Review for Exam 1
Study Tips
• Hello gang the first exam will open Monday. Here are a few
tips.
• Do not worry about memorizing dates but do be able to
answer questions about the order in which things happened
(like the constitutional founding)
• Use the term lists/ big picture/ and review to study
• Anything covered on the HW is very likely to be on the exam
Chapter 1
Democracy and American
Politics
http://imagecache2.allposters.com.jpg
http://fineartamerica.com/images-medium/lincoln-memorial-brian-mcdunn.jpg
Democracy
• A system of rule by the people defined by the existence
of popular sovereignty, political equality, and political
liberty
Direct and Representative
Democracies
• Direct Democracy- A form of political decision making in
which the public business is decided by all citizens
meeting in small assemblies
• Representative Democracy- Indirect democracy, in
which the people rule through elected representatives
• Pluralist Democracy- an interpretation of democracy in
which government by the people is achieved through the
competition of interest groups
Plato
•
Viewed man as a rational being in a rational universe
•
Ideal form of government could be discovered through
the exercise of human reason
Aristotle
• “Father of Political Science”
• Used the concept of human reasoning to analyze nationstates that existed in his time
• Man is political by nature and must participate in the
governance of the State to be truly human
Aristotle’s Classifications of Government
Aristotle’s
Classification
of Government
Goal of
Government
Rule by One
Rule by Few
Rule by Many
Good
To benefit the
community
Monarchy
Aristocracy
Constitutional
form
Bad
To benefit those Tyrant
that rule
Oligarchy
Democracy
From Political Science: Institutions and Public Policy by Mora and Parent
Political Liberty and
the social contract
• Philosopher John Locke believed individual rights and liberties
were absolutely fundamental to a good society
• Their preservation must be maintained for the government to
derive legitimate authority
John Locke
• Conceived of government as a means of securing
individual rights—namely life, liberty, and property
• Social Contract- Men were not political by nature; they
consented to be government for the purpose of
protecting their rights
John Locke
• Participation in government is not necessary for human
fulfillment but is a method for securing liberty
• Goal of government is the protection of the individual
Montesquieu
• Concerned with the concentration of power
• Argued that power concentrated in any individual or
single institution was oppressive
• To prevent tyranny and to secure liberty, power should
be separated
Systems of Government
• Unitary
• Confederation
• Federalism
How Power Flows
Unitary System
Confederation
Federal System
National Government
Central Government
National Government



Local Governments
Member States
State Governments
From Political Science: Institutions and Public Policy by Mora and Parent
Objections to Majoritarian
Representative Democracy
• Majority tyranny threatens liberty- (Founder James
Madison)
• The people are irrational and incompetent
• Majoritarian democracy threatens minorities
• Fear can undermine democracy
The Founding
Franklin PIC: http://www.earlyamerica.com/portraits/images/franklin.jpg
Jefferson: http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/beacon/fall06images/22-jefferson-bible/jefferson.jpg
Adams: http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/92/90492-004-309D74B1.jpg
Washington: http://www.uweb.ucsb.edu/~adam_swanson/george-washington.jpg
Madison http://www.ofouramerica.com/images/madison.jpg
Groups with Colonial
Interests
• (1) The New England merchants
• (2) The southern planters
• (3) The “royalists” holders of royal lands, offices, and
patents
• (4) Shopkeepers, artisans, and laborers;
• (5) Small farmers
The Stamp Act (1765)
•
Required various printed materials in the American
colonies be affixed with a tax stamp.
•
Materials taxed: legal documents, magazines,
newspapers and many other types of paper used
throughout the colonies.
•
Had to be paid in valid British currency, not colonial
money
The Stamp Act (1765)
• Was to help pay for troops stationed in North America
following the British victory in the Seven Years’ War.
• The Crown believed that as beneficiaries the colonies
should pay at least a portion of the expense.
• The Stamp Act fostered great resistance in the colonies.
They saw it as a tax without their consent which could
only be granted by their colonial legislatures.
Stamp and Sugar Acts
• How did they fight the taxes?
