LKO-Zusammenfassung

·       Area - 9,826,630 sq km. (3,357,438 sq mi)

·       Inland water - 664,709 sq km

·       Borders: Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska)

·       Borders: Mexico 3,141 km

·       Coastline: 19,924 km

·       States: 50 (48 +2)

·       Plus: 1 Federal District (Washington, D.C.)

·       Population: 336,361,720 (census.gov, 8:09am 4/29/24)

Major Mountain Ranges? Name 5?

·       The Appalachains

The American Cordillera

·       The Rocky Mountains

·       The Cascades

·       The Sierra Nevada

·       The Coastal Range

·       The Alaska Range

·       The Brooks Range

Tallest Mountain

·       Denali

Major Lakes? The Great Lakes (W – E)

·       Lake Superior

·       Lake Michigan

·       Lake Huron

·       Lake Erie

·       Lake Ontario 

The Great Salt Lake

Major Rivers?  Name at least 3?

·       Mississippi

·       Missouri

·       Columbia

·       Colorado

Historical Settlement Patterns:

·        Colonial and Early Settlement: Initial settlements on the East Coast set up dense urban centers

·      

Westward Expansion: Settlement density decreased as settlers moved westward, with fewer dense urban centers in the interior and western states

·       1st place: New York City, NY (pop. 8.3 million; 18.8 million)

·       2nd place: Los Angeles, CA (pop. 4 m; 18.3 million)

·       3rd place: Chicago, IL (pop.  2.7 million; 9.5 million)

·       climate

·       longitude vs. latitude

·       precipitation

·       continentality

·       topography/altitude

·       temperature

·       growing season

·       mountain masses/ranges

·      air masses/wind systems

·       urban, suburban, rural

·       population

·       demographics

·       infrastructure

·       1st Nation as a Whole

·      2nd The Five to 10 Subnational Regions

·       States originally had strong autonomy in early US history (acting as independent nations), differences have eroded over time

·       North-South (California, Florida, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio)

·       Urban-Rural (California, New York, Texas, Florida, North Carolina)

·       Yankeedom – emphasis on education, government regulation

·       New Netherland – materialistic culture

·       Midlands – oppose government regulation

·       Tidewater – feudal society that embraced slavery

·       Greater Appalachia – personal sovereignty and individual liberty

·       Deep South – rigid social structure, opposition to government regulation

·       El Norte – dominant Hispanic culture

·       Left Coast – similar to Yankeedom

·       Far West – the conservative West

·       New France – pocket of liberalism in the Deep South

·       First Nations – Tribal sovereignty in the US, comprises most of Alaska

·       Extra-curricular activities

·       Huge (regional) disparities in education

·       Underpaid teachers and underfunded schools

·       Cost of education

·       Standardized testing

·       Public vs Private

·       Creationism/Intelligent Design (to counter evolution)

·       Public Schools

o   assigned school

o   charter school

o   magnet school

·       Private Schools

o   religious affiliation (parochial)

o   non-religious

§  Prep schools and boarding schools

§  Waldorf/ Montessori Schools

·       Homeschools (https://hslda.org/legal/nebraska)

·       Federal funding

·       State funding

·       School district funding

·       (property tax)

·       Local / volunteer funding

·       Parents

·       Predominantly state determined

·       States divided into school districts

·       Decisions made by school boards

·       School board members are locally elected

·       Answer to state boards of education, who in turn answer to the federal department of education. (www.ed.gov)

·       US Department of Education

·       US Department of Justice

·       Federal Education Legislation

o   Elementary and Secondary Schools Act 1965

o   Education Amendments Act 1972

o   Improving America‘s Schools Act 1994

o   No Child Left Behind Act 2001

o   Every Student Succeeds Act 2015

·       Schedules - Individual

·       Grades – A, B, C, D - F

·       Sports – important part of school

·       Hierarchy – Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior

·       Extra-curricular activities

·       Charter Schools

·       School Funding for Private/Religious Schools

·       Dropout rates/ non-graduation rates

·       Sex Ed

·       Security and violence concerns – role of school resource officers

·       Role of sports in the schools

·       School lunch programs

·       Coronavirus

·       Public vs. Private Schools

·       Charter schools

·       Magnet schools

·       Homeschooling

·       School districts

·       School boards

·       Educational curriculum

·       Federal/State funding

·       Primary, secondary, tertiary education

·       Vouchers

·       Intelligent Design

·       Historical: school funding = new segregation?

