TAMU POLS 206 - POLS Test 1 Study Guide
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Pages 10

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Political Science 206Texas A&M UniversityMidterm Review IYou should be comfortable with the following terms and concepts. Keep in mind that these arejust some – but by no means all – of the more important topics we’ve covered in lecture & thereadings:*** a lot of notes were not put into this because there was no section for itRemember to read over notes too: focus on the current news and in depth notes of thebullet 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● Core democratic values?○ All citizens have the right to participate in the process of deciding who gets what● 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 goodcosts the individual something● need to structure incentives so that private firms see that asprofitable to produce the public good○ Examples of■ Public:● Good: roads, bridges, dams, national security, police protection● Bad: pollution, crime, terrorism/war, economic crisis■ Private: eating at restaurant, cellphones, getting an education, privatesector○ Why government?■ Gov can give out goods, control the process of it being made/ how muchit is■ Can control collective action problems● Collective action problems○ Definitions of■ 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 personprivate 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 Revolutionarywar 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 formmilitia 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 adoptionof the constitution● Describe founding fathers rationale● Federalist #10, #51 ***way more shit in notes reread parts***○ What is the main logic?■ 10: adresses how to guard against factions with interests contrary to therights of others or the interest of the community● Factions: groups of ppl with similar interests who unite to advancetheir 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 canbe created in gov. And also advocates a separation of powers w/in thenational 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 temperthem■ Republican government can be larger than a democracy making it difficultfor majority factions to occur● Representatives can help refine and enlarge the public views● Direct democracy○ What is it?■ Citizens are principle decision makers- no elected representatives■ Madison thought this was dangerous because allows majority faction torise■ States that allow ballot initiatives and referendums■ Decision making


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TAMU POLS 206 - POLS Test 1 Study Guide

Type: Study Guide
Pages: 10
Documents in this Course
Lecture 1

Lecture 1

30 pages

Lecture 2

Lecture 2

23 pages

Lecture 2

Lecture 2

23 pages

Exam 2

Exam 2

26 pages

TEST 2

TEST 2

15 pages

Exam 4

Exam 4

9 pages

Test 1

Test 1

6 pages

Test 3

Test 3

5 pages

Exam I

Exam I

19 pages

Exam IV

Exam IV

9 pages

Test 4

Test 4

8 pages

Test 2

Test 2

6 pages

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