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44 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What is the yardstick that the founding fathers used to measure political systems? What did they not use?
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Political Power
Not Political Parties |
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What is Political Power
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The amount of coercive power or systematic control which a particular system of government exercises over its people.
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What are the two extremes of Political Power?
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Anarchy, and Tyranny
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What is Anarchy?
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"No Law". No government, no law, no systematic control, and no governmental power.
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What is Tyranny?
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"Rulers Law". Too much control, too much political oppression, too much government.
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What is "People's Law"
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In the middle of the political spectrum, the government is kept under the control of the people and political power is maintained at the balanced center with enough government to maintain security, justice, and good order, but not enough government to abuse the people.
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Under Ruler's Law, how is Authority established?
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Almost always by force, violence, and conquest
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Under Ruler's Law, where is sovereign power located?
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In the Conqueror or his descendents
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Under Ruler's Law, how are the people viewed? Are there classes?
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The people are not equal, but are divided into classes, and are looked upon as subjects of the king.
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Under Ruler's Law, the property belongs to whom?
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The ruler. It's "his realm"
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Under Ruler's Law, is the thrust of power top-down, or from the people up?
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Top Down
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Under Ruler's Law, do the people have any rights?
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No. The king gives, and takes away.
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Under Ruler's Law, the property belongs to whom?
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The ruler. It's "his realm"
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Who defines the laws in Ruler's Law?
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The Ruler, who enforces it, maintaining tyrannical control over the people.
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How are problems solved under Ruler's Law?
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More laws, with regulators instigated, with these services being paid for by the people with increased taxes. Note: Compare this to current legislation.
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Can freedom exist under Ruler's Law?
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No
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Which political institutions did the Founding Fathers look to as examples of People's Law?
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Anglo-Saxons Common Law, and the Jews in the Old Testament
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In Common Law, problems were to be resolved first with individuals, or governments?
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Individuals: Lower-Level up.
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What are the illusions of kingship (overly-powerful) government?
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That the king/government will establish equality among citizens.
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What is "The Articles of Confederation"?
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First attempt by the founding fathers for a government. All power in the states.
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Why did "The Articles of Confederation" fail?
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The government didn't have the ability to provide what it needed for the revolutionary war (low power to act).Too close to the Anarchy side of the political spectrum.
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Why did it take 4 months of deliberation to come up with the constitution?
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The founding fathers wanted everyone to be satisfied with the principles of the constitution, not just the majority, with a bunch of compromises.
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After the constitution was sent to the states, what had to happen before they accepted it?
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Amendments, labeled as "The Bill of Rights" were added.
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What are the members of the Three Headed Eagle, representing the structure of the United States government?
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Executive Branch, Legislative Branch (House and Senate Eyes), and Judicial Branch.
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What is the Executive Branch?
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Single strong President, operating within a clearly defined framework of limited power.
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What is the primary responsibility of the Legislative Branch?
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Law-Making. The House and the Senate must see Eye-to-Eye on any piece of legislation.
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What is the primary responsibility of the Judicial Branch?
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Guardians of the Constitution, and the interpreters of its principles, as originally designed by the Founders.
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What are the two wings of the eagle?
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Problem-Solving Wing, and Conservation Wing.
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What is the responsibility of the Problem-Solving Wing?
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Come up with plans to solve the unfulfilled needs of the people.
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What is the responsibility of the Conservation Wing?
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To conserve the nation's resources and the peoples freedom.
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What happens if the Problem-Solving wing operates without the Conservation Wing?
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The Eagle flies into Tyranny.
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What happens if the Problem-Solving wing can't identify problems, and the Conservation Wing is too inflexible to save money or not disturb the status quo?
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Government loses credibility, and people take matters in their own hands, leading to Anarchy.
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What are monarchists?
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Those who want to pull the political structure away from the balanced center, toward a central government so strong that it would border on monarchy.
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What is a "welfare state"?
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Where the government endeavors to take care of everyone from the cradle to the grave.
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Why is a "welfare state" bad?
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It tempts people to give up their rights and freedoms, by subjecting them to an overly strong federal administration.
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Why is confiscatory taxation and deficit spending bad
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It is immoral for one generation to pass on the results of its extravagance in the form of debts to the next generation.
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What is more important, equal protection of "rights", or equal distribution of "things"?
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Rights. Equal distribution of things doesn't provide motivation required for a free society to prosper. Communism and socialism are based on forced "equal distribution" principles.
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What kind of voters did the founding fathers want?
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Enlightened/Informed voters who understand the principles on which our constitution is based.
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Whose writings did the founding fathers look to for inspiration?
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Polybius, Cicero, Thomas Hooker, Coke, Montesquieu, Blackstone, John Locke, and Adam Smith. Also the Old Testament of the Bible. Also Greek, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, European, and English history.
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Quote:
"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite." |
James Madison
The Federalist Papers, No. 45, pp.292-293 |
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Quote:
"If a monarchist be in office, anywhere, and it be known to the President, the oath he has taken to support the Constitution imperiously requires the instantaneous dismissing of such officer; and I hold the President criminal if he permitted such to remain." |
Thomas Jefferson
From a newspaper letter, June 1803; Paul Leicester Ford, editor, The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, 10 volumes, G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1892-1899, 8:237 |
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Quote:
"If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them, they must become happy." |
Thomas Jefferson
Bergh, Writings of Thomas Jefferson, 10:342 |
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Quote:
"The Founders also warned that the only way for the nation to prosper was to have equal protection of 'rights,' and not allow the government to get involved in trying to provide equal distribution of 'things'." |
W. Cleon Skousen
The Five Thousand Year Leap, page 27 |
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Quote:
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be" |
Ford, Writings of Thomas Jefferson, 10:4
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