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129 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Authority
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the acknowledged right to make a particular decision
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Power
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an officeholder's actual influence with other officeholders - the skill to deploy authority
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solution to prisoner's dilemma
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make reneging expensive - create institutions to monitor
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solution to free-riding
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institutions (government) to ensure support ex. WWII draft, PBS shirts
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solution to tragedy of the commons
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privatize the collective good
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visible costs of collective action
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taxes for funding collective goods
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invisible costs of collective action
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overhead costs - taxes that pay judges or policemen to make sure people are following the law
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transaction costs
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time, effort, resources required to make collective decisions
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conformity costs
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the happiness of people involved in a collective decision
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dictatorship
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min transaction costs, max conformity costs
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consensus government
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max transaction costs, min conformity costs
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majority rule
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each vote is equal
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delegation
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individuals vote for one person to count for their vote (representative government)
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principals
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give authority to agents to make decisions
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principal-agent relationship example
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H&R Block for taxes
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agency loss
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The discrepancy between what a principal would ideally like its agents to do and what they actually do
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representative government
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blend of delegation and majority rule
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direct democracy
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citizens participate directly in legislation
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parliamentary system government
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fuses executive and legislative branches
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Plan of the Union
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Ben Franklin - plan to create a national government - defense, national legislature, power to levy taxes, executive apptd by British King
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1st Continental Congress
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- reasserted home rule - collect taxes - raise militias - select delegates for 2nd CC
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2nd Continental Congress
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- told states to make new constitutions w/ bicameral legislatures - national currency
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Declaration of Independence Author
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Thomas Jefferson
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Common Sense Author
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Thomas Paine
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Weaknesses of Articles
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1. No power to tax
2. No authority to regulate commerce 3. No executive to administer the government 4. No judicial system to resolve disputes among the states 5. No strong central government |
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Shays's Rebellion Impact
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mobilized states to fight for constitutional reform - proved the national government had no money or army
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French Philosopher who helped design US government
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Montesquieu
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Parliament's Actions
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○ Sugar Act of 1764
○ Stamp Act of 1765 ○ Mutiny Act of 1765 ○ Townshend Act of 1767 ○ Coercive Acts of 1774 |
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Colonists' Actions
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○ 1765 Sons of Liberty
○ 1765 Stamp Act Congress : Official meeting from all over (first attempt at collective action) ○ Boston Massacre : started to really piss people off ○ Boston Tea Party - stemmed from trade barriers (monopolizing) ○ 1st Continental Congress 1774 ○ Fighting breaks out (shots heard 'round the world) : hard to gather militias (if they had them) because they didn’t want to fight with each other because they were all so different (ex. Free African-Americans vs. conservative Virginians) Colonists were more skilled gunmen because they were used to hunting (snipers) § Ex. Betsy Ross spy - kept British general occupied (dinners, etc…) ○ 2nd Continental Congress 1775 - Articles of Confederation |
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Under the Articles
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- Single House of Congress
- Each state had one vote - Nat. Post - Collect state "donations" - Raise armies - Control Western territories - Control state disputes - Coin money - Declare war |
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5 Major Failures of Articles
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• No power to tax (must have revenue at some point - intangible resources don't build roads, armies, etc.)
