During the later years of the Obama administration, the Democratic Party controlled the presidency and Senate, while the Republican Party controlled the House of Representatives. As a result, gridlock occurred, and it was difficult for the policy-making process to enact policies to address important issues of the day such as immigration, gun control, or environmental legislation. Which policy-making theory might attribute this failure to the formal way our government is structured and the procedures for how bills become law?

The Jacksonian Era marked an important change in the process used to nominate Presidential candidates with the emergence of party _________________, eliminating caucuses.

Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).

How have the courts played a vital role in protecting the media under the First Amendment?

A. by limiting government efforts to exercise prior restraint and limiting the press's exposure to libel and slander laws B. by ruling that the press is a constitutionally protected fourth branch of the government that may write anything it wishes C. by limiting the subsidies provided to news organizations to ensure their independence D. by requiring politicians to answer questions from the press and expanding the availability of government documents