April fifteen. Political Science Questionnaire
In any case, I do apologize for not being here Tuesday,
however my back went out Monday, but that wasn't the reason.
It wasn't the pain that got me. I started taking medication
and Monday night I became -- while I was lecturing --
absolutely disoriented. I know what it feels like to have
Alheimers. I'm serious. It was scary and I started
lecturing something I had already lectured on which I do
naturally when I repeat myself, but I realized it this time
which was scary. I need to let the medication get out of me
but boy I'll tell you now I know I got a feel for what that
is all about.
In any case were the interphaces due Tuesday? And so a
few of you stuck it in my box, but we'll collect those today
and we are now what I wanted to do was go through the
questionnaire with you. We didn't do that yet, did we? No.
And so that granted sort of a boring day for our
interpreters here. We will go through these answers as I
indicated we already talked about this as a voting test.
From the state of Alabama. The voting is state of Alabama
we don't know how many you could have gotten wrong but I
think as most of you probably realized you might not have
voted in Alabama whether you were white or black and that
was the intent to get the voting down specifically to keep
it down among African Americans. And then in 1965 we
indicated that the voting rights act prohibited all testing
and I told you about the fact that I had to take a test when
I went first to register to vote a reading test and spent
all night staying up studying for the reading test and how
compulsive I was but that's beside the point. In any case I
think that's a good questionnaire. It covers material that
I wouldn't necessarily cover in class directly because it's
specific in short answer but there is material that is
useful and I can use all of this to go further in the
lectures with material that is not necessarily directly on
the questionnaire but related. And since I did indirectly
force you to do it, although there were a few students who
said I'm not going to do this he's not counting it anyway
because they did critical thinking the fact is that most of
you did it, it's only fair that we at least go over the
answers that you can fill in. Will you be able to use it
for an exam? Some of material is usable for some of the
essay questions but it's not going to be that specific by
any means. Any questions about the questionnaire before I
continue? I did talk about who votes and who doesn't vote
last time? I mean last time I was here?
Which of the following is a right guaranteed by the bill
of rights?
A Public education. Is that right?
In the bill of rights?
A Employment, voting, trial by jury. I'm not sure. I was
thinking voting or public education. We have a right for
that.
Q Now there's no right for public education in the federal
constitution at all. Only in the state constitutions which
is more than a right, it's a demand because most states
require you to get an education. It was pretty much is left
to the state. Although there has been talk about a national
program but it is not in the constitution at all. The state
constitution is like California I think required you to be
in school until you're sixteen and then there are other
schools so there isn't a guarantee of public education
federally. So what is it?
Q Trial by jury is guaranteed by the bill of rights. Now
voting is guaranteed in other amendments but not in the bill
of rights certainly in the 14th amendment. But again voting
is guaranteed. But education and employment are not.
Employment is not guaranteed in any the state constitutions
either. There are some countries that guarantee
employment. In fact there are some countries like the
former Soviet Union that if you didn't work you went to
prison. That was the guarantee of employment. It's always
been an interesting issue. Should we guarantee jobs?
Certainly, we did during the depression create publics works
programs.
Q The federal census of population has taken each five
years?
A False it is taken every ten years. Okay. Big question.
Why is it taken? Why do we have a census every ten years
and why was --?
A Because isn't it in the house of reps it's based on
population.
Q Exactly. Very good. The house of reps is based on
population and therefore with population changes there are
bound to be changes in representation from various states
and so the first census was actually taken in 1790. For
reapportionment to the states. Now today the federal census
is being used for other reasons. Um, one -- what is one or
two of the reasons that the census is being used for besides
representation?
A Check on unemployment rights?
A No isn't that one of the -- good think so. Maybe she
used use it partially. Know because unemployment they got
an indication every few months ago to what the law is. I
can't say for sure, but I don't think so what else would the
federal --.
Q Would it help with state funding?
A Yes.
Q Based on--
A Population and need. How do they judge need. That's a
good question. But one of the things that the funding --
I'm sorry -- that the census does do for quote un quote you
want to call it need or whatever they do categorical funding
after the census.