·       Vocational Schools

·       Technical School

·       Junior Colleges

·       Community Colleges

·       Colleges and Universities

·       Graduate Schools

·       Professional Schools

·       High School diploma or equivalent

·       SAT or ACT

·       Application, resume, interviews, campus tours

·       Beat out anywhere from 15-95% of the other applicants

·       Financing (scholarships, awards, grants, student loans, family funding)

·       University/ College/School

o   4-year degree-granting                                 

·       Junior College/Community College

o   2-year degree granting

·       Vocational Technical College/Trade School (Voc -Tech)

·       Undergraduate degrees

o   A.A.

o   B.A. and B.S.

·       Graduate Degrees

o   M.A. and M.S.

o   MFA

o   MBA

o   Ph.D

·       Professional Degrees

o   J.D.

o   M.D.

·       Semesters or Trimesters (usually Fall, Spring)

·       Focus on Class Time: classes meet multiple times/week

·       Grades

o   midterms and final exams

o   regular assignments

o   study week and finals week

o   grades given 1-4 weeks after the end of the semester

·       Sexual Assault on campus in general

·       Greek Life and Hazing

·       post-secondary / tertiary education

·       rankings/ to rank

·       application

·       selectivity

·       criteria

·       college

·       university

·       tuition

·       fees

·       room and board

·       to attend

·       scholarship

·       grant

·       loan

·       to study

·       to graduate/graduation

·       degree

·       Associate degree (A.A.)

·       Bachelor‘s degree (B.S./B.A.)

·       Master‘s degree (M.S./M.A./MBA/M.F.A.)

·       Doctorate (Ph.D/J.D./ M.D.)

1.         USA Today - 1,621,091

2.         The Wall Street Journal - 1,011,200

3.         The New York Times - 483,701

4.         New York Post - 426,129

·       National Network TV

o   The Big Three

§  NBC (1946)

§  ABC (1948)

§  CBS (1948)

o   Others

§  PBS (1969)

§  Fox (1986)

§  Univision (1986)

§  The CW (ca. 2006), …

·       Local Affiliates

o   Network feed  - signal sent from parent company to local stations

o   Gaps in programming are locally filled

§  Local programming

§  Syndicated shows

§  FCC Regulated

News Trends

·       22 million Americans tune into the three commercial network news broadcasts each evening

·       1.2 million Americans watch the PBS NewsHour

Tucker Carlson, Fox News Lawsuit

·       “ is not 'stating actual facts' about the topics he discusses and is instead engaging in 'exaggeration' and 'non-literal commentary.‘”

·       2020 Lawsuit dismissing slander claims against Tucker Carlson, most popular show on Fox News

·       April 18, 2023 – Fox News settles with Dominion for $800mil for spreading false information about the company

·       broadcast

·       cable/ basic/ premium

·       affiliate

·       callsign

·       station identification

·       bias

·       to rate/ratings

·       to fund/ funding

·       to donate/ donation

·       program/ programming

·       the FCC

·       to regulate/ regulations

·       viewer/ listener/ audience

·       subscription

·       advertising

·       circulation/readership

Indepence

·       April 19, 1775 – “The shot heard ‘round the world” war breaks out with England

·       July 4, 1776 – The Declaration of Independence is drafted

·       February 1778 – France enters the war, allied with the American government

·       September 1783 – The Treaty of Paris officially ends the war, ratifying independence of 13 North American States

·       1787 – Constitution is drafted in Philadelphia, including the Bill of Rights

Bill of Rights (first 10 Amendments to the US Constitution)

·       Amendment I Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition

o   Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

·       Amendment II Right to keep and bear arms in order to maintain a well regulated militia

o   A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

·       Amendment III No Quartering of Soldiers.

o   No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

·       Amendment IV Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures

o   The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

·       Amendment V Right to due process of law, freedom from self-incrimination, double jeopardy

o   No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

·       Amendment VI Rights of accused persons, e.g., right to a speedy and public trial, jury trial in criminal cases

o   In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

·       Amendment VII Right of trial by jury in civil cases

o   In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

·       Amendment VIII Freedom from excessive bail, cruel and unusual punishments

o   Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

·       Amendment IX Other rights of the people

o   The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

·       Amendment X Powers reserved to the states

o   The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

·       “Manifest Destiny” –widely-held belief that settlers were destined by God to settle all of North America

