1. Ch. 15: Protecting Civil Rights and Ch. 18: Political Parties

2. Section 15.1:Citizenship and Immigration Civic responsibilities (obligations that come with citizenship) –Examples: paying taxes, respecting others rights, public service, etc… Becoming a US Citizen –A person can become a citizen in three ways, two determined by birth and the third by a legal process –By Birth People can become citizens by birth if at least one of their parents is a US citizen (citizenship by parentage is called “jus sanguinis” or law of the blood –A child born in a foreign nation to at least one US citizen is only granted citizenship if that parent has lived in the US or a US territory for five years »Two of the five years must be after the parent was 14 years old »The child can lose citizenship if they don’t live in the US or one of its territories for two continuous years between their 14 th and 21 st birthdays

3. Section 15.1:Citizenship and Immigration Becoming a US Citizen –By Birth continued A second way a person can become a citizen is being born in the US or one of its territories –This principle of citizenship by birthplace is called “jus soli” or law of the soil –This principle was set into place by the 14 th Amendment, which said those born in the US are citizens –Through Naturalization Naturalization is a legal process by which immigrants become citizens The Naturalization process –Enter the US legally »To reach the next step a legal alien must have lived in the country for 5 years, be at least 18, complete an application, be able to read, understand, and write English, demonstrate good moral character, and take an oath of allegiance to the US in a swearing in ceremony Collective naturalization: given citizenship to a group of people at once

5. Section 15.1:Citizenship and Immigration Losing Citizenship –States may not take away someone’s citizenship, though they may restrict some of their rights (such as the right to vote) if that person commits a felony (such as murder) –A court may take away citizenship of someone who became a citizen through fraud, such as lying about material on a citizenship application Denaturalization is the loss of citizenship –Every citizen has the right to denounce (give up voluntarily) their citizenship –You can’t lose your citizenship for deserting the military in wartime or voting in a foreign election

6. Section 15.2: Diversity and Equal Protection Immigration Polices –Unrestricted immigration For much of colonial and early US history, there were few immigration rules –Before the late 1800s anyone who wanted to come the US could do so with few or no restrictions –Immigrants came for land to own and economic and/or religious freedom –Over time, tension arose between immigrants (now 15% of the population in 1890) over competition for jobs & cultural differences »The Irish faced a lot of discrimination early on when they first arrived –Immigration restrictions In 1882 Congress imposed a tax on those who entered the country and denied entry for convicted criminals, paupers, and people w/ mental illnesses –The Congress also banned immigrants from China In 1921 and 1924, the Congress set caps on how many immigrants could come to the US from other countries –Immigration from Asia and Africa was completely stopped and immigration from Latin America was greatly restricted

8. Section 15.2: Diversity and Equal Protection Immigration Polices continued –Immigration Policy Today Immigration restrictions were eased after WWII –Asian immigrants accounted for 38% of all legal immigrants in 1965 –By the 1970s more than 40% of legal immigrants came form Latin America –The level of immigration today is determined by the Immigration Act of 1990, which allows for 675,000 legal immigrants a year –Illegal Immigration About 10-12 million illegal immigrants in the US today –These illegals came to the US w/out the legal immigration papers and by law should not be here –Illegals caught can face deportation (forced return to their home country) –Throughout the last century, the Congress has granted amnesty (a pardon to those who entered the country illegally) and allowed these illegals to apply for citizenship –Illegal immigration remains a hot issue to this day and will play a role in the 2012 presidential election

10. Section 15.2: Diversity and Equal Protection A Nation of Diversity –Immigration has led to a diverse US population This great diversity has brought many benefits, as well as some difficult challenges –Benefits of Diversity The diversity of cultures makes many people’s lives richer through the celebration of the music, food, and literature of different ethnic groups There are some neighborhoods such as China Town in New York City where one ethnic group (a group of people within a country who share common characteristics such as race, religion, and language)

12. Section 15.2: Diversity and Equal Protection A Nation of Diversity continued –Challenges of Diversity Among the challenges are prejudice and discrimination –Prejudice is an opinion formed without careful & reasonable investigation of the facts »Acts of prejudice is called discrimination »Discrimination and prejudice are declining in American society since the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s

