Political Science Mid-Term

ID Terms (40) Choose 4 of 7 [Definition & Sentence]

Essay (60) Choose 1 of 4

Possible ID Terms:
Majority Faction (Why is it dangerous?)
o Majority faction could take over government while minoriry will
take awhile and clog administration
o Trick is to keep majority from recognizing itself
o Harder for a majority to be formed
o Nothing to keep democracy in check
o America is dominated by its majority Tocqueville
o Omnipotence of the Majority all powerful
o Totalitarian/absolutism
Exceptionalism: America is a chosen people and designed
(sometimes by god) to be a beacon of light for the world.
Not only different, but better.
In literature its known as American difference.
o No socialism, small domestic state (not a lot of
benefits for citizens), no historical markers, higher
rates of social and geographical mobility (ex: hitching
up the wagon and moving- an ability to start over)be mobile to gain opportunity.
Question to keep in mind- How is America different? How is it
arguably better?
There is an ambivalent nature of American politics and history.
Liberalism
Democracy
Republican
How did the US recognize its own limits?
Limits governments put on themselves
o Constitution gave government less limits
Made us less democratic & more oligarchy
o Scope of Participation (who has the power)
Took power away from people gave to govt

o Made us less democratic

What US did to create a certain kind of government?

o Took power from the state and gave it to the Founding

Founders which created a larger, more powerful
government.
Totalitarian (dictatorship also goes along well)
The government recognizes no limits on its authority and claims
to have total control.
Oligarchy Government by a few
Autocracy Government by 1
Extended Republic Madison
Large government
In a smaller territory, madison says, a majority will identify itself
quickly and execute its plan of oppressive. Majority for madison
is oppressive.
Will work
Authoritarian Regimes
o Recognize limits
o Not necessarily happy with them but they still realize they have
some limit
o Realize it is easier to live with a handful of limits then get rid of
them, for now.
Critical Period & Founding/Intolerable Burden of Cruelties of
the Critical Period
How did Constitution Address the burdens?
Weak central government
Weak nation 13 strong nations
Articles of Conf
o Protection under a common enemy
o Had no power to tax
o No common currency
o No executive branch
o State courts
States did judging for themselves
o Weak congress
o Power remains in states
o Central govt doesnt have military and taxation power
Failed to create govt?
o America having labored under an intolerable accumulation
of evils.
John Quincy Adam
o Senate wasnt directly elected by people at the time
o Constitution was set by politicians

 Amidst crisis
o Intolerable burdens
Social Problems

Era of excessive democracy
Leveling: collapsing of social classes
Power resided in legislatures
Economic Power
Trade wars between states
Printed more money to pay debts
Result of political & social
States that resisted Maryland & Virginia
Good policy that avoids problems?
o Get better people in government
o Have a senate away from people to
weaken democracy
Republic: people are trained to see the
common good
o Valuable to have a small republic b/c of
common interest
Difference in America no feudal past
Constitution fixes acts of confederation
Explain the intolerable burden of accumulated evils in the
critical period.
(Politics, societal, economy) How did the Constitution address
these evil?
Provide a specific problem and solution.
(see above & below)
Problems of critical period
Weak central govt weak
mechanisms of coercion for central
govt)
- no checks and balances
Weak central nationalism (in
regard for America)- no legitimacy;
Social, political, economic &
intellectual problems
- social: leveling due to hyper
democracy (overwhelming
sense of equality. People
who use to be on the top of
colonial society starting to
be told they were equal to

Solution by constitution
Strong central government
Separation of power between the
different branches
Strong independent executive
branch & strong judiciary to
counter powerful legislative.
Congress gets to declare war with
pres. As commander in chief.
States cant engage in war on
their own, cannot trade
internationally, cannot regulate
currency.
we the people of the united

the lesser class)

political: legislative
dominance in the states.
Economic: currency &
coordination problems.
Outside trade war. The
states created the currency,
legislators controlled
currency, legislators are led
by the people. The more
these state legislators were
flooding the economy with
money, the more the elite
people & creditors were
loosing money.
Intellectual: wanted to
establish a republic & the
political theory at the time
said repbulics needed to be
small because if its a small
they have the same
interests. It is easier for
them to see public virtuesacrificing for the common
good (people in critical
period were not virtuousdid not have the common
good in their hearts).
Republics also need social
balance between monarchic,
aristocracy and democracy.
So, we are trying to create a
republic where it is not
meant to exsist