• With demonstrations and boycotts
• The Crown rescinds the taxes on March 18, 1766
Taste of Revolution
• Taxes are rescinded
• Elite groups are placated
• Small farmers and shopkeepers want to keep pushing
against the British Empire
• Who led these people?
• Samuel Adams
Reinvigorating the Cause for
Revolution
• What got the cause for revolution going again?
• The Tea Tax—Takes away the merchants ability to sell
tea (1773)
• East India Company granted a monopoly by the Crown
•
•
•
•
That’s one heck of a Tea
Party
Date: December 16, 1773
Led by: Samuel Adams
Designed to goad England into overreacting
Did it work?
Illustration of the Boston Tea Party.
Mansell—Time Life Pictures/Getty Images
British Reprisals
• (1) Closing the port at Boston to commerce
• (2) Governing members of Massachusetts changed or
removed
• (3) Transporting the accused to Britain for trial
• (4) Restriction of movement to the West
The Beginning:
The First Continental Congress
•
Timeline: September 5, to October 26, 1774
•
Location: Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia
•
Attendance: 12 of the 13 colonies (Georgia)
•
Intent: Did not have independence in mind just yet
First Continental Congress (1774)
• Results: Total boycott of all British goods
• No call for independence just yet but resolved to meet again
if the Intolerable Acts were not rescinded
• Also allied the colonies so that if Massachusetts was attacked
by England the other colonies would join in its defense
War!
•
The American Revolution
•
Timeline: (1775 – 1783)
•
The war was result of the colonists rejecting the
legitimacy of Parliament of Great Britain to govern
them without representation
•
Claimed this violated their rights as Englishmen
War!
• The American Revolution ended September 3, 1783 and
the Treaty of Paris was ratified on January 14, 1784 by
the United States Congress of the Confederation
Second Continental Congress
(1776)
• Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense is published
(becomes wildly popular, Jan. 1776)
• By Spring of 1776 the delegates to the Congress realized
that “separation and independence was inescapable”
Second Continental Congress
(1776)
•
Timeline: May 15, 1776 delegates begin to arrive
•
Location: Independence Hall, Philadelphia
•
Attendance: The 13 Colonies
•
Intent: Grievances were not redressed and War had
broken out so a second Continental Congress was
summoned beginning May, 1776
Second Continental Congress (1776)
• Functions: managed the colonial war effort, inched towards
independence, adopted the Declaration of Independence
• Raised armies, directed strategy, appointed diplomats, and
made formal treaties
Second Continental Congress and
the Declaration of Independence
• The Declaration of Independence-mainly written by
Thomas Jefferson
• Is adopted by the Congress on July 4th, 1776
Declaration of Independence
• Sought to unify the varying interests of the colonies
• Argued for the inalienable rights of men
• Attempt to forge a national identity
• Severed political ties to Great Britain
The First Governing Documents:
The Articles of Confederation
• First governing document of the colonies
• Passed by Congress in 1777
• In effect legally from March 1, 1781—June 21, 1788
• Weak central government with strong state control
• Representatives paid out of state funds
Weaknesses of the Articles
•
No means to collect money except through requisitions
from the states which could be ignored without reprisal
•
No control over foreign or interstate commerce—lead
to independent contracts between the states and other
nations
•
Did not recognize the citizens of the colonies as the
sovereign body; but rather only the states
Weaknesses of the Articles
•
•
•
•
No chief executive
No national court system
No means to provide a sound national money system
9 out of 13 states must approve all new laws (very hard
to do)
• Amendments must be approved by all 13 states
The First Annapolis
Convention
• Timeline: September 11-September 14, 1786
• Location: Annapolis, Maryland
• Attendance: 5 states sent a meager 12 delegates (New
York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia).
The First Annapolis Convention
• Intent: Held originally to discuss interstate trade issues
• Result: Resolution passed that called for a second meeting
with delegates from all 13 colonies to amend the Articles of
Confederation—drafted by Alexander Hamilton
• First step towards drafting another Constitution
Shay’s Rebellion
• What led to Shay’s Rebellion?
