POLS 103 Exam 1 Notes

Articles of Confederation

• National Congress lacked power to require states to pay for army.

• Distrust of a too-powerful national government.

Pluralism

• A variety of interests ensure no total control by one group.

Factions

• A group seeking control for their own agenda.

Separation of Powers

• Power should be distributed to prevent tyranny.

Slavery at the Constitutional Convention

• Immorality acknowledged, but not banned to secure support from slave states.

Balance of Power

• Supremacy clause directly relates to state vs. national power.

Electoral College

• Indirect election of president balances state power and executive independence.

Federalists vs. Antifederalists

• Antifederalists advocated for strong states’ rights.

Ratification

• Constituted a hard-fought battle requiring negotiations.

Necessary and Proper Clause

• Grants federal government powers beyond those enumerated.

Great Compromise

• Led to rural states having disproportionate influence in the Senate.

President's War Power

• Significant but increasingly subordinate to Congress.

Constitutional Amendments

• Require two-thirds majority in Congress and three-fourths ratification.

American Federalism

• Picket fence metaphor illustrates policy area interactions.

Federalism Types

• Coercive and marble cake federalism defined by federal-state interactions.

Dred Scott v. Sandford

• Established federal law's supremacy over state law.

Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

• Protections against government infringement and discrimination.

Voting Rights

• Jim Crow laws limited impact of the Fifteenth Amendment.

Political Participation

• Voting Rights Act significantly increased Black American participation.

Affirmative Action

• Constitutional issues primarily involve equal protection.

Discriminatory Practices

• Literacy tests replaced by modern discriminatory practices in elections.