states- this is the constitution

creating a body of people and
stopping the stateshood. This
creates the legitimacy the govt
needs to function. Congress
needs to becomes the legit
source of authority
in the articles, the states were
represented in congress. In the
constitution, the people are
represented in house & states in
senate. The people control a
good portion of the national
govt. this direct representation
legitimizes the congress.
- Constitution can tax them
directly, make policies on their
behalf
- Not only that you represent
them but you use the power on
their behalf which increases
legitimacy because it gives
people confidence in the
congress.
States benefitted form this
legitimacy
The social, political problem of
excessive democracy &
institution to promote excessive
democracy was solved with
weakening state power
- states are more
democratic than
constituion, so taking
power away from the
states & the people is
weaekning democracy
also solve these problems with
separation fo power system
which dilutes the power of the
people: presidency,
bicameralism & courts
- presidency is removed
from the people because
we do not directly vote

him/her in.
- this is because of the
electoral college which is
upholding states &
federalism
- courts hold their position
for life & get to be there by
the presidency & approved
by senate
filtration- filtering in the best
part of society & filtering out the
worst.
- relies on authority &
people but does not want
people to run govt
- want people more
equipped to govern
congress created a commercial
republic
it represents an intellectual
revolution in the nature of a
republic
- people check themselves
in an American govt (this
is how we avoid a balance
between democracy,
monarchy & aristocracy).
Madisons idea of factionif one group fo people gain
too much power, then the
other group will put them
in their place. They will do
so because of self interest.
Selfishness is our fuel

Rights and Liberties

o Liberty- a freedom from government action, government
influence- our inherent, god given freedom.
Liberty comes from same root as liberal & it means
freedom from.
o Right- claims on government protection.
I can say that if I want- if it is your freedom you
would just say it, would not have to point out that
you could say it.

 Making a claim that you are free enough to say it.

o Both are in pursuit of individual freedom
Who was for/against Bill of Rights? Why?
Gatsby (American Exceptionalism/Culture)
Civil Rights/Civil Liberties
Max Faber: govt is the institution in society that has a monopoly on a
legitimate use of force
o Legitimacy comes from
wide spread perception that government has the
right to rule
Backed by the people
Bloodlines
Internal recognition
o Cohersion - Force Laws
o Military, police actual force
Economic force- distribution of benefits & extraction
of resources of society.
Ex.: Tax & draft
o Believing someone has a right to rule makes them legitimate
o When govt loses legitimacy they increase force
Is this a good definition?
Govt has massive coercive ability that it uses on its
people.
o Ex: police, military- send after you if you fail to
comply).
What is more dominant is legitimate- the magic is how little
the U.S. needs to use force because we believe the govt
has the right to rule.
^^ How did the Constitution make the government more
Fabian?
Explain monopoly, legitimacy, force.
Federalists v. Antifederalists (differences)
Federalists
Antifederalists
Rights Protection
Insist on Writing
Paper Protections
Permanent Landmark
Colorable Pretext
Constitution took power away
from people

Exceptionalism
Liberal
Harts (Loche)
LFP
No antagonism

Democracy
Tocqueville
LFP
No obstacles in democracy
way

Republican
Madison
LFP
Constitution

Evidence

No socialism;
state

Culture; expanse
democracy

Central
government
regulated democracy

Consequenc
e

Weak state

Thinker
Origin
Casual
mechanism

weak

Tyranny?

of

Slow
government

Burke Individualism
Member of Parliament
Thinks America is exceptionally liberal
Loves England for how it was (conservative view)
America loves freedom more than England b/c
o English see freedom as break from taxes
o America is exceptionally democratic i.e. legislatures
The colonists emigrated from you when this part of your
character was most predominant; and they took this bias and
direction the moment they parted from your hands.
Abstract liberty, like other mere abstractions, is not to be found.
Liberty inheres in some sensible object; and every nation has
formed to itself some favorite point, which by way of eminence
becomes the criterion of their happiness.
o Big issues that defined liberty for the British taxes
o Protection of our things
o Does parliament rule me or legislation?
Distance & religion made Americans so hard to govern
o Protestants
Least likely to bow to authority
o Britain shouldnt force it
Freedoms real in America b/c some people arent free
o Believed priests are equal to Americans
Slavery makes Americans love freedom more
those who are free, are by far the most proud and jealous of
their freedom.
Lipset
Still the Exceptional Nation?
Small government

Tax/spendless

High mobility
Consensus oriented
democracy
More individualistic
More religious
Pragmatic over ideological
More constitutional
Less egalitarian (socially)
Less voting
High crime rates

What we lack
Aristocracy/feudal past
o Social class
structure
Socialism
National health care
o Was market based
health care where
government played
minimal role

Harts Liberal Exeptionalism

Function of Government

Hobbs
o Good gov. provide order & protection
o Absence of governemt is chaos
o Hypothetical State of Nature
o Always in war brutish, isolated

Loche
o Freedom/Ability to keep property
o Preserve and protect the liberty of the people
o Some who believe that the American government was
formed with the ultimate purpose to protect freedom (this
is not backed though).

Public Goods
o Do things that society wont do for themselves
o Build roads, abolish slavery, keep order

Principle of Sovereignty
Point of Departure and Social State of Anglo-American