American Government Final Exam

What is Political Science?

The study of the theory and practice of government and politics, focusing on the structure and dynamics of institutions, political processes, and political behavior.

Politics

the process by which people negotiate and compete in the process of making and executing shared or collective decisions

Politics (2)

the distribution of who gets what, when, and why

Political Science is also:

the study of power

power

the capacity to bring about intended effects

power (2)

the ability for actor a to get actor b to do something they wouldnt otherwise have done

government

the means by which a society organizes itself and how it allocates authority in order to accomplish collective goals and provide benefits that the society as a whole needs

government (2)

set of institutions that make and enforce laws

institution

the set of rules and norms that govern behaviour

norm

socialized, accepted behaviour

good science

falsifiable

fields in political science

theory

theory

normative - how things ought to be

types of political science

quantitative

Quantitative

stats

qualitative

interviews

n

number of cases

case

an example of the phenomenon of interest

population of cases

every example of the phenomenon that exists

government (formal definition)

formal vehicle through which policies are made and affairs of state conducted

government (formal definition 2)

formal institutions through which a land and its people are ruled

state

country

state (formal definition)

a territory with defined boundaries, a government, a people, and has sovereignty

colonies

specific economic relationship with mother country

Mercantile Economy

-based on agriculture & trade

each colony had

a political contract/charter with mother country

colonial grievances

taxation only for colonies after french-indian war

colonies tried to

send an olive branch to make peace (it was rejected)

continental congress

formed to discuss grievances

representatives at continental congress

intellectuals

John Locke's Natural Rights

life

olive branch turned to

declaration of independence

Declation of Independence

stated we were our own country

notion of social contract theory

originally created by Hobbe's leviathan

revolutionary war

1765 - 1783

george washington

chosen as leader for the war

strategy =

outlast, guerrila warfare

Articles of Confederation (and reasons for it)

first attempt at creating an american state

under AOC states were

stronger than central government

Under AOC government could

coin money

Main reason for AOC

fearful of replacing one oppressive government with another

Only thing to survive aoc was

post office [fed. gov still controls it]

Biggest issues with AOC

loyalty to states & not fed gov.

Radicals in individual states

Shay's Rebellion

How to solve the AOC problems?

create a central government with capacity

Constitutional Convention Goal

Retool AOC

Constitutional Convention Outcome

constitution ends up being written & AOC scrapped

Constitutional Convention

not representative of everyone in the country

2 plans emerge from constitutional convention

new jersey plan

new jersey plan (small state plan)

strengthen articles, not replace them

virginia plan (large state plan)

1. bicameral legislature
2. representation based on population
3. all bills for raising & spending money originate there
4. senate selected by state legislatures; equal representation among states
5. president elected through electoral college
6. 3/5 compromise

Government is influenced by american political culture

1. liberty & equality
2. popular consent, majority rule, popular sovereignty
3. individualism
4. religious faith & religious freedom

Federalism

1. power is divided between central government & state governments
2. power is derived from the citizens, not the states

Supremacy Clause

national government is supreme to state governments (article 5)

Seperation of Powers

fear of one branch of government too powerful (england again)

3 distinct branches

legislative, executive, & judicial

checks & balances

constitutionally mandated structure that gives each branch some oversight and control over the other branches

Legislative Branch

makes laws

exectutive branch

Enforces laws

Judicial Branch

Interprets the laws

two stage process of proposal & ratification

1. proposal: 2/3 members of both chambers or 2/3 state legislatures calling for a national convention
2. ratification: 3/4 state legislatures or 3/4 states via special ratifying convention

12/13 states ratified the constitution

north carolina did not

north carolina wanted

bill of rights because they wanted to protect individual rights

bill of rights

had little influence until 19th century

Congress

known as the first branch by madison

bicameral legislature

1. house of representatives
2. senate

passing new laws is difficult because

both houses must be in agreement

role of congress:

1. represent the views of constituents
2. be of service to constituents in dealings with the national government
3. provide oversight of the actions of the president and his or her administration
4. provide public education and programs, and set policy
5. provide institutional resolution and societal conflict

bicameralism

1. defined as the practice of having two legislative chambers
2. designed to keep things equal

House

1. designed by framers to be closer to the people and more responsive to their interests
2. 2-year term
3. representation tied to popular will through proportional allocation of seats based on population

how many congressional districts?

435

37 states have

1. district boundaries, 7 have only 1 district
2. and remaining involve and independent commission

gerrymandering

manipulative dividing of election district boundaries to give majority advantage to one party

senate

1. designed to represent states
2. originally elected by state legislature
3. 6-year terms with staggered elections (1/3 up at a time)
4. higher age requirement (to avoid radical change)

reasons for staggered terms:

1. reduce the tendency toward drastic changes in membership we might see in the house
2. resist large swings in public opinion
3. slow down legislating process

leadership in the house

1. speaker of the house (only house leadership position mentioned in congress)
2. majority leader
3. minority leader
4. majority & minority whips

leadership in the senate

1. VP of the senate
2. president pro tempore
3. majority & minority leaders and whips

powers of the speaker

1. responsible for assigning new bills to committees
2. ability to recognize members to speak in the house chamber
3. ultimate arbiter and interpreter of house rules
4. appoints members to serve on special committees (including conference committees)

Executive

original writers had no idea what it should be

what the writers wrote in as executive

1. single individual
2. only person who's popularly elected
3. electoral college

responsibilities of POTUS

1. chief legislature
2. chief executive and head of state
3. commander in chief

Chief legislature

1. plays major roles in setting the legislative agenda through campaign promises & state of the union addresses
2. set national policy through budget proposals
3. veto power
4. executive orders

Federalist System

multiple layers of courts/judicial branch

Federal System

1. oversees federal law and disputes between:
2. states
3. states & fed gov
4. fed gov & foreign entities

2 goals of supreme court

1. protect the sanctity of the US constitution from other branches
2. protect individual rights against societal/government oppression (from fed gov, state gov, private actors)

Justices

1. 9 of them
2. appointed by the POTUS
3. select ~100 cases per year
4. lifetime term
5. apolitical

supreme court is the

shortest & least detailed of the three branches

Article 3 of the Constitution

1. details judicial branch
2. shortest & least detailed of the three branches
3. establishes 1 court

original jurisdiction

case is heard for the first time in the SCOTUS

appellate jurisdiction

hears a case on appeal from a lower court to judge an original ruling

the first session of the US congress:

1. laid the framework for today's federal judicial system
2. established judiciary act of 1789

basic structure of SCOTUS:

1. district courts -> appeal courts/circuit courts -> US Supreme Court

State Courts Structure

trial courts -> appeals courts -> state supreme court -> US supreme court

William Taft

only president to become SCOTUS Chief Justice & designated building for the court

Building was completed in

1935

The building was symbolic because

it was a move that recognized the growing power of the Court in National Gov.

John Marshall

1. 4th chief justice
2. served for 34 years
3. credited with defining the modern court, clarifying its power and strengthening its role

in 1803 the supreme court declared for itself the power of (Marbury v madison):

Judicial Review

Judicial Review

Gave the court the power to declar an act of congress unconstitutional

90% of all cases in the US court system are heard at the

state level