Now you have the word categorical groups on your word
list, right. Did I explain categorical groups in this
class? Define it? I didn't think so. You see categorical
groups on the word list. That is not funding. I'll give
you both but before starting with categorical groups we need
to go to two words primary groups. So -- what we're dealing
with primary groups is your family your immediate family and
the reason it's on the list is because the sociological term
usually is one that's used to look at how people make up
their opinions why and how they vote, what churches they
join because people pretty much follow their parents in
their value system. Now granted you most of you in your
teenage years are feeling rebellious and so-called post
adolescence you find yourself. It is how smart your parents
were. They've learned a lot. They've grown so you know
I've talked to some people and they are so concerned with
their kids and some of the things that teenagers do but you
know the real you know truth of the matter is your success
is really because then they're going to return to the family
values if you've done a good job or they're going to go bye
bye. So it's scary, but a long way through those teenager
years for many many parents knock wood I haven't had that
problem with any kids so I've been lucky so far. So far.
Secondary groups are groups who voluntarily join their
association groups. They also influence your values.
Perhaps you join them because of your value system because
also they send out a lot of information. What do we say
groups you join that could be your churches your unions.
They could be the national rifle association. Any
organization and they will definitely lobby you to try and
influence your voting patterns and often do. So those are
secondary groups. Categorical groups also influence but
very loosely.
Categorical groups are loose association groups an
example of a loose group might be women. Nobody throwing
anything at me yet? What am I talking about? Basically
women have certain things in common just like perhaps men do
but more issues oriented we point the -- the other day women
tend to vote more Democrat because of their issues. It came
through on my on-line course the other night when we were
dealing with candidates and candidate issues and we had to
search different candidates and the primaries to see their
issues. It was interested to read a lot of the women in
this class in fact all the -- registered or registered
republican. Every one of them was opposed -- I'm sorry was
pro choice. Now the republican party is traditionally been
anti choice, pro life, yet the women who were republican
found that issue in common now not all republican women are
pro choice. Obviously are pro life but the point is that
there are commonalities because of women issues. Men may or
may not have as much interest in it. They may be such as an
issue such as rape. Obviously it's an issue that men are
concerned about. However it's much more direct issue for
women. So based on that, there's a sense of commonality
that makes them a loose association group in voting and in
concerns and in issues. Which explains categorical groups
interesting in voting for democrats more than they will for
republicans. Another group is one you're sitting in now.
You all have different cultural backgrounds yet, if the
division was going to be tripled, you know, that every one
in this particular class would be upset and organize or at
least express opposition to it. So instead of paying $12 a
unit, you pay $36 a unit.
Q Like an out of state student?
A They pay a hundred and twenty a unit. I can't
understand. You come to college we're worth it but they're
paying $200 and $360 to listen to me. Now I may -- but most
of you figure I'm worth the $36 you're paying. All right.
At the most. Some of you don't even think it's worth that,
granted. In any case, the fact is that people in the
community might not be as concerned. It's not of interest
to them if the tuition goes up at Ohlone. They don't have
children here. It doesn't mean as much to them. So
categorical groups do impact your voting, your opinions,
your choices.
Now, that takes us to another word categorical in this
sense funding. Categorical funding is referring to money
being set aside for different groups. Again the group
issues. So that minorities of different or under -- I'm
sorry under represented groups better use than minorities --
they get funding from the federal government. Well the
state gets funding for these groups for programs to benefit
these groups. And one of the big issues about the census is
that many times in these categorical groups the people are
under counted because in many cases because of poverty
because of other reasons they don't necessarily get
counted. How do you get people who were street people and
know how many people are living in the streets? Years ago
New York had a requirement that if a male was living in the
household, a woman could not receive welfare and all of a
sudden in some of the poverty areas of New York and Harlem
and elsewhere they found that only women lived. They didn't
find any men at all. Okay? And so the counts on African
American men in that area or Puerto Rican men in a different
area of Harlem or the Bronx was almost nonexistent which
meant that there was less funding. They changed the
regulations so that they can get the funding, but also many
minority groups under represented groups, um, immigrants
from different cultures don't want to be known to be there.
Now the democratic party wanted to this time put through as
part of an bill a what do you call it when you guesstimate?
There's a word for it. I guess estimate? Approximate?
something of that nature. They all mean the same -- of the
-- based on statistics on these groups so that they would
get a higher count. The republicans opposed it in the
Congress because they felt it wasn't fair by any means and
it was defeated and might be justifiable so. See I told you
was going to do more than just the questionnaire. And then
we only got to question two, huh? Question three.
