- A(n) ________ occurs when a small group of wealthy landowners and corporate leaders
control the government.
oligarchy
- Consider a system of government in which formal and effective limits are placed on the powers of the government, yet most governing decisions are controlled by a small group of wealthy people. Which of the following would best describe such a system?
constitutional oligarchy
POLITICAL CULTURE: * What are the core values underlying American political culture?
individualism, equality of opportunity, free enterprise, rule of law, and limited government
POLITICAL CULTURE: * Why do we have government in the first place? What would life be like without it? What do we want government to bring to our lives?
In a state of nature, people might feel free to do anything they want to do. However, their rights would not be protected and they would feel insecure.
Locke argued that people should agree with one another to give up some of their freedom in exchange for protection and security. They should consent to follow some laws in exchange for the protection that these laws would give them. This agreement is called a social compact or social contract. A social compact is an agreement people make among themselves to create a government to rule them and protect their natural rights. In this agreement the people consent to obey the laws created by that government.
Which speech is the most important to protect?
Political speech
Define & summarize American attitudes toward government and how they have changed over time
Trust decline over time
o Lack of faith, duty in jobs, participation declined, efficacy – having a say in what government is doing
o Impacts of negative view of government decline in participation unrepresentative, rules and policies don’t represent what the people actually want
THE FOUNDING AND FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENTS: * Explain the conflicts and coalitions that led to the Declaration of Independence
Battles of Lexington and Concord initiated armed conflict between Great Britain and the 13 North American colonies (the nucleus of the future United States of America).
At that time few of the colonists consciously desired to separate from Britain. But as the American Revolution proceeded during 1775–76, Britain undertook to assert its sovereignty by means of large armed forces, making only a gesture toward conciliation.
Increasingly, the majority of Americans came to believe that they must secure their rights outside the British Empire.
The losses and restrictions that came from the war greatly widened the breach between the colonies and the mother country.
Moreover, it was necessary for the colonies to assert independence in order to secure as much French aid as possible.
THE FOUNDING AND FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENTS: * Explain the conflicts and coalitions that led to the Articles of Confederation
- Annapolis Convention
- Shay’s Rebellion
- Constitutional Convention
From the beginning of the American Revolution, Congress felt the need for a stronger union and a government powerful enough to defeat Great Britain. During the early years of the war this desire became a belief that the new nation must have a constitutional order appropriate to its republican character.
What were some of the problems with the Articles of Confederation?
No Taxing Power. The national gov’t could ask the states for money but it cdould not be required.
Inflation. …
Relations between debtors & lenders. …
Tariff Wars. …
Foreign affairs were a mess! …
Dissrespect from other nations. …
Jealusy & quarreling among the states
What values did the Framers articulate in the Declaration of Independence?
People have certain Inalienable Rights including Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness. All Men are created equal. Individuals have a civic duty to defend these rights for themselves and others.
- Discuss the three compromises that were made at the beginning of the Constitutional Convention.
The Great Compromise settled matters of representation in the federal government. The Three-Fifths Compromise settled matters of representation when it came to the enslaved population of southern states and the importation of enslaved Africans. The Electoral College settled how the president would be elected.
- How did the Framers strengthen the national govt created under the Constitution compared to the one under the Articles of Confederation? Why?
creation of the three branches of government: the executive, legislative, and judicial. This separation of powers ensured that power would not be concentrated in one particular branch.
- How did the Framers balance their interest in creating a govt based on the people with their concern that the people might not always be smart enough?
so that no one part of government could dominate the other. To achieve this goal, the Constitution provides “checks and balances” among the three branches.
- What is federalism? Why did the Framers include it in the Constitution?
preserve personal liberty by separating the powers of the government so that one government or group may not dominate all powers. The Framers believed that divided power was limited power and applied this theory as they created the Constitution.
- How does the Constitution try to create unity and tie the states to each other? How does it structure the relationships among the national, state, and local governments?
fieldwork assignment #1
- How did dual federalism operate? What sorts of things caused the relationship between the states and federal governments to change?
the Federal government and the state governments occupied “separate spheres of influence.” The federal government had areas that it controlled and the state governments had areas that they control. The federal government and state governments were co-equal entities.
Separation of powers imposes internal limits by dividing government against itself, giving different branches separate functions and forcing them to share power.
- Why does the national government sometimes expand the activities it undertakes and the services it provides?
Essential Purpose. There is a role for government in a market economy. Government provides certain goods and services. These services are paid for by taxes, and include such things as providing for the national defense, protecting the environment, and protecting property rights.
- How does the national government use its system of categorical and block grants to help the states provide services?
lock and categorical grants provide money to lower government levels to subsidize the cost of implementing policy programs fashioned in part by the federal government. This strategy gives state and local authorities some degree of flexibility and discretion as they coordinate with the federal government.
Categorical grants are intended to help states improve the overall well-being of their residents, but also empower the federal government to exert more power over the states within a specific policy area.
- What difference does federalism make for politics and government? What are some of the consequences of this system of government?
So, our federalist form of government has several advantages, such as protecting us from tyranny, dispersing power, increasing citizen participation, and increasing effectiveness, and disadvantages, such as supposedly protecting slavery and segregation, increasing inequalities between states, states blocking national policies
- What are the different layers of government? What responsibilities does each layer of government have? How has this changed over time?
Legislative—Makes laws (Congress, comprised of the House of Representatives and Senate) Executive—Carries out laws (president, vice president, Cabinet, most federal agencies) Judicial—Evaluates laws (Supreme Court and other courts)
- What are the main goals of the civil liberties laid out in the Bill of Rights?
individual freedom, protection against arbitrary government action, freedom of religion, freedom of speech and press, due process of law, equal protection, and privacy
- How are the states incorporated into the Bill of Rights? How do civil liberties apply to the federal government and the states?
through the Due Process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Civil liberties protect us from government power. They are rooted in the Bill of Rights, which limits the powers of the federal government. The government cannot take away the freedoms outlined in the Bill of Rights, and any action that encroaches on these liberties is illegal.
- What are the two different aspects of the freedom of religion in the Bill of Rights?
the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause.
- Does having freedom of speech mean that we can say anything at any time? Are there limits on this right? What sort of speech is considered to be most important to protect?
Government can limit some protected speech by imposing “time, place and manner” restrictions.