13. Section 15.3: Struggle for Civil Rights Civil rights are those powers or privileges that governments grant to individuals to guarantee their equal treatment under the law Equal Protection of the Law –The Equal Protection Clause of the 14 th Amendment keeps state governments from classifying people unfairly and from making unreasonable distinctions between groups of people –Reasonable Distinction Government can make distinctions between groups of people under specific circumstances following the guidelines of the rational basis test and the strict scrutiny test –Example of a legal reasonable distinction: charging different tuition rates between in state and out of state students

14. Section 15.3: Struggle for Civil Rights Equal Protection of the Law –Rational Basis Test The courts recognize that government sometimes has good reasons or a rational basis for treating some classes of people differently from others –Distinctions are valid under the rational basis test if they are part of a law that establishes reasonable methods of accomplishing a legitimate goal of government (ex: not allowing people under 21 to drink) –Strict Scrutiny Test In cases where government makes distinctions between people based on race or national origin, federal courts have adopted a much stricter standard –With the strict scrutiny test, government must show there are compelling reasons that make laws that distinguishes by race important to public interest

15. Section 15.3: Struggle for Civil Rights Civil Rights and Equal Protection –Civil rights movement: the struggle by minorities and women to gain in practice the rights guaranteed to them in the Constitution –De jure segregation Segregation (mandatory separation of the races) by law Present in the south through the use of Jim Crow Laws that divided southern society to “white” and “colored” schools, drinking fountains, etc… Plessy v. Ferguson (1896): Supreme Court case that created the separate-but-equal doctrine as law in the US –In reality everything was separate but never equal

18. Section 15.3: Struggle for Civil Rights Civil Rights and Equal Protection –Rolling Back Segregation Brown v. Board of Education (1954): Supreme Court case that declared separate was not equal in education and called for the desegregation of schools Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg (1971): Supreme Court case that forced schools to impose busing plans and set admission levels to speed up desegregation Loving v. Virginia (1967): Supreme Court case that declared laws forbidding interracial marriages unconstitutional –De facto segregation Segregation by custom or as a matter of fact Still present in some areas of the country today

21. Section 15.4: Civil Rights Laws Civil Rights Laws –Early Laws Civil Rights Act of 1866: sought to protect the right to vote for African Americans and a law passed a year later outlawed discrimination in public places –These acts were ignored by the states and not enforced by the federal government –Thus America became two countries a black nation and a white nation with the black nation being poorer and less free –Nonviolent protests December 1955: Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a bus to a white man and is arrested in Montgomery –In response, African Americans boycott public transportation in Montgomery led by MLK after a year the Supreme Court declared segregation in public transportation illegal

23. Section 15.4: Civil Rights Laws Civil Rights Laws –Nonviolent protests continued February 1960: Four African American students refuse to leave a whites only dinner in North Carolina starting off a “sit-in” movement to desegregate the diner led by black and white students 1961: Freedom Rides are organized to test the desegregation of interstate buses –One bus was firebombed and the riders beaten and another bus was stopped and the riders arrested yet the rides continued August 1963: Dr. Martin Luther King leads 200,000 Americans in a march on Washington and gives his famous “I have a dream speech” in front of the Lincoln Memorial

27. Section 15.4: Civil Rights Laws Civil Rights Laws –Change takes hold Civil Rights Act of 1964: forbid segregation in public places and extended civil rights protections to minority groups such as protection from job discrimination based on race, gender, ethnicity, or religion Voting Rights Act of 1965: prohibited the use of literacy and other tests to decide if a person could vote Voting Rights Act of 1968: prohibited discrimination based on race, religion, or ethnicity in advertising, financing, sale, and rental of housing These laws created new active voters and gave African Americans the rights they have lacked since the 1870s

28. Section 15.4: Civil Rights Laws Extending Civil Rights –Hispanic Americans Hispanic Americans compose a rapidly growing ethnic group in the US Hispanics have faced discrimination in several areas such as employment and housing –Progress has been made, by 200 Hispanics held 21 seats in the House of Representatives and 197 Hispanics in state legislatures –American Indians For most of US History, the federal government considered American Indians to be conquered peoples with their own separate –Only granted citizenship in 1924 –Since the 1960s American Indians have used protests, court cases, and lobbying efforts to secure civil rights

