Joshua began working on 2.1 and we discussed the composition of the US Congress.

Joshua completed the Unit 1 Progress check and did very well!

We examined the role of interest groups in influencing public policy. I addressed how interest groups use lobbyist and PACs to influence legislative agendas and distinguished a PAC from an interest group. Further, we examined the types of interest groups, examples of interest groups, why people join interest groups, and how public interest groups face the "free rider" problem of those who benefit from the group's activity but do not contribute to its maintenance. We then began a study of the presidential election process. I explained the terms "invisible primary" and "closed primary" .

We discussed the role of third parties (minor parties) in politics by first identifying why third parties never win elections. On the board I noted : lack of monetary resources, single issue campaigns. candidate centered campaigns, and the absorption of third party ideas into the platforms of the two major parties. Further, we addressed how the "winner take all" system rather than proportional representation allows a plurality major party candidate to successfully achieve office without majority support . Matthew offered insights into why third parties rarely gain traction and discussed the prevailing debate over whether a vote for a third party candidate is a "wasted vote."

A religious movement is an organized effort at religious reform and sometimes involves efforts to change secular aspects of society, including political systems and public policy. Religious movements are as diverse as the world's religions that underlie them. Religious movements may influence international relations primarily through: religiously orientated individuals supporting leaders, policies and organizations that align with their religious beliefs,religious organizations attempting to influence key decision-makers on policy issues that concern their religious beliefs, transnational organizations spreading their movement across borders through recruitment, fundraising, humanitarian aid and even militant actions, supranational religious organizations that have, or basically have, diplomatic-like power to participate directly in international organizations and international relations, intergovernmental religious-based organizations that provide a forum for discussion and unified action for their member states to advance their religious-based agendas. While the world has generally become more secularized, religious movements continue to play an influential role in international relations.

Absent for last period (7th).

Terrorist and criminal organizations are international actors. Terrorism may be defined as violent action undertaken against a civilian target for the purpose of achieving a political objective. It's the political objective that separates terrorism from mere criminal activity.A criminal organization involves the association of two or more people engaged in a criminal enterprise. Transnational criminal organizations are criminal organizations that engage in criminal activities that affect more than one country. Major transnational criminal organizations include the Italian mafia, the Chinese triads, Russian mafia, South American drug cartels and African criminal organizations.

A non-governmental organization (NGO) is typically a very large organizations with a global scope and multinational members and staff. The NGO definition is very broad and encompasses many kinds of organizations. What NGOs are is often used interchangeably with non-profit organizations, but they are not necessarily the same: all NGOs are nonprofits, but not all nonprofits are considered NGOs. A nonprofit can be any size and operate in any geographic area with any mission, as long as it serves a public good. What NGOs do depends upon their mission. Some missions are humanitarian or to promote some social cause. Some types of NGOs receive government funding, but all operate as not-for-profit entities focused on a mission or goal. This differentiates NGOs from corporations, whose primary motive is profit. International NGOs may work in tandem with corporations or government institutions, such as the United States Agency for Development (USAID), which funds NGOs and local non-profits to conduct numerous activities to promote economic and community development in countries outside the U.S. Notable NGO examples include Greenpeace, whose mission is environmental protection, Wikileaks, focused on internet privacy; Amnesty International, which is an advocacy NGO that is focused on human rights; Doctors Without Borders, which provides medical personnel and equipment for public health crises; Oxfam, is focused on promoting equality to reduce poverty and prevent or mitigate food insecurity. The International Committee of the Red Cross/Red Crescent (ICRC) is an operational NGO that provides population support needed from disasters or conflicts. In addition, this NGO plays a role in emergency planning. The largest NGO in the world is the United Nations, whose agencies provide support including peace keeping operations, refugee and internally displaced persons and other humanitarian aid, public health policy and implementation, food aid, global development, and many other forms of human security activities, research, education, monitoring, and advocacy.

Politics, the process of making policy decisions, requires the careful selection of qualified candidates. In an effort to make that job easier, political parties evolved. These organizations form when dedicated people come together to win elections, operate the government, and determine public policy. The members work together to develop a set of ideals and positions called the party's political platform. They do this by recruiting candidates for public office, organizing and running elections, presenting policies to voters, taking responsibility for running the government, and creating policies that support the party's platform. Political parties also act as the organized opposition to the party in power. There are many different types of political parties, including mass parties, which are the most recognizable, catch-all parties, which seek to gain as many members as possible even if that degrades their platform, niche parties, which form around a specific issue, such as environmentalism, and cadre parties, which seek to allow elites to retain power. All types of political parties have an organizational structure that bears many similarities to large corporations, but their division of power is much less rigid. Still, political parties maintain a firm grasp on the governments of most modern-day democracies.

Today we looked at the characteristics of political party systems and membership and the political party systems and membership of the U.S. and some additional countries. How does one become a member of a political party in the U.S. and other countries around the world. We practiced data analysis skills by working on a quantitative FRQ based on content from Unit 4.