Popular government/sovereignty

Popular sovereignty (control by the people): the concept that ultimate political authority is based on the will of the people

Professor’s notes: Popular government refers to the principle that people have a say in the make up of the government, meaning we have that through the election process

Notes: people have the say to form the government; put limitations/restraints on what government can do (Bill of Rights)

2. Limited government:

A government with powers that are limited either through a written document or through widely shared beliefs. Government is dependent on popular sovereignty. In America, limited government is a key tradition

Professor’s notes: Limited government is the principle that government power is not absolute, there are limitations on what the government can do, most of those limitations are found in the Bill of Rights

3. Authority:

The right and power of a government or other entity to enforce its decisions. When the authority is broadly accepted, it has legitimacy

Notes: to make decision on someone’s behalf; how much power should government (president) have?

4. Liberalism:

A set of beliefs that includes advocacy of positive government action to improve the welfare of individuals, support for civil rights, and tolerance for political and social change. Stems from the word liberty and originally meant “free from prejudices in favor of traditional opinions and established institutions. Liberals place a high value on liberty, but they tend to view it as a freedom to live one’s life according to one’s own values. Liberals prefer to describe themselves as progressives instead.

WS1: Liberty: the greatest freedom of individuals that is consistent with the freedom of other individuals in the society

5. Check and balances:

A major principle of the American system of government whereby each branch of the government can check the actions of the others. It prevents one branch from gaining too much power. Madison’s “constitutional means”

WS2: Checks and balances are mechanisms by which each branch of government can monitor and limit the functions of the other branches

Example: The Supreme Court has the power to declare acts of Congress and executive branch unconstitutional

6. Bill of Rights; 1-10^th Amendments;

Was adopted when Virginia agreed to ratify the ten amendments

Notes: protect against government actions

WS2: the majority of state constitutions contained bill of rights

10 amendments:

1. Freedoms: press, assembly, speech, religion

Religion:

a) Establishment clause (no established national or state religion/church

b) Free exercise clause (you’re free to practice any religion, but government can question that practice by taking you to Court)

2. Right to bear arms

3. Quartering of soldiers: protects your home

4. Protection against unreasonable search and seizure

“No warrant shall issue but upon probable cause”

5. Protection against self-incrimination: double protects your civil liberties

6. Right to counsel: right to attorney

7. Trial by jury in civil cases

8. Protection against cruel and unusual punishment: “death penalty”

9. Rights retained by the people: right to privacy

10. Reserved power of the states

7. Separation of powers:

The principal of dividing governmental powers among different branches of government

Notes: Congress – lawmaking; President – law executing; Judiciary – law interpreting

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 791