PO MIDTERM 1 Flashcards
What are the 5 principles of politics?
- Rationality principle
- Institution principle
- Collective Action prinicple
- Policy Principle
- History Principle
How do analyze grpahs/stats
- Obervation (what do you see: patterns)
- Analytical (use prior knowledge: trend, what is the cause?)
- Normative (Value judgement? Is this okay?)
What is the Rationalilty Principle?
All Political behavior has a puropse
-Political actions are purposeful, not random; often done with forethought and is calculated
-Political actors pursue policy preferences, reelection, and power and aim to mazimize their agency budgets
What is the Institution Principle?
*Institutions structure politics *
-Institutions: Rules and procedures that provide incentives for political behavior
-Have the power to discourage conflict, encourage coordination & enable barganing, thus facilitating decision making
-Institutions are not necessarily permanant–>Rules chaneg; they just don’t change easily
-Institutions act as script & core card
5 ways institutions provide politicians with authority?
- Jurisdiction
- Agenda
- Veto power
- Decisiveness
- Delegation
What is Jurisdiction
(Institutions)
Jurisdiction is the domain over which an institution or a member of it has authority
-Ex: proposed legislation regarding the military must pass through the Armed Services Committee before the entire House or Senate can consider it
What is Agenda Power?
(Institutions)
Agenda power describes who determines what will be taken up for consideration in an institution
-Act as “Gatekeepers” –> Having the power to make proposals and the power to block proposals from being made
What is Veto Power?
(Institutions)
Veto power is the ability to defeat something even if it does become apart of the agenda
-President has no gatekeeping or agenda power, but does have limited veto
-Ex: President cannot interupt Congress from passing a measure bc Congress has its own agenga, but once passed President can veto
What is Decisiveness Rules?
(Institutions)
Desiciveness rules specify when votes may be taken, the sequence in which votes occur, and how many individuals supporting a mortion are sufficient for it to pass
-Basically allows legislation to “move” –> need to debate to get measure to close and get of the floor
**Essentially the rules for decision manking
or
How a policy making body choses to conduct itself
**
Ex: Supermajority (60 votes) is required to close a debate
What is Delegation?
(Institutions)
Delegation is representing democracy. Citizens, through voting, delegate authority to make desicions on their behalf to representitives, rather than exercising political authority directly
-Essentially, think of political representatives as our agents who act on our behalf
-Transmission of authority to some other official or body
-Principles (ppl with pwr) can load off “delegate” to specialists taks that they themselves arent capable of doing (transfering authority/pwr to another)
Keep in mind: principle-agent relationship
Principal-Agent relationship
Principle: The political actors w/ power and authority
Agent: The political actor who recieves delegated pwr from the principal
Problems: Incompatability, Transaction costs and monitoring
EX: Micahel Scott delegate pwr to Creed to take care of things
Problems: Creed has different goals a Michael, creed doesn’t do his job
What is the Collective Action Principle?
*All Politics is Collective Action *
-Political action requires biilding, combining, mixing, & uniting peoples individual goals
-Collective Action= the pooling of resources and teh coordination of effort and activity by a group of ppll to achieve a common goal (making arrangements)
-Collective action is difficult, it becomes more difficult as teh number of ppl and interest involved grow
Formal vs Informal Barganing
(Collective Action Principle)
Informal Bargening= Highly formal or entirely informal, not a legally binding agreement
Formal Bargening= Associated w/ events in offical institutions
What is Free Riding?
(Collective Action Principle)
Benefiting from the efforts of few without contributing themselves
What is Public Good?
(Collective Action Principle)
A benefit that other cannot be denied from enjoying once it has been provided
-Nobody can achieve a piblic good by themselves
What is Tragedy of the Commons?
(Collective Action Principle)
Depletion of a common resource due to individuals’ overuse of it
What is the Policy Principle?
Political outcomes are the products of individual preferences, institutional procedures, and collective action
-Policy principle is the results of the political process - A collection of decisions
Personal interests +
Electoral ambitions+
Institutional ambtitions
=Polocies–> the procduct of insititional procedures & individual aspirations (series fo shutes and ladders)
What is the History Principle?
