Unit 1 CONSTITUTIONAL UNDERPINNINGS
SECTION 1.1 & 1.2 THE STATE & ORIGINAL INTENT
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What is a state?
What is government?
What should government provide?
What is political ideology?
How does ideology translate into political party and behavior?
What is majority rule?
What is a plurality system?
What is a republic?
What is a democracy?
What is freedom of expression?
What is a federal system?
What is a confederation?
What is a unitary system?
How is the state a coercive force?
How is separation of powers manifested in the Constitution?
How does checks and balances protect from government abuse of power?
What is the rule of law?
What is political culture?
How does culture translate to regime type?
What is constitutionalism?
What is legitimacy?
Why the Articles failed?
What was the affect of Shays’ rebellion?
Why the Convention?
What motivated the delegates?
Why is political compromise important?
What are the compromises in the Constitution?
What are the Federalists and Anti-federalists and the Papers (either on-line or
from the Woll reader)
Compare the powers of the Constitution to the weaknesses of the Articles.
How is the Constitution “living”. (Scalia is the only person in America who
claims its dead).
A little Locke and Montesquieu
I. Identify and Describe:
government
public goods
politics
political participation
single-issue groups
Federalists
The Great Compromise
Judicial Review
John Locke
Majoritarianism
policymaking system
linkage institutions
policy agenda
political issue
policymaking institutions
public policy
democracy
majority rule
minority rights
representation
elite and class theory
hyper-pluralism
policy gridlock
gross domestic product
individualism
amending process
anti-Federalists
Articles of Confederation
Authoritarian regimes
Bill of Rights
Consent of the governed
Direct democracy
An Economics Interpretation of the
Constitution
Elite theory
Electoral college
European Enlightenment
Federalist Papers
Federalist #10
political ideology
conservative
liberal
libertarian
block grants
categorical grants
the “commerce clause”
concurrent powers
confederal systems
creeping categorization
delegated powers
devolution revolution
federal systems
federalism
II. Compare and contrast:
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government and politics
Natural rights
New Jersey Plan
Pluralism
Ratification
Representative democracy
Second Treatise on Government
Shay’s Rebellion
Social Contract
State of Nature
Three-Fifths Compromise
Thomas Hobbes
Virginia Plan
monarchy
totalitarianism
oligarchy
social contract theory
direct democracy
indirect democracy (representative
democracy)
republic
political culture
personal liberty
equality
popular consent
popular sovereignty
civil society
individualism
baby boom (s)
Generation X
Generation Y
grants-in-aid system
Loose construction
Mandate
National supremacy
Necessary & Proper (elastic Clause)
Nullification
Reserved powers
Revenue sharing
Strict construction
Unitary governments
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policy agenda and public policy
policymaking system and linkage institutions
policymaking system and political issue
democracy and traditional democratic theory
majority rule and minority rights
democracy and representation
pluralist theory, elite and class theory, and hyper-pluralism
DO NOT GET TOO BOGGED IN HISTORY, JUST MAIN THEME
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Define, give examples and interrelate all of the terms above.
Provide multiple examples for the terms and make connections between them.
Use comparative political systems (regime types) to draw associations and
differences.
Examples should be vivid—Nazis, Fascists, communists, Maoists
Country examples could include: Myanmar, China, Venezuela, Cuba, Russia,
Japan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, France
SECTION 1.3 THE CONSTITUTION
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What does the constitution do?
What are the three structures of government?
What are the formal powers of each branch and examples?
What are the checks and balances and separation of powers?
How is impeachment political?
How does judicial review work?
What is original intent?
What is congressional elaboration?
How does appointment and confirmation work?
How does the veto work?
How does federalism work?
What are the powers laid out in the constitution?
How is the Constitution changed?
I. Identify and describe:
Constitution
Declaration of Independence
natural rights
consent of the governed
limited government
Articles of Confederation
Shays’ Rebellion
U.S. Constitution
factions
republic
Federalists
Anti-Federalists
Federalist Papers
Bill of Rights
Equal Rights Amendment
Marbury v. Madison
judicial review
writ of habeas corpus
New Jersey Plan
Virginia Plan
Connecticut Compromise
separation of powers
checks and balances
republic
confederation
legislative branch
electoral college extraordinary majority
republicanism federalism
implied powers
supremacy clause
Bill of Rights
executive branch
judicial branch
Great Compromise
II. Compare and contrast:
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natural rights and consent of the governed
Constitution, Articles of Confederation, and U.S. Constitution
New Jersey Plan, Virginia Plan, and Connecticut Compromise
separation of powers and checks and balances
limited government and republic
Federalists and Anti-Federalists
Marbury v. Madison and judicial review
Objective 1: Discuss the importance of the English philosophical heritage, the colonial experience, the
Articles of Confederation, and the character of the founding fathers in shaping the agenda of the
Constitution writers.