• Inflation, debts, and fears of farm foreclosures
• Plan: To keep the Massachusetts county courts from
sitting until the next election
• Terrorized state officials and tried to seize the Federal
arsenal at Springfield
• Revealed the weakness of the state governments and
highlighted the need for a central federal government
The Constitutional Convention
• Shay’s rebellion helped to push the momentum in favor of
revising the Articles of Confederation
• Meetings were held in secret
• Original intent was to fix the Articles
• Soon realized they would have to create a new framework
• Wanted a government that was consistent with the moral and
philosophical ideas of the day
The Constitutional Convention
• Timeline: May 14, 1787, on May 25, a quorum of seven states
was secured. Ended September 17, 1787
• Location: Pennsylvania State House, Philadelphia
• Attendance: 12 out of 13 (Rhode Island)
• Intent: To create a new framework for government
• Result: The Constitution
The Great Compromise
• The Virginia Plan
• The New Jersey Plan
The Virginian Plan
• Called for representation based on population
• Benefits the larger states especially the slaveholding
states
The New Jersey Plan
• Equal representation regardless of population
• 1 State = so many representatives
• Better for small states such as Connecticut
The Connecticut or Great
Compromise
•
•
•
•
Created a bicameral legislature
House and Senate
House is elected based on population
Senate is limited to two representatives per state
The 3/5 Compromise over
Slavery
• 3/5ths compromise-for every 5 slaves three will be
counted in the census towards representation in the
House of Representatives benefitting the slave states
• Without both of these compromises the Union might not
have survived the convention
The Bill of Rights
• Written by James Madison
• The first 10 amendments to the Constitution
• Not included within the Constitution until December 15, 1791.
The First Political Parties
• Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists
• Federalists were pro-Constitution and for a centralized
government
• Anti-Federalists against the Constitution and for a
decentralized government
The Federalist Papers
• The Federalist Papers—John Jay, Alexander Hamilton,
and James Madison
• Often used to illuminate the framers intent in
constitutional interpretations
Federalism
Federalism: States and Nation
What is federalism?
• A system in which significant governmental powers are
divided between a central government and smaller units,
such as states
• The sharing of power between different units of
government
Why is Federalism
Important?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Protects Liberty
Distributes Power
Increases Participation
Manages Conflict
Allows for Policy Innovation
Responds Locally
Important Constitutional Clauses
•
•
•
•
•
•
Supremacy Clause
(Constitution)
Reservation Clause
(Bill of Rights)
Commerce Clause
(Constitution)
Necessary and Proper
(Constitution)
Full Faith and Credit (Constitution)
Privileges and Immunities
(Constitution)
• (Be able to define each of these six clauses)
Horizontal Federalism
• Term used to refer to relationships among states
• “Full faith and credit” (Article IV, Section 1)
• Constitutional rules ensure that the states must respect
each other’s legal actions
• Created by the founders to foster compromise and
cooperation among the states
Expansions of Federal Power
• Armed conflicts in Vietnam, Korea, the first Gulf War
• The Great Society programs- President Johnson
• Civil Rights Legislation- President Johnson
• Homeland Security- President G.W. Bush
• No Child Left Behind- President G.W. Bush
Reductions of Federal Power
•
•
•
•
•
Devolution:
Devolution under President Reagan
Change in welfare program by President Clinton
SC cases dealing with federal power (Rehnquist Court)
Federal deregulation
Public Opinion & Socialization
Public Opinion
• Citizen’s attitudes about political issues, leaders, institutions,
and events
• Values- how one shapes opinion about political issues and
events—beliefs
• Attitudes-a specific preference on a particular issue— an
opinion
What are American Core
Beliefs?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Individualism
Private Property and Private Enterprise
Distrust of Government
Citizenship and the Nature of Political Order
Populism
Religious Belief
How to conduct an opinion poll
•
•
•
•
(1) Form a population
(2) Form a Sample (5% s.error or below)
(3) Do your poll
(4) Evaluate your results
Population
• In a poll, the group of people whose opinions are of interest
and/ or about whom information is desired
• Need a reasonable population:
• If you are gathering info for a state political race you should
only poll those that live in the district where the race is run
Form a Sample (5% s.error or
below)
• Random Sample
• Quota Sample
• Stratified Sample- Most reliable form of the random sample
Form a Sample (5% s.error or
below)
• Sampling Error- also called margin of error; a statistical
calculation of the difference in results between a poll of a
randomly drawn sample and a poll of the entire population
• Should not exceed 5% otherwise it is considered statistically
questionable or unsound
Conduct your Poll
• This can be done in a few ways
• Tracking Polling
• Exit Polling
• Push Polling
Most Important Problems
• Top responses:
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Economy
Wars
Gas prices
Health care
Immigration
Terrorism
Shaping public opinion
• Three major forces: government, private groups, and the
media
• These forces seek to interpret, manage, and sometimes try to
change public opinion.
