Although Matthew does extremely well in answering the AP multiple-choice questions, he continues to encounter challenges in answering the essays or free-response questions. As I have provided comments and feedback on his essays, today we reviewed his Unit 4 FRQ essay response in light of my comments. We discussed ideas to improve his essay response including paying closer attention to the focus of the question. We then reviewed the assigned work due for the remainder of the week.
Session Minutes
45
Minutes Student Attended
20
Lesson Comments
Matthew was online today(again) and was quite late in signing on accounting for the 20 minutes attended.
Almost 25% of the AP exam addresses voter participation . As such ,today's lesson focused on Matthew's being able to identify how voter participation is influenced by :demographics , state election laws, and linkage institutions such as elections, parties, interest groups and the media. We first noted the gap between suffrage rights and voter participation and discussed why some people do not vote . I then placed demographic factors on the board and Matthew discussed the predictive value of demographic factors in determining voter participation. Next, we reviewed how state voting laws such as registration requirements, mail -in voting, and polling hours impact participation .Matthew discussed the tension between providing easier access to the election process and preventing voter fraud. Last, I defined linkage institutions as communication channels between citizens and the government and briefly examined how elections, political parties and interest groups connect citizens with government and policy decisions.
Today's lesson included instruction on the Constitutional basis for suffrage. I discussed how universal suffrage was not a goal of the Founding Fathers who framed the Constitution so that only white men could vote and only directly for members of the House not for the Senate or the president. I then reviewed all of the constitutional amendments that provided voting rights to African Americans, women, Indians, and citizens over the age of 18 . I further discussed the importance of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the act's evisceration in the case of Shelby v Holder. Last, I defined the models of voting participation: rational, retrospective, prospective and party line,
After outlining the budget process, I detailed the use of continuing resolutions to fund the government in the absence of an approved budget . Next, I outlined the source of the government's revenue and the areas of federal expenditure. We noted that about 50% of the federal budget is spent on Medicare and Social Security and about 18% on defense. We then discussed the political ideologies of the parties on balancing the budget and raising the debt ceiling. Specifically, we discussed how each party would propose to cut federal spending or address revenues.Matthew offered ideas for reducing the budget deficit but noted the political obstacles to implementing his proposals. I then reviewed the terms fiscal policy and monetary policy and discussed how Congress might be able to influence the Fed other than by passing legislation,for example by holding up confirmations for nominees to the Board of Governors or by using its oversight powers to hold public hearings on the rationale for some of the Fed's decisions on raising or lowering interest rates.
Todays lesson objective : Align political ideology of each party with an economic theory. On the board, I outlined first the elements of Keynesian economic theory and explained how this theory aligns with liberal or democratic ideology. Second, I outlined the elements of the Austrian school of economics advocated by Hayek and noted its similarity to Adam Smith's free market approach. I explained how this aligns with conservative or Republican ideology . I further referenced the related theory of supply side economics. Last, I noted the elements of monetarist economics citing the writings of Milton Friedman. I noted how this theory aligns more with the conservative ideology rather than Keynesian economics.In this regard, I began to address the elements of monetary policy and the role of the Fed in regulating the money supply.
