POLI SCI 001, Exam 1 - Exam 1 study guide PDF

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POLI SCI 001, Exam 1 12/14 January 1. Government - formal arrangement by which a land and its people are ruled, system for implementing decisions made through the political process a. emphasis on: i. consent and democracy ii. governing institutions iii. policies iv. constitutional limits and protections v. size and reach of government 2. Politics - process that determines what the government does, struggles over leadership, structure, and policies of any organization to which people belong a. politics is always about conflict and compromise; people have different issues and values, want their own interests to be met b. political process matters, rules + structure are very important c. politics affects everyone and everything 3. Why government is necessary - many important figures pose certain reasons for its necessity a. to protect property/individual freedoms (John Locke), b. to provide public goods, provide for the public welfare, to address collective action problems (Hume) c. to maintain social order (Thomas Hobbes) d. to set rules and umpire the market, but mostly to stay out of the way (Adam Smith, Milton Friedman) 4. Sources of conflict - many facets of life can affect political process a. Cultural values, the way people are raised i. Religion ii. Generational b. Racial, gender, and ethnic differences c. Economic interests d. Ideology, people staying strictly with their own 19/21 January: 5. Transformational presidents - presidents that significantly changed either the country or politics during their time in office, changes stuck around after a. FDR/New Deal - transforms the function of the government, wasn’t so involved in the economy before, transforms the democratic party and makes it the dominant party for years to come b. Johnson/Civil rights - though he was destroyed by the Vietnam War, he ushered in a new role for the federal govt. as a protector of civil rights; passed voting rights/civil rights act, orchestrates the demise of the democratic party, the south shifts from democratic to solidly republican

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also orchestrates minority alignment with democratic party instead of republicans c. Reagan/Republican South - recognizes the evangelical sector and brings them into the republican party, ushers in period of American conservatism and lifts the nation out of the Carter recession i. economic collapses tend to usher in new waves of political trends d. Obama/Liberal Era - large shift toward the left, focused on social programs more so than defence, more focus on civil rights/women's’ issues e. Politics responds, reacts, catches up to new demands and interests i. demographics 1. mostly has to do with immigration, which is rooted in xenophobia, racism, or economic discontent ii. income inequality (related technological and economic changes) 6. The Liberal Era - ushered in by the Obama Admin., many pieces of legislation passed that introduced more liberal concepts. Changed the status quo and encouraged a more activist left a. Affordable Care Act - aka Obamacare, essentially says that everyone has a right to health care b. Republicans - divided the republican party, but made republicans more likely to have unified control of states 26/28 January 7. Inclusiveness + limits - autocracies are controlled by one person, oligarchies are controlled by a few people, democracies are controlled by the people. Totalitarian governments have no limits, authoritarian governments have some, constitutional governments recognize and codify broad limits on authority 2/4 February 8. Federalist 51 - argues that power should be dispersed both horizontally and vertically, need strong govt, but with limits a. Pride of place - in republican government, the legislative authority necessarily predominates i. congress has the power to… 1. tax 2. regulate commerce (between states only - not inside of states) 3. coining money 4. establishing post offices 5. declaring war 6. borrow 7. make all laws which will be necessary and proper 9/11 February 9. Civil liberties v. civil rights - civil liberties include protections from govt. power; amendments 1-10 + 14, civil rights include protections for discriminated groups, 14th

amendment, won via protracted political conflict/social movements a. Liberties i. Barron v. Baltimore (1933) - city of Baltimore was expanding by dumping landfill into the harbor to create new land, Barron’s wharf became useless, Barron sued on the grounds that Baltimore took its land without compensation, makes it to the supreme court. Ruled that the 5th amendment didn’t apply - only the MD constitution applied. ii. Dred Scott (1857) - slave who sued to regain his freedom (lived in a free state for many years), ruled that freed slaves were not U.S. citizens and were not entitled to freedoms/benefits given to citizens, 14th amendment essentially overturns the decision iii. 14th amendment (1868) - all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. are citizens of the U.S. No state can make or enforce any law that disregards this, nor deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process or law, nor deny any person the equal protection of the law iv. Implied Liberties: RIght to Privacy (Griswald) - CT law ruled that contraception is illegal, Griswald case established a zone of privacy 1. Olmstead v. United States (1928) - wiretapping case, established “the right to be left alone” 2. Roe v. Wade (1973) - the “zone of privacy” is “broad enough to encompass a woman’s decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy” 3. Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992) - PA abortion control act, which imposed a 24-hour waiting period, was not an undue burden 16/18 February b. Rights i. Ferguson, MO - Michael Brown shot and killed in 2014, police not indicted, demonstrations/protests followed. Justice Department gets involved in 2015, says that the Ferguson police dept. is tainted by bias & laid down other conditions: 1. enforces federal statutes prohibiting discrimination 2. city needed to rework its approach to policing a. later, complete rework of Ferguson justice system 3. used police and courts to make money, abuses of power a. ended unlawful arrest, right to film police + independent prosecutors introduced 4. Ferguson is later sued by the Dept. of Justice for noncompliance...