Terminology
Rule of Law
Generality - apply to all groups
Prospectivity - must apply to future
Publicity
Due Process - Laws must be administered impartially
Consent - Election of representatives, we give our consent through elections
Articles of Confederation Pros and Cons
Pros: Gave the country a form of gov
Didn’t give gov power to levy taxes
Promoted trade and travel
Cons: Didn’t promote good military
Gave US a place in the world
Gave too little power to a central gov
1. John Winthrop - “Little Speech on Liberty”,
2. John Calvin
3. John Cotton
4. Roger Williams
1. 2 types of freedom
Natural - freedom to do what you want (like beasts), get it at birth
Moral (Civil) - Freedom to do what you ought - freedom to live as God wants you to live, submission to God’s will and gov
2. “Elect” (those who are saved) bond together to form a city upon a hill
3. People will abuse power, gov is necessary. Agrees with John Winthrop - only one amount of power a person should be given
4. Gov should respect individual beliefs
Adam Smith
Invisible Hand, Supply and Demand, Line of Equilibrium, Mercantilism vs. Market System
1. James Madison - “The vices of the political system of the United States”
2. Brutus
1. Pointed out problems in the Articles of Confederation - fed gov too weak, state gov deficiencies, emphasised need for a stronger nat gov
2. - Strong nat gov requires individuals to sacrifice their liberties (if people give power to nat gov, they can’t reclaim it)
- Nat gov has way too much power over states
- Large republics never last, examples of Greek and Roman republics - how they became tyrannical as their size grew
- Judiciary branch - they will interpret the constitution based on its “spirit and reason” and not only on its words. They will shape the gov into whatever they want
Progressivism, Populism, Isolationism
1. Support for or advocacy of social reform
2. Appeal to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded, ex. Trump
3. America’s impulse to avoid rest of world (Washington’s and Jefferson’s idea)
Declaration of Independence Sections
Preamble
Rights of all people
List of grievances
Resolution of revolution
1. Cotton Mather
2. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, “Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments”
3. Susan B. Anthony, “Is It a Crime for a Citizen of the United States to Vote?"
1. Secular and religious callings, secular callings cans still be religious. Use your secular callings to serve religiously. Christian calling - Hard work is serving God, providence = his approval.
2. Follows format of Dec. of Ind. to speak about women’s suffrage and rights
3. Said women have right to vote under 14th amendment, depriving a person their voice in gov becomes a tyrannical monarchy, might as well be a 15,000,000 headed monster
Market Problems: Externality, Monopoly
3rd party not in exchange is affected, gov can levy taxes, enforce property rights, but its hard to regulate
Prices could rise to ridiculous levels, Gov can regulate prices, break up companies, promote competition, but there are consequences for firms
1. Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896)
2. Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
3. Marbury v. Madison (1803)
1. Adolph Plessy (⅛ black) pulls a Rosa Parks. It’s determined that Louisiana law didn’t violate 14th amendment, racism amplifies in USA
2. Supreme court rules that there should be integrated schools - little rock 9
3. Supreme court ruled that it is unconstitutional to withhold other dude's job
Autocracy, Classical Republicanism, Libertarianism, Liberalism
1. Includes monarchy, dictatorship, and other kinds of despotism (complete control), people are like kids and need to be controlled, individual freedom promotes anarchy and chaos
2. Kinder view of human nature, people aren’t necessarily corrupt but they are corruptible. Framers of the constitution generally had this opinion - Bill of Rights
3. Individual freedom, gov intervention will make little difference in people being good/bad. Let people work out good/evil on their own
4. Human beings are essentially good, poverty and greed are created by social institutions
Constitution Sections
Legislative (includes impeachment power)
Executive
Judicial
States
Amendments
Supremacy
Ratification
1. Jane Addams - “If men were seeking the franchise”
2. Judith Sargant Murray
3. Sojourner Truth - “Ain’t I a Woman?”
4. Lysander Spooner
5. Frederick Douglass, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”
1. Hypothetical world where women rule and men are oppressed
2. Aristocracy - women could be fit to rule
3. Against racism and sexism
4. Do whatcha wanna, anti-slavery, anti-civil war
5. Slaves don’t get to celebrate the 4th of July because it’s a celebration of the nation’s hypocrisy
Market Problems: Public Good, Imperfect Information
Non-rivalrous, non excludable (everyone benefits) free-riders, (ex. Police dpt.), gov is public good, but its impossible to please everyone
Not knowing about a service/good, Gov can require companies to place warnings (nutrition facts), but its hard to regulate
What is Alex's favorite movie?