29. Section 15.4: Civil Rights Laws Extending Civil Rights –Asian Americans Like Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans are a rapidly growing ethnic group in the US –Japanese Americans were interned by the US government during WWII –Like other groups, Asians are protected by civil rights laws –People with Disabilities Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) forbid employers and the owners of public accommodations to discriminate against people with disabilities –Women 19 th Amendment: gave women the right to vote Civil Rights Act of 1964: forbid sex discrimination Since 1979, women have outnumbered men on college campuses Women now work in professions such as law, medicine, and engineering that have been seen as men's work.

30. Section 18.1: Rise of Political Parties Functions of Political Parties –In his farewell address, President Washington warned Americans against the formation of political parties Political parties began to form regardless a few years before Washington left office –Political parties serve three main functions: Assisting the electoral process Organizing the day to day running of the government Nominating candidates

32. Section 18.1: Rise of Political Parties Functions of Political Parties –Assisting the Electoral Process As the nation’s electorate (the body of people entitled to vote) grew, the country needed a system of organization to assist with the electoral process by: –Helping citizens with the technical aspects of voting (registering and going out to vote) –Provide a broad stance on major issues (ex: pro-life or pro-choice) –Closely examining the polices pursued by elected officials »The party out of power closely watches the actions of the party in power –Organizing the Government Party in power chooses leaders of committees in Congress and the president usually appoints people to positions in his administration or to the court who share his political beliefs –Nominating Candidates Parties nominate candidates with broad appeal to run in local, state, and national elections

33. Section 18.1: Rise of Political Parties Types of Party Systems –One Party system A single political party controls the government and clearly dominates political activity –This system is present in countries that claim to be democratic but are in fact dictatorships and all other parties are banned »Ex: China –Two Party System Two parties dominate elections and control of government through competition between them while minor parties exist that are never truly competitive with the two BIG parties –Ex: United States: Republicans vs. Democrats

34. Section 18.1: Rise of Political Parties Types of Party Systems –Multiparty Systems Several parties try to gain control of government –In a multiparty system each party tends to represent a specific region, concern, voter group, or ideology –Because there are so many parties, it is hard for a single party to win a ruling majority forcing some parties to come together and form coalitions »If a coalition collapses, new elections are called thus governments can be unstable in multiparty systems –Countries with a multiparty system: UK, Germany, and Canada

35. Section 18.2: The US Two-Party System Early Political Parties –Federalists and Anti-Federalists The Federalists were supporters of the Constitution while the Anti- Federalists were against the ratification of the constitution –The Federalists won the debate and formed under the first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton as a political party »This party hoped to use the aide of government to promote business and trade and build public infrastructure projects (roads, bridges, etc…) –Hamilton and the Federalist soon had a rival party called the Democratic-Republicans under the leadership of Thomas Jefferson »This party supported farming over manufacturing and did not want the government spending money on infrastructure projects –The Federalist controlled the White House under President Adams but after Jefferson won election in 1800 and the Democratic –Republicans took control of the Congress, the Federalist party gradually faded away disappearing in 1824

37. Section 18.2: The US Two-Party System Early Political Parties –Democrats and Whigs In 1824, the Democratic-Republican party split over support of President Andrew Jackson –Those opposed to Jackson formed the Whig Party which supported an active role for government, federal infrastructure projects, and high tariffs on imported goods –Those who supported Jackson formed the Democratic Party which supported a government that was small and did very little and opposed high tariff The growing slavery debate destroyed the Whig Party that could not agree on a stance on the issue and split the Democratic Party into a Northern and Southern Party The Republican Party arose in 1854 against the expansion of slavery and took the presidency under Abe Lincoln in 1860

