U.S. Constitution

U.S. Constitution

1. Politics: (Strategy) process of who gets what when where

   • government: (strategy) vehicle through 4 conducting policies
   • citizens:
   • Legitimacy: when group posses both power & authority
     • power: ability to get a group to do what you want them to do
     • authority: recognized right to rule
   • Political Culture; common shared values, beliefs, attitudes how govt. should operate
     • Personal liberty: freedom of gov. interference engage in variety of practice w/o govt. interference
     • Political equality: ll citizens are same in eyes of law
     • Popular sovereignty: ultimate authority in society rests w/ people.
     • Popular consent: govts. must draw powers from consent of governed.
     • Individualism: believe that emphasis placed on individuals
   • Political Ideology:set of values and beliefs about purpose of govt. held by groups and individuals

2. Political Science= Normative study: what would be?

3. Government types

   • Democratic gov.
     • authority of gov. limited by constitution
     • many people have authority
     • popular sovereignty
     • majority rule: 50%+1 to get what you want
     • Democracy
       • direct: the people to rule H.H. CA initiative process consent of the governed
       • indirect: Representative
     • Divine right of Kings
       • Protestant Reformation: Martin Luther questioned the Church; since the Church gave authority to Kings and the Church is in question, the power of Kings were also in question
       • Enlightenment: reason and logic
         • State of Nature:time without gov.
           • Reason: People agreed to leave state of nature and form gov.
           • Social contract theory: quid-pro-quo give to get something
             • Hobbes:
               • No natural law: no justice or injustice society should be governed by ethical principals that are part of nature and understood by reason
               • State of war: people driven by conflict
               • Solution: Authoritarian govt. : order social contract void b/c rights given to kings
             • Locke
               • state of inconven: law of nature should guid behavior :ethics: natural rights (by God) people desire happiness
               • Fundamental role of govt. life, liberty, property
   • Non-Demo:
     • Power broad & absolute
     • one or few have authority
     • Monarchy: power found in kings and queens
     • totalitarianism: power in leader who rules for self-interest without regard for individual rights & liberties
     • oligarchy: right to participate depends on the possession of wealth, status, military, achievement

4. Roots of New nation

   • Mercantilism: econ. theory designed to increase nations wealth through development of commercial industry & favorable balance of trade (meant more control of britain on colonies)
   • French & Indian War; fought between British & French over land french colonized. Britain expand westward. England funded the war & colonists benefited. British taxed colonists to pay for war
   • Cycle:
     • taxation w/o representation
     • armed violence
       • Boston Massacre
     • Stamp act: tax on use on paper
       • Stamp Act Congress: first official meeting of colonies delegates met and drafted olive branch petition
     • Tea Tax: boston tea party
       • Coercive Acts 1774: blockade of Boston Harbor, cutting off access to food
         • First continental Congress: 1774: 56 delegates met to oppose the coercive acts.
           • Second Continental Congress: Philadelphia 1775 army would be raised to fight the British. Drafted Dec of Ind
             • Declaration of Independence ( Dec of War) Adopted unanimously, signaled change in colonists intent, identified tyrannical acts by king
               • Natural rights bestowed by God. social contract theory. Ideal govt. must be limited. if govt. isn't limited, revolution is justified
             • Common Sense; Thomas Paine: shifted public opinion to independence
     • Committees of Correspondance; org. in each colony created to keep colonists abreast of developments w// british: disdain

5. Articles of Confed: compact between 13 colonies created loose league of friendship with national government drawing power from states.

   • Confederation: type of govt. in which the national govt. derives its powers from the states (federal govt.) weak
   • Problems: difficult to assemble all states, no power to tax, unpaid army, no back up of currency, congress could not regulate commerce, no executive or judicial branch, failure to provide strong central govt.
   • Making the constitution
     • Constitution: doc est. the structure, functions & limitation of govt.
     • Virginia Plan: proposed by edmund randolph & written by james madison. 3 branches of govt. 2 house legs lature 1 elected by people the other by state legislatures. legislature with power to select executive and judiciary
     • New Jersey Plan: favored small states Strengthened articles, create 1 house legislature, gave congress power to raise revenue from duties on imports or postal service fees, created supreme court with members appointed for life by executive