POLS 1101 1st EditionExam # 1 Study Guide Lectures: 1 - 7Lecture 1 (August 28)Define Government and differentiate between different types of governmentThe government is a large body instilled to ultimately protect and help the people, which it governs over. Government- the legitimate use of force-including firearms, imprisonment, and execution-within specified geographical boundaries to control human behavior.1. Democracy- the people or the majority make the decisions by voting2. Republic- the people elect other people to make their decisions for them, a higher leader or leaders3. Autocracy- one person makes all rules4. Communism- focuses on collectivism to equal out the classes, state owns everything5. Oligarchy- an “elite” group makes all decisions6. Theocracy- based on religion, where a god makes the laws but they are interpreted by a religious figure7. Facism- power is in the government, most of the time one leader. Nation before individual. Very strict system. What are the purposes of government? Why can this sometimes be the source of debate/conflict?1. Protect and help the people- we need government in order to maintain order within society, and establish political rights and equality for the people in that society.2. Structure- we need a set of rules or guidelines to run society by so we can keep the order, which is where laws come in. The government must help form and enforce laws for the good of all society.3. Regulation- the government is also there to regulate trade, commerce, foreign affairs, and the economy.4. Provide public goods- we need a government to provide us goods such as public education,sanitation, police and fire services, libraries, etc5. Coordinate behavior- also relates back to creating and enforcing laws6. Leadership- we need a central force and leadership institutions to provide a voice for all citizens but to also lead our society and govern us wisely and justlyThese could be the source of conflict or debate because everyone’s interpretation is different of what the government needs to do or does not need to do. Everyone has a different opinion, some people want more, some less.What are public goods and why is the government often needed to provide public goods?Public goods include education, sanitation, police and fire services, libraries, parks, etc. These are goods that help society and its people as a whole, goods we all need. It is part of the government’s job and purpose to provide common public goods to help its people.What is politics? Why does politics often involve conflict?Politics- activities that relate to influencing the actions and policies of a government or getting and keeping power in a government. To put it simply, politics are the way government is run, while the government is the institution that controls it all. Everyone is involved in politics, everyone can have a political opinion or view, such as democratic or republican, but only select people are involved in the actual government. Politics are the process followed by the leaders of a political group, or the government. It is the affairs of the government. Politics can be found anywhere and everywhere. These are the main differences between politics and the government, as the two words are easily and often times confused as the same.Lecture 2 (September 2)Describe the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and the events that led up to the Constitutional Convention.The French and Indian War was a huge conflict lasting seven years between Great Britain and France, which left Great Britain with territorial gains but also a huge war debt. In an effort to help pay off this debt, the British Parliament started to enforce taxes on the American colonies. Some of these taxes included: 1. The Sugar Act- 1764- Added new charges on consumables in the U.S.- Put a duty on the import of molasses2. The Stamp Tax- 1765- Charge applied on every piece of paper used in the legal system and the media- Every paper had to be stamped3. The Quartering Act- Called for colonists to host troops and soldiers in their home if there were no rooms in the barracks- Included costs to colonists that could be interpreted as taxesThis sparked a huge rebellion known as The Boston Tea Party, in which colonists dressed as Native Americans boarded East India Company ships and dumped loads of tea overboard. Parliament responded with a series of harsh measures in order to stop the colonial resistance. These are known as the Intolerable or Coercive Acts. They were as follows:1. Boston Port Act- Discontinued the landing and discharging, lading or shipping, of goods, wares, and merchandise at the town and harbor of Boston2. Massachusetts Government Act- Better regulating the government of the province of the Massachusetts Bay3. Administration of Justice Act- Impartial administration of justice in the case of persons questioned for any acts done bythem in execution of the law, or for the suppression of riots and tumults- Massachusetts Bay4. Quebec Act- Made effectual provision for the government of the province of QuebecThe Articles of Confederation of 1776 attempted to set up a new form of government for the newly independent nation of the United States of America. It’s key components included:- A unicameral government, one representative and vote per state- Unanimous decisions- Run by states, no executiveThe Articles caused many problems, ultimately failing. The problems within the Articles lied in these key points:- Without an executive, there was a weak central government, which was too weak to constrain the self-interested, autonomous states- Congress could not tax, form an army, regulate trade, etc, it severely limited its powers- States often times refused to cooperate- The Articles were almost impossible to amend, making it difficult to fix or change problemsLecture 3 (September 4)What were the debates during the Constitutional Convention of 1787?A. The Virginia Plan- Proposed by Governor Edmund Randolph of Virginia - Drafted by Virginia delegate James Madison- Called for a strong national government- Both branches of legislative branch apportioned by population - Gave national government power to legislate in cases which separate state are incompetentB. The New Jersey Plan- Presented by New Jersey delegate William Paterson- Federal powers limited- No new congress- Unicameral legislature- All states have one