Q If a person is indicted for a crime, name two rights
which he or she has?
A Right to trial by jury, right?
A You have a right against self-incrimination.
Q To a fair trial and speedy trial. What is speedy? The
federal law says that you must be tried within ninety days.
That's defined as a speedy trial. Yet we know of federal
cases where the trials wait a year, two years. So how is
that the -- how does that occur? Because it means that the
prosecution has to bring you to trial within ninety days.
However, if the defense attorneys request delays based on
needs to obtain evidence then they can delay the trial for
as long as the courts are willing to allow the delay. So it
really isn't the federal government that is preventing the
speedy trial; it's often the defense attorneys.
Q (by student) Isn't it also true that if you're actually
being held in jail that the amount of time that you have is
less than if you're not in jail at the time?
A (by teacher) I think it's like 45 days or something.
Yeah I think you're right. If you're being held again it
may be 45 days, but if you're actually being incarcerated or
held for trial because you can't make bail, it is a less of
a period of time. But once against even under those
circumstances most of the time the public defender or
whoever is involve is the one that's going to delay the
outcome of that trial. In other words, within 45 days or
whatever the time is. Yeah I forgot a about that, but that
is true.
Q A United States senator elected at the general elect
takes office on the following year on what date?
A January fourth.
Q January third unless it falls on a Sunday then it would
the fourth.
Q A president elected to the general election in November
takes office the following year on what date?
A It is now January 20th at noon. It used to be March
fourth. The constitution was amended.
Q Which definition applies to the word a amendment? Now
hopefully you got that right. A proposed change as in a
constitution. A person appointed to the United States
Supreme Court is appointed for a term of?
A Life.
Actually we always say life the Constitution says what?
Anybody looked it up? The constitution says good behavior.
Q What's the difference between life and good behavior?
A You do something against the will of the people or
whatever like if Clinton was a member of the judicial branch
he probably wouldn't be there anymore.
Q That may be true; I don't know. I'm not sure you
answered my question. Basically the difference is that you
can impeach somebody if it's life. If they're there for
life how do you impeach them if they're there for good
behavior you have a reason then because their behavior is
not so good and I think that's what you were implying but it
wasn't directly coming out.
Q When the constitution was approved by the original
colonies, how many states had to ratify it in order for it
to be in effect?
A Nine.
Who would like to tell me why this is a really bad
question?
A Because if they don't ratify it they're not part --?
A Was it against it --.
Q Read it. I'll read it again. When the constitution was
approved by the original colonies, how many states had to
ratify it in order for it to be in effect?
A States not colonies. They weren't colonies. No, they
were not -- states are not colonies. When were they
states? As of what year? 1776. The United States declared
it's independence. What's a colony? It's a colony of
Britain, right? If we broke away from Great Britain, then
we can't be a colony. Of course the constitution was
written when? Testing your knowledge from your mid term
exam? 1787 approved in 1789. So if between 1776 and 1787
we had eleven years of states. So it wasn't the colonies
approving it which means that the people who made up this
test in Alabama should not be voting, right? All right.
Sorry folks but that's called critical reading. That's what
we try to foster.
Q Does an enumeration effect the --?
(by teacher) Well, teach, I can answer it if I new
what the word enumeration meant. What does enumeration
mean? So how many answered it without looking up the word
not knowing what it meant? You guessed right. What does
enumeration mean? To count. To enumerate means to count.
So, is the income tax based on a count? And the answer is
no. The income tax is based on what? Your income. Many
people opposed the income tax say it's illegal because they
are not taxing your income; they are taxing your investments
as well. And your profits. And the word income means
something you've worked for in salary. Your stock market
benefits are not income and should not be taxed so they
refuse to pay their taxes.
Q Persons opposed to swearing in an oath may say instead I
solemnly --
A Affirm. I solemnly. Why do you have an option?
A Freedom of religion under your beliefs and stuff.
Yeah it is freedom of religion under the base because if
you are asked to swear in the God that is offensive to some
religions not -- forgetting atheist. For some, swearing
under God is taking God's name in vane. I just thought of
something. I was called for a deposition many years ago and
the court reporter in the deposition did the swearing in.
And so I was asked, you know, so I said I want to take an
affirmation. So the court reporter says do you affirm under
God. Wise ass, you can't trust these court reporters.
