A Journey Through Political Science 101

Discussion in 'Politics' started by SoCalPatient, Feb 8, 2011.

  1. A member of this forum who showed great interest in my political science class in one of my other threads inspired me to post this thread.

    I know this seems like its a little outside of the scope of this section, and if it is then by all means mods do your work. But I think this will be a major benefit not only to myself (cements the information in my brain for the exams), but more importantly to those GC members who haven't had the opportunity/desire to attend college.

    So the semester just started a few weeks ago and I'm going to use this thread to post my notes all the way from the beginning of the course until the very end of it. This thread is not for debate, but education. I think before we can have any meaningful discussion about politics (in this context I am referring to American politics), it's important to have a basic understanding of our government, both past and present.

    So I will be posting new information every week for the next 3 months.

    Now the notes are going to only touch the surfaces, so if anyone wants me to actually expand on anything (all which will be coming straight from my textbook), just ask.

    I hope you all enjoy.
    *will edit this with my notes in a few minutes*
     
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  2. Ah yes, POLSY-101. Good times...lol. I'll tell you this. Take everything with a grain of salt. If your class is anything like mine was, it is basically designed to teach you how great the American system of government is. My professor was pretty damn convincing, too. So much so, that VP Joe Biden apparently had her in his office to discuss her textbook. Luckily I had a great Geopolitics professor that semester and his class pretty much cancelled out all the bullshit patriotic rhetoric she fed us. But, I digress...Don't get me wrong, it's important to learn how the system works, and I'm not saying you shouldn't study the material hard. Just...take it with a grain of salt.

    Unfortunately, that professor was as bitchy as she was patriotic and wouldn't let me makeup a test that I was horribly sick for because I didn't show up to class enough. I scored a 99% on the final to save a C-.
     
  3. #3 SoCalPatient, Feb 8, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 8, 2011
    What I am posting Jimmy is knowledge about the ins and outs of how our government functions. It is, by nature, devoid of any political opinion whatsoever. The information I am providing to the great members of grasscity will (if they've never learned this before) give them the foundation to form their opinions on the American Government. Now... I need to go :smoking: brb
     
  4. Yeah, ratemyprofessor is great and I did use it. She's actually one of the most highly regarded professors at my university which has a top 10 globally ranked political science department (top 20 at least, depending on where you look). It wasn't so much that she inserted her own opinions. It was more that she took all the typical criticisms of American Politics and did a damn good job of explaining why that criticism is inaccurate. In politics, there usually are at least two good answers to every question, and just because one view is correct does not mean that an opposing view is incorrect.
     
  5. #5 SoCalPatient, Feb 8, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 8, 2011
    Fundamental functions of Government:
    -Provide internal/external protection
    -Provide “essential” public goods
    -Resolve social conflicts
    -Protect and maintain the existing “culture”

    Iron Law of Governing –
    1.\tif you can’t protect your people, they’ll know it and pick someone else to run government and protect them.
    2.\tif you can’t protect your people a foreign government will come in and wipe you out and rule your land.

    4 major ideologies

    Liberalism
    -\temphasis on the rights, liberties, freedoms, and protections of the individual
    -\tstrong emphasis on the protection of private property
    -\tnegative view of government: the smaller the government, the better
    -\tgovernment is viewed as an obstacle to individual freedom
    -\tliberals are strong supporters of democracy

    Conservatism
    -\temphasizes conserving/maintaining the status quo (established norms and practices)
    -\topposed to quick, radical change
    -\tlikely subscribes to the thought of “if it aint broke, don’t fix it”
    -\treminds the individual that he/she is a member of a greater whole (family, community, nation, etc…)

    Socialism
    -\thighly critical of capitalism and how it fairs with a democratic society
    -\tcapitalism and democracy are not compatible
    -\tthe world is divided into “haves” and “have nots”
    -\tcapitalism inherently results in a concentration of wealth and resources
    -\tthe concentration of wealth and resources results in a concentration of political power

    Fascism

    -\tthe individual maintains no rights or liberties
    -\tall rights are held by the “organic” whole (nation, race, ethnicity, sex, religion, etc.)
    -\tthe individuals worth is measured by what they can contribute to the organic whole
    -\tfascism is highly critical of democratic government
    -\tto fascists, democracy = weakness


    The Fundamental Principles of Democracy:

    1.\tPopular sovereignty-
    the degree to which government activity represents the demands of the people
    -\tElected public officials
    -\tFree and fair elections
    -\tMajority rule
    -\tQuality information is readily available
    -\tPublic participation
    2.\tPolitical equality-
    The notion that all citizens politically and legally carry an equal weight
    -\tdo the citizens maintain the same political rights?
    -\tDo all citizens maintain the same legal rights and protections?
    -\tAssuming all citizens have the same rights and protections, are these rights and protections equally enforced?

