GOV 310L Exam 1

Checks and balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power

Collective action

-You can do more together than you can do on your own

Collective action problems

-occurs when people would benefit from working together but have incentive not to contribute

-free rider; someone who receives the benefits of a public good without helping pay for or provide it (combat with selective benefits)

-tragedy of the commons; overusing resources for own self interest depletes/ruins resource (combat with gov regulation of resources)

Critical consumer of politics and news

an informed citizen who actively evaluates media and political info for bias, accuracy, and credibility rather than accepting claims at face value

culture wars

Political conflict in the United States between "red-state" Americans, "blue-state" Americans.

democracy

government in which political power ultimately rests with the people

direct democracy

Government in which citizens vote on laws and select officials directly. (think gilmore girls town hall meetings)

indirect/representative democracy

Form of democracy in which individuals are represented by appointed representatives. US is a representative democracy

economic individualism

people should make their own financial choices and take responsibility for their success or failure with little government interference. paired with limited government and free market ideas

equality

principle that people should receive equal treatment/status under the law

factions

Political groups that agree on objectives and policies; the origins of political parties.

- In federalist no. 10 james madison suggested creating many factions so that no one faction gets too much power or influence. instead, we got 2 main ones which is where politicao parties came from

Free market

An economic system in which prices and wages are determined by unrestricted competition between businesses, without government regulation or fear of monopolies.

government

-the institutions and procedures through which a society makes and enforces collective decisions

-exists partly because individuals cannot always solve collective problems on their own

major purposes of government

1. maintain order; create rules and laws that allow society to function

2. promote general welfare; provide things that benefit society as a whole

Why do we need government?

-People have self-interests, meaning they naturally want outcomes that benefit themselves.

-But what is best for an individual isn't always what is best for everyone.

-This creates collective dilemmas:

-Everyone may benefit if people cooperate.

-Individual incentives can make people choose not to cooperate.

-Government can establish rules and incentives that encourage cooperation.

Ideas about government

Things that are important to us but cause conflict

-economic stuff

-culture stuff

-race, gender, and ethnic differences

-ideology

What does gov do for you?

-create and enforce laws

-create and regulate money

-provide goods that wouldn't exist on free market (mail, military)

-regulates market (lead, food)

-protects civil liberties (1st amendment)

Monarchy

rule by one

Polity

rule by many

Aristocracy

rule by few (privileged ruling class, or the highest social class in a society)

Theocracy

religious rule

liberal

political ideology that favors active government action to promote economic equality, social welfare, and protection of civil rights

conservative

political belief favors limited federal government involvement in the economy, supports free-market capitalism, and traditional social values

Libertarians

prefer VERY LIMITED GOVERNMENT and have what is considered an extreme ideology. typically conservative in some areas and liberal in ones that involve personal liberties

American political values

Liberty: individuals should have freedom from unnecessary government interference, includes protections for individual rights and freedoms

Equality: citizens should be treated equally under the law

Democracy: political power ultimately comes from the people, citizens participate through voting and other forms of political activity

politics

-process through which society who gets what, when and how.

-occurs when people have different interests and must make collective decisions

-political decisions usually involve conflict and compromise because people don't all want the same outcomes

public goods

-benefits are available to everyone

-difficult to exclude people from using them

-example: national defense, public safety

private goods

-benefits go primarily to individuals who purchase or receive them

-people can generally be excluded from using them if they don't pay.

separation of powers

Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with the legislative branch making law, the executive applying and enforcing the law, and the judiciary interpreting the law

Texas creed (ideas that shape Texas politics)

-individualism (each person should act according to their own conscience, rooted in protestant settlers)

-liberty (gov shouldn't infringe on a person's individual rights)

-constitutionalism (written document that limits gov)

-equality

-democracy

redistributive tax policies

policies, generally favored by Democratic politicians, where higher income individuals are taxed at a higher rate and the collected revenue is used to fund public services and financial support for low income people

norms

informal rules and agreements among citizens and elected officials about how government and society should operate

Ideology

a cohesive set of ideas and beliefs that allow a individual to organize and evaluate the political world

Articles of Confederation

the first constitutional framework; had a strong state gov and weak federal gov. This created a big problem because the federal government has no power to regulate taxes commerce, enforce laws, or have one currency.

