American Gov unit 1

Government

The institution through which a land and its people are ruled

Politics

Method of maintaining, managing, and gaining control of government (who gets what, when, and how)

political science

The study of the allocation of scarce resources for political ends, in an effort to form general theories or principals about the way the world or politics work

Autocracy

a system of government by one person with absolute power.

Oligarchy

A government ruled by a few powerful people

Democracy

A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

Direct democracy

A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives

Authoritarian government

a system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits but may nevertheless be restrained by the power of other social institutions

Totalitarian government

a system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits on its power and seeks to absorb or eliminate other social institutions that might challenge it

Free riding

enjoying the benefits of some good or action while letting others bear the costs

5 principals of politics

1. All political behavior has a purpose (the rationality principle).
2. Institutions structure politics (the institution principle).
3. All politics is collective action (the collective action principle).
4. **page7**

Political outcomes are the products of individual preferences, institutional procedures, and collective action (the policy principle).
5. How we got here matters (the history principle).

Public goods

a commodity or service that is provided without profit to all members of a society, either by the government or a private individual or organization.

State of nature

The basis of natural rights philosophy; a state of nature is the condition of people living in a situation without man-made government, rules, or laws.

Institutions

Complex social organizations such as governments, economies, and education systems

Principal-agent relationship

The relationship between a principal and his or her agent. This relationship may be affected by the fact that each is motivated by self-interest, yet their interests may not be well aligned

Constitution

A written plan of government

Articles of confederation

A weak constitution that governed America during the Revolutionary War.

Perpetual union

was an important part of the articles of confederation, it secured state's rights and the federal government should be monitored by the states.

Great Compromise

agreement providing a dual system of congressional representation

Three-fifths compromise

Agreement that each slave counted as three-fifths of a person in determining representation in the House for representation and taxation purposes (negated by the 13th amendment)

Bicameralism

The principle of a two-house legislature.

Expressed powers

powers directly stated in the constitution

Necessary and proper clause

Clause of the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3) setting forth the implied powers of Congress. It states that Congress, in addition to its express powers, has the right to make all laws necessary and proper to carry out all powers the Constitution vests in the national government

Judicial review

Allows the court to determine the constitutionality of laws

Marbury v. Madison

This case establishes the Supreme Court's power of Judicial Review

Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission

Declares that state voter identification rules are preempted by the National Voter Registration Act

Barron v. Baltimore

Ruled that the Bill of Rights cannot be applied to the states.

District of Columbia v. Heller

Individuals have a right to own and possess firearms

Citizens United v. FEC

corporate funding of independent political broadcasts can't be limited

Brown v. Board of Education

Outlawed de jure segregation but did not outlaw de facto segregation

Plessy v. Ferguson

"separate but equal" doctrine supreme court upheld the constitutionally of jim crow laws

Roe v. Wade

legalized abortion on the basis of a woman's right to privacy

U.S. v. Lopez

The Court held that Congress had exceeded its commerce clause power by prohibiting guns in a school zone.

University of California Regents v. Bakke

race can be used as one of many factors when deciding college admissions (race cannot be the sole determinant)

Tragedy of the Commons

situation in which people acting individually and in their own interest use up commonly available but limited resources, creating disaster for the entire community

Shay's Rebellion

Who: Damien shays, former army captain and mob farmers
What: Stormed national arsenal to produce weapons for a rebellion after attempting peaceful means
Why: bank foreclosures on the farmers land, failing state policies

Economic difficulties for the average American, demonstrated the articles inability to respond

What did shays rebellion highlight?

Enact public policy, trade-offs between freedom

Good consequences of tragedy of commons

Rebellions and revolutions (shays rebellion, French Revolution)

The bad of tragedy of commons

French Revolution

a rebellion of French people against their king in 1789

Tyranny of the majority, modern day tyranny - popular vote but lost election

The ugly of tragedy of commons

Aristotile

Influenced numerous culture from late antiquity through the renaissance , believed in empiricism where knowledge and concepts are based on observation. (Fact based)

Manga Carta

a document that promised barons certain rights

Conservatism

a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, favoring obedience to political authority and organized religion

Monarchy, aristocracy, church

Conservatism: Three essential pillars of social harmony

Liberalism

A belief that government can and should achieve justice and equality of opportunity.

Economic, personal, political

Liberalism: inherent rights and freedoms of individuals

Niccolo Machiavelli

Founder of modern political science

Private public morality

A successful ruler must understand and utilized both \_____ and \_____ \_____

Thomas Hobbes

English materialist and political philosopher who advocated absolute sovereignty as the only kind of government that could resolve problems caused by the selfishness of human beings (1588-1679)

Hobbes state of nature

"The life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."