·       Louisiana Purchase – 1803, Thomas Jefferson buys nearly a million square miles  (2.6 mil km)

·       Lewis and Clark exploration (1805-1807)

·       “Indian Problem” – Supreme Court recognized that Native Americans were sovereign nations, government did not want to recognize

·       1830 – President Andrew Jackson signs the “Indian Removal Act”, allows states to remove Native Americans and send them to reservations in Oklahoma

·       Thousands of Native Americans die during this forced deportation

·       Nov. 1860 – Abraham Lincoln is elected 16th President of the United States, first Republican President, opposes the spread of slavery

·       By Jan. 1861 – South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas secede from the United States. War begins

·       January 1, 1863 – Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all enslaved people in all United States free (including southern states)

·       April 9, 1965 – Southern Army surrenders in Appomattox, VA

·       April 14, 1865 – President Lincoln is assassinated, followed by surrendering of the rest of southern states in coming months

·       2% of the population died in war, roughly 620,000

·       October 24th 1929, Black Thursday – investors sell 13 million shares of stock, world enters recession

·       The Great Plains suffer a severe drought, region referred to as “The Dust Bowl” (literature of John Steinbeck)

·       August 6, 1945 – US Forces drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. 80,000 people are immediately killed

·       August 9, 1945 – Nagasaki is bombed. 40,000 people die

·       US Advisors told President Truman a conventional invasion would cost 1,000,000 lives

·       Moral opposition greatly affects war opinions in the future

·       1955 – Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat to a white woman on a bus in Alabama, this sparks a bus boycott

·       1960 – Four black students in North Carolina refuse to leave the “whites only” lunch counter

·       1961 – Governor of Alabama stands in a university doorway, refusing entry to black students, until President John F Kennedy sends the National Guard

·       August 1963 – Martin Luther King Jr. gives his “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, DC

·       “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’”

·       1964 – President Lyndon B Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – preventing employment discrimination due to race, color, sex, religion, or national origin. This also ended segregation nationally

·       1965 – Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965 – preventing the use of literary tests as a voting requirement

·       April 4, 1968 – Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated on the balcony of his hotel room in Memphis, TN

·       April 11, 1968 – Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968, also known as the fair housing act

·       1955 – 1975, US Forces attempt to stop the spread of communism, ally South Vietnam

·       Between 1964 and 1973, the US military drafted 2.2 million American men

o   (Notable conscientious objector Muhammad Ali)

·       1994 – OJ Simpson murder trial leads to around-the-clock reporting

·       1996 – Rupert Murdoch starts Fox News, competitor to other major news networks

·       Pace of journalism changes, day-to-day pacing of newspapers altered to desire for immediate reporting

Florida Recount of 2000: Hanging Chads

·       George W. Bush vs. Al Gore – race for the president, razor-thin margins across the country

·       Ultimately comes down to Florida, where the vote margin was 537 votes (in favor of Al Gore)

·       Debate as to what counted as a “proper ballot”

·       Supreme Court decides 5-4 that no other recount method could be planned, George W. Bush declared winner, 43rd POTUS

·       Trust in election system erodes, trust in (opposing) news sources erodes

·       8:46 am – Hijacked Flight 11 crashes into the North World Trade Center Tower

·       9:03 am – Flight 175 crashes into the South Tower

·       9:37 am – Flight 77 hits the Pentagon in Washington, DC

·       9:59 am – The South Tower collapses

·       10:28 am – The North Tower collapses

·       3,000 people die

War on Terror 2001-…?

