GVPT170 09 12 2011 GVPT 170 Notes for Discussion 1 September 9 2011 Tragedy of the Commons Free rider problem Prisoner s Dilemma Transition Cost Conformity Cost absolute value difference to your value compared to the group Ex Pro choice republican whose tax dollars are used by gvt to fund abortions Olson group cant be an organization without having a common interest Putnam social capital Lecture 2 September 12 2011 The Constitution Recap Collective Action Problems Coordination caused by uncertainty and insufficient information Cooperation when self interest trumps the collective effort can undermine ideal group outcome Free Riding individuals who withhold contributions to the collective enterprise because they view their part as inconsequential Tragedy of the Commons collective good can be destroyed if Solutions to Collective Action Problems Voluntary cooperation Self Government reduces costs Privatize The Costs of Collective Action Two additional costs o Transaction Costs increase as the number of participants rises o Conformity Costs Difference between an individual preference and the collective outcome Transaction and Conformity Costs o Often inversely related Conformity costs will increase as transaction costs decrease and vice versa o Dictator vs Direct Democracy Delegation and Collective Action Problems Delegation assigning decision making authority smaller number of people act on behalf of the larger group Principals Agents o Ex People hire others to do their taxes hiring a lawyer Dangers of Delegation Agent does not act in your best interest o Hidden Action o Hidden Information Madison s Dilemma o You must first enable the government to control the governed and in the next place oblige it to control itself Articles of Confederation 1781 1789 No Executive Branch Each state had one vote Major laws required 9 out of 13 states to agree Constitutional Amendment required unanimity e g direct taxations Power controlled by the states Problems with the Article of Confederation Currency War Debts Public Order o Ex Shay s Rebellion Farmers who didn t get paid during war and started mini insurrection Bottom line plagued by free rider problems o Virtually 13 separate governments following the Revolutionary War o Confederation national government derives limited authority from the states but not the citizens The Constitution Framers had two basic goals o Solve a set of collective action problems more centralized o Minimize the dangers from delegation place limits on authority delegation government The Issue of Slavery North South Compromise Southern states wanted to count slaves as part of their population o More reps in the House North South Compromise o The 3 5ths Rule o No taxing on slavery o Return runaway slaves o No restrictions on slavery until 1808 Designing the Executive Electoral College o Appointment combines population and state based o States choose method of selection electors o House chooses when no candidate receives majority in the representation Electoral College The Balance of Power More Centralized Authority o Commerce Clause congress has ability to pass laws of interstate commerce o Foreign Policy o Necessary and Proper Clause congress can do what is necessary and prober to carry out its other powers elastic clause Limiting Government o Bill of Rights o Separation of Powers o Checks and Balances o Judicial Review Marbury v Madison 1803 Limits on the People The Constitution responsive To Yet Insulated From Popular Will Only U S House members selected directly by voters o Until 17th Amendment in 1913 Staggered terms for Senators Electoral College Voting rights left to States o restricted to adult white male property owners The Fight for Ratification The Ratification of the Constitution of nine states shall be sufficient for the establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the same Article 7 of the Constitution State conventions not state legislatures The Federalist vs Anti Federalist Debate Anti Feds argued only local democracy could approach true democracy set of laws o A country so large and diverse could not be ruled by a single Rhetoric nationalism vs states rights Federalist Response Federalist Papers James Madison Alexander Hamilton John Jay Federalist 10 and 51 Madison Federalist 10 The Problem Factions Solution Large Republic Federalist 51 Problem Factional control of government Solution Separation of Powers Pit ambition against ambition Separation of Powers Charles de Montesquieu Concentration of power could be limited by dividing the functions of government What Kind of Government Do We Have in the United States democratic governmental power comes from the people republican representation provided directly through elections Constitutional codifies prescription and proscription of unlike direct democracy governmental authority Federal two levels of government federal state dual sovereignty Separated three branches with distinct yet overlapping responsibilities checks and balances Bicameral legislature with two chambers Presidential president is elected independently serves as both head of government and state The U S Constitution Short brief under specified Ambiguous often unclear or intentionally vague Imperfect 27 amendments thus far Proscriptive restricts government power o Against power of states federalism 10th Amendment o Against inalienable power of people civil liberties rights o Against itself bicameralism separation of power checks balances Undemocratic slavery suffrage etc Slow to change o Supermajority needed to amend o Durable flexible or unyielding status quo reinforcing Discussion 2 September 16 2011 Anti Federalist Paper 3 o Amount of people that they have cannot respectively represent in the general assembly o Slaves cannot have a say because they are property If they have say why can t a horse or ox have a vote o The main worry about this government is that delegates chosen would be wealthy white men Fear that sons of these delegates will be new delegates and fear of Aristocracy coming back Federalist 10 o FACTIONS I understand a number of citizens whether amounting to a majority or minority of people of the whole who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion or of interest adverse to the rights of other citizens or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community James Madison o Two options to end factions Authoritarian Everyone votes Both are not sensible o factions are not necessarily bad