John Locke

Father of Liberalism , claimed human nature is defined by reason and tolerance, supported social contract theory, inspired "life liberty and pursuit of happiness"

Charles de Montesquieu

Outlined two types of governmental power (sovereign and administrative). Divided French society into three classes: monarchy, aristocracy, the commons

Administrative power

Executive, judicial, legislative power

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Social contract theory, proposed that the division of labor in civil society inevitably results in economic inequality and conflict

Ensure civil society gets what is set out to do collectively, avoid the state of nature, promote security through interdependency, reap the benefits of collected actions, manage the endless struggles of have and have nots

Why politics?

Institutions

the rules and procedures that provide incentives for political behavior, thereby shaping politics

Tax the American colonies, England felt it fair for defending the colonies

What was England's solution to debt?

Tyranny

Cruel and oppressive government or rule

Common sense

A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that claimed the colonies had a right to be an independent nation

Thomas Paine

"From the errors of other nations, let us learn wisdom."
"By giving man king an ass for a lion"

Declaration of Independence

What was America's solution to tyranny?

John locke

Who was the Declaration of Independence derived from?

First continental congress

Formulated a list of grievances over British rule

Perpetual union

was an important part of the articles of confederation, it secured state's rights and the federal government should be monitored by the states.

Confederation

A loose configuration of states with a very limited central government

Unitary Government

All key powers are held by the central government, strong central government

Federal government

State/regional authorities hold some of the power, strong central government

Confederation governmnet

Authorities hold most of the power, weaker central government

Anything that was not explicitly allowed for

In the articles congress couldn't do \____

Gridlock, bankruptcy, unsolved conflicts (state vs state), no execution of the laws

Flaws of articles of confederation

Gridlock

Unanimous vote required to pass laws, amendments, etc

The federalist

"Virginia plan" ,Strong national government, wealthier and more educated, wanted to scrap the articles, 3 branches of government, bicameral legislature, representation by state and population

The anti-federalist

"New Jersey plan", stronger state government, poorer and less educated, wanted to give articles more time, 3 branches of government, unicameral legislature

Unicameral legislature

One-house legislature (representation by population)

Virginia plan

Proposal to create a strong national government

New Jersey plan

A constitutional proposal that would have given each state one vote in a new congress

The great compromise

agreement providing a dual system of congressional representation

Republicanism, separation of powers, federalism, strong protection for the individual

Product of the consitution

Republicanism

Sovereign people elect representatives

Legislative branch

the branch of government that makes the laws

Powers of congress

Collect taxes, borrow money, regulate commerce with other nations, coin money, declare war, control armed forces, make necessary laws.

Energy in the executive

Alexander Hamilton argues for the \_____ \___ \__ \________

Powers of the Legislative Branch (Congress)

writes laws, confirms presidential appointments, ratifies treaties, grants money, declares war

Powers of the Executive Branch

The president carries out out and enforces laws passed by Congress.
The president can veto congressional bills.
The president makes treaties.
The president is the commander in chief of the U.S. military.
The president appoints federal officials.

Powers of the Judicial Branch

Congress was to establish a Supreme Court and lower courts.
The kinds of cases that could be heard in federal courts was specified.
The Supreme Court's jurisdiction was outlined.
Treason was defined; requirements for conviction were set; and punishment was to be in the hands of Congress.

Judicial review

Allows the court to determine the constitutionality of laws

Civil liberties

Constitutional provisions, laws, and practices that protect individuals from government interference

Civil rights

The governments responsibility for guarantees in that all citizens are able to participate as equals in the practices of democratic life

Freedom to

positive freedom

Freedom from

Negative freedom

Counter-majoritarian

The process of courts undermining legislative or other popular majorities by invalidating statutes, ordinances, and ballot initiatives.

Faction

A mobilized concentration group focused on the interests of a community

Federalist papers

Written by Hamilton, Jay, & Madison to support ratification of the U.S. Constituiton

Republicanism

A system of government in which citizens elect representatives to make public policy decisions on their behalf

A megaphone for the vote of the people, ability to slow change through disagreements, accountability easier to enforce, institutional mechanisms written clearly into law to remove tyrannical reps

Pros of republicanism

Reps may vote against public sentiment (hobbes leviathan) , popular ideas may enter government quickly ( swaying policy), limited risk of tyranny for the majority, the people must take unified action to hold reps accountable.

Cons of republicanism

Federal arrangement

A system of government in which a constitution divides power between a central government and regional government. (A form of government in which 2 or more layers or more layer share authority, each with certain powers and responsibilities assigned to it

Trade/economics, protection/mutual defense

Advantages of confederal government

Cooperative Federalism

New deal era had what type of federalism?