    3.\tPolitical Liberties-
    Individual rights that protect the individual from government interference
    -\texample: freedom of speech, right to bear arms, freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, etc…
    -\tThe protection of political liberty is essential to have any hope of a society where all citizens are political/legally equal

    Principles of American Democracy
    -\temphasis on individual rights and liberties
    -\tprotection of private property
    -\tseparation of power/checks and balances
    -\tInstitutional checks on majority rule
    -\tProtection for the rights of political minorities
    -\tConstitutional distance separating public officials and the public
    -\tPolitical/legal equality
    -\tEquality in voting
    -\tFree enterprise economy

    The Constitution

    Who were the framers?
    -\tWhite males, property owners, plantation owners who owned slaves, lawyers, successful merchants, etc..

    Who were the framers not?
    -\twomen, slaves, free African Americans, Native Americans, non-property owning white males/poor whites
    -\tThe above groups represented the large majority of American society at the time the constitution was ratified


    The Issue of Representation
    -\tVirginia Plan (proposed by states with larger size populations)- representation based on population
    -\tNew Jersey Plan (proposed by states with smaller size populations)- equal representation
    -\tConnecticut Plan (or the Great Compromise)- proposed at two chamber legislature(congress)

    -\tone chamber/house adopted the New Jersey Plan by applying equal representation (The Senate)

    -\tThe second chamber/house adopted the Virginia Plan by applying representation based on population (The House)

    more to come...
     
  6. Nice thread ;), I hope it is allowed to continue.
     
  7. The Bill of Rights

    -\tAmendment I – contains the right to free speech, free assembly, free press, and religious freedom.
    Note: No speech that provokes violence or fighting words, or words that cause imminent harm is protected under the 1st amendment.

    -\tAmendment II – The right to “bear arms”
    -\tAmendment III – congresss can not station soldiers in a home against the owner’s wil, unless in a time of war.

    Note: Amendments 4-8 are known as the rights of the accused.

    Amendment IV
    -\tFreedom from “unreasonable” Serach and seizure
    -\tA “reasonable” search is a search conducted with a search warrant based on “probable” cause.

    Amendment V
    -\tProtection against “double jeopardy”
    -\tProtectio against self-discrimination
    -\tDue Process Clause – life, liberty, or property can not be taken without due process under the law
    -\tPrivate property cannot be taken without “just” compensation
    Exclusionary Law – any piece of evidence found through an illegal search is inadmissible in court.
    Eminent Domain – government can take your property if the public good outweighs your personal benefit of keeping it

    Amendment VI
    -\tspeedy and public trial before an impartial jury
    -\tright to legal counsel
    -\tright t oface the accuser and cross examine any witness

    Amendment VIII
    -\tprotection against excessive bail or fine
    -\tprotection against cruel and unusual punishment

    Amendment IX - the enumeration in the constitution of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

    Amendment X: Reservation Clause – The powers not delegated to the United States by the constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

    Federalism is a system of government where power is shared between the central body of government (federal/national) and more localized bodies of government (states).

    Supremacy clause – Federal power is supreme to the power of state government( fucking bullshit if you ask me but you didn’t ask so..)

    Four periods of Federalism
    1.\t1787-1860
    2.\t1865-1980
    3.\t1980-2001
    4.\t2001-present

    1.\t1787-1860
    -\ta new and weak federal government
    -\tthe federal government was limited in its ability to impose its political will on the states..
    -\tthe power of state government largely dominated this era

    Marbury v. Madison (1803) – established Judicial Review (the court’s right to review the validity/invalidity of all government’s actions)

    The Civil War (1860-1865)

    3/5 clause (compromise), which states that a slave is 3/5 of a person for tax purposes, no union without this compromise. The cause of the civil war was to keep the southern states from leaving the union.

