Political Culture and Constitutional Foundations

Good Government

Defined by separation of powers and checks.

Political Culture

Influences Declaration and Constitution.

Jefferson's Ideals

Life, Liberty, pursuit of happiness.

Constitution

Framework for achieving Jefferson's ideals.

Federalist Papers

Essays advocating for the new Constitution.

Federalist #1

Hamilton argues for the Constitution's necessity.

Federalist #10

Madison discusses factions and government types.

Republic vs Democracy

Republic protects diverse views; democracy does not.

Democracy

Survives despite constitutional constraints.

Means and Ends

Methods to achieve political ideals.

Federalist #14

Madison supports strong federal government, state rights.

Federalist #51

Madison: 'If men were angels' quote.

Counter Majoritarian Check

Courts protect individual rights against majority.

Tocqueville's Democracy

Examines equality and institutions in America.

Pragmatism

Truth assessed by practical application success.

Dual Federalism

1787-1912: Layered cake model of governance.

Cooperative Federalism

1913-1964: Marble cake model of governance.

New Federalism

1980-present: Shift away from traditional models.

Social Contract Theory

Government derives power from the consent of governed.

Necessary and Proper Clause

Allows government to enact laws for success.

14th Amendment

Nationalizes the Bill of Rights.

Political Socialization

Process of forming political beliefs and values.

Shared Political Culture

Common values include liberty, equality, individualism.

American Exceptionalism

Belief in America's unique role and values.

Media Dependency

Society's reliance on media for information.

Roles of Media

Includes informer, tone setter, agenda setter.

Melodramatic Imperative

Media dramatizes events for audience engagement.

Walter Lipman

Critiques mass media's focus on entertainment.

Gerrymandering

Manipulating electoral district boundaries for advantage.