How we got her matters
-Path dependency- Suggest that some possiblities are more or less likely b/c of earlier events & choices
3 factors help explain why history matters in poltical life:
1. Rule and procedures
2. Loyalties & Alliances
3. Hostorically conditioned points of view
What is Politics?
-Conflicts over the character, membership, and policies of a group of people
-Resolving conflict: voting, dictator, bargening
What is Government?
-An institution in society that was a monoply on the ligitimate use of force
-Governments can be simple or complex (councils or state) (can be informal too like “family politics”
-Rules by which a land of ppl are governed
First Founding:
What were the Conflicting Interests?
-13 colonies w/ their own economic interests
-Loyalists vs Revolutionaries
-Large vs Small states
-North vs South (disagreed over land use/tarrifs, economic conflict)
-Federalists vs Anti-federalists
(Federalists=large gov)
(Anti-federalists=small gov)
First Founding:
Coloniel Elite vs Radical Groups
Conloniel Elite: Conlonial taxation divides these groups
-New England Merchants
-Southern Plantation Owners
-Royalists
Radical Groups:
-Shopkeepers, artisans, laborers
-Small farmers
Both groups agreed over idea that they don’t want to be taxed
First Founding:
Continental Congress & The Revolution
Continental Congress:
-First continental Congress (1774) : boycott British goods, begin considering independence
-Second Continenal Congress (1776): Declaration of Independence (breakup letter LOL) –> justification for resisting Monarchy, define unalienable rights, result of collective action, not legal document
Declaration does NOT create a new government
Revolutionary war: (1775-1783)
-Asymmetric conflict: colonies did not need to defeat the British; just needed to make them leave
First Founding:
Articles of Confederation
-First Constitution (1777-1789)
-States had most of the pwr (decentrilization)
-Congress only national institution (states enforeced national laws)
-Each state had one vote in Congressm members chosen and paid by state legislatures (citizens had no direct role in national government)
First Founding
Fall of Articles of Confederation
-Congress can’t levy taxes or regulate commerce
-Each stae has independent foreign policy
-No executive or judiciary
-Gov could not act decisively (thus Shays rebellion was so sucessful)—> farmer w/ limited artillary, rebellion was wake up call to changes in confederation
Summary–> National gov could not solve collective action problems
Second Founding
Constitutional Convention (1787)
-initially convened to advise AofC
-AofC failures convinced delegates they needed a different approach
Delegates’ interests and Ideas:
-Philosophical: individual liberty, popular sovereignty: citizens delegate power to government
-Economic: Founders benefited economically from new constitution, protected trade, prperty rights and commerce
Second Founding
Slavery
-Divided Southern (slave) and Northern (non-slave) states
-Southern states demanded that slaves be counted as part of population for House seats
-Three-Fifths Compromise: 5 slave states counted as 3 citizens for House appointment
-Slavery eventually devided by Civil War, compromise could not hold
Second Founding
Great Compromise
Virginia Plan:
-Strong national government
-Proportional representation in both chambers of a bicameral Congress
-National government can veto state laws
New Jersey Plan:
-Weak national government
-Equal representation of states
**=Conneticut Compromise: **
-Bicameral legislature
-Proportional representationn in the House (lower chamber)
-Equal representation in Senate (upper chamber)
Compromise was preferable in the status quo
What is the Constitution?
-Foundational document
-Focal point in American Politics today
Historical Context:
-Few sources of guidance
-Lots of conflict
-But, terrible status quo
Articles:
Article 1- Legislative Branch
Article 2- Executive Branch
Article 3- Judicial Branch
Article 4- The States
Article 5-Amendment Process
Article 6-The States Cont.
