Unit 1 Objectives/Notes Review

Identify the ways in which the Constitution determines the powers of state and national governments.

1. Article I, Section 8 grants powers to Congress; called Delegated Powers. 2. Article 1, Section 9 denies certain powers to Congress 3. Article 1 Section 10 denies certain powers to the states. 4. 10th Amendment reserves powers to the states that are not specifically granted to Congress and not denied to the states; called Reserved Powers.

Examine the Constitution in terms of the theme of democracy that runs throughout this chapter.

1. Democratic government was generally despised by 18th century elites. 2. Constitution created a republic with elected representatives after the Lockean model of limited government. 3. Over the course of history, democracy has had a gradual move from the Elitist Model to the Pluralist Model. 4. Today, few people share the Founder's fear of democracy.

Determine the essential principles of traditional democratic theory.

1. Equality in voting. 2. Effective participation. 3. Enlightened understanding. 4. Citizen control of the agenda. 5. Inclusion. 6. Majority rule. 7. Respect of minority rights.

Identify factors that have led to a gradual democratization of the Constitution.

1. Expansion of the electorate: Amendments 15, 19, 23, 24 and 26. 2. Changes in election procedures: Amendments 12 and 17. 3. Technological Progress: TV, radio, direct mailings, telephone, internet and air travel has made it easier for elected officials to communicate with constituents.

Trace the ways in which American federalism has changed over the past two centuries.

1. Gradual shift from dual federalism to cooperative federalism resulting in power sharing between the two levels of government. 2. The rise of fiscal federalism with an increased assortment of federal grants-in-aid to the state and local governments.

Discuss and analyze the challenges to democracy presented in the text.

1. Increased Technical Expertise: experts dominate policymaking. 2. Limited Participation in Government: voter apathy, especially among the young. 3. Escalating Campaign Costs: increased influence of big money PACs. 4. Diverse Political Interests: results in gridlock.

Explain how the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation laid the groundwork for the Constitution.

1. Large states were underreprestend. 2. No power to tax. 3. No power to regulate commerce. 4. No president or national courts. 5. Limited power and unable to solve problems.

Analyze the ways in which American federalism has a positive effect on democracy.

1. More opportunities to vote/partcipate. 2. More points of access. 3. Diverse economies. 4. Even if a political party loses a national election, it may be strong at the state level. 5. Diverse public policies reflectional regional differences; ex. state death penalties. 6. Reduces decison making and conflict at the national level by allowing states and localities to decide policy for themselves.

Review the basic philosophy that underlies the Declaration of Independence.

1. Natural Rights: rights inherent to human beings; includes the right to life, liberty and property 2. Consent of the Governed: government derives its authority from the people; includes elections. 3. Limited Government: restrictions should be place on government to protect the natural rights of citizens; includes freedom of speech and religion, right to bear arms, fair trials and punishments. See Bill of Rights.

Analyze the ways in which American federalism has a negative effect on democracy.

1. States differ in resources available to supply public services; example: education funding. 2. Local interests may thwart national policies; example: slow to end racial discrimination in education and voting. 3. With 87,000+ governments, it sometimes becomes confusing and burdensome to get help.

Ascertain how people can influence the government's policy agenda.

1. Voting 2. Protesting 3. Civil Disobedience 4. Join Interest Groups 5. Write Letters 6. Campaign Donations 7. Seek Office

Outline the events that led early Americans to declare independence from Britain.

A. Orginally, the colonies were left alone. B. Britian fought the French in the French & Indian war gaining more territory in North America. C. In order to pay for the costs of the war and defend the new territory, Britain started taxing the colonies. D. Britian also began restricting the trade of the colonies to Britain. E. Americans resented taxes, especially without representation in Parliament. F. Formed the First Continental Congress to seek representation in Parliament; they were denied.

Summarize the characteristics of categorical grants and block grants, and examine the effects they have on decision making at the state and local levels.

Categorical Grants: money can only be used for specific purposes; many strings attached.Two types; 1. Project grants - awarded by competitive applications and money must be spent on specific purposes. 2. Formula grants: awarded on the basis of a formula such as population or per capita income. Block Grants: money given freely with little or no strings attached; states and local governments have broad discretion as how the money is spent.