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Make a list of the major grievances of the colonists under British rule.
What are the major components of John Locke’s political philosophy and how did they influence
Thomas Jefferson’s writings?
Draw a schematic diagram of the American government under the Articles of Confederation.
Make a list of the reasons why the Articles of Confederation failed.
Briefly describe the general philosophical views of the founding fathers on the following issues:
Human Nature, Political Conflict, Objects of Government, and Nature of Government.
Objective 2: Identify the important principles and issues debated at the Constitutional Convention
and describe how they were resolved.
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What were the three major equality issues at the Constitutional Convention and how were they
resolved?
What were the major economic problems addressed at the Constitutional Convention and how
were they resolved?
Why did the founding fathers believe it was not necessary to address individual rights issues
specifically in the Constitution?
Objective 3: Explain the Madisonian model of limiting majority control, separating powers, and
creating checks and balances.
9. Draw a schematic diagram of the Madisonian model of government.
10. Define the term “constitutional republic.”
Objective 4: Understand the conflict between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists over the
ratification of the Constitution.
11. Complete the following table summarizing the major differences between the Federalists and the
Anti-Federalists on the issues of civil liberties, power of the states, and the econom. (Copy this
chart onto a separate sheet of paper!)
Issues
Civil Liberties
Power of the States
Economy
Federalists
Anti-Federalists
12. Why did the Anti-Federalists believe the new Constitution was a class-based document?
Objective 5: Describe the formal and informal processes by which the Constitution is changed in
response to new items on the policy agenda.
13. What is meant by the “unwritten constitution”?
14. Describe the different ways in which a formal constitutional amendment might be adopted.
15. The text examines four ways the Constitution changes informally. Complete the following table,
listing these ways, defining them, and giving an example for each. (Copy this chart onto a
separate sheet of paper!)
Informal Change
Definition
Example
Objective 6: Evaluate the Constitution in terms of democracy and its impact on policymaking.
16. List and explain the five Constitutional amendments that expanded the right to vote.
17. In what ways does the Constitution expand and diminish the scope of government.
SECTION 1.4 FEDERALISM
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What are the characteristics of federalism?
What is good about federalism?
How are powers shared?
What is the role of the Supremes in federalism?
Bush v Gore 2000.
The supremacy clause---McCulloch v MD.
The interstate powers—Heart of Atlanta v US
The inherent powers Curtiss Wright Export v US
Reserved and concurrent powers of states
Preemption, federal mandates, unfunded mandates, state administration of federal
programs
Horizontal federalism
Centrists & de-centrists; republicans, democrats
Grants-in-aid
Cooperative federalism, new federalism, marble cake theory, layer cake theory
I. Indentify and Define
sovereignty
federalism
dual federalism
in-aid categorical grant formula grant
project grant
block grant
states’ rights
implied powers cooperative federalism
elastic clause commerce clause grant
government school district
special district
Unitary System
Privileges & Immunities Clause
10th Amendment
Reserved Powers
Concurrent Powers
Full Faith & Credit Clause
Commerce Clause
Dual Federalism
Cooperative Federalism
home rule
policy entrepreneur pre-emption
mandate
restraint
municipal government county
Surface Transportation Act
Categorical Grants
Great Society
New Federalism
Reagan Revolution
Block Grant
Devolution Revolution
Unfunded Mandates
No Child Left Behind Act
Preemption
Sovereign Immunity
Objective 1: Define federalism and explain why it is important to American government
and politics.
1. Define the three ways of organizing a nation that were discussed in the text.
2. In what ways does federalism decentralize politics and policies?
Objective 2: Describe how the Constitution divides power between the national and
state governments and understand why the supremacy of the national government is the
central principle of American federalism.
3. List the three items that are considered the supreme law of the land.
4. What is the significance of the 10th Amendment?
5. Explain the difference between enumerated powers and implied powers.
Objective 3: Explain the nature of the states’ obligations to each other.
6. Describe the three general obligations that each state has to every other state under
the Constitution.
Objective 4: Explain how federalism in the United States has shifted from dual
federalism to cooperative federalism.
7. How is dual federalism analogous to a layer cake and cooperative federalism
analogous to a marble cake?
8. Explain the three general standard operating procedures of cooperative federalism.
Objective 5: Describe the nature of fiscal federalism and how states and cities compete
for federal grants and aid.
9. What is meant by “cross-over sanctions” and “cross-cutting requirements”?
10. Explain the two types of categorical grants.
11. For what reasons might a state or locality not want to receive federal aid?
Objective 6: Explain the relationship between federalism and democracy, and how
federalism contributes to and detracts from democracy.
12. List four advantages of federalism for democracy.
13. List four disadvantages of federalism for democracy.
Objective 7: Understand how federalism has contributed to the scope of the national
government.
14. How did industrialization increase the role of the national government?
15. Why don’t the states handle more issues?