• No authority to regulate commerce • No executive to administer the government (states were truly independent) • No judicial system to resolve disputes among the states • No strong central government |
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VA Plan Person
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Edmund Randolph
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NJ Plan Person
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William Paterson
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CT Plan Person
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Roger Sherman
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4 Ways to Amend Constitution
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• Proposal by convention of states, ratification by state conventions (never used)
• Proposal by convention of states, ratification by state legislatures (never used) • Proposal by Congress, ratification by state conventions (used once) ○ 21st amendment –removal of 18th amendment • Proposal by Congress, ratification by state legislatures (used all other times) |
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Fed. No. 10
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Central government would dilute factious spirit - talks against factions
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Fed. No. 51
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Advocates bicameralism - separation of powers, checks and balances
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Federalist Authors
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- Alexander Hamilton
- John Jay - James Madison |
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Article I, Section 8
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Powers of Congress listed
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Unitary Government
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central, unitary authority taxes and administers laws
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Confederation Government
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several small states hold power
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Federation Government
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divides authority b/w 2+ distinct levels of government (state and national)
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3 Conditions Required for a Federal System
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1. The same people and territory are included in both levels of government
2. The nation's constitution protects units at each level of government from encroachment by the other units 3. Each unit is in a position to exert some leverage over the others |
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Dual Federalism
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state and national over mutually exclusive spheres of sovereignty
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Shared Federalism
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national and state share services
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Exclusive Powers of National Government
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- Coin money
- Regulate interstate and foreign commerce - Tax imports and exports - Make treaties - Make all laws necessary and proper - Make war - Regulate postal system |
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Exclusive Powers of State Government
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- Run elections
- Regulate intrastate commerce - Establish republican forms of state and local government - Protect public health, safety, and morals - All powers not delegated to the national government or denied to the states by the Constitution |
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Shared Powers of National and State Governments
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○ Tax
○ Borrow money ○ Charter banks and corporations ○ Take property (eminent domain) ○ Enforce laws and administer a judiciary |
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Why the US has a Nationalized Government
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- National government may be more receptive
- Difficult to lobby 50 separate states to get something passed - Single federal law can change policy in all states at once - more efficient |
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Coordination Problem Example
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Drivers' License Laws, Truck Drivers' tickets
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Cutthroat Competition
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states lobby - bidding wars/tax incentives for large companies (ex. Kia motors)
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Elastic Clause
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necessary and proper
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Supremacy Clause
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national over state government
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10th Amendment
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gives states non-specified rights
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McCulloch v. Maryland
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constitutional interpretation b/w state and federal governments - elastic clause gave national government complete reason to instate a bank, supremacy clause exempts federal government from paying state taxes (hurts state)
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Gibbons v. Ogden
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court rule that neither New York nor New Jersey had the right to give a company monopoly over Hudson River trade - interstate commerce belongs to the national government
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preemption legislation
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Federal laws that assert the national government's prerogative to control public policy in a particular field - federal power adopting powers from states based on one court decision
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block grant
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gives each state or local government an exact amount of money to spend for some purpose - if the state wants to expand, they must use their own money - money they don't spend stays in the federal government
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matching grant
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the federal government promises to provide matching funds for every dollar that a state spends in some area (Medicaid)
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cross-cutting requirements
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- Widely used to enforce civil rights laws.
○ Statutes that apply certain rules and guidelines to a broad array of federally subsidized state programs. |
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crossover sanctions
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○ Stipulations that a state, to remain eligible for full federal funding for one program, must adhere to the guidelines of an unrelated program.
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direct orders
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○ Requirements that can be enforced by legal and civil penalties.
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partial preemption
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(let the state run the program with some flexibility but they instate the guidelines)
○ Certain federal laws allow the states to administer joint federal-state programs so long as they conform to federal guidelines. ○ If an agency fails to follow the instructions of the federal agencies, the state might lose control of the program. |
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Article I
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Legislative
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Article II
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Executive
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Article III
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Judicial
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House Requirements
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25 years old
US 7 yrs 435 |
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Senate Requirements
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30 years old
US 9 yrs 100 |
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Young Legislators
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Adam Putnam - 25
Aaron Schock - 28 Joe Biden - 29 |
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Post WWII
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West and South grew
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Wesberry v. Sanders
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districts must be equal
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Thornburg v. Gingles
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cannot be racial districts
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Standing Committees
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always deal with the same things (finance, agriculture, armed services, budget, education and labor, energy, foreign affairs, homeland security, judiciary, resources, rules, science, small business, transportation and infrastructure)
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Special/Select Committees
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a temporary legislative committee created for a specific purpose and dissolved after its tasks are completed
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Joint Committees
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permanent congressional committees made up of members of both the House and the Senate - do not have any legislative authority - they monitor specific activities and compile reports - gather information and oversee executive agencies but do not report on legislation
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Ad Hoc Committees
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a Congressional committee appointed for a limited time to design and report a specific piece of legislation
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Conference Committees
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a temporary joint committee of the House and Senate appointed to reconcile the differences between the two chambers on a particular piece of legislation
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Bill becomes a Law...
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• Bill is drafted
• introduced (sponsor) and referred to committees (ad hoc or regular) *die in committee • Hearings (interested people), markup (edit), reported out (summary for next stage) • House - rules committee - resolution that specifies when and how long a bill will be debated and under what procedures, amendments • Floor & Conference Committee to reconcile differences - filibuster/cloture • President for signature or veto |
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Casework
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the activity undertaken by members of Congress and their staffs to solve constituents' problems with government agencies (ex. Lost Social Security check)
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Cloture
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A parliamentary procedure used to close debate. Cloture is used in the Senate to cut off filibusters. Under the current Senate rules, 3/5 of senators (60), must vote for cloture to halt a filibuster.