Compare the contrasting forms of dual federalism and cooperative federalism.

Dual Federalism (Layer Cake): both the states and the national government remain supreme within their own spheres; each responsible for specific policies. Cooperative Feralism (Marble Cake): power and policy assignments are shared states and the national government; share costs, administration and blame for programs run poorly.

Explain why economic issues were high on the agenda at the Constitutional Convention and how the framers tried to strengthen the economic powers of the new national government.

Due to Shays' Rebellion and widespread economic turmoil, the Framers increased the economic powers of Congress: 1. Power to tax, borrow, appropriate funds, coin money, establish bankruptcy laws, regulate commerce, protect patents and copyrights, punish piracy and counterfeiters, create a uniform standard of weights & measures and create a postal system. 2. Denied the states to print money or tax imports/exports.

Discuss how underfunded and unfunded mandates burden state governments.

Federal government policies such as Medicaid require the state to pick up the unpaid portion and the Americans with Disabilites Act requires the states to pick up the tab altogether. Both underfunded and unfunded federal policies place states in a financial bind which causes them to have to raise state taxes.

Describe what is meant by fiscal federalism and assess the role that federal money plays in state policies.

Federal money appropriated by Congress for distribution to state and local governments is the main instrument the national government uses for both aiding and influencing policy at the state and local levels.

Describe the three basic forms of governmental structures: federalism, unitary, and confederacy.

Federalism: two or more levels of government have formal authority over the same land and people. Unitary: all power resides in the central government. Confederacy: weak cental government with states retaining most of the power.

Describe the major issues between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists in the debates over ratification of the Constitution.

Federalists = supported the Constitution; Madison, Hamilton and Jay wrote the Federalist Papers describing the Constitution in detail. Anti-Federalists = opposed the Constitution; believed that the Constitution was a class-based document giving power to the wealthy elite and would eventually erode fundamental liberties of individuals, as well as weaken the powers of states.

Ascertain how constitutional changes—both formal and informal—continue to shape and alter the Madisonian system.

Formal Amendments = written changes to the Constitution itself; used for major changes in principle or philosophy Informal Amendments = refers to the unwritten body of tradition, practice and procedures adopted by government; used for practical day-to-day policy changes.

List and analyze the clauses in the Constitution that define the obligations that each state has to every other state.

Full Faith & Credit: requires each state to recognize the official documents and civil judgements of other states. Extradition: requires states to return fugitives from another state to the state in which the crime was committed. Privileges & Immunities: states may not discriminate agains out-of-state citizens; exceptions include college tuition, hunting licenses and voting.

Distinguish among the fundamental concepts of government, politics, and public policy.

Government = institutions that make public policy for a society; functions include maintain national defense, provide public services, preserve order, socialize the young and collect taxes. Politics = who gets what, when, and how. Public Policy = a choice that government makes in response to some issue on its agenda.

Begin to assess the two questions that are central to governing and that serve as themes for this textbook: How should we govern? and What should government do?

How should we govern? Applying the standards of democracy, determining who holds power and who influences policies adopted by the government. What should government do? Evaluating the scope of government: intrusive or modest.

Describe what Madison meant by "factions" and how he proposed to solve the problems presented by factions.

In Federalist #10, Madison attacked interest groups arising from the unequal distribution of property or wealth. Today's political parties and interest groups are what Madison had in mind when he warned of the instability in government caused by factions. Remedied by separation of powers, checks and balances and federalism.

Demonstrate what we mean by the "Madisonian model" and how it is incorporated within the Constitution.

In order to prevent tyranny from the majority, Madison proposed to: 1. Limit majority control: HOR = direct election; Senate = appointed by state legislatures; President = electoral college; judges = appointed by President and confirmed by Senate 2. Separation of powers: 3 branches of government 3. Checks and balances: balance of power by each branch restricting the actions of the other branches 4. Federalism: dividing power between the national and state governments.

Understand how government, politics, and public policy are interrelated.

Legislative Branch (Congress) makes laws. Executive Branch (Presidency and Bureaucracy) enforces laws. Judicial Branch (Courts) interprets laws. Political Parties (Democrats & Republicans) nominate candidates. Interest Groups (PACs) influence public policy. Mass Media helps set policy agenda.