39. Section 18.2: The US Two-Party System Republicans and Democrats –Party support after the Civil War Much of the Republican Party’s support came from former Whigs, freed slaves, and anti-slavery Democrats –The party supported business and infrastructure projects The Democrat’s support rested with workers in US cities, new immigrants, and white Southerners angry about the civil war People remained fiercely loyal to their party during the time period of 1865-1896 –Election of 1896 The Democrats lost the presidential contest but this election redefined the roles of the two parties –The Democrats began to gradually lose their no government interference stance and sided with the poor and farmers –The Republicans began adopting strategies to promote economic gains and supported higher tariffs to protect American industry from foreign competition

40. Section 18.2: The US Two-Party System Republicans and Democrats –The Great Depression This event brought about another realignment of the political parties and who supports them A Republican was president when the depression hit and his image of being cold and uncaring cost his party the white house in 1932 to the charismatic Democrat Franklin Roosevelt –Roosevelt tried to use government spending to get the country out of Depression and although these programs did not end the depression, hope was given to many Americans who became loyal Democrats »The Democrats were now the party of BIG government and the Republicans were the party of small government »This current setup between the parties remains the same even today.

42. Section 18.2: The US Two-Party System Third Parties and Independents –An independent candidate is not associated with any party –In a two-party system a third party is any party besides the two dominate ones seeking to directly participate in government –Third parties and independent candidates have had little success but serve important purposes Ross Perot in 1992 ran as an independent and won 19% of the presidential vote –Teddy Roosevelt Progressive Party candidate once Republican President took so many votes away from the Republican candidate that the Democrat won –People who feel that their party has failed to address their concerns may break off and form a splinter party –An ideological third party is a group whose political views differ from those of the majority of the population Ex: Libertarian Party or the Socialist Party

44. Section 18.3: Party Organization Local parties –Party Machines Local governments during the mid/late 1800s were dominated by political machines (organized group of individuals who dominate a political party within a geographic region like a major city) –These machines use their resources to further their own power and control over the political system »Ex: Democratic political machine located at Tammany Hall that controlled NYC politics –These machine maintained control of a region’s government through patronage (awarding political favors in exchange for political support) »Big city machines recruited newly arrived immigrants and gave them jobs, housing, and other perks earning their political support almost permanently

46. Section 18.3: Party Organization Local parties –Local party corruption Before 1888, the government did not provide a ballot with the names of all parties and candidates –Instead, a local party would print ballots with only their candidates on them forcing voters to vote straight ticket (voting for candidates from only one party) –Machines also paid people to vote more than once as their was no voter registration –Because machine got people elected, those newly elected officials owed their loyalty to the machine »Thos elected officials then gave government contract to friends of the machine and took kickbacks (bribes) to look the other way on illegal dealings

48. Section 18.3: Party Organization Local parties –Local party reform First states introduced laws to create a new ballot system –This new system made the government create ballots that listed all parties and candidates which allowed for split ticket voting (voting for candidates of different parties for different offices) –This system introduced voter registration to make sure a person only voted once and eliminated the number of patronage jobs available in government –Lastly, this new system implemented primary elections where the voters not the party bosses choose the candidates for each party –Local parties today Local part structures are broken up into precinct, ward, city, and county levels –Precincts are voting districts into which cities, towns, and counties are divided –Wards are groupings of several precincts in large cities –Each precinct, ward, city, and county has a distinct party organization or committee that work under the supervision of the state party

50. Section 18.3: Party Organization State Parties –Early state parties Were weak and not as well organized as local parties The state party did not receive much funding or support because most citizens participated at the local level –State parties today Stronger national parties have been able to provide funds and support to state parties, which have increased the size and influence of state parties Almost every state party has a permanent headquarters and a full-time chairman who is chosen by a central committee of representatives from each county in the state However, because state parties are dependent on their national party for funds, they must follow rules and procedures passed down by the national party

51. Section 18.3: Party Organization National Parties –During the mid/late 1900s, national parties became powerful organizations that they remain today –National parties today The Democratic and Republican Parties today have not only their own headquarters but also television studios, websites, and a national committee led by a chairperson that uses a large staff Larger national parties with bigger staffs have been able to raise millions of dollars for their candidates National parties are able to offer polling services and advertising to their candidates to benefit their party in elections

52. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz Chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee Reince Priebus Chairman of the Republican National Committee