Uc Berkeley: Political Science 1 - Midterm 2

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Political Institution

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Rules/procedures to structure political competition

Organization that manages conflicts between political rivals, helps them find mutually acceptable solutions, and enforces society's collective agreements

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Strategic Politicians

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Politicians use strategy because that's their job. Their goal is to get reelected. They are goal-oriented actors. THey must do this to get reelected so they can implement what they want. Bargaining and compromising with other strategic actors is necessary.

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Prisoner's dilemna

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When each individual finds it in their interest to defect from an agreement, even though cooperation would have left all individuals better off

Situation in which 2+ people cannot agree because they are scared that the other will betray them for their own best interest

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Collective good

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Goods that are collectively produced and freely available for anyone’s consumption.

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Free rider problem

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Situation when someone receives benefits from a group activity whether or not they pay for it, so they don’t want to pay for it

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Conformity costs

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The difference between what a person ideally would prefer and what the group with which that person makes collective decisions actually does. Individuals pay conformity costs whenever collective decisions produce policy outcomes that do not best serve their interests.

Difference between what someone wants and the group decides
: The costs paid for when policy outcomes aren’t “best” for you

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Transaction costs

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Costs to do business (time)

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Stamp Act

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First direct tax on American colonies after Britain has so much debt from the Seven Years War. Spurred on protests, people started to get together, which led to inter-state communication. Later led to Continental COngress

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Home rule

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A demand that constituent parts of a state be given greater self-government within the greater administrative purview of the central government. Decided in Continental Congress

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Continental Congress

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Large planters, educated, rich people getting together to pass resolutions vs. Brit taxes & admin decrees. Declaration of American Rights. Home rule. Boycott of British goods, but Britain didn't back down. Second one came after war started, Dec. of Independence & Articles of Confederation

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Articles of Confederation

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Written at 2nd Continental Congress, in order to form a govt. Federation of independent states. Weak central govt. No taxes. No executive, only legislative. Each state 1 vote. Required 9/13 for law, and 13/13 to change it. Made hard to run war - thank goodness for France loan. Shay's Rebellion led to change

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Shay's Rebellion

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1786- Veterans came back to bankrupt farms and wanted govt help. Debt relief. Went crazy. Realized Articles of Confed too weak because no army, no power to enforce. Need for central govt, "consent of the governed"

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Virginia Plan

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Large states idea from James Madison (who was from Virginia). Bicameral legislative both based on pop. Lower chamber elected by people. Upper chmaber elected by lower chamber. Can veto state laws. Strong legislative.

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James Madison

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Wanted strong nat'l govt to overrule state when it was wrong. Wrote Virginia Plan. Political scientist. Author of Federalist Papers. Father of the Constitution. Wrote Bill of Rights.

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New Jersey Plan

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Small states idea that included one chamber, elected by state legislatures. Each state has equal representation.

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Connecticut Compromise

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House by population, Senate by equal representation. House for people. Senate for states. Added the Supremacy Clause. Added enumerated powers. Slavery 3/5


The agreement between large and small states at the Constitutional Convention (1787) that decided the selection and composition of Congress. The compromise stipulated that the lower chamber (House of Representatives) be chosen by direct popular vote and that the upper chamber (Senate) be selected by the state legislatures. Representation in the House would be proportional to a state’s population; in the Senate each state would have two members.

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Logroll

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When two sides disagree about two issues, so they compromise and each agree to each other's idea. Example: commerce clause for slave stuff

The result of legislative vote trading. For example, legislators representing urban districts may vote for an agricultural bill provided that legislators from rural districts vote for a mass transit bill.

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Supremacy Clause

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Says that Constitution is the supreme law of the land. National government over states.

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Enumerated Powers

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Article 1, Section 8 of Constitution. Powers already given to Congress including taxation, spending, commerce, war. Includes necessary and proper (elastic) clase and commerce clause

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Necessary and Proper Clause

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Congress given right to make any law necessary and proper in order to execute.

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Commerce Clause

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Congress has exclusive authority to manage inter-state and inter-country trade. Over the years, Congress has put all of its responsibilities under this catergory.

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3/5 Compromise

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Each slave worth 3/5 of a person. No ban on importation of slaves till 1808

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Separation of Powers

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Creates three independent branches. Each has its own functions and responsibilities instead of fusions of power. Not in Virginia Plan.

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Checks and Balances

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Gives each individual branch authority and methods to prevent other branches from gaining too much power. To be safe. Not in Virginia plan

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Separated Institutions Sharing Powers

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President can't really do everything he wants. No imperialism because things must go through the entire system to really have change. For example, Congress confirms

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Electoral College

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A body of electors in each state, chosen by voters, who formally elect the president and vice president of the United States. Each state’s number of electoral votes equals its representation in Congress; the District of Columbia has three votes. An absolute majority of the total electoral vote is required to elect a president and vice president.

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"Take Care" clause

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President is in charge of making sure that the laws are "faithfully executed"

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Ambition-to-counter-ambition

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Federalist paper #51 which defends the different branches and how they can each defend each other. Justifies checks and balances. Even though this wasn't in Madison's Virginia Plan, he fought for it

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Extended republic

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Federalist paper #10: larger govt is better because representation becomes a filter. Small factions can then be ignored keeps the govt safe. Precursor of Pluralist theory (social interests can compete for governmental influence)