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| | ''To enroll, see [[Conservapedia:American Government Fall 2010]].'' | | ''To enroll, see [[Conservapedia:American Government Fall 2010]].'' |
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| − | The Tuesday after the first Monday in November: what is special about that day in the United States? It is Election Day. This is the day that determines who runs government.
| + | Consider the Tuesday after the first Monday in November: what is special about that day? It is Election Day in the "United States of America."<ref>The term the "United States of America" was first coined in the late 1700s by Thomas Paine, the author of ''Common Sense''.</ref> This is the day that determines who runs government. |
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| | This year Election Day is the earliest it can possibly be: November 2nd, which is the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Election Day can never be on November 1st because then the Monday would be in October rather than November. | | This year Election Day is the earliest it can possibly be: November 2nd, which is the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Election Day can never be on November 1st because then the Monday would be in October rather than November. |
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| − | By the time of this first day of our class, Election Day will be less than two months away. With each passing day the political excitement and anticipation will grow. Everyone in Congress and the White House is repeatedly thinking and worrying about Election Day.
| + | Election Day is only two months from now. With each passing day the political excitement and anticipation will grow. Everyone in Congress and the White House is repeatedly thinking and worrying about Election Day. |
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| − | In every even-numbered year, 435 members of the House of Representatives and one-third of the members of the U.S. Senate are elected to serve in Washington, D.C. In every year divisible by four, a president is also elected; these are called presidential elections, and other elections are called "midterm elections" because they occur halfway during a president's term. | + | In every ''even-numbered'' year, 435 members of the House of Representatives and one-third of the members of the U.S. Senate are elected to serve in Washington, D.C. In every year divisible by four, a president is also elected; these are called presidential elections, and other elections are called "midterm elections" because they occur halfway during a president's term. |
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| | American government is like a complex clock, with different parts having their own special functions, often independent of each other. Elections are akin to ''setting'' the clock to a particular time, from which point it starts to operate forward. | | American government is like a complex clock, with different parts having their own special functions, often independent of each other. Elections are akin to ''setting'' the clock to a particular time, from which point it starts to operate forward. |
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| | Politicians think about their moment of reelection nearly every day, and it influences much of what they do. Note that not all politicians are in the same election, and many people in government (such and United States judges and many workers in Washington, D.C.) never face an election. But everyone who creates new laws, from the members of the House of Representatives (called "congressmen") to the members of the Senate (called "senators") to the President, must defeat opponents in elections to attain power or stay in power. | | Politicians think about their moment of reelection nearly every day, and it influences much of what they do. Note that not all politicians are in the same election, and many people in government (such and United States judges and many workers in Washington, D.C.) never face an election. But everyone who creates new laws, from the members of the House of Representatives (called "congressmen") to the members of the Senate (called "senators") to the President, must defeat opponents in elections to attain power or stay in power. |
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| − | discuss sources of information (television, radio, newspapers, internet, conferences, schools, word-of-mouth), and media bias | + | We will discuss this in more detail later, but it is worth mentioning here too. There are three branches of federal government: legislative (Congress), executive (President and numerous agencies under his supervision), and the judiciary (the courts). In addition, there is state government, which is completely independent of the federal government in our unique system of dual sovereigns. There is also free enterprise (the free market), which is regulated by government but has an independent influence on Elections, as the economy has good times and bad and thereby affects how people vote. |
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| − | branches of government, federal and state; also role of the economy in elections.
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| − | role of campaign spending
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| | == Difference Between Politics and History == | | == Difference Between Politics and History == |
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| | concept of "lame duck" session | | concept of "lame duck" session |
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| | + | discuss sources of information (television, radio, newspapers, internet, conferences, schools, word-of-mouth), and media bias |
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| | + | role of campaign spending |
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| | (add more) | | (add more) |