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49 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Politics
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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
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Institutions
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a set of rules proscribing a process for reaching and enforcing collective agreements
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Constitution
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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.
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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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the actual influence over other officeholders
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Institutional Durability
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(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. |
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Collective Action
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The efforts of a group to reach and implement agreements.
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Two Problems with Collective Action
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1. coordination
2. prisoner's dilemma |
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Coordination
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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. |
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Solutions to Coordination Problems
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delegation
self-enforcing rules focal point (targets the group's actions toward a common purpose) |
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Prisoner's Dilemma
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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 |
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Tragedy of the Commons
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Community has a collective good that is in danger of being squandered unless members cooperate to preserve it.
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Free Riding
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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. |
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Solutions to Prisoner's Dilemma
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1. Make reneging and defection very expensive.
2. Create institutions that guarantee agreements are honored. |
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Solutions to Free Riding
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Private inducements to perform those actions the collective effort requires if it is to succeed.
Aka: Benefits; tax break |
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Solutions to Tragedy of the Commons
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1. Force
2. Privatization 3. Private Inducements The solution: link the individual’s personal interest to provision of the collective good. Proper institutional design. |
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Costs that are especially relevant for designing and evaluating institutions.
Typically inversely related. |
Transaction Costs
Conformity Costs |
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Transaction Costs
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Time, effort, and resources required to make collective decisions. Transaction cost increase with number of people.
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Conformity Costs
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The difference between what any one party prefers and what the collective body requires.
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2 Important Principles to Design Institution
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1. Majority Rule
2. Delegation |
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Majority Rule
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"simple majority" (half plus one)
Political equality |
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Delegation
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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. |
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Principle
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individual or group authorized to delegate
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Agent
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individual or group who receive and exercise the delegated power
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Agency Loss
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Discrepancy between what principal would ideally like its agents to do and what they actually do.
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Representative Government
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Citizens limit their decisions to the selection of government officials who, acting as their agents, deliberate and commit the citizenry to collective enterprises.
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Republic
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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.
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Politicians
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the class of professionals specializing in discovering collective enterprises that citizens with different values and interests will join in a common action.
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Private goods
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things people buy and consume themselves in a marketplace that supplies these goods according to the demand for them.
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Public goods
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costs are born collectively and nobody can be excluded from them (national defense)
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Externalities
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negative public goods (pollution)
-to minimize: usage fee. |
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John Adams
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“real”, excellent policy-mind, tireless worker, emotional, mediocre politically. Not very well liked
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Thomas Jefferson
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excellent politically, brilliant writer, inconsistent implementer of policy, mediocre leader, poor businessman
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Benjamin Franklin
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The “American”, respected scientifically as well as politically, very astute politically, great writer, opposed to slavery, getting older.
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Alexander Hamilton
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The “money man”, excellent policy-mind, inspiring upbringing, inferiority complex, politically rash. People hated Hamilton.
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James Madison
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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.
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Burr
Rush Monroe |
Burr: shoots Hamilton (hated eachother), charges dropped
Rush: coorespondence between Adams Monroe: Leuitnentant under Jefferson. 5th president |
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Why was America so well suited to break with the monarchy?
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1. Geography: Made it costly and very time consuming. Communication isnt easy.
2. Home Rule: colonies gained experience at governing themselves |
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Home Rule Limitations
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(1)No experience regulating commerce.
(2) No independent military. (3) Little experience in foreign relations. (4) Little experience working together. |
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Confederation
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a highly decentralized governmental system in which the national government derives limited authority from the state rather than directly from citizens.
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Articles of Confederation
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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. |
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Problems with Confederation at War
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Problems during periods of War
Cant borrow money, Can't tax: at will of the states. Congress has to do all the work |
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Shays Rebellion
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mobilized states behind constitutional reform.
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Philosophical Influence on Constitution
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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. |
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Virginia Plan
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Bicameral Legislature (2-house)
Too powerful? |
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New Jersey Plan
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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. |
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The Great Compromise
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No longer need unanimous agreement.
Majority of legislature to pass. 1. Commerce Clause 2. Necessary and Proper Clause |
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Electoral College
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Method used to select the president.
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The Take-Care Clause
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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 |