Q To serve as president of the United States the person
must -- at age of?
A 35. They went 25 for the house of reps, thirty for the
senate, and 35 for president.
Q What about vice president?
A Vice president can be of any age I supposed except that
they couldn't take over the presidency so it's unlikely. We
have had many who have run for the president under the age
of 35. One that comes to minds was Cleaver who ran the
Peace and Freedom party back in the '68 election. However,
he was 34 at the time and would not have been able to serve.
He was not going to be elected anyway. Usually the vice
president has to have the same qualifications because
anticipated that they will replace the president if
something should happen to the president. Um, 35 was the
average age. It was life expectancy at the time of the
writing of the constitution. Actually by 1900, only a
hundred years ago, God -- a hundred years ago life
expectancy was between 40 and 45. Today of course as you
know life expectancy is 78 for men and 77 to 78 for women.
73 for men. Life expectancy stood at 67 and 63. So had a
tremendous jump in life expectancy. We've double in a sense
since the turn of the century. Is that why social security
is higher now? Well that's part of the reason was a social
security -- more people living and there are they had to
calculate that in and they didn't so they've raised social
security trying to cover some of the costs. There was fear
that social security some of it has to do with the economy.
But yeah. Life expectancy make a big difference as far as
what they call, begins with an A charts that the insurance
companies use. The reason for life expectancy being so short
was not necessarily people didn't live long. Some did. It
was basically birth deaths and within the first two years of
birth. Most people had ten kids 12 kids and maybe three
four survived after two years. My grandparents came from
families like that. In Europe where they had 12 fourteen
children were born and maybe only six came out of their
families. I think one had only four. So that life
expectancy -- life expectancy in poor areas of our country
is still a problem. But not on that level. For example in
the Fremont area here it's basically three out of the
thousand births, that's not a tremendous number. However if
you get in the poor areas of Oakland and it's sixteen out of
the thousand and that's quite a difference because of the
kind of healthcare that they can afford in an upper middle
class area and obviously the vitamins the care the medical
treatment. I probably would not be here, um, if I were born
probably in 1900 even. I had three operations before I was
two years old. So those make a big difference when you
think about it.
Q What words are required by law to be on all papers
currency of the United States?
Yeah what they're looking for is "In God We Trust."
Which is of course interesting since we talk about
separation of church and state yet it is required to have in
God we trust on our coin and of course in the pledge of
allegiance I may have told you this that when I did the
pledge of allegiance when I was in high school and the
elementary school in under God was not in the pledge did I
mention that in class? Some remember some don't. But in
any case it was added in 1956.
Q (by student) How did it go?
A (by teacher) oh, one nation invisible with -- no, one
nation indivisible. The reason God was added under God was
added? Well again I think the reason is pretty clear in my
mind. It was a period right after the McCarthy period there
was a tremendous fear of communism. It is a Godless atheist
world and to distinguish us from the Godless atheists of
communism we had our children say under God to show that God
was on our side, I guess.
Um, the removal of the prayer from the schools and the
removal of -- was in 1962 and that was under as we indicated
the 14th amendment.
Q The Supreme Court is the chief lawmaking bodies of the
state? That is false. The Supreme Court is what kind of a
body? It's judicial. Right.
14. If a law passed by a state is contrary to the provisions
of the United States constitution, which law prevails?
A The federal law. All right. On your words from the
text book from the last part of the semester, and I don't
know if it was on your exam, by the way did anybody give me
exams to re change the grades on them? Recall right I have
the -- and I almost forgot it. I'm glad I saw those when I
looked over there. I have the interface sheet up until
through obviously four. It should have everything. And it
has your mid term grades on it. Which reminds me for those
of you who know your grades I don't know if I mentioned last
time but also keep them it's always useful when you have to
argue with this because I give you an A and you really
wanted a B. And double check to make sure I've got the same
grade on this sheet. Make sure I did change it. I'm not
sure, but I hope it was printed off after it was changed.
If I change your grade make sure -- I'll double check it
okay? Sign the back, please, after you look at the front so
you have an indication of or I have an indication that you
were here and you saw the sheet.
What number am I on again? Fifteen. Oh, back to
fourteen. Supremacy clause is article six of the
constitution which states that the federal law will be
supreme to the state law. Which proposition that was passed
in California is not a not being is being enforced -- oh,
I'm sorry -- not being enforced to some extent because of
the federal government because the federal law supersedes
it. Medical marijuana because federal law does not allow
that there is pressure to prevent the uses of medical
marijuana.