Articel 7- Ratification
Constitution:
Article 1
Legislative Branch
-Constitution begins with Congress
-Bicameral (2 chambers) –> House & Senate
-Specifies qualifications & terms of members
-Ennumerates Congress’s powers (necessary and proper clause)
House:
-Seats appointed by population
-Every member elected every 2 years
-Members elected
House Powers:
-Elects a speaker and other officies
-Brings articles of impeachment
-Sole power to prupose revenue
Senate:
-Every state gets 2
-6 year term. 1/3 elected every 2 years
-30+ years old
-Citizen for 9+ years
Senate Power:
-Vice President is President of Senate; Acts as tiebreaker
-Court of imeachment (2/3 vote); chief Justi epresides
-Sole power to reatify treaties and approve presidential appointments
Constitution:
Article 2
Executive Branch
- The Electoral College
- Accept ambassadors
- Negotiat treaties
- Commander in chief of the armed forces
- Grant repriece and pardons (check on judiciary)
- Power of appointment (judges and ecexutive branch individuals)
- Convene Congress in special session (force Congress to come to DC for large problems)
- Power to Veto legislation
Checks on Presidential Power:
* Treaties require Senate approval
* Veotes can be overridden by 2/3 vote in each chamber of Congress
* Appointments are subject to “advice and consent” of the Senate (hearing for pres appintees ie. Judge)
Constitution
The Electoral College
(Article 2)
Incentivises candidates to win states (hopefully with high amount of electoral votes) instead of individual votes
* Mechanism for indirect election
* Each state sends electors to the electoral college: # of representatives=2, state legislture decides how to allocate (can divide electors proportional like Maine/Nabraska or do winner takes all) In most states all electors are allocated to state popular vote winner
* If no majority- top 3 candidates are voted on in the House. Each state gets 1 vote
* Pipular vote (election day in Nov.) doesn’t matter of electoral college votes Ex: Clinton vs. Trump 2016)
Consitution
Article 3
Judicial Branch
-Arbitrates disputed btw states and Fed Gov
-Courts is supreme: rulings are superior to laws adopted by states
-Jurisdiction over controversies between citizens of different states (diversity Jurisdiction)
-Justices given lifetime appointments with “good behavior”
-President appoints judges; Senate confirms (The only court the Constitution creates is the Supreme Court)
Article 4 & 6
-Article IV provide reciprocity among the states through “full faith and credit” and “privileges and immunities” (ex: recognizing status in one state means status in another state) (each states recognizes the legality of the other states)
-Article VI promotes national power through the national supremacy clause- a clause stating that laws made by the federal government are supreme and superior to state or local laws.
Constitution
Article 5
How to amend the Consitution
How to Amend the Constitution (Built in steps to agree to changes to Constitution)
4 ways:
-2 propose
-2 ratify
–>Proposing an Amendment
* By Congress (⅔ vote of House and Senate)
OR
* By States: (petition by ⅔ of the states)
—>Ratifying an Amendment (CONGRESS CANNOT RATIFY–they can only propose and amendment)
* ¾ of State legislatures
OR
* ¾ of State Constitutional Conventions
Amending the Constitution:
-27 Amendments
-All initiated by Congress
-Six proposed amendments failed state ratification
-Bill of Rights :
* First 10 Amendments adopted in 1791
* Describes certain rights and liberties
Constitution
Article 7
Ratifying the Constitution
-Nine States must approve
-Each state organized a state convention, elected delegates to debate ratification
-Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists (Defining moment for republic)
*Publius v. Brutus & Centinel
Federalism
Federalists
-Alexander H, John J, James Madison
-Property owners, merchants, creditors
-Believe elites should govern; “excessive democracy” is dangerous
* Insulate government from popular control
-Strong National Government
-Advantages:
* Everyone was dissatisfied with AoC
* Well-known supporters
* Pressure on holdout states (Bullied states in doing ratifying conventions and ratifying)
Federalism
Anti-Federalists
-Small farmers, shopkeepers, frontiersman, debtors
-Call for another constitutional convention
-Main complaints:
* Patrick Henry, Sam Adams, George Mason
* Creates aristocracy
* Federal government too powerful
* Too little distinction between branches
* No bill of rights
What is Federalism?