Explain why the relationship of local governments to the states is considered to be a unitary arrangement.

Local governments get their authority from the states; they can be created or abolished by the states. Viewed as sub-governments of the state.

Summarize the parallels between Locke's writings and Jefferson's language in the Declaration of Independence.

Natural Rights: Jefferson altered Locke's phrase "life, liberty, and property" to "life,liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Equality: Jefferson altered Locke's phrase "men being by nature all free, equal and independent" to "all men are created equal."

Examine the three contemporary theories of American democracy: pluralism,elite and class theory, and hyperpluralism.

Pluralism = Politics is mainly a competition among groups with each one pressing for its own preferred policies. Elite and Class Theory = Societies are divided along class lines and an upper class elite will rule, regardless of the formal nicities of governmental organization. Hyperpluralism = Groups are so strong that government is weakened. An extreme, exaggerated, or perverted form of pluralism resulting in gridlock.

Summarize the major compromises of the Constitutional Convention.

See Objective 7. Plus agreeing to add a Bill of Rights to the Constitution protecting individual liberties.

Understand how the Constitution affects the scope of government in America.

Separation of powers and checks & balances allow almost all groups a place to participate and be heard. it also promotes the politics of bargaining, compromise, playing one institution against another and an increase of hyperpluralism. Scholars suggest it results in gridlock and making non-decisons when decisons are hard to make.

Describe how the Civil War and the civil rights movement contributed to the development of national supremacy over the states.

The Civil War was fought in part over the states' claim of soveriegnty, but the federal government asserted its supremacy. The civil rights movement was primarily a conflict of state rights vs. national government over equality issues. National standards of racial equality prevailed.

Evaluate how the Constitutional Convention dealt with issues of equality.

The Constitution is silent on the issue of equality ... but deals with issues of equality: 1. Representation of the States: Connecticut Compromise 2. Slavery: Allowed slavery, but stopped future importation; 3/5ths Compromise on representation and taxation of slaves. 3. Political Equality: Voting rights (suffrage) was left to each state to decide who could and could not vote.

Explain why the Constitution is sometimes called the "higher law."

The Constitution is the "Supreme Law of the Land." All laws and governmental actions in the US at the national, state or local level must be in accordance with the Constitution.

Describe how the Supreme Court set forth the principle of implied powers in the McCulloch v. Maryland case.

The Court ruled that although the power to create a national bank was not specifically granted to Congress in Article I, Section 8, it did grant the power to coin money and regulate its value. Also, Article I, Section 8 grants Congress the power to make all laws necessary in order to carry out the specifically granted powers.

Understand why many critics claim that the Madisonian model actually reduces efficiency in the operations of government.

The Madisonian system encourages moderation, compromise and retards change, critics argue that it prevents effective and timely responses to pressing matters. It also produces redundancy and red tape in governmental operations.

Understand the importance of individualism in limiting the scope of American government.

The belief that individuals should be left on their own by the government. One of the primary reasons for the comparatively small scope of American government is the prominence of this belief in American politcal thought and practice with free markets and limited government.

Address the issue of the scope of government and explain how the scope of government is relevant to an understanding of democracy.

The debate of the scope of government is central to contemporary American politics. In a nutshell, liberals (Democrats) believe in more government; conservatives (Republicans) believe in less government.

Understand the relationship of implied powers to enumerated powers.

The elastic clause streches the power of Congress by granting the power to fully carry out any enumerated power; utimately, strengthening the power of the national government.

Describe the basic concept of the policymaking system.

The process by which policy comes into being and evolves over time. People's interests, problems and concerns create political issues for government policymakers. These issues shape public policy, which in turn impacts people, generating more interests, problems and concerns.

Evaluate how contrasting interpretations of the supremacy clause and the Tenth Amendment lead to divergent views of the scope of state and national powers.

Those favoring a strong national government rely on the supremacy clause; federal law supercedes state law. Those favoring strong state governments rely on the 10th Amendment; the federal government can not encroach upon state rights.

Determine the significance of how the American federal system decentralizes our politics.

With more layers of government, more opportunities exist for political participation.