Poly Sci Exam 1

Front 1

Politics

Back 1

the process through which individuals and groups reach agreement on a course of common, or collective, action – even as they may continue to disagree on the goals that action in intended to achieve

Front 2

Institutions

Back 2

a set of rules proscribing a process for reaching and enforcing collective agreements

Front 3

Constitution

Back 3

establishes a nations governing institutions and the set of rules and procedures these institutions must (and must not) follow to reach and enforce collective agreements.

Front 4

Authority

Back 4

the acknowledged right to make a particular decision

Front 5

Power

Back 5

the actual influence over other officeholders

Front 6

Institutional Durability

Back 6

(1) Authority is generally assigned to the institution. Thus, it should exist long after a office holder retires.
(2) People make plans contingent on the expectation that the institution will persist.
(3) Hard to agree on an alternative.

Front 7

Collective Action

Back 7

The efforts of a group to reach and implement agreements.

Front 8

Two Problems with Collective Action

Back 8

1. coordination
2. prisoner's dilemma

Front 9

Coordination

Back 9

Simplest to overcome.

Members of the group must decide individually what they want, what they are prepared to contribute to the collective enterprise, and how to ordinate their efforts with those of others.

Problem increases with size of group.

Front 10

Solutions to Coordination Problems

Back 10

delegation
self-enforcing rules
focal point (targets the group's actions toward a common purpose)

Front 11

Prisoner's Dilemma

Back 11

Individuals decide that even though they support some collective undertaking, they are personally better off pursuing an activity that rewards them individually despite undermining the collective actions.

Leads to Free Riding.

Tragedy of the Commons

Front 12

Tragedy of the Commons

Back 12

Community has a collective good that is in danger of being squandered unless members cooperate to preserve it.

Front 13

Free Riding

Back 13

To defect from the agreement by withholding their contribution to the group’s undertaking while enjoying the benefits of the collective effort.

Size plays a critical role in free riding.

Arises when citizens recognize that their small contribution to the collective enterprise will not affect its success or failure.

Front 14

Solutions to Prisoner's Dilemma

Back 14

1. Make reneging and defection very expensive.
2. Create institutions that guarantee agreements are honored.

Front 15

Solutions to Free Riding

Back 15

Private inducements to perform those actions the collective effort requires if it is to succeed.
Aka: Benefits; tax break

Front 16

Solutions to Tragedy of the Commons

Back 16

1. Force
2. Privatization
3. Private Inducements

The solution: link the individual’s personal interest to provision of the collective good.
Proper institutional design.

Front 17

Costs that are especially relevant for designing and evaluating institutions.
Typically inversely related.

Back 17

Transaction Costs
Conformity Costs

Front 18

Transaction Costs

Back 18

Time, effort, and resources required to make collective decisions. Transaction cost increase with number of people.

Front 19

Conformity Costs

Back 19

The difference between what any one party prefers and what the collective body requires.

Front 20

2 Important Principles to Design Institution

Back 20

1. Majority Rule
2. Delegation

Front 21

Majority Rule

Back 21

"simple majority" (half plus one)
Political equality

Front 22

Delegation

Back 22

assigns authority to make and implement decisions to some smaller number of persons who are expected to at in behalf of the larger groups of interest.
Controls transaction cost.

Front 23

Principle

Back 23

individual or group authorized to delegate

Front 24

Agent

Back 24

individual or group who receive and exercise the delegated power

Front 25

Agency Loss

Back 25

Discrepancy between what principal would ideally like its agents to do and what they actually do.

Front 26

Representative Government

Back 26

Citizens limit their decisions to the selection of government officials who, acting as their agents, deliberate and commit the citizenry to collective enterprises.

Front 27

Republic

Back 27

Voters elect their representatives, but these representatives are constrained in following the majority’s dictates in the form of constitutional guarantees for minorities and by institutions and rules requiring exceptionally large majorities for some kinds of decisions.

Front 28

Politicians

Back 28

the class of professionals specializing in discovering collective enterprises that citizens with different values and interests will join in a common action.

Front 29

Private goods

Back 29

things people buy and consume themselves in a marketplace that supplies these goods according to the demand for them.

Front 30

Public goods

Back 30

costs are born collectively and nobody can be excluded from them (national defense)

Front 31

Externalities

Back 31

negative public goods (pollution)
-to minimize: usage fee.

Front 32

John Adams

Back 32

“real”, excellent policy-mind, tireless worker, emotional, mediocre politically. Not very well liked

Front 33

Thomas Jefferson

Back 33

excellent politically, brilliant writer, inconsistent implementer of policy, mediocre leader, poor businessman

Front 34

Benjamin Franklin

Back 34

The “American”, respected scientifically as well as politically, very astute politically, great writer, opposed to slavery, getting older.

Front 35

Alexander Hamilton

Back 35

The “money man”, excellent policy-mind, inspiring upbringing, inferiority complex, politically rash. People hated Hamilton.

Front 36

James Madison

Back 36

Political mastermind, mediocre President, greater writer, savvy predictor, "if god was in the details, Madison was there to meet him at the door.” Very well liked.

Front 37

Burr
Rush
Monroe

Back 37

Burr: shoots Hamilton (hated eachother), charges dropped
Rush: coorespondence between Adams
Monroe: Leuitnentant under Jefferson. 5th president

Front 38

Why was America so well suited to break with the monarchy?

Back 38

1. Geography: Made it costly and very time consuming. Communication isnt easy.
2. Home Rule: colonies gained experience at governing themselves

Front 39

Home Rule Limitations

Back 39

(1)No experience regulating commerce.
(2) No independent military.
(3) Little experience in foreign relations.
(4) Little experience working together.

Front 40

Confederation

Back 40

a highly decentralized governmental system in which the national government derives limited authority from the state rather than directly from citizens.

Front 41

Articles of Confederation

Back 41

Created a new, permanent Congress in which each state received one vote.

Major laws – such as those dealing with taxes and constitutional change – required the endorsement of nine of thirteen states. More fundamental change, such as amending the Constitution, required unanimous agreement.

National authority was so circumscribed that the delegates saw little purpose for an executive or a judiciary.

Front 42

Problems with Confederation at War

Back 42

Problems during periods of War
Cant borrow money, Can't tax: at will of the states.
Congress has to do all the work

Front 43

Shays Rebellion

Back 43

mobilized states behind constitutional reform.

Front 44

Philosophical Influence on Constitution

Back 44

Locke (1632-1704) – popular sovereignty. Citizen’s delegation of authority to their agents in government with the ability to rescind that authority.

Newton (1642-1727) – force and balance.

Montesquieu (1689-1755) – superiority of small republics.

Hume (1711-1776) – Competition of competing interests.

Front 45

Virginia Plan

Back 45

Bicameral Legislature (2-house)
Too powerful?

Front 46

New Jersey Plan

Back 46

Quickly created.

It perpetuated the composition and selection of Congress as it functioned under the Articles, but it did give Congress the power to tax.

It failed to propose the organization of the executive and judiciary.

Front 47

The Great Compromise

Back 47

No longer need unanimous agreement.
Majority of legislature to pass.
1. Commerce Clause
2. Necessary and Proper Clause

Front 48

Electoral College

Back 48

Method used to select the president.

Front 49

The Take-Care Clause

Back 49

The president “shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.”

use this to increase unilateral power
in times of national defense: dont want congress to crack that response.. want president to make quick decisions