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Rider
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an amendment to a bill that is not germane to the legislation (not related to the bill)
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Discharge Petition
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A petition that removes a measure from a committee to which it has been referred in order to make it available for floor consideration. In the House a discharge petition must be signed by a majority of House members. (brings a bill directly to the floor without committee approval when signed by a majority of House members - 218)
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Unanimous Consent Agreements
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A unanimous resolution in the Senate restricting debate and limiting amendments to bills on the floor. (might govern the order in which bills are considered and the length of debate allowed)
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4 Powers of the President
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- Veto Power - approval of bills
- Power to Appoint - advice and consent of the Senate (Cabinet, White House Staff) - Power to Recommend - may enact legislation for Congress's approval - Inherent Executive Power - Executive Order, Executive Privilege, Power to Pardon |
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Institutional Presidency
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OMB, NSC, WHO = EHO
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Take Care Clause
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The provision in Article II, Section 3, of the Constitution instructing the president to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed."
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Executive Order
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A presidential directive to an executive agency establishing new policies or indicating how an existing policy is to be carried out. (has the force of law until the president or a successor retracts it, Congress nullifies it, or a federal court rules it violates either the Constitution or some federal law)
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Executive Agreement
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An agreement between the president and one or more other countries. An executive agreement is similar to a treaty, but unlike a treaty, it does not require the approval of the Senate. (exempt from Senate ratification - simply statements of understanding between the administration and a foreign government)
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Gag Rule
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An executive order prohibiting federal employees from communicating directly with Congress. (barred workers from responding to congressional requests for information except as authorized by their department heads)
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Enrolled Bill
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a bill that has been passed by both the Senate and the House and has been sent to the president for approval.
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Executive Privilege
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the president's right to withhold information from Congress and the courts
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Bully Pulpit
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the advantageous position afforded the office for rallying public support
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3 Eras of the Court
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- Nation vs. State (Founding to Civil War) - unresolved jurisdictional boundaries b/w national and state governments, favored national authority
- Regulating the National Economy (End of Civil War to Great Depression/WWI) - government's regulation of the economy (ex. Regulating labor laws, providing mortgage relief, controlling food and coal production) - The Rise of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (1940's to present) - concerned with the relationship between the individual and government (Holocaust, black troops) |
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Writ of certiorari
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request submitted by a litigant that the Supreme Court hears it because it's a particularly federal case or has not been handled properly
- Rule of 4 for voting to take on a case |
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Amicus curiae
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"friend of the court" - briefs arguing that a certiorari petition should be granted or denied
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Solicitor general
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the chief attorney for the US government that lets the Court know which cases it thinks are important
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Attorney general
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nominated by the president and confirmed by the senate to defend the nation in the Supreme Court (head of the department who can select cases and choose to file in courts where the Justice Department is most likely to win and create precedent for its legal position on an issue)
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Stare decisis
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"let the decision stand" directs the lower courts, as well as the Supreme Court itself, to follow established precedent in deciding current cases
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written to persuade by a justice who disagrees with the majority of the Court why they disagree
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Dissenting Opinion
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written by a justice who has unique reasons for supporting the majority
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Concurring Opinion
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Standing
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the right to bring a case to court because the person is directly affected by the outcome of the disputed action
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Trustee
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○ Role played by elected representatives who listen to constituent’s opinions and then use their best judgment to make final decisions
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Delegate
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○ Role played by elected representatives who vote the way their constituents would want them to, regardless of their own opinions
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Politico
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Role played by elected representatives who act as trustees or as delegates, depending on the issue
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framing
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How mass media and political campaigns can affect people’s expressed political opinions
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aggregate partisanship
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the distribution or percentage of the electorate that identifies with each of the political parties
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cognitive shortcut
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a mental device allowing citizens to make complex decisions based on a small amount of information.
