Political Science 206 Texas A M University Midterm Review I You should be comfortable with the following terms and concepts Keep in mind that these are just some but by no means all of the more important topics we ve covered in lecture the readings a lot of notes were not put into this because there was no section for it Remember to read over notes too focus on the current news and in depth notes of the bullet points What is politics Struggle of who gets what when and how All about conflict Consists of negotiating bargaining and compromise What are institutions Rules by which conflict is resolved Gov collective set of political institutions Institutions manufacture outcomes create winners and losers Increase in complexity of conflict increase in institutions Goal is to channel and resolve conflict through an established set of rules How can government resolve conflict Through institutions Has coercive powers can make us pay take away money and even life Has a monopoly on legitimate use of force Can enforce collective agreements b c of power Preserves private property Cant take other ppls shit Basic forms of government Autocracy decide everything personally Power vested in one person Oligarchy power in a small group of people Military junta group of generals Democracy shared power between the people Similarities and differences All sovereign power Authority to legally wield coercive power to allocate values All citizens have the right to participate in the process of deciding who gets what Core democratic values Public vs private goods Definitions of Public always susceptible to collective action problems Once produced everyone can use buy them without cost Government supplies them Private consumption of the good being able to experience the good costs the individual something need to structure incentives so that private firms see that as profitable to produce the public good Examples of Public Why government sector it is Collective action problems Definitions of Good roads bridges dams national security police protection Bad pollution crime terrorism war economic crisis Private eating at restaurant cellphones getting an education private Gov can give out goods control the process of it being made how much Can control collective action problems Any action aiming to improve a group s conditions Enacted by a representative of the group Occurs when compliance with the groups goals costs a person private goods Individual v group incentive conflict Gov exists to solve this Most likely will be underproduced Examples of Boycotts housing crisis voting Declaration of Independence Announces independence to the British Enumerates how the king abused the colonies Articulates the American creed Strongly influenced by Locke Natural rights to life liberty and property Government is built on the consent of whos governed Right to form a revolution Articles of Confederation What were they Served as first constitution Established a government dominated by the states National legislature with one house unicameral No president or national court Majority of states need to agree to get something done Very weak What were its major features Could raise army and navy enter into treaties Could not regulate interstate commerce raise taxes Issue with taxes there was a huge debt from the Revolutionary war but no way to ensure taxation Why did it break down Economic turmoil ensued Threatened existence of country Shays rebellion armed attacks on court house to stop foreclosure Congress and states both couldn t raise money to form militia against Shay Elites had to pay for private security basically Too fucking weak to do anything about anything Bill of Rights First 10 amendments Basic rights given Protect from power of government Wanted by antifederalists before they could adopt the constitution Who were the Federalists Anti Federalists Federalists landowners doctors lawyers professionals Basically privileged white men with money Antifederalists broke bitches Farmers ruralists less educated people who did not depend on trade Low class white men What did they stand for Federalists wanted adoption of constitution Antifederalists did not want the adoption of constitution Constitution What events precipitated the Constitutional convention Philadelphia convention economic turmoil led to meeting Went to revise the Articles instead just rewrote the whole thing Delegates all elites tho Who wrote it James madison What were the major proposals No neutral institutions Built in rules to achieve goals allow the rich to have upper hand Wrote the federalists papers to persuade people to support the adoption of the constitution Federalist 10 51 way more shit in notes reread parts Describe founding fathers rationale What is the main logic 10 adresses how to guard against factions with interests contrary to the rights of others or the interest of the community Factions groups of ppl with similar interests who unite to advance their own agenda to government Political parties labor unions business advocacy groups Human nature will drive people to form fractions Though conflict would lead to anarchy tyranny and disorder 51 addresses the means by which appropriate checks and balances can be created in gov And also advocates a separation of powers w in the national government Difference between majority minority factions Minority factions can be controlled by majority not a threat to civil society Majority biggest threat to popular government Need to be controlled How to tame factions Can control the effects of factions by designing institutions that temper Republican government can be larger than a democracy making it difficult for majority factions to occur Representatives can help refine and enlarge the public views Citizens are principle decision makers no elected representatives Madison thought this was dangerous because allows majority faction to States that allow ballot initiatives and referendums Decision making requires huge commitment to public life How does it differ from a republican representative democracy Representative representatives are elected to make policy and enforce laws while representing the citizens Prevent majority factions b c the people aren t really the ones deciding it s the representatives What we have now as gov and not gonna lie pretty fucking stupid Direct allow people to have more of an opinion a say in what happens Constitutional powers of the president congress judiciary How are these
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