Q If a vacancy occurs in the United States senate, the
state must hold an election; but meanwhile the place may be
filled by a temporary appointment made by the?
A Governor of the state. Chief executor, but the governor
is correct. The reason they use chief executor is that it
was possible for states to name their governor something
else. But all states have named them governor. However,
four states are not states. Four states are common
wealthes: Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, maybe it's
three are actually known as common wealthes. Do they
function any differently? No. I think that they maintain it
because they took that name on independence when they were
under the thirteen colonies.
Q A United States senator is elected to a term of?
A Six years.
Q Appropriation of money for the armed services can be
only for a period limited to --?
A Two years.
Q The chief executive and administrative officers make up
the --?
A Executive branch of government.
Q Who passes laws dealing with piracy?
A Congress. Because piracy is usually interstate or open
seas. Do we have piracy still today? Yes we do.
Forgetting software and going to the flea market and by
CDs. The fact is that there is piracy on the open seas
especially by the Carribean and back by the China Sea. We
have problems with boat people that has been a problem with
-- but the Pirates of the Caribean are still floating
around. They close down they changed the exhibits at the
Pirates of the Caribbean it caused a big stir just -- you
know what I'm talking about? Aren't anything sacred, I mean
gee whiz. The number of the representatives which a state
is entitled to have in the House of Reps is based on --
A Population.
Q The constitution protects an individual against
punishments which are?
A Cruel and unusual. Did we decide what a cruel and
unusual punishment was in this class? What do you think a
cruel and unusual punishment is besides listening to my
lectures? Nobody's got any idea what a cruel and unusual
punishment is? So anyway?
A Torture. Yeah. Does it have to be both cruel and
unusual or does it -- if you die their skin purple it's not
necessarily cruel, but it's definitely unusual. I don't
know. Good question. It does say cruel and not cruel or.
So think -- what about the gas chamber. They did declare
the gas chamber cruel and unusual in the sense that they
decided that it was too long a wait and for the person to
die and so now lethal injection is being used so the gas
chamber has been basically outlawed I guess. They stopped
using it in California. But if a person is going to get the
death penalty for killing someone else isn't it the whole
point to give them pain or just to die? Just to die. Yeah
it's just to die. They're still dead no matter how you do
it. In Utah they give you an option of how you want to die.
In Utah you can choose either the firing squad or hanging.
Yeah. Which is not been declared cruel and unusual because
hanging is immediate; once your neck is broken you're dead.
And the firing squad is an immediate death because they are
supposedly expert. I decided if I got my choice in Utah I'd
ask them to do both hang me and see if they can shoot me.
See if they can shoot, you know, it's harder to shoot
somebody falling. I'm sorry. I told you we have these
weird images. Mine may be weirder than any of yours.
Q When a jury has heard and rendered a verdict in a case,
and the judgment on the verdict has become final, the
defendant cannot be brought again for the same cause?
A True.
OJ Simpson -- did you hear that he got mugged and took
the gun away from the guy and whatever. I heard he had a
knife. Yeah, wearing black gloves. Wise ass. Um, in any
case, obviously in the sense of OJ Simpson was tried -- once
in criminal; once in civil. It's a different charge so if
the charge was worded differently you can be tried twice.
For the same crime as although it's not the same crime as
such. Is there anybody who believes that OJ Simpson was
innocent? Usually I like to give the benefit of the doubt
in this particular case it's very hard. However, if I were
on the jury I would have voted not guilty without a second
question. As much as I am absolutely convinced beyond a
reasonable doubt that he did it, I think the city of Los
Angeles screwed up royally. Um, why? Basically because you
got a person there that's lying to them, Ferman he he's not
a racist they come up with the evidence that's number one.
Numb two, to find a glove sitting in the yard and somebody
hopping over a fence supposedly without a search warrant
raises a lot of constitutional questions in my mind. There
are a number of those factors that are very much a part --
consider it to have been a very very questionable kind of
case especially the police involvement as to -- I have
little doubt in my mind that that glove was specifically
dropped -- picked up at the crime scene and -- because
somebody does not take a glove with them, leave one at the
crime scene and drop one in his yard; I'm sorry.
