POS Exam 1 Study Guide Political is what we study and science is how we study a theory is a generalized explanation for the behavior or outcome of interest a hypothesis is a tentative statement that follows from a theory and can be tested with data social sciences are the probabilistic explanations or statements of tendency Role of government maintains order enforce laws and regulate behavior to protect life and property state of nature affected as with living in one during Hurricane Katrina without government provide public and collective goods things that benefit everyone but not produced voluntarily national defense and clean air are examples promote equality controversial took affect during Great Depression social security Medicare income tax promote health and well being Social values that government should promote Order law and order social order traditional family values Equality basic political equality social and economic equality more controversial with equal opportunity versus equal outcomes Freedom Liberty freedom to do and act and freedom from interference Freedom vs Order amount of individual freedom willing to sacrifice to get order Freedom vs Equality pursuit of social and economic equality restricts freedoms Political ideology set of beliefs about the values government should pursue examples are liberals conservatives moderates libertarians and populists communists Collective action problems lead to free riding and the tragedy of the commons arise when own pursuit of self interest results in bad collective outcomes for society Mancur Olson s free rider problem public good benefit or collective good benefit once a good is provided cannot exclude anyone from enjoying it is in each person s self interest to free ride To overcome free riding sticks or fines penalties or sanctions selective carrots or private inducements selective benefits Hardin s Tragedy of the Commons Public good is available acting in self interest where each person extracts from and uses up a public good with destruction of it as a result pollution is example where good is destroyed when we put in elements How to avoid Tragedy of the Commons government regulates and taxes behaviors privatize good mutual coercion and mutually agreed upon to avoid destruction but infringes on freedom Putnam s bowling alone social capital argues changes in American social environments the interpersonal networks norms of behavior and social trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation social capital equals team work social capital is a public good and doesn t deteriorate as it is used but actually builds up bridging social capital brings people together with others who are unlike themselves across lines of race ethnicity age gender bonding social capital brings people together with others like themselves religious groups private schools most groups both bridge and bond Group membership social capital social trust group membership Explanations for decline in social capital WWII generation passing from scene who were more engaged socially and politically trusting rise of TVs revealed people who became unengaged and isolated from world causing lost focus on value embedded as social media takes over personal interactions Population growing racial and ethnic diversity growing location and residential changes movement to suburbs increased population density work and occupation changes agricultural to manufacturing to white collar and service oriented economy combine to show changes in American society American Creed known as a shared political culture and a set of beliefs about how political and economic life ought to be carried out Core beliefs values freedom liberty equality democracy individualism importance of property and work religion American Revolution fought to achieve greater freedom in response to excess British authority give me liberty or give me death Declaration of Independence is Jefferson s justification for the revolution and includes unalienable rights that cannot be given away or taken life liberty and the pursuit of happiness or property people created government to protect rights and if government fails to do so people have reason to revolt Articles of Confederation first constitution victory of freedom over order problems evolved from disorder created uniform currency dealt with foreign relations via national government gave sovereignty for individual states but not nation as a whole national government had neither the purse nor the sword no money nor armed protection forces Constitution attempt to produce greater order by creating stronger national government while preserving freedoms stronger national government formed president and supreme court supremacy of national law control of foreign policy ability to tax and form an army and gave congressional control of money and interstate trade checks and balances creates inefficient but safe controlled government 3 features of constitution to prevent government from abusing power Separation of powers with checks and balances federalism state governments are own entities and Bill of Rights 1st ten amendments added to protect freedoms and liberties Guiding principles and motives of the Framers greater order while protecting freedoms lack of attention to social equality slaves counted as 3 5 a person slave trade and fugitive slave provision built into original constitution political equality favored white males may have been driven by selfish and economic motives and a more general concern with protection of property Only one part of one branch the House elected by and accountable to the people did not trust human nature as present and future leaders and citizens driven by self interest amendments to Constitution happened with 2 3 majority in House and Senate and majority of state legislature Madison and Federalist 10 Federalist papers tried convincing states to approve new constitution and to join union concerned with factions and pursuit of self interest tyranny of majority faction special concern for Madison Controlling factions try to control effects through a vast republic enabled via representation and have many competing interests so as to represent everyone build in constitutional checks on power Federalist 51 Federalism Division of power between national and state governments that set their own policies and hold independent responsibilities Unitary systems voters vote in central governments which vote in state local governments Federations
View Full Document
Unlocking...