1. SUMMARY QUESTIONS
What is majoritarian politics? On what types of issues would it work best?
What are the four (4) theories of elitist politics?
What is the distinction between the pluralist theory and the hyperpluralist theory?
Does what is considered legitimate for the government to do change over time? (examples)

2. Aim: Constitution – What do you already know???
Article I enumerates the power of which branch?
Article II enumerates the power of which branch?
Article III enumerates the power of which branch?
Who has the power to declare war?
What was the 1st constitution of the U.S.?
How old do you have to be to become President?
Who has the power to negotiate treaties?…ratify?
Who has the power to impeach?

3. Aim: Constitution – Why did the separation of powers and federalism become key parts of the Constitution?
What is an unalienable right?
What is social contract theory?
John Locke??…the Enlightenment??
Why did the colonists rebel?
What was the first constitution of the U.S.? Why didn’t it last?
Identify 3 shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation.
What was the significance of Shay’s Rebellion?

4. Aim: Why did the separation of powers and federalism become key parts of the Constitution?
Identify the Virginia Plan.
Identify the New Jersey Plan.
How did the Great Compromise reconcile the differences between the two plans?
Why, if one is concerned with protecting liberty, would one want to make the legislative branch of government dominant? (not the executive or judicial branch)

5. Aim: Why did the separation of powers and federalism become key parts of the Constitution?
IS LIBERTY MOST OFTEN THREATENED BY:
powerful political elites who escape public control or
Majority intent on imposing its will on minority

6. AIM: CONSTITUTION
Why were the “framers” mistrustful of democracy? (direct democracy)
Why were “separation of powers” and “federalism” key parts of the Constitution?
“Ambition must be made to counteract ambition” –James Madison

7. AIM: CONSTITUTION JAMES MADISONS’S VIEW OF HUMAN NATURE
“If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external or internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this : you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself”
In other words….

8. AIM: CONSTITUTION
WHAT FEATURES OF THE CONSTITUTION MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR GOVERNMENT TO DO OR ACHIEVE ANYTHING? WHY INCLUDED?
WHAT FEATURES OF THE CONSTITUTION REFLECT THE FRAMERS MISTRUST OF POPULAR RULE?

9. AIM: CONSTITUTION
Why did the Anti-federalists believe that liberty was more secure in small republic?
Why did Madison believe the opposite – that liberty would be most secure in large, “extended” republics?
Why, if the framers were so concerned about securing liberty, was a Bill of rights not initially included in the Constitution?

10. AIM: CONSTITUTION
Why, if the framers were so concerned about securing liberty, was a Bill of rights not initially included in the Constitution?
Constitution contains rights
States have own constitutions and bill of rights
Rights not listed can be interpreted as rights denied
Federal government can do only what it has been given the power to do

11. AIM: CONSTITUTION
What specific guarantees of liberty were included in Constitution?
Were women left out of the