Q Name two levels of government which can levy taxes.
Any level. Can you think of any level that can't levy
taxes? City, local, state, federal, water board. Dog
catchers. They can all levy taxes.
Q Communism was the type of government in -- All right,
first of all why would I find this question poorly worded?
A Because it's the -- well, first of all we could see
Soviet Union was socialist and that's true because it hadn't
yet reached communism, but I think communism is actually a
government and I think I said that in class that communism
and socialism are economic systems that communism would be
anarchy exist in itself Soviet Union was really
totalitarian.
Is everybody signing the back of that sheet when you're
getting it? Okay.
Q Cases tried before a court of law are of two types,
civil and criminal.
Q By a majority vote of the members of congress, the
Congress can change provisions of the constitution of the
United States; true or false?
A That is false. Anybody here since my other class nobody
remember does anybody here remember how our federal
constitution is amended at all? Doesn't it need -- two
thirds in the senate and the house. Then it goes to the
states. Where does it go to in the states? It goes to the
state legislatures, right. You don't vote in the states.
It goes directly to the legislatures. How many state
legislatures have to pass for the amendment to be an
amendment? Three quarters. Which will account for 38
states today. Three quarters of the states have to approve
it after two thirds of the house and senate. In California,
what do we have to do to amend the constitution in
California? The state constitution? Anybody? Remember it
goes on the ballot. Either by the legislature or through an
initiative and if it goes on the ballot it means that we the
people have to vote on it. So in California we the people
actually do get to vote and it takes fifty percent majority
plus one whatever it is to pass as a constitutional
amendment in California.
27. For security, each state has a right to form a --?
A Militia.
28. The electoral vote for president is counted on the
presence of two bodies; name them? What are the two
bodies?
A The house and the senate. The house of reps and the
senate. If no candidate for the presidency received a
majority of the electoral voted who decides who will become
president? The house of representatives decides. Among the
five top candidates. If nobody gets a majority of the
electoral votes. Going back and testing. Memories. How
many votes does that majority. How many electoral votes
does somebody have to get to become president? How many
votes does somebody have to get to become president? How
many electors are there voting for president. It's 538 and
the majority of that is 270. So it was 270. Good. Some of
you remembered something. Most of you forgot it after you
took the exam, but I just want to see who has the memories.
Q Of which branch of state government is the Speaker of
the House a part?
A Legislative.
Q Of the original thirteen states, the one with the
largest representation in the congress was --
A Virginia. And the way to have known that is that in the
beginning of the Constitution there is a little section
where it divides the thirteen states with electoral votes.
Virginia had ten electoral votes, New York eight, and
Pennsylvania eight. I put down Pennsylvania because I knew
that Philadelphia was the largest city. It had 35,000
people which of course is not extremely large by today's
standards. Boston we hear so much about had 10,000 people
at the time to have the constitution.
32. In case the president is unable to perform the duties
of his office, who assumes them? Monica Lewinsky, Hillary
Clinton?
A The vice president of the United States. Who is? Al
Gore.
Q Capital punishment is the giving of a death sentence;
true or false?
A True. Amazed -- nervous on that one. All right what's
corporeal punishment. A beating. Giving of bodily
sentence. Corporeal giving to the body.
Q Involuntarily servitude is permitted in the United
States upon conviction of a crime. Which means what?
Slavery. Is permitted in the United States upon conviction
of a crime true or false? That is true. Those people on
the highways in their orange jackets pick you can up stuff.
You no one of the best cases for my perspective during the
1960s and during the '60s the Vietnam war was underway as
you know and there was a draft the number of people went to
the courts arguing that drafting people into the military
was actually involuntary servitude without committing a
crime and makes all sense in the world to me. However, the
courts through it out. Surprise; surprise.
Q If a state is a party to a case, the constitution
provides that original jurisdiction shall be in --
A The state.
Q Congress passes laws regulating cases which are included
in those over which the United States Supreme Court has --
A Appellate jurisdiction.
Q The legislatures of states decide how presidential
electors may in chosen.
A That's true.
Q If it were proposed to join Alabama and Mississippi to
form one state, what groups would have to vote approval in
order for this to be done?
A The state legislatures, and the federal legislature.
Q The vice president presides over Tipper Gore.
A The U.S. Senate. He is the president of the senate.
And as president of the senate, does he get to vote?