Federalism is an Institution- about dividing power across multiple sovereigns
Federalist 51:
-Main thing that is going to keep gov in check is people and voting, but its not enough, need for auxiliary precautions
-Madisons auxi Federalism, separation of powers, and bi-cameralism –>Meant to slow government down, and stop abuse of powers
Federalsim:
-System where power is divided between central and regional governments (national and state)
-Two sovereigns whos competition provides limitations on both
-Constitutional source:
* Provides “expressed” and “implied” powers to the federal government
* 10th Amendment reserves remainder of powers to the states
National government has grown more powerful since Constitution has been ratified, has to do with demands of government and specific policy areas
Federalism
What is Constitutional Source?
=States obligations to each other
Full faith and credit:
-States must recognize the actions and decisions taken in other states as legal and proper
Ex : driver license, Not law license bc states have different laws
Privileges and immunities:
-A state cannot discriminate against someone from another state or give special privileges to its own residents
Federalism
What are Rober Dahl’s main arguments about the democratic nature of the elites?
-Critiques undemocratic elements of the Constitution
How does he define undemocratic?
* Slavery
* Suffrage
* Election of the President
* Choosing Senators
* Equal representation
* Judicial Power
* Congressional Power
Federalism
What are the 4 Stages of Federalism
- Dual Federalism (1789-1937)
- Cooperative Federalism (1937-1960s)
- Regulated Federalism (1960s-1990s)
- New Federalism (1990s-Present)
4 stages of Fedealism
Dual Federalism
(Layer Cake Federalism - two tiers → National gov and State gov)
-States exercise the most important powers
-Duties and operations of the different levels of government were strictly separated (Does Not blend in substance; strictly separated)
* Exception Case: McCulloch v. Maryland: Established the power of the federal government to exercise powers implied by the commerce clause Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution
–>The Commerce Clause delegates to Congress the power to “regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes”
—>Maryland wants to tax Federal Bank, Fed says no, Maryland says Fed doesn’t have power to establish the Fed bank and → Decision, under elastic clause, court says State cannot tax National Bank (supremacy clause into practice [federal and state conflict, federal law wins])
——>Exception case bc its weird for National gov to assert itself over States
4 stages of Federalism
Cooperative Federalism
(Marble Cake → National gov and State gov)
-Marked by supportive relations and partnerships between the federal government and state/local governments
* Regulation of things in the Private sector; things that have not been previously regulated
* Roosevelt Admin– New Deal
* The power shifted into the National government during these times (Great Depression) never goes back
—>Gov still have all those powers even after the hard times are over
-Rise in “grants-in-aid” –Funds given by Congress to state and local agencies
* States have lots of say in how they spend this money
* States dealing with how to spend Federal money
4 stages of Federalism
Regulated Federalism
-The federal government dictates national standards states must meet or rules states must follow
Ex: National Speed limit. National gov threatened to take withdraw Highway funds if states don’t set a 55mph speed limit
-A rise in unfunded mandates: national standards or programs imposed on state and local governments without providing funding
Ex: American Disability Act; states aren’t given funds to comply with ADA standards
«_space;Recipe: Regulate Federalism»_space;
National Standards → National Gov mandates the recipe
Conditional Grants → State governments are mandated to provide the ingredients
Unfunded Mandates
Preemption
→National gov determines policies; state governments pay for and administer them
4 stages of Federalism
New Federalism
-National policies return more discretion to the states
-Rise in block grants
-Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
-Loosing of federal restrictions on grants-in-aid
-Courts interpret the interstate commerce cause more narrowly
-Important Case: US v Lopez
* Lopez was arrested under the Guns to Free Schools Act because he had a firearm within a certain distance to a school. Argued Congress doesn’t have Constitutional authority in commerce for this. Congress cant go that far.