Shays Rebellion

States needed to raise money to pay back wealthy men that funded revolution, so they raised taxes on the land. Farmers couldn’t pay taxes and their farms were foreclosed. Daniel Shay lead rebellion of armed farmers in Massachusetts that that couldn’t be stopped because of a weak national government. Led to constitutional convention.

Constitutional Convention

-Shays Rebellion was catalyst

-Founders (elite, wealthy men) agreed that the articles needed to go, we needed a stronger national gov (but how strong?), national regulation of interstate commerce, republican form of gov, and checks and balances.

-Founders disagreed between a strong national gov (federalists), vs states rights (anti-federalists), representation in congress (big vs small states), slavery, and the presidency

Virginia Plan

favored big states; both chambers of congress would be proportional

New Jersey Plan

favored small states; each state would have equal representation in congress

Great Compromise/Connecticut Compromise

A bicameral legislature in which the lower house is based off of population and the upper house has equal representation. Can also collect revenue (taxes)

Issue of Slavery

-not in constitution because states kept walking out when told they couldn’t have slaves anymore

-said slave trading must stop at a certain date to eventually end it; this didn’t work because slaves had kids

Three-fifths compromise

-south had more population if they counted slaves, but north had more white land owners than the south

-This allowed the South to the slave population at 3/5ths for purposes of taxation and representation in the House of Representatives

Bicameralism

the legislative branch has two separate houses/chambers

Checks and balances

a system that allows each branch of a government to limit the powers of the other branches so that no single branch becomes too powerful

Bill of Rights

first 10 amendments concerned about basic liberties

Elastic clause/Necessary and Proper Clause

allows government to make necessary and proper laws as change and innovation rises

Enumerated powers

powers written in constitution

Implied powers

supported by constitution but not written in it

Full faith and credit clause

all states recognize legal documents from other states as valid (marriage, licsence, child support, etc)

Federalism

power is divided between national and state government

Electoral College

-No real precedent

-Votes are cast indirectly to a slate of electors pledge to each parties candidate

-Each state gets 1 vote for each House member and 1 vote for each senator (min. # of electors is 3 per state)

-Whoever gets majority of total electors wins

-The framers didn’t think there would be political parties

Federalists

-favored the constitution and supported strong national gov

-came from city and port areas

-John Jay and Alexander Hamilton

Anti federalists

-states right advocates who opposed constitution; wanted gov closer to people

-from rural, self sufficient areas

-Patrick Henry

Biggest complaint: No bill of rights

-federalist thought protections were unnecessary

-compromise: Bill of Rights added later

Federalist papers

essays defending the constitution that were aimed at NY bc it was a flip state

Federalist 10

-Written by James Madison

-Discusses factions and how he is worried they will become to powerful

-Madison’s solution is to create lots of factions so that no one faction gets too much power or influence(Pluralism)

Ratification of constitution

-most small states quickly approved

-viriginia and new york were narrow approvals

-Americans accepted new gov fairly quickly bc they knew George Washington would probably be the first president

Constitutional Amendments

-only 27 amendments because they require extraordinary majorities

-has been used to add/ remove national power, expand voting rights, limit state power, and for structural government changes

Constiutional change

3 Ways include: formal amendments, judicial interpretation, and political practice

Amendment Process

1st way: national convention called by Congress (never used)

2nd way: proposal for change by 2/3 vote in both houses of congress then ratification by states

State ratification: 1) ¾ of state legislatures (most common) 2) ¾ of state conventions (only used in 21st amendment)

Judicial Review

power of courts to examine laws or an executive branch action and decide if it’s unconstitutional

Common Sense/Thomas Paine

raised support in colonies to demand full independence

Declaration of Independence

-“break-up letter” influenced by Jone Locke’s “The second Treatise on Gov” that discusses the idea of a social contract

-includes ideas that we are created equal, have natural unalienable rights, and that the gov gets powers from the governed

Social Contract

giving up some freedom and autonomy in exchange for security, order, and protection of rights

Natural rights/Unalienable rights

life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

Pluralism

power is spread out between many factions so that no one faction gets too much power or influence

Formal and informal constituition

Formal constitution refers to an official written constitution (U.S) while informal refers to a system where there is no single written document (England)

Majority vs minority rights

The principle that while the majority may rule, the rights of minorities must be protected

Marbury vs Madison

Established the power of judicial review-the power of the courts to declare legislative and executive acts unconstitutional

Supremacy Clause

National laws take precedence over state laws if the two conflict.