Maybe. In cases of a tie only.
Q The constitution limits the size of the District of
Columbia to -- what? Oh, is -- ten square miles. Square
miles. No, ten miles square. Not ten square miles. I want
you to numerically give me the difference between ten square
miles -- excuse me, number forty. I missed that.
A Ten miles square. Not ten square miles, but I wrote it
right. I did. I believe you. But I still want the
mathematical difference. I want you to explain it to me what
is the difference between ten miles square and ten square
miles. Come on, give me this crap. I want to see if you
can give me basic math.
A Ninety miles. I know it still would lose some what kind
of math teacher did you have? Ninety? The difference is
ninety square miles. Thank you. You didn't add the rest of
it and that gives you --. Now those of you who don't
understand what the hell we just did definitely need to go
back to your calculus class. Isn't that nasty? Don't you
hate the math teacher when they take a point off? And you
tell me I'm picky, right?
41. The only laws which can be passed to apply to apply to
an area in a federal arsenal are those passed by the --
federal government, the congress provided consent for the
purchase of the land is given by -- the state legislature.
Q In which branch of government is the Supreme Court
justice a part?
A Judicial.
Q In which document or writing is the bill of rights
found? Hard one, huh.
A Constitution.
Q If no person receives a majority of the electoral votes,
the vice president is chosen by the senate.
A That's true. Yeah. The president is chosen by the
house and vice said by the senate; the reason? In case the
house can't agree on a presidential candidate, the hope is
that the Senate can agree on a vice president candidate, and
then we can have a president. Because the vice president
would take over.
45. Name two things which the states are forbidden to do
by the United States constitution.
A Coin money. Issue titles of nobility. They're not
allowed to have any other system of government besides a
republic. They're not allowed to have import or export
tariffs.
Q If the election of the president becomes the duty of the
United States house of reps and it fails to act, who becomes
president and when?
A The vice president on January 20th at noon.
Q Circle the offenses below which, if you're convicted of
them, disqualifies you for voting.
A I know that any felony usually does. Murder is
definite. Petty larceny is not a felony. Issuing worthless
checks maybe depending on the size of the check and boot
legging may or may not be. Generally it is.
What is boot legging? Know what is boot legging really
refers to what? Is now referred to boot leg video or CDs
but that's not the original term. Liquor. You're allowed
to make a certain percentage for yourself but that is
considered boot legging.
Q Name two purposes of United States constitution. Now
the purposes of the United States constitution are where?
In the Preamble. So what are two purposes?
A Create a more perfect union. Establish justice. Ensure
domestic tranquility. Provide for the common defense.
Promote the general welfare.
Q Congress is composed of -- idiots.
A Congress is composed of the house and the senate.
Q All legislative powers granted in the United States
Constitution may legally be used only by -- the congress.
Legislative would mean congress.
Q Impeachments of United States officials are tried by --
the senate.
Q If an effort to impeach the president of the United
States is made, who presides at the trial?
51 is what? The congress.
Who presides at the trial?
A Chief justice of the Supreme Court. Who is the chief
justice of the Supreme Court. His name is on your word list
but you won't find it because you don't know it. Because
there are other names -- you might. Who is the chief
justice of the U.S. Supreme Court? William Renquest.
Q On the impeachment of the chief justice of the Supreme
Court of the United States, who tries the case?
A The senate again in this case however, the presiding
officer would be the president of the senate who is the vice
president of the United States.
Q Money is coined by order of -- U.S. Congress. Have any
of you seen the new quarters. God, it's like play money. It
feels lighter. I've not seen it yet. Yeah, they're yeah
they're putting out a whole set. You got some. Oh, here?
Oh, know not with me. I took a look at it. I couldn't
believe it felt so much lighter. You talk about the money
not looking real, this absolutely, you know, I -- so if some
people are checking is it a horse is on it or something.
Well it's not so much what's on it. Each place that's done
is has a different -- for six weeks. Is that what it is?
They go to a different state, but it's the weight and the
look and the feel that doesn't feel like a quarter. I want
money that feels like money. I just want money. Are
vending machines going to have to make change to adapt to
the quarter? It may not be interesting. So vending
machines just have some slide in the slot. The machine
doesn't take the new twenty dollar bill. Yeah that doesn't
surprise me because the design is so different. I wonder
about the quarters as well. Yeah that's right. It will
take the quarters. It will. That's interesting so I guess
it isn't as dramatic as we --
Q Persons elected to cast a state's vote for United States
president and vice president are called presidential --
electors.