Unbroken
Types of Freedom
Ancient Liberty - Freedom to participate in the community and its political decisions (can lead to loss of individual freedom because the people are bound to the community)
Civil Liberty - Freedom to live as God wants you to live
Negative Liberty - Freedom from gov, ability to make choices without coercion or oppression
Positive Liberty - Freedom means creating the conditions necessary to flourish; gov action may be necessary
Radical Liberty - Freedom is liberation from all traditional constraints (hippies and yippies)
Amendments 1-15
Speech, religion, press
Bear arms
Quartering Act
Search and Seizures
Double Jeopardy, Silence
Speedy Trial
Trial by jury in civil cases
Cruel and unusual punishment
Rights not in Constitution exist
Rest of rights belong to the states
Can’t sue a state w/out consent (Chilshom v. Georgia - 1793)
Vice President Election
No slave
Blacks are citizens w/ all rights
Slaves can vote
1. Abraham Lincoln - “Gettysburg Address”
2. Abraham Lincoln - “2nd Inaugural Address”
3. Henry David Thoreau, “Civil Disobedience”
4. John C. Calhoun, “A Disquisition on Government”
1. These dead will not have died in vain, they fought so that the gov of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth
2. Bind up the nation’s wounds, with charity towards all and malice towards none
3. Disobey rules you don’t like, fully accept the consequences
4. Concurrent Majority Vote - majority in different sections of USA need to agree if changes are to be considered.
(Fiscal Policy - gov spending up, taxes down; monetary - money in fed reserve up, interest rates down) - Economic instability
Rich vs. Poor, unequal ground
What is Alex's favorite time of day?
Dusk time
Theocracy, Aristocracy, Democracy, Utilitarianism
1. Power comes from God or gods to priest’s/other political leaders. Divine right of kings
2. The wise/wealthy should be in charge
3. Power comes from the governed
4. Gov does what will maximize happiness for the larger percentage of people
Federalist Papers:
1. John Jay - "Federalist #2"
2. James Madison - “Federalist #10”
3. James Madison - “Federalist #51”
4. Alexander Hamilton - “Federalist #70”
5. Alexander Hamilton - “Federalist #78”
6. Alexander Hamilton - “Federalist #84”
1. To be an american, advantages of united gov over separate sovereignties, more efficient law enforcement, resolves conflicts, gives protection from foreign countries
2. Many factions = good/safe
3. If men were angels, we would need no gov. Gov has to have some power over people, people give it power and keep it in check, it also keeps itself in check
4. Executive branch is a key ingredient for energy and safety, ham refutes the arguments that a single united executive is too similar to British monarchy, says plural executive would hide faults and responsibility
5. Judges serve for life, so they are not biased
6. Bill of Rights is unnecessary, constitution is already a bill of rights
1. William Sumner
2. Russell Conwell - “Acres of Diamonds”
3. George Fitzhugh, “Cannibals All! Or, Slaves without Masters”
1. Social classes don’t owe each other anything. Natural rights - some difficulties are part of life, not necessarily the reason why someone is more successful than you. Civil lib - right to do anything that benefits you
2. All have equal opportunity to succeed, wealth is a “righteous” endeavor, rich are honest - that’s why they have money, poor are poor because of their own shortcomings
3. Northern factory workers are treated worse than slaves in South
Supply & Demand
Low prices: higher demand, more people want it.
High prices: lower demand, less people want it.
What is Alex's ideal first date?
A medium sized hike with rock climbing and repelling, followed by a barbeque with strawberry lemonade on the side