Essay 18

The federal bureaucracy as part of the executive branch exercises substantial independence in implementing governmental policies and programs.  Most workers in the federal bureaucracy are civil-service employees who are organized under a merit system.  The merit system hires based on testing or promotion based on merit or experience.  The structure of the federal bureaucracy contributes to bureaucratic independence through its larger specialized units and independent agencies.  The complexity of public policy problems contributes through delegated authority and discretionary authority.
Congress can pass legislation affecting the bureaucracy and can reward or punish agency.  The courts can declare bureaucratic actions unconstitutional and can limit their practices through court ruling.  Interest groups use the first amendment for lobbying, protests, speeches and media use, as well as litigation.
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap10_us_govt_politics_scoring_guidelines.pdf

Essay 17

Over the last several decades, the composition of the Democratic and Republican parties has changed in important ways.  A major partisan shift has occurred in the South, but other demographic changes have also been identified, such as the percentage of House seats for Democrats has trended down, as well as the percentage of presidential electoral votes for Democrats going down.
Southern voters from 1948 to 200 were electing Democratic candidates to Congress more frequently than choosing Democratic candidates for the presidency.  Even though Southern voters were voting for Republican republican presidential candidates, they continued to vote for Democratic congressional candidates because of the incumbency advantage.  Gerrymandering also created safe seats for democrats because of districts lines creating safe seats and minority-majority districts.  Even though there were more Republican voters in statewide presidential elections the southerners still voted for Democrats.
Over the past few decades, party composition has changed with respect to Catholics, Women, Labor Union members and social conservatives.  Catholics have contributed to party composition change because they have become less reliable Democratic voters, along with Labor union members.  Women on the other hand have become more reliable Democratic voters and have become a larger percentage of the Democratic voting bloc.  Social conservatives were nonexistent but have become reliable Republican voters.


http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap10_us_govt_politics_scoring_guidelines.pdf

Essay 16

The United States congress and the president together have the power to enact federal law. Federal bureaucratic agencies have the responsibility to execute federal law. However, in the carrying out of these laws, federal agencies have policy making discretion. Congress gives federal agencies policy making discretion in executing federal laws because they do not have the expertise that the agencies have and they are more efficient, making it easier for everyone to come to an agreement.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) exercises its policy-making discretion in order to keep our air and water clean.  They can do this by regulating the use of chemicals in domestic and industrial areas.

Congress ensures that federal agencies follow legislative intent through hearings, investigations, oversight, and more.  They can change laws and veto certain legislation that they dont agree with.

2006-3 The United States congress and the president together have the power to enact federal law. Federal bureaucratic agencies have the responsibility to execute federal law. However, in the carrying out of these laws, federal agencies have policy making discretion.
(1) Explain two reasons why Congress gives federal agencies policy making discretion in executing federal laws.
(2) Choose one of the bureaucratic agencies listed below. Identify the policy area over which it exercises policy-making discretion and give one specific example of how it exercises that discretion.
a. Environmental Protection Agency
b. Federal Communications Commission
c. Federal Reserve board
(3) Describe two ways in which Congress ensures that federal agencies follow legislative intent.

Essay 15

In recent decades, entitlement programs have constituted a substantial portion of the United States federal budget.  An entitlement program is a government program providing mandated/ guaranteed/ required benefits to those who meet eligibility requirements or qualifications.  Social Security is the largest entitlement program in the US.  The primary source of revenue for Social Security is payroll taxes or taxes based on earned income which would be taken out of legal paychecks.  One major threat to the future of this program may be that outputs will start to exceed inputs, or they may ultimately run out of money.  This is also connected to the threat that their will be too many old people due to the baby boom and older generations living longer, but the number of the workers funding the social security are not increasing along with the older generation.  This results in an unequal ratio and that will result in less money paid in, but more money needing to be paid out.  If people were to work longer, less money would be payed out, more money would be payed in and the reserve would not decline as rapidly as predicted.

2006-2 In recent decades, entitlement programs have constituted a substantial portion of the United States federal budget. Social Security is the largest entitlement program in the US. From the information in the chart above, and your knowledge of the US government and politics, perform the following tasks.
(a) define entitlement program
(b) What is the primary source of revenue for the Social Security program
(c) Identify one threat to the future of the Social security program should the trends depicted in the chart continue
(d) Describe on demographic trend that threatens the future of the Social Security program and explain how it is responsible for the threat that you identified in (c )
(e) Explain how any one of the trends in the chart above would change if the age of eligibility for social security were raised.

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/_ap06_gopo_us_sg.pdf

Essay 14

1. The constitution grants the president certain enumerated powers.  Two of these formal powers that enable the president to exert influence over domestic policy are calling congress into session, and legislative powers, such as vetoing and signing legislation.
2.  Mandatory spending is when spending is not controlled by annual budget decisions.  This limits the presidents ability to influence domestic policy making in congress and makes it difficult to make budge cuts tat might accomplish policy goals
Lame-Duck period is a period of time in which an officeholder's term is coming to an end, this can limit the presidents ability to influence policy because his power may be perceived as diminished during this time, and people may become less responsive towards the president.

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/ap08_gopo_us_sgs.pdf