Q If a person flees from justice into another state, who
has the authority to ask for his return?
A The governor of the state. The chief executor. Does
the person have to be returned? Constitution says yes.
Stangely even though we know of many many cases where
governors have refused. How have they gotten away from it?
Because they argued that their laws of that state do not
apply and so simply have refused to do so. Now, the only
major court case that I know of in where the situation was
the Dred Scott decision back in 1850 and he was ordered
returned of freeing slaves the constitution does require it
but. What if countries don't have extradition agreements?
Yeah there are many countries and sometimes the agreements
are specific. Many countries have extradition agreement,
but they will not return to a state that has capital
punishment. Like France or Israel. And therefore if a
person has committed a crime, we just had a case where
somebody -- they agreed -- had kicked him of the death
penalty and all of a sudden they back away so that they can
could get him back.
Q Whose duty is it to keep congress informed of the state
of the union?
A President. He does it once a year in January. Usually
it has been for many many years verbal.
Q If the two houses of congress cannot agree on an
adjournment, who sets the time?
A The president.
Q The power to declare war is vested in --
A Congress. Can the president declare war?
Officially not. As you know military troops are being
sent into action. American soldiers could easily been
killed so far. I'm anticipating in the next month or so
we'll have ground troops going into Serbia so under
presidential orders.
Well that pretty much finishes the elections and voting,
but we're moving on to the two party system. I still have
six minutes or so. So don't run away from me.
Q (by student) Is there any way for us to make up
something on our test like if we got a really low grade?
A Oh, no. The only way to do that that's I give you the
make up is in the sense of the interfaces. That gives you a
hundred points to average in which pulls your grades up at
least one or two. However the best way to make it up is to
study twice as hard for the final and do well there if the
grade was extremely low. Extremely low what I recommended
is anybody under thirty drop the class. Because there is no
way to make that up I think to a passing grade. Anything
above a thirty, is a possibly of a D and above a 55 is a
possibly of a C. Strongly.
We are moving onto what we call the two party system and
I think it's pretty obvious. It's not one thing they've to
explain, but the two party system because in the United
States we have basically we have two major parties. The
republicans and the democrats. We do have third parties.
We call them third parties because basically they seldom if
ever win an election. Every now and then do we just had it
happen where? A third party won an election? In Oakland.
The green party for the first time ever. Yep. Previously
they've never gotten more than 12 percent of the vote this
time 52 percent and are sending a woman to the California
assembly. It was quite a shock for everybody especially the
democrats. So seldom if ever win an election the Green
party is an example of a third party. It's strange for many
people from other countries because except for England and
maybe one or two other countries most countries have
multiple parties. They don't have two major parties. And
their parties are very distinct based on ideology. While
most of us would argue that there are difference between the
republicans and the democrats. Compared to other systems
many people have argued that really what we have is Dweedle
Dee and Dweedle Dumb. Alice In Wonderland. They are the
twins. The so-called identical twins in Alice In
Wonderland. The only difference was that one sucked his
thumb? I don't know. One had a red shirt and one had --
well, meaning you can't tell the difference.
For the $64 thousand question, who wrote Dweedle Dee
Dweedle Dumb? Louis Carol. Did we go through this before?
Yes. Well in any case. There are differences. And often
humor has been involved in the papers and on the radio to
distinguish the parties and within the humor maybe there is
some basis for reality.
Some of the kinds of lines that distinguish the
parties. Republicans read the business section of the
newspaper first. The democrats take the business section
and put it on the bottom of the bird cages. Republicans
fish from the sterns of boats; democrats sit on the dock and
wait for the fish to come to them. Republicans hang the
fish on the wall; democrats eat the fish. The republicans
-- the democrats name their children after sports figures,
entertainment figures; republicans name their children after
grandparents or their parents, wherever the most money is.
Let me see if I can think of some more. Republican men want
to marry republican women, but they insist on dating
democratic girls first because they figure they're entitled
to a little fun. Um, republicans always pull down their
shades in their bedrooms even though there's no reason to;
the democrats never do, but they ought to. Republicans
sleep in twin beds, that's why there are more democrats than
republicans. We'll see you on Tuesday.