Intro to Gov Midterm

Unf Intro To Gov Midterm

Collective Action Problem

Individuals would like to work together to solve a problem, but have incentives to defect

Coordination Problem

Outcome doesn’t matter, just that everyone agrees

Free Rider Problem

Individuals can enjoy group benefits without contributing money/effort

Tragedy of The Commons

Individuals overuse public good, eventually ruining it

Prisoner’s Dilemma

Individuals benefit from cooperation, but are incentivized to turn on one another

Negative Externality

Societally undesirable thing is overproduced

Positive Externality

Societally desirable thing is under-produced

Asymmetric Information

Sellers know more than buyers

Passing new laws required 2/3 support

Which of the following is true about the Articles of Confederation?

Principal Agent Problem

Someone hires someone else to carry out a task on their behalf

Virginia Plan

Bicameral legislature, apportionment by population, executive appointed by lower chamber

New Jersey Plan

Unicameral legislature, apportionment by state and selected by state legislature, only clear powers are to tax and regulate commerce

Connecticut Compromise

Bicameral legislature, House apportioned by population and Senate apportioned by state

Electoral College

System where Presidential vote is indirect, voters choose electors

Federalist Papers

Written by Madison and Washington under an alias to sell ratification to the public

Federalist 10

Argue that a large republic is better than a small republic in order to represent minority

Federalist 51

Argue that checks and balances among elected officials will reduce tyranny 

Supremacy Clause

Constitution is supreme law

Bill of Rights

First 10 amendments

1st Amendment

GRASP: right to grievances, religion, assembly, speech, press

True or False: “Freedom of Speech” applies to communication with society

False

4th Amendment

No unreasonable search and seizure

5th Amendment

Right to due process: all justice proceeding to follow strict rules, right to know this process, right to not self-incriminate

6th Amendment

Further legal protections: judgement by jury, right to a lawyer and know charges against you, right to a timely trial

8th Amendment

Even more protections: courts allow bail and cannot set excessive bail, cruel and unusual punishment forbidden

10th Amendment

“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.”

Elastic Clause

“The Congress shall have Power ... To make
all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States.” Also known as “Necessary and Proper” clause

Missouri Compromise of 1820

Creates “geographical balance” of free/slave states (mason-dixon line)

Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854

Ends Missouri Compromise, leaves slavery question to territory settlers, leads to “bleeding Kansas”

13th Amendment

Abolishes slavery

14th Amendment

Equal protection and birthright citizenship

15th Amendment

Right to vote regardless of race

Black Codes

Black people must pay tax to not be limited to farmer/servant, harsh vagrancy laws requiring written evidence of employment

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Ruled that segregation by race did not violate the Constitution, “seperate but equal”

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Prohibits segregation in schools

Civil Rights Act (1964)

Bans segregation and discrimination based on race

Voting Rights Act (1964)

Ends Jim Crow barriers, punishes offending states

Bottom Up Theory

Double migration, institutional organization, white contact, improved technology, activism

Top Down Theory

The courts, the presidents, Congress and Parties

Double Migration

South to North (freedom), Rural to Urban (population density)

Unitary State

Power is centralized at national level (China, most of Africa)

Confederation

Most power is held at local/regional levels (no current good example)

Federation

Power is shared between local and national governments (US and Canada, Australia, some of South America)

Dual Federalism

National and state governments have clear separation of powers (how we started)

Cooperative Federalism

Some powers for national government, some for state, some for local (how we are now)

Commerce Clause

“The Congress shall have Power...to regulate commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes.”

Fiscal Federalism

Federal government can provide grants to states to incentivize decisions

Polarized Federalism

States are increasingly the drivers of policy change as they are controlled by one party and less attention is paid to state/local politics

Laboratories of Democracy

Experimentation leads to best policies, later adoption (in theory)

Race to the Bottom

State competition can lead to worse public outcomes for citizens

Which of the following is FALSE about the Senate?

Term is 2 years

Filibuster

Senate members can choose to delay a ruling by using their power of “unlimited debate”

Unified Government

Bipartisanship common (1931-1994)

Divided Government

Increased gridlock, fight for majority Congress control (1980-now)

Head of State

Primary control of all foreign diplomacy, general symbol of leadership

Head of Government

Primary control of policy and implementation

True or False: Head of Government and Head of State are the same person in a presidential system, but different people in a semi-presidential system or a constitutional monarchy

Commander-In-Chief

Sole control of the armed force 

War Powers Act (1973)

Requires war to be declared after 60 days of conflict

Ambassador-In-Chief

Often ceremonial, but important to foreign relations

Treaties

POTUS can negotiate with foreign governments on behalf of the United States (but must be confirmed by Senate)

Executive Agreements

Doesn’t require Senate, but less binding on future presidents, and can be overridden by Congress

Appointments

POTUS nominates major political actors, Supreme Court justices and hundreds of federal judges

Impeachment

Formal charge of wrongdoing, requires majority vote in House

Removal from Office

Requires 2/3 Senate vote, has never happened

Cabinet Secretaries

Each department has a Secretary, nominated by POTUS and confirmed by Senate

The Federal Reserve

Independent Agency, oversees economy by overseeing and maintaining critical balances; POTUS can appoint and reappoint members, but otherwise has no control

Spoils System (1820s-1880s)

Jobs are rewarded for electoral assistance; technical qualifications unimportant

Pendleton Act (1883)

Created a merit-based system, employees are tested

Delegation

Congress can give bureaucracy power to do their work, who then engage in rule-making

Ex-Ante Oversight

Before the fact oversight

Ex-Post Oversight

After the fact oversight

Iron Triangle

Collusion between a congressional committee, a bureaucratic agency, and the interest groups being regulated

Cognitive Capture

Experts often come from or agree with industry they are regulating

Revolving Door

Political actors help industry, then later get hired by that industry once they leave office

Police Patrol

Actively investigate using audits and formal Congressional hearings

Fire Alarms

Wait for aggravated parties to call for judicial review, act later

Poison Pills

Hidden clauses in bills meant to weaken agencies

Poodle

Members never check their own president

Pitbull

Members aggressively pursue opponent president

Common Law

Judges decide how to apply existing law to resolve nuanced disputes

Statutory Law

Legislatures create new legislation; overrides existing common law

Constitutional Law

Legal meaning found by judges in the Constitution; overrides statutory and common law

Countermajoritarian Difficulty

Founder distrusted judges as they were not elected, serve for life, and might make decisions against public

Writ of Certiorari

Decision by Supreme Court to hear case, rarely given (requires 4 of 9 judges)

State Decisis

SCOTUS sets precedents all other courts must follow, and only future SCOTUS may reverse

Textualism

Is fixed in written content

Literalism

Is in the words

Originalism

Is in the original understanding

Organicism

Meaning can be reinterpreted in context of time

Active Liberty

Interpret in way that maximizes liberty, minimizes encroachment by others

The Legal Model

Judges only decide cases based on the legal merits of the case 

The Attitudinal Model

Judges often decide based on their person beliefs 

The Strategic Model

Judges sometimes decide based on grander strategic needs

True or False: State Governors can issue line-item vetoes

True

State House/Assembly

Similar to House; around 100 members, each representing ~50,000

State Senate

Similar to Senate; about 40 members, each representing ~150,000

True or False: State taxes are flat/regressive, while federal taxes are progressive

True

County Board of Commissioners

Functions similarly to City Council

County Executive

Can be elected separately, or appointed by County Board; usually serves on County Board