Constitutional Democracy lecture notes

These flashcards cover constitutional origins, political theories, institutional structures, public opinion, and the mechanics of American democracy as discussed in the lecture.

John Adams

A 18th-century lawyer and radicalized advocate who viewed the American Revolution as a necessary response to institutional failure and British legal abuses.

Thomas Jefferson

A 18th-century planter and Enlightenment thinker who viewed the American Revolution as a defense of universal principles and natural rights theory.

The Declaration of Independence

A foundational document consisting of two parts: a philosophical vision of universal rights and a concrete political indictment of King George III.

Articles of Confederation

The first governing document of the United States (1781–1789) that was weak by design, leaving sovereignty to the states and lacking national authority.

Montesquieu’s Theory of Government

The political theory that liberty depends on separating legislative, executive, and judicial authority to prevent the concentration of power.

Federalist 10

An essay by James Madison arguing that a large republic is the best defense against the 'mischiefs of faction' because diversity dilutes factional power.

Federalist 51

An essay asserting that government requires internal limits and that 'ambition must counteract ambition' through separation of powers and checks and balances.

Normative Utilitarianism

The principle formulated by Jeremy Bentham that the goal of politics should be 'the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people.'

Median Voter Theorem

A model suggesting that any majoritarian outcome must include the median voter and that candidates will converge toward the median to win.

Condorcet Winner

A candidate who would defeat every other candidate in a one-on-one contest.

Veto Player

An institutional actor, such as the House, Senate, or President, whose agreement is required for policy change to occur.

Sovereignty

The independent authority of a government to tax, exercise police power, make laws, and administer its territory.

Riker’s Theory of Federalism

The argument that federalism is a political bargain among elites rather than a tool for liberty or better policy.

Diffusion

The spread of policies across states through learning, emulation, competition, or coercion.

Laboratories of Democracy

The concept that states can conduct policy experiments to see what works before a policy is adopted at the national level.

Receive-Accept-Sample (RAS) Model

John Zaller’s model stating that citizens receive elite messages, accept them based on prior beliefs, and sample considerations to form survey responses.

Calculus of Voting

Represented by the formula $V = PB - C + D$, it explains that people vote when the benefits and sense of duty outweigh the costs.

Logic of Collective Action

Mancur Olson's theory that individuals have an incentive to free-ride on public goods, making it difficult for large, diffuse groups to organize.

Duverger’s Law

The principle that single-member, plurality electoral systems naturally tend to result in a two-party system.

Retrospective Issue Voting

Voters holding incumbents, usually the president's party, responsible for their past record on issues like the economy.

Watchdog

The media's role in exposing executive wrongdoing and government deception, as seen in cases like Watergate or the Pentagon Papers.

Agenda-setting

The process by which the media influences what issues the public thinks about.

Priming

The media's influence on the standards or criteria the public uses to evaluate political actors.

Framing

The media's process of shaping how an issue is understood through specific selection and emphasis of information.

Pork-barrel Politics

Targeted government benefits or funds directed to a member’s district or state to gain political support.

Police Patrol vs. Fire Alarm Oversight

The difference between constant, direct monitoring of a bureaucracy and responding to urgent events or complaints from citizens.

Mayhew’s Electoral Connection

The theory that members of Congress are 'single-minded seekers of reelection' who engage in advertising, credit claiming, and position taking.

Judicial Review

The power established in Marbury v. Madison that allows courts to declare laws enacted by the other branches unconstitutional.

Writ of Certiorari

A formal writ used to bring a case before the Supreme Court after at least four justices agree to hear it.

The Attitudinal Model

A theory of judicial decision-making suggesting that judges' decisions primarily reflect their personal policy preferences and ideologies.

Civil Liberties

Protections from the government that limit what the government can do, such as freedom of speech and religion.

Civil Rights

Protections by the government that require action to ensure equality, such as voting rights and equal protection.

Selective Incorporation

The process by which the Supreme Court gradually applies the Bill of Rights to the states using the 14th Amendment.

Due Process Clause

A provision in the 5th and 14th Amendments ensuring that the government must follow fair procedures before depriving any person of life, liberty, or property.

Strict Scrutiny Test

The legal standard applied to laws involving race; the government must show a compelling interest and that the law is the least restrictive way to achieve it.

Keynesian Economics

The economic theory that government spending should increase during business slumps and be curbed during periods of economic boom.

Realism

A theory of international relations suggesting that a nation’s primary goal is to maintain its own power and security.

Soft Power

The use of persuasion, encouragement, and the promotion of culture and ideals to achieve foreign policy goals.