Parliamentary system

legislative and executive power are closely joined. the legislature (parliament) selects the chief executive (prime minister) who forms the cabinet from members of the parliament.

Popular sovereignty

the idea that government gains its legitimacy through regular elections in which the people living under that government participate to elect their leaders

Power of the purse

Constitutional power of Congress to raise and spend money. Congress can use this as a checking power by freezing or cutting other branches funding.

Proprietary Colonoy

-British crown granted land charters and full governing rights to an individual or small group (proprietors)

-Proprietors borrowed British ideas like bicameralism and some procedures on how a bill becomes a law

Republican democracy

government in which citizens elect representatives to make laws under a constitution

Republicansim

As understood by James Madison and the framers, the belief that a form of government in which the interests of the people are represented through elected leaders is the best form of government. Our form of government is known as a republican democracy.

Reserved powers

10th amendment; powers that are not given to the national government by the constitution, or not prohibited to the states, are reserved to the states or the people.

Impeachment

A form of checks and balances that allows Congress to remove the president, vice president, judges, or other federal officials for abuses of power

Federalism

division of power across the local, state, and national governments, all derive authority from the people

Unitary government

the national government holds ultimate authority, this is the most common in the world

Confederal government

states hold power over a limited national government

Police power

responsibilities that include the power to enforce laws and provide for public safety

Sovereign power

the supreme power of an independent state to regulate its internal affairs without foreign interference; federalism divides this power

Privileges and immunities clause

states must treat non-state residents within their borders as they would treat their own residents. this was meant to promote commerce and travel between states.

Good things about federalism

-diverse policies for a diverse population

-minimizes policy conflict

-closer to the people (local govs)

-healthy dispersion of power creates more opportunities for participation

-policy innovation at state level (states can try new ideas as laboratories before federal gov implements it)

-state and local levels are good training ground for running for higher government

-priviledges and immunities clause

Concerns about federalism

-no national standards can create inequities (connecticut vs louisiana education)

-dispersion of power can allow groups to protect interest which may be undemocratic and contrary to national trends (segregation)

-low visibility and information flow about local governments

-is diversity always good (bad competition between states)

Exclusive powers

policy-making responsibilities that are exercised only by the national government

Concurrent powers

powers that are shared by federal, state, and local governments

National/exclusive Powers

-The supremacy clause

-obligation to protect states from invasion and violence

-Judges in every state must obey U.S constitution

-coin money, conduct foreign relations, regulate commerce

-provide army and navy, declare war, create courts, admit new states

-establish post offices

- make laws necessary and proper to carry out these powers

State Powers (10th amendment)

-public health, safety, and morals of their citizens

-state criminal laws

-run elections, ratify amendments

-establish local governments

-regulate interstate commerce

-regulate voting

Denied powers

-Bill of attainer: can’t declare an act illegal without trial

-Ex Post Facto: you cannot charge someone for an act that is now illegal but was legal when they committed the act

Nullification

argument that the states don’t have to obey unconstitutional laws and get to decide what is/isn’t unconstitutional; a debate over rejecting federal law; ended after civil war with supremacy clause

Dual federalism

National and state government are separate, distinct, and supreme in its own jurisdiction; limits power of the national government

Dred Scott Decision

-ruled that enslaved people were not citizens and could not sue in federal court

-congress could not ban slavery in the states because of dual federalism

Marshall Court

established national supremacy over state sovereignty and transformed the Supreme Court into a co-equal branch of government

14th amendment

-Due process and Equal Protection clauses now applied to states; federal government can protect civil rights under state level abuses

Evolution of Federalism

-Nullification

-Marshall Court

-Civil War Amendments

States rights

the idea that states are entitled to a certain amount of self-government free from the federal government; central issue leading up to the civil war

Cooperative federalism

national and state governments work together to provide services

Picket fence federalism

more refined and realistic version of cooperative federalism in which policy makers within a particular policy area work together across the levels of government

Spillover effects

example; pollution in one state could go into another so national gov would step in to help

competitive federalism

states compete to attract businesses and jobs through the policies they adopt