    2.\t1865-1980
    -\tthe federal government expands its power, size, and scope.
    -\t13th, 14th, and 15th amendments
    -\tSherman Anti-trust Act (1890) – First anti-trust(anti-monopoly) act – First major piece of economic legislation from the federal government.


    New Deal Programs (1930’s)
    -\tsize: S.E.C., Civil Aeronautics board, National Labor Board, FCC, FDIC, etc..
    -\tscope: Social Security, unemployment insurance, healthcare, food stamps, government works programs (social welfare services)
    -\tpower: The federal government became much more active in regulation the economy and in providing a social safety-net.
     
  8. 3. 1980-2001 - States rights, states winning battle

    -era of states rights and power
    -downsizing of the federal government (while state governments were employing more people)
    -declining federal income tax rates
    -various social welfare programs were either cut or recieved decreased funding
    - U.S. Vs. Lopez (1995) - does congress have authority to impose universal sentencing guidelines for gun possession near a school?

    To US v. Lopez case court said no. The power was sent to states.

    Violence against women act (1994) - Uniform federal sentencing guidline for any crime considered violent against women. Question: Does congress have te authority to impose uniform sentencing guidelines for violent acts against women?

    4a. 2001-2008 - federal government expanding in national security
    -federal government has expanded its power in the areas of national security and law enforcement
    -fedreal government continues to downsize the provision of social welfare programs
    - war on terror
    - establishment of the department of homeland security (DHS)
    -Patriot Act(2001)
    -Congressional authorization of NSA wire tapping (2007)

    4B. 2008-??? - expansion of federal government in financial sector and economy as whole
    -starting in 2008, the federal government has increased its involvement in the financial sector, as well as the economy as a whole.
    -federal bailout of bear stearns ($30billion)
    -federal takeover of fannie mae and freddie mac
    -T.A.R.P. (08)
    -American Recovery and Reinvestment act of 09 (stimulus plan)

    Bear Sterns imposed a "systemic risk", meaning if they fall the whole banking system would fall with it.

    Moral Hazard - No right answer, only less wrong answers. You don't want to reward bad behavior but by punishing it you punish yourself.

    T.A.R.P. - Troubled Asset Relief Program or 700 billion bailout

    American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (stimulus plan) - Obama bailout

    SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

    -How to define a successful social movement?
    1. A positive governmental response
    (typically comes in the form of favorable laws, policies, or electoral results or court decisions)
    2. A change in the status quo
    AKA "a battle for hearts and minds". This doesn't happen overnight, usually takes a generation.

    The Abolitionist Movement (1830-1860)
    -Goal: Outlaw slavery
    -Groups: Quakers, women, and free /northern African Americans
    -Tactics: Anti-slavery literature, underground railroad
    -Result: 13th (outlawed slavery), 14th (equal protection clause), 15th (illegal to deny voting rights based on race) amendments

    Women's Suffrage Movement (1865-1920)
    -Goal: Voting rights for women
    -Groups: women (primarily white women)
    -Tactics: Feminist literature, civil disobedience, and the courts
    -Result: 19th Amendment

    Civil disobedience - break law you perceive as unjust to get caught and bring attention to the cause

    Minor V. Happersett (1876) - Minor's claim he's a citizen and has the right to equal protection and can't vote, therefore is being denied his equal protections.
     
  9. I reccomend you take economics as well, they go hand in hand.
     
  10. This will be an interesting thread, I'm also at College (university) studying Political science (well, International relations, but they're closely linked).

    My 101 class is much less about any particular state/country though, more just about general political theorem etc.

    And I agree with azzmaster, if you get any option to, take Econ classes, I'm doing a joint honours (with Econ) and being able to analyse a policy both by it's political merit and economic one is an important skill to have in anything other than the confined remit of academia.
     
  11. No offense but ditch the classroom and start here:

    [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Lies-My-Teacher-Told-Everything/dp/0743296281/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298926100&sr=8-1]Amazon.com: Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong (9780743296281): James W. Loewen: Books[/ame]
     
  12. I used to teach PoliSci. Other than PoliSci and History majors,it's the class where the other students come to nap.

    I had the benefit of a large wooden podium to lecture from. About once a week I'd stomp on it as hard as I could to watch their heads fly back. I'm surprised the department never reprimanded me for causing whiplash and hearing loss.
     

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