WEEK SHEET
Week’s One and Two – Oct 3rd.
Announcements:
1. This weekly sheet will provide you with the details of what is going on in the class, including details on
the readings, explanations of the assignments, and a preview of the material you should know for the
exams. If you miss class, you should request a copy via email.
2. Reading and Assignments are due on date at the top of the sheet.
3. The To Do list is your actually assignments for the week. The To Think About are questions we will
be discussing in class and which may appear on the midterm. All To Do items should be stapled together
and handed in together.
Reading:
Text: Chapters 1 and 2 in ADR, Rourke 1 and 3, and Federalist #10 (in appendix of ADR)
Lectures:
Freedom and Equality
Political and Economic Systems
The Constitution
Implied Powers
Federalist #10
To Do:
1. Thinking About Core Values:
Chose one of the prompts below to write a response to. Your answer should be about 300 words long.
a. Pick 3 items from slide 16 of the first lecture and explain whether the question or issue
should be a private choice or open to public oversight and determination. Explain what overall
guidelines you see shaping your 3 choice
b. Do you think the government ought to emphasize freedom by leaving people alone and
allowing people to do whatever they want as much as possible or emphasize equality and
community responsibility, by creating programs to help the needy and regulating our
activities for the good of society?
c. Do you think it is more important to have civil or political freedom? Why?
d. Do you think the U.S. ought of be more focused on achieving equality of opportunity or
equality of condition? Consider this in terms of current issues such as affirmative action and/or
health care.
e. Do you think democracy is best measured by examining the procedures that are followed or
by examining the outcomes that are produced?
2. Interpreting the 2nd Amendment:
Do after reading Rourke Chaper 1.
As the postscript of the chapter notes, the Appeals Court supported Parker and overturned the lower court's
opposition to DC's gun control law. The District of Columbia appealed to the Supreme Court which handed
down its ruling last month. I will tell you what they decided next week. For now you can make your own
interpretations by answering the following three questions:
1. Based on the reading, do you think the 2nd Amendment refers to an individual or collective right? Why
or why not?
2. Do you think the Constitution should be seen as a "living document" or should judges stay loyal to
original intent? Consider this in terms of the 2nd Amendment, but also consider the broader implications of
your position.
3. Should the Supreme Court uphold or overturn Washington D.C.'s ban on handguns. What is the
Constitutional justification for your position.
Total writing should be about 300 words.
3. On Separating Church and State:
Read Rourke chapter 3 before doing this assignment.
Interpreting the Constitution often means balancing it against itself, and this is especially true in regards the
First Amendment's statements regarding religion. Review what the amendment specifically says and then
write a 300-400 word response as to whether you think the U.S. District Court in Elk Grove Unified School
District v. Newdow found the proper balance between the free exercise clause and the establishment clause
in its ruling regarding the Pledge. Explain how this issue is similar or different from other cases regarding
the relationship between church and state with specific reference to the articles in Chpt. 3 of Rourke.
4. Democracy and Fed #10: To what extent and for what reasons was Madison against democracy? (200
words)
To Think About:
1. What do Page and Greenberg mean by calling the U.S. a "democratic republic". Briefly explain the
principles of each component, how we combine them and to what extent have we found the right balance.
2. Reflect on what the authors see as the 3 fundamental aspects of representative democracy (pages 12 -15)
and assess how well the U.S. seems to meet them. Conclude by explaining whether U.S. democracy holds
up better under a procedural or substantive analysis. (Which do Page and Greenberg seem to emphasize?)
3. Explain the difference between civil and political freedom as depicted by John Locke and Aristotle and
describe a way that which our political system has provided us with opportunities for each.
4. Explain the similarities between the philosophical foundations of our political and economic systems as
expressed in Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence and Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations. In what
ways has the system worked as they intended and to what extent and in what ways has it failed to live up to
its promise?
5. Describe and Explain the 10 key features of our Constitution as outlined in the lecture. Specifically
describe “implied powers” and their origins.
6. Explain what made the Constitution controversial at the time of its creation.
7. What general attitudes about political power are embodied in our Constitution?
8. How does our Constitution embody both republican and democratic principles?
9. To what extent is it fair to call the creation of the U.S. Constitution a “bloodless revolution”? Consider
both what was done and how it was achieved.