What is socialization?
• Political Socialization- the process by which we develop our
political values and opinions throughout our lives
Socialization
•
As we mature from birth we are socialized by many people
and things around us.
•
This leads to the development of political values
•
Values then turn into beliefs and ideologies
Primary Agents of Socialization
• Family
• School
• The Media
Other Agents of Political Socialization
•
•
•
•
•
Friends and Peers
Politicians
Community leaders
College
Major Events and the
Generational Effect
• Co-workers and our
profession
• Age
• Home ownership
• Being a parent
• Retirement
How people’s opinions differ
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Race and Ethnicity
Social Class
Region
Education
Gender
Age
Religion
Partisanship
Race and Ethnicity
• In 2008
• 95% of African-Americans voted for Democrat Obama
• 4% voted for John McCain
Social Class
• Low-income Americans tend to vote democratic
• Upper-income Americans tend to vote republican
• High-income + Post graduate degree tend to vote
democratic
• Union household tend to vote democratic
Education
• The level of education you receive can also play a significant
role in your values, attitudes, and ideologies
•  Changes how we view race and gender
•  More politically active and conscious
Gender
•
Gender Gap – the measurable difference in the way women
and men vote for candidates and in the way they view
political issues
•
Women tend to identify as Democrats
•
Women tend to support social programs, are opposed to
violence, opposed to capital punishment and armed
engagements
•
There is no gender gap on the issue of abortion
Campaigns and Elections
Suffrage
The right to vote
•
•
•
•
White Males
Men of Color
Women
18 and over
Suffrage Timeline
• 1790- 5% of all Americans
• Qualifications- Adult white male, owned property, and
possessed a certain religious belief
15 Amendment
th
• 1870- The 15th Amendment mandated that the right to
vote be neither denied nor abridged on the basis of race,
color or previous condition of servitude. This superseded
state laws that had directly prohibited black voting.
Suffrage Timeline
• Qualifications- All male U.S. citizens are now eligible to
vote (conditions apply)
• Black suffrage was for the most part eliminated in the
South by the 1900s
• Done by: Poll taxes, white primaries, gerrymandering,
literacy tests, and “vouchers of good character”
19 Amendment
th
• 1920 – The Nineteenth Amendment establishes that the
right to vote cannot be denied on account of sex
• Qualifications: Men and women can vote
• However African Americans and minorities are still
effectively barred from voting
24 Amendment
th
• Twenty-forth Amendment: Outlaws the poll tax (1964)
Suffrage Timeline
• 1965- Voting Rights Act (Congressional law not an
Amendment)
• Federal government enforces the right of African
Americans to vote
26 Amendment
th
• Twenty-sixth Amendment: voting age lowered to 18
years of age (1971)
Election Structures
• Who is responsible for organizing elections?
• State and local government
• State law determines how elections are administered,
district boundaries, candidate qualifications, and voter
qualifications
Types of Elections
• Primary elections- election to select a parties candidate
for the general election
• General elections- where political parties field their
candidates against the candidates of other political
parties in a winner-take-all system
The Electoral College
• Total number of electoral college votes in 538 (535 + 3
for the District of Columbia)
• Each state is entitled to a number of electoral votes
equal to the number of the state’s senators and
representatives combined
Quote of the Review
• “Politics is more difficult than physics."
- Albert Einstein
Physicist (1879 - 1955)
Quote: http://uspolitics.about.com/od/quotes/a/qt_politics.htm
Pic: http://www.mlahanas.de/Physics/Bios/images/AlbertEinstein.jpg