«_space;Recipe: New Federalism»_space;
Policies → State governments provide the recipe
Laws → National gov provides the ingredients
Revenue sharing + Devolution of power + Block Grants = State Governments have more flexibility to make policy and administer programs
Federalsim
Issues in Federalism
Healthcare (Individual Mandate):
* NFIB V. SEBELIUS (2012)
Immigration:
* Issue when states believe Fed is not doing enough for regulation of immigration; states are being left to deal with the consequences of immigration
* Arizona v. United States (2012)
Drugs:
* Medical Marijuana, Recreational Cannabis, Safe Injection Sites
* Environmental Goals
* Right to Die
* Voting Regulations
Local Gov and the Constitution
-Local government (counties, cities, towns, etc) are not granted any power in the Constitution, as they are creations of the state
-Most states have given larger cities in their states home rule: a guarantee of noninterference in local affairs
Seperation of Powers
& Madisons Motications
(Division of power horizontally; separation across executive, judicial, legislative branches)
Madison’s Motications:
-Pessimistic view of human nature
(prevent tyranny but putting tyrants against each other)
-Designed government around mistrust
(create institutions that compete for power)
-Believes way to prevent abuse of power is to have branches compete
Separation of Powers:
-Seeks to limit the power of the federal government by dividing it against itself
-A system of mutual vetoes
-Each branch is able to participate in and influence the activities of the other branches
-Created so no one branch and have complete control over the other branches
Seperation of Powers
What is Executive Privilege?
-Executive Privilege+ Presidents can withhold information from Congress
Ex: Nixon withholding info abt Watergate
-Executive over Judicial
Presidential pardons
Checks and Balances
Key Terms: Check and Balances
Legislative supremacy:
* Congress is preeminent and strongest branch
* Congress has the most power to check the other branches
* House is closest to the people
Congress has sole power of appropriations (spending money):
* Sets budgets for executive branch and agencies
* Sets begets for courts
Judicial Review– SCOTUS can declare a law unconstitutional (power not declared in the constitution) :
* Established in Marbury v Madison (1803)
Divided Government
Divided government: when one party controls the presidency and the other party controls at least one chamber of Congress
-Creates further check on executive and legislative power: institutions AND parties must agree on actions
-Creates gridlock in politics→ nothing gets done
Sate Constitutions
-Generally much longer and more detailed than the US Constitution
* U.S. : 8,500 words
* Alabama: 345,000
-Easier to amend or replace
* Citizens may vote to ratify
* Legislatures can put amendments on the ballot
* In some states citizens can propose amendments
* Amendments are commonly used to make laws
Institutional Differences Across State Legislatures
Size:
* Lower House: 40 (AK)-400 (NH), Mean= 110
* Upper House 20 (AK)-67 (MN), Mean = 39
Term Length:
* Lower House: 2 years
* Upper House: 2 or 4 years
Term Limits:
* Creates more representative body-kicks old ppl out lol
Professionalism: session length, salary, staff, resources:
* Session length- does this session meet full time, all year?
* Salary-what do they pay; on par with other mid level jobs? Adjusted for inflation?
* Resources- Do they provide research firms?
State Politics
Governors
-Executive power varies across states
-Governors elected 2 to 4 years time
-Term limits vary by state
Other executive officers:
-Lieutenant Governor
-Attorney General
-Secretary of State
-Treasurer/ Comptroller
-Commissioners: Land, Agriculture, Insurance, Railroad, etc.
State Politics
State Courts
-Every state has its own judicial system
-Operates in parallel to federal courts
-Generally more complex than federal system; more specific types of courts
-Significant variation in court structure and judicial selection
Congress
-Congress is more independent and powerful than legislatures in other industrialized democracies
-Congress has the bulk of government power
-Primacy of Congress in the Constitution and level of detail are no coincidence
-Article 1 Section 8
* Tax & Spend
* Raise an army or navy, declare war
* Regulate commerce
* Coin money
* Make all laws “necessary and proper”
Congress
Representation
-A MC(member of Congress)’s primary responsibility is to their constituency
* Constituency = citizens who reside in the dirstiric from which an official is elected
* Fenno subdivides this idea into overlapping constituencies
-Representation encompasses a wide variety of activities
-Two views of legislative representation
* Delegates- vote according to constituent preferences
* Trustees- vote according to what they think is best
-Agency representation
* Principal agent relationship
-Descriptive representation
* Racial/Sexuality/Class (HAHAHAHAHA THAT ACE GUY)
-Substantive representation
* Same motivations and policy preferences (HAHAHA i don’t share beliefs of that ACE GUY)
Congress
Feno Home Style
-Geographic constituency (largest)
-Reelection constituency
-Primary constituency
-Personal constituency (smallest)
Congress
The Electoral Connection
-Mayhew: politician are ambitious
-They want to get reelected, or run for higher office
-This means they need to:
* Discover preferences fo constituents
* Attempt to represent constituents and district effectively
-Key activities: advertising, credit-claiming, position-taking
* Credit-claiming: Taking credit for having accomplished something
The electoral System
Incumbancy
-Incumbency= holding a political office for which one is running
-Prodived advantages in elections
* Committee assignments
* Patronage –>Gov workers giving their constituents gov positions
* Pork-barrel legislation –>Directing federal money towards a project in a specific geological area
* Fund raising networks
* Name recognition
Congress
Congressional Districts
-435 total seats (since 1929)
-Every 10 years, House districts must be reappointed to reflect population changes
-The way district boundaries are drawn can advantage on part over another, this is gerrymandering
Legistlative Organization
House & Senate differences
-Congress is bicameral: two chambers
-House is larger
* More centeralized (power concentrated in party leadership)
* More organized process (for lawmaking)
* Stronger leaders
* Policy specialists
* Smaller, more homogenous districts
-Senate is smaller
* More deliberative
* Members have individual power (deventrilized power)
* Policy generalists
* Districts are states
-Chamber rules are set by the members themselves as they pursue individual and collective interests
Legislative Organization
Problems with Legislative Organization
-Division of Labor
-Gather and process information
-Agenda setting
* What are we gonna talk about and what order
-Rules and procedures
* Like when passing bills
-Place limits on discussion
* How long are they going to talk about things
-Cooperation, coalitions, compromise
Legislative Organization
Structures to help problems of Legislative Organization
Party leadership
-Party organization is not in the Constitution
-Parties meet at the beginning of new Congress
* Democrats: part caucus
* Republicans: party conference
* Normally closed meeting of a political or legislative..?
The Speaker of the House
-Cheif presiding officer of the House
-Elected at the beginning of each Congress on a straight party vote
-Second in presidential line of sucession (after VP)
-Current speaker of house; Nancy Pelosi
Senate
-Senate leadership: Vice president (Calama Harris)
* Patrick Layhe President implore (not a lot of power)
-Most powerful person in Senate is the senate majority leader
What do party leaders do?
-Control committee assignments
-Public face of the party
-Fund-raising: leadership PAC’s
-Set agenda –>When bills will be voted on and what order
-House Speaker/Senate Majority - assign bills to committee
Committee System
-Division of labor and specialization of labor
-Standing committees
* Permanent committees with specific jurisdiction
* Members (mostly) keep their committee seats over time
* Committee chairs are powerful; preside over committees; determined (mostly) by seniority
Committee Powers
-Gatekeeping authority–>the power to decide if a policy change will be considered
-Proposal power–> the power to bring a proposal before the chambe
* Most bills die in committee
-After-The-fact Authority: the power to influence a proposal after it has been passed by the chamber
* Conference committee–> resolve difference between House and Senate versions of a bill
-Oversight: Committees oversee executive branch implementation of policies
Congressional Staff
-Formulate/draft proposals
-Organize hearings
* How they learn about things
-Work with administrative agencies
-Negotiate with lobbyists
-Approx. 11,0000 personal staff; 2,000 committee staff
-Staff Agnecies: (serves both chambers)
* Congressional Research Service –>Think tank
* Congression Budget Office –> How much a bill is going to cost
* Government Accountability Office –>Reports on legal activity, advises congress about efficiency