·       September 12, 2001 – GWB declares “War on Terror”

·       October 7, 2001 – US and British troops launch airstrikes in Afghanistan aimed at Taliban and Al Qaeda training camps

·       Between 2001 and 2021, over 1 million people died, $8 trillion spent, 38 million refugees have been displaced

·       August 29, 2005 – Hurricane Katrina makes landfall on the Gulf Coast

·       Aftermath – levees break, $100 billion in damages

·       FEMA took days to establish, inviting criticism for readiness, and questions of racism

·       “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people” – Kanye West

·       November 2008 - Barack Obama elected first Black President of the United States

·       “Yes We Can”  - attitude in post-9/11 America

·       Election further splits divide between Democrats and Republicans, paving the way for Donald Trump

·       Complicated legacy

Shooting Trayvon Martin – 2012

·       February 26, 2012 - Unarmed Black teenager, Trayvon Martin, shot and killed by neighborhood watch, George Zimmerman

·       Zimmerman arrested, tried, argues self-defense

·       Acquittal in 2013 sparks phrase “Black Lives Matter,” drawing attention to issues of violence against Black Americans

·       “If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon” – Barack Obama

·       November, 2016 – Donald J Trump elected 45th President of the United States, first President without political or military experience

·       Stunning results, lack of faith in polling, political climate divided even further

·       Conventions and decorum erased, new era of political discourse (“Grab ‘em by the pussy”)

Evolution of the Supreme Court – 2016 – 2020

·       July 9, 2018 – Donald Trump nominates Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court

·       Christine Blasey Ford accuses Brett Kavanaugh of attempted rape in the 1980s at a college party

·       Hearings and testimony at Senate Judiciary Committee

·       Confirmed to Supreme Court

·       “Believe women” vs. “Credible accusations”

2020 Election

·       March 2020 – WHO declares Covid a global pandemic

·       Republicans and Democrats split on handling, party-line adherence to Covid policies

·       Delays in Primaries begin, muddying voting norms, mail-in ballots

·       May 2020 – George Floyd murdered by Derek Chauvin

·       Mass protests despite coronavirus lockdowns, further dividing Republicans and Democrats

·       June 2020 – Protesters in Lafayette Square are forcibly removed so the President can take a photograph with a Bible

·       July 2020 – Trump names mail-in voting a prime source for voter fraud

·       July – Nov 2020 – Early, mail-in voting causes confusion in poll numbers

Storming of Capital Jan. 6, 2021

·       Lead-up to the election, Trump, the RNC, and Republican leaders files scores of lawsuits alleging that changes to mail-in voting undermine constitutional authority and invite voter fraud

·       On January 6th (date fixed in federal law), joint session of Congress presided by Vice President to count electoral votes confirm election

·       Trump held rally, “Fight like hell”

·       5 people killed (Ashli Babbitt)

·       4 police officers involved died by suicide in the weeks following

·       1973 – Roe v. Wade, Supreme Court rules 7-2 that abortion is protected under the 4th Amendment, right to due process and privacy

·       June 24, 2022 – Supreme Court rules in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, 5-4 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, leave abortion to the states

·       Multiple “trigger laws” kick in, outlawing abortion in many states

·       Legislative Branch – writes the laws

o   Congress (House of Representatives, Senate)

·       Judicial Branch – interprets the laws

o   The Federal Courts (US Supreme Court)

·       Executive Branch – carries out the laws

o   President, Vice President

·       This is called the separation of powers

Legislative Branch

·   House of Representatives

o   Representatives from each state based on population (California – 52; Rhode Island – 2)

o   Changes after the census

o   Always 435

·       Senate

o   Always two per state

·       Together called Congress

Judicial Branch

System of Checks and Balances

·       Legislative Branch – Writes the Laws

o   Checks on Executive

§  May override vetos

§  Can impeach president

§  May refuse confirmation (2016-2017)

§  May propose amendments to Constitution

§  Can impeach federal judges

§  Appropriates funds

·       Executive Branch (Enforces Laws)

o   Checks on Legislature

§  May veto legislation

§  Call special sessions of Congress

§  Recommend legislation

§  Can issue executive orders

o   Checks on Judiciary

§  Appoints federal judges (Gorsuch and Kavanaugh)

§  May pardon federal offenders

§  May refuse to enforce court decisions

·       Judicial Branch (Interprets Laws)

o   Checks on Executive

§  May rule executive actions unlawful

§  Chief Justice presides over Senate impeachment of the president

o   Checks on Legislative

§  May declare legislation unconstitutional

§  Chief Justice presides over Senate impeachment of the president

·       First jury trial 1630 in Plymouth colony when John Billington accused of murdering John Newcomin

·       Awarded by the sixth and seventh amendments (fair and speedy trial, right to a jury of peers)

·       Meant to rule out intentional or unintentional bias of judge and prosecution

·       Jurors must go through a process called “jury selection”

·       All citizens must appear if summoned to a jury