plcy 220: midterm

What are the three main purposes of a constitution

to define government powers, protect citizens' rights, and establish legitimacy through consent of the governed

According to Madison in The Federalist No. 10, what problem do constitutions need to solve?

Controlling the effect of factional groups driven by interests contrary to the common good through a large republic and representation.

What was Frederick Douglass's argument about the Constitution and slavery?

Douglass believed the Constitution could be used as an anti-slavery tool; it does not explicitly protect slavery and can advance freedom.

How does Levitsky & Ziblatt's critique connect to Madison's original design?

Madison's checks and balances aimed to prevent tyranny, but Levitsky and Ziblatt argue these counter-majoritarian institutions now entrench minority rule, undermining democracy.

Why are these institutions hard to reform?

Beneficiaries of overrepresentation resist change; constitutional rigidity and vested interests protect them.

What is the "folk theory" of democracy?

The idea that citizens are informed, rational, and vote based on coherent policy preferences

How does Achen & Bartels challenge the folk theory?

They show voting is driven by social identity and partisanship, not policy evaluation or rationality.

How do Achen & Bartels' and Schattschneider's critiques overlap?

Both argue that power is concentrated among elites; democracy's legitimacy depends on structure, not rational voters.

What do Soss & Weaver mean by "policing as governance?"

Policing operates as a form of government, regulating and controlling citizens, especially in marginalized communities.

how does "broken windows" policing relate to governance?

it expands state control by criminalizing minor offenses, reinforcing social inequality, and political exclusion.

Compare Soss & Weaver's view to Achen & Bartels.

Both reveal hidden inequalities in democracy: Achen & Bartels focus on elite control of policy; Soss & Weaver show how state practices produce unequal citizenship.

How does the Downsian framework explain politics?

Politics is driven by rational vote-maximizing politicians and utility-maximizing voters; outcomes reflect majority preferences.

What is the main idea of the policy-centered framework?

Policies themselves create political forces. Once enacted, they shape future interests, power, and participation.

What makes the American political economy distinctive?

Extreme fragmentation, weak bureaucracy, strong courts, and decentralized power, which benefits organized business over labor.

What is a veto point?

Veto points are the places in a political system where legislation can be blocked, delayed, or weakened — even if a majority supports it.

examples of veto points

Bicameral legislature – both the House and Senate must approve a bill.

Senate filibuster – 41 senators (representing as little as 10% of the population) can block legislation.

Presidential veto – the president can reject bills passed by Congress.

Courts – can strike down laws as unconstitutional.

Federalism – states can obstruct or reinterpret federal laws during implementation.

how do racial divisions shape political coalitions?

racial inequality prevents cross-class alliances by dividing the working class and undermining solidarity for redistribution.

How do Soss & Weaver's and Hacker & Pierson's arguments connect?

Both show how institutions perpetuate inequality—one through governance practices, the other through policy design and drift.

What distinguishes CMEs from LMEs?

CMEs rely on cooperation and coordination; LMEs depend on market competition and individual firms.

What is Thelen's critique of the Varieties of Capitalism model?

It conflates coordination with equality — coordinated systems can also be unequal.

What is "dualization?"

A process in which insiders retain protection while outsiders face insecurity, commonly seen in CMEs adapting to liberalization.

What is "flexicurity?"

The Nordic model that combines flexible labor markets with strong welfare protections, balancing efficiency and equality.

Compare Thelen's and Hall & Soskice's perspectives on change.

Hall & Soskice emphasize institutional stability; Thelen highlights adaptation and coalition-driven evolution under globalization.

Why is institutional stability both a strength and a weakness of democracy?

Stability maintains order (Moe), but it also prevents reform (Levitsky & Ziblatt); entrenched interests resist necessary change (Hacker & Pierson).

Compare Thelen's and Hacker & Pierson's approaches to long-term change.

Both reject sudden breaks — Thelen emphasizes coalition evolution; Hacker & Pierson stress policy drift and cumulative feedback.

what is policy feedback?

When existing policies shape citizens' attitudes, influence organizations, and allocate power resources, they can impact future politics (Hacker & Pierson).

what is custodial citizenship?

A form of political socialization where marginalized groups learn to see government as punitive, not protective, through interactions with policing and punishment (Soss & Weaver).

what is dualization?

A process in coordinated economies where insiders retain protections and outsiders face precarity— inequality within "egalitarian" systems (Thelen).

What is the submerged state?

Hidden government policies (tax breaks, employer benefits) that mainly help the affluent while appearing "private" (discussed by Hacker & Pierson).

what is asymmetric polarization?

The idea that one political party (typically the GOP) has moved further to the ideological extreme than the other, producing gridlock and minority dominance (Levitsky & Ziblatt, Hacker & Pierson).

Why is the US Constitution considered "unamendable?"

article V's high thresholds (2/3 Congress + 3/4) make amendment nearly impossible; modern polarization reinforces gridlock.

What are counter-majoritarian institutions?

Political structures (Senate, Electoral College, lifetime courts) that limit majority rule to protect minority interests.

What is the strongest argument for counter-majoritarian institutions?

They prevent tyranny and protect minority rights by slowing or balancing change.

What is the strongest argument against them?

They distorted representation-small, rural states and partisan minorities hold disproportionate power.

What do Levitsky and Ziblatt mean by "authoritarian minority rule?"

US institutions systematically empower a minority coalition that can govern without the support of a popular majority.

what does Schattschneider mean by "the heavenly chorus sings with an upper-class accent?"

Political participation and organized interest disproportionately reflect elite, upper-class voices

What are "Race-Class Subjugated Communities" (RCSCs)?

Communities where the main face of the state is coercive: police, courts, fines, and surveillance, rather than democratic participation.

What political lessons do RCSCs learn from policing?

That government is punitive and untrustworthy, leading to civic withdrawal and system avoidance.

What is "policy feedback?"

When enacted policies alter public opinion, resources, and organizational power, they influence future politics.

Compare Downsian vs. Policy-Centered views.

Downsian sees elections driving policy; policy-centered sees policy shaping future politics, emphasizing institutions and organized interests over voters.

What is "policy drift?"

When laws remain formally unchanged but become outdated due to shifting social and economic contexts, they often exacerbate inequality.

How do different authors explain why democracy fails to reflect the will of the people?

Achen & Bartels: voter irrationality

Schattschneifer: elite bias

Levitsky & Ziblatt: institutional distortion

Soss & Weaver: governance-based exclusion

How do policy feedback and vested interests interact?

Policy feedback creates new vested interests that defend existing arrangements, making change even harder.

What is policy drift?

When laws stay the same but social/economic contexts change, producing new outcomes that often favor elites (e.g., stagnant minimum wage).

What is institutional fragmentation?

The division of power across multiple branches and levels of government creates numerous veto points, making coordinated policy difficult.

What is the median voter theorem?

in a two-party system, parties converge toward the preferences of the median voter to win elections.

What makes democracy valuable despite these flaws?

It enables peaceful transitions of power, accountability, and protection against dictatorship, even if representation is imperfect.

How do "vested interests" (Moe) contribute to institutional stability?

Beneficiaries of existing policies defend them, making significant change rare and incremental.

How does fragmentation affect inequality?

It multiplies veto points, allowing well-funded interests to block reform while the majority remains disorganized and ineffective.

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