MINUTE LEFT HERE....WHAT ELSE WOULD EVERYONE LIKE TO REVIEW?

9:23 PM tran.seph: Can we get any details on what the FRQ topic will be about?

michaeldavidson2012: Well since there isn't a deep involvement in Interest groups, I'd say we're good on that.

OHH

so it is FRQ

me: THE FRQ TOPIC WILL BE ON ADVANCED PLACEMENT GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS. THAT IS THE BEST I CAN DO.

michaeldavidson2012: _

9:24 PM poptarts600: Will you use any multiple choice questions from the last test?

me: MIKE: 8 MULTIPLE CHOICE AND AN FRQ

tran.seph: thats wack... lol

jennylamx93: lol

michaeldavidson2012: Only 8? Sweet.

jennylamx93: noo not sweet

me: NICK: NOPE.

jennylamx93: higher chance of failure!

for me anyway

tran.seph: ditto

chowhuiyanangel: packing and cracking are the strategies of gerrymandering or malapportionment, or both?!

me: GERRYMANDERING

9:25 PM michaeldavidson2012: malapportionment is usually the result, correct?

me: SOMETIMES THE RESULT, YES.

cheunglisa11: what are the main things that we need to know about the electoral college?

9:26 PM me: YOU NEED TO KNOW WHY IT STINKS

9:27 PM tran.seph: do we need to know the 6types of interest groups?

me: I.E.: LOW VOTER TURNOUT, UNFAIR REPRESENTATION, SOMETIMES THE LOSER WINS, ALTERS CAMPAIGNS, ONLY SWING STATES IMPORTANT, ETC.

tran.seph: or 8

me: JOE: NOT CRUCIAL RIGHT NOW.

tran.seph: kkay

michaeldavidson2012: Will we need to know the types of influence in depth?

9:28 PM cheunglisa11: do we need to know any of the recent vocab?

me: NOT IN DEPTH, BUT KNOW THEM. ALSO KNOW THAT INTEREST GROUP HIGHLY FAVOR INCUMBENTS.

michaeldavidson2012: Cause then they don't waste money!

me: LISA: NOT ESPECIALLY.

JUST TYPICAL JARGON

tran.seph: 2 minutes to go... time to think of last minute questions :o

cheunglisa11: okayy

michaeldavidson2012: Jargon? New word.

9:29 PM Need to look that up.

tran.seph: ahaha

me: JARGON IS NOT JARGON

brianarroberts: When will this be up on the blog???

me: ASAP

michaeldavidson2012: O_o

tran.seph: wait what? what is jargon then if its not jargon

me: JARGON IS VERNACULAR

tran.seph: dictionary.com time

9:30 PM michaeldavidson2012: _

brianarroberts: Like the appendix

poptarts600: oh can you put that video that you showed us today on the blog.

tran.seph: okay

michaeldavidson2012: When i said i needed to look it up i meant cause I wana know the word meaning.

me: IF THE AP TEST WAS ON TYPING OUT LITTLE FACES, YOU ALL WOULD GET 5'S.

michaeldavidson2012: YEAH! That thing was cool.. It had other ones too!

tran.seph: ahahaha so true -_-'

9:31 PM brianarroberts: I don't have those

michaeldavidson2012: Nice. d[-_-]b

brianarroberts: :(

Oooo

It moved

me: I WILL TRY TO UPLOAD THE VIDEO, BUT BLOGSPOT CAN BE DIFFICULT.

9:30 YOU GUYS FEEL BETTER PREPARED?

michaeldavidson2012: You can just post the link to the video.

9:32 PM tran.seph: <( ' ' <) ^( ' ' ) ^ (> ' ')> kirby dancing! not really. i dont think my head is going to be 100 pct focused for tmrw's test

michaeldavidson2012: Kinda sorta, i gotta study. Late entry

brianarroberts: It was ok

michaeldavidson2012: I'm more scared for the FRQ

9:33 PM brianarroberts: Me too!!!

michaeldavidson2012: We over analyze it most of the time.

tran.seph: i under analyzed it last time :(

me: BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, GUYS AND GIRLS. YOU CAN DO IT!

9:34 PM BUT FOR NOW, GO STUDY AND GET SOME SLEEP.

SIGNING OFF.

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michaeldavidson2012: Adios.~

brianarroberts: Feel better!!

tran.seph: cya mr pedone

have a ncie night

jennylamx93: byee

michaeldavidson2012: Drink some Orange juice.

chowhuiyanangel: good nite

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Mr. Pedone's AP Government Blog

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Homework 2.5 (Assigned 11/29)

Monday, November 28, 2011

Homework 2.4 (Assigned 11/28)

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Homework 2.3 (Assigned 11/23)

Monday, November 21, 2011

Homework 2.2 (Assigned 11/21)

Friday, November 18, 2011

Homework 2.1 (Assigned 11/8)

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

IN CLASS ACTIVITY: ReDistricting Game (11/16)

Monday, November 14, 2011

Electoral College Video (Chat Wrap Below)

Exam Review Chat Wrap 11/14