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issue publics
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group of people particularly affected by, or concerned with, a specific issue
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Road to Suffrage
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England - upper-class minority
Colonial Period - bigger majority, "respectable man", white Protestant employee Jacksonian Democracy - universal white male suffrage (fear of redistribution of wealth) 14th Amendment - Equal rights for men 15th Amendment - Male suffrage 19th Amendment - woman suffrage (western territories) Voting Rights Act of 1965 - got rid of literacy tests 26th Amendment - 18 year olds (Vietnam War) |
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roll-off
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phenomenon in voting booth; get discouraged as move down ballot because don't know as many people (ex. Attorney general) either stop voting or vote for party
○ Flashing lights until clicked reduces voting roll-off |
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Why Voting is Easier
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○ Voting Rights Act
○ 24th Amendment ○ poll taxes and literacy tests abolished ○ shortened state and local residency requirements ○ simplified registration ○ bilingual ballots ○ easier absentee voting ○ socioeconomic changes – Younger people don’t vote as much, but educated people do. While we have a younger electorate we also have a much more educated electorate. ○ So why the decline?????? • Declining Personal Benefits • Declining Mobilization • Declining Social Connectedness |
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Arguments for Primaries
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○ More democratic
○ More representative ○ A rigorous test for the candidate |
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Arguments for Caucuses
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○ Caucus participants more informed; more interactive and informative
○ Frontloading (being first) gives some primary states an advantage □ Frontloading is the tendency to choose an early date on the primary schedule |
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How Voters Decide
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Past performance
Incumbency Single-issue voters Times in the economy/nation Media Party label/identification Interest groups |
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4 Basic Components of a Campaign
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Candidate - can be portrayed as sufficiently qualified and trustworthy for the job
Message - candidates' theories about the political beliefs, perceptions, values, and responses of different segments of the electorate, focus group sessions Way to inform voters - negative ads, campaign, televised debates Campaign money - taxpayers, donations |
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Buckley v. Valeo 1976
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reporting requirements and contribution limits but rejected spending limits on the ground that they interfered with political speech protected by the First Amendment
Also rejected ceilings on how much of their own money candidates could spend on their campaigns and on how much anyone could spend to agitate for or against candidates independently of candidates' campaigns |
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FECA 1979
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unrestricted contributions and spending for state and local party-building and get-out-the-vote activities
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BCRA
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Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act - prohibits parties from raising or spending soft party money from federal candidates
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Soft Money
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Money used by political parties for voter registration, public education, and voter mobilization. Until 2002, when Congress passed legislation outlawing soft money, the government had imposed no limits on contributions or expenditures for such purposes.
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Raised money for Republicans
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Pat Robertson
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4 Incentives for building political parties
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Organization - alliances for majority
Mobilization - must get candidates elected Developing now electoral techniques - personal appeals Using party labels and enforcing collective responsibility |
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3 Segments of Party
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1. Party in government - current officeholders cooperating
2. Party organization - dedicated to electing party's candidates 3. Party in the electorate - voters who vote for nominees |
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3 Basic Features of American Party System
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- Two-party competition
- Decentralized, fragmented party coalitions - Professional politicians |
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6 Party Systems
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1. First party system (1790-1824): creation of national parties in the government.
2. Second party system (1824-1860): basic party organizational structures set. (caucuses, national party conventions, spoils system) 3. Third party system (1860-1894): Republican party and the rise of party machines. Progressive reforms. 4. Fourth party system (1894-1932): fall of party machines. Republican Ascendancy. 5. Fifth party system (1932-?): New Deal coalition. Resurgence of Democratic Party. (social security, unemployment insurance systems, Medicare) 6. Sixth party system (c. 1950s-60s?): Southern realignment (civil rights) |
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Progressive Era
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Party machines deemed corrupt
Civil service - made government jobs professional careers Australian ballot - secret ballot prepared by the government, NOT parties Primary elections Pendleton Act outlawed spoils systems Literacy tests Left organizations weaker but more entrenched in the political system |
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Collective Action Author
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Mancur Olson
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Why so many interest groups?
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- Social ferment - civil rights movement, social change, anti-Vietnam, rights of women/gays/Native Americans/Hispanics/Asians/disabled
- Growth of well-educated and affluent middle class - more time and money to devote - Technological innovations - lobbying by phone, internet, TV, etc. - Opponents - inspire each other to defend - Encouragement of federal government - public schools, parks, hospitals, social welfare |
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Grassroots Lobbying
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Lobbying conducted by rank-and-file members of an interest group
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Muckraking
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Journalistic investigation and exposure of scandals, corruption, and injustices, pioneered during the late nineteenth century Progressive Era
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