You are currently browsing the SWIC category.
Thankful for all of the encouragement from my wife, family and friends. 4.0 not bad for the first semester back after 20 years.
It was a good struggle. I enjoyed every minute of it! I am looking forward to the next semester and continuing my education. If you’re thinking about going to school, do it.
-Armando
09-02_AmGove Notes
Recap:
Articles of Confederation’s lack of power
Created problems
End of the 1780’s Economic problems
Lot of dent from Revolution
People are owed money by the government
Bankruptcy Issues
One opinion | Without a strong central government people on the streets are trying to put pressure on the government to do certain things.
People aren’t governing directly
Mob rule seems to be prevailing
Governments are being pressured to enact stay-acts or stay-laws
Like a bankruptcy protection.
People saw it as trying to get out of legitimate debt
Saw it as a threat to the right of property
PPT:
Problems of the 1780’s
Constitutional Convention
Convention Compromises
~Virginia Plan –representation should be based on population. The larger the population of the state the more representatives that you get per state. Population equals more power.
Anti thought – all states are equal, so size shouldn’t affect representation.
~New Jersey Plan based on equality of the states
Both sides have valid points, worked through the summer, reach a compromise
~Great Compromise (Connecticut) Compromise created a bicameral legislature
Bicameral – two houses of legislature
The house of representatives – representation by population
Senate – Equality – Senators (2)
There are two things you should not watch being made, legislation and sausage. ~ Otto VonBismark
~ Three/Fifths Compromise – Count slaves as 3/5 of a person for determining representation.
Traditionally attributed to the idea that this would create a balance between the North and South
Argument that slavery was a constitutional right.
Some wanted a direct election by the people.
Weak presidency due to unwise election
Compromise: The Electoral College
Body made up every four years.
We choose people to go to the electoral college, not really vote for the president
Basic Principles of the Constitution
Talk about big ideas and overall structure of the constitution
08_31 AmGov Notes
There were some elements that were democratic. Trying to make a distinction between 18th century republicanism and democracy.
Basic Concepts
1. Democracy A system of rule by the people (or the many)
Two types: Direct democracy – public business is decided by all citizens meeting in small assemblies Best suited for small groups of people The ancient Greeks were direct democracy, New England town meeting
Representative (Indirect) Democracy – People work through elected representatives Like Remodeling – do the work yourself (direct) or contract it out (indirect). Direct democracy unworkable for a nation-state In the U.S. we have a representative democracy
Representative Democracy
1. Fundamental Principles
A. Popular Sovereignty, i.e., the people ultimately rule 1. The people elect (and can be) leaders (Inconceivable to the founding fathers)
2. Representatives are delegates, i.e., do what people want (as opposed to a “trustee” who does what he thinks is best, delegates do what the people want)
3. Free and fair elections
4. People participate (for the people to rule, they need to show up), Voter turnout has decreased. In the 19th century there would have been over 75%, now the biggest election brings out 50%, smaller elections in the single digits!
5. People have access to information (to make choices and responses) that attempts to be fair and gives both sides of the issue. Many times the information is not “fair and balanced.” Jefferson and Hamilton both hired newspapers to speak for them to the public. Many media outlets have strong bias.
6. Majority Rule.
A. Elections are determined through majority vote, policies are voted within elected bodies by majority rule
B. Political Equality – each person has equal weight in political/public affairs
1. Equal voting rights – Great irony is that so many people were restricted from voting but now the voting turnout has gone down
2. Equal protection of the laws C. Political liberty – people protected from government interference in regard to basic liberties, e.g. speech, press, religion, assembly, freedom from arbitrary/unjust detention/imprisonment, etc.
Equality and liberty can come into conflict with each other.
Modern Liberalism emphasizes equality, Modern Conservatism emphasizes liberty.
The Declaration of Independence was really political propaganda. None of it was legal. It took five years to finalize the laws that began the U.S.
The Articles of Confederation
1. A League of friendship (weak and wishy-washy) A loose alliance among the thirteen states, more voluntary and not centralized government
2. Each state retained its sovereignty, freedom and independence, kind of like a marriage where the parties decide that they can do whatever they want
3. Consisted basically of a Congress
4. Each state had one vote (key point)
5. 9 out of 13 states to pass a law (super majority)
6. Unanimous vote to amend any laws (100% majority)
7. No executive branch (Executive branch is best suited to respond to national emergencies) should provide leadership and focus because he/she sees the big picture
8. No judicial branch – Without a national court system all laws would be interpreted by each state individually which could lead to 13 interpretations.
9. No power to levy taxes. – It was supposed to collect taxes but had no ability to come to the states and compel them to pay.
10. No power to regulate commerce – could not tax imports from other countries or other taxes or limitations on trade, left up to individual states If you like state power, this is a good government, but the national government was restricted by these concepts, this would have lead to a government similar to Great Britain.
Problems of the 1780’s on Wednesday.
8-29_AmGov Notes
18th Century Republicanism
The framers of the constitution were influenced by 18th century Republicanism
Basic Principles
Things we would still agree with:
Things we would not agree with:
PreTest on Friday
Basic Concepts of all Government
*Political instrument of the nation-state: group of individuals and institutions that make public policy for the nation-state
Institutions – President, White House, government positions and entities
Individuals make up the institutions
Some times it includes media and special interest groups who influence (unofficially) and make public policy.
Public Policy – what government does or doesn’t do to address needs/wants/problems of people within the nation-state (or people outside such as those in other states)
Sometimes the best policy is for government to NOT do something.
“The government that governs best that governs least.”
*18th Century Republicanism
Political ideology of the framers of the Constitution
We have taken the men who wrote the Constitution and have deified them. Most of the ideas they had were not their own.
*Influences on their philosophy
~Greek and Roman philosophy and government, e.g., rule of law and equality under the law
~English history of limits on royal power – Magna Carta, the king did not rule unilaterally. Civil war in the 1640’s culminated in the death of the king. The Bloodless revolution in the 1860’s replaced the king with another.
~Enlightenment emphasis upon “inalienable” rights, particularly right to property. Enlightenment was about what is natural in the world. Isaac Newton was one of the poster boys of the enlightenment.
John Locke affected British social and political thought process. He and others came up with the idea that government was not natural. That people were born free and had certain rights that could not be separated from a person. Locke wrote: Life, liberty and the natural right to property. Jefferson changed it to “pursuit of happiness.”
~Montesquieu’s argument for mixed and balanced government. Different factions (groups) with opposing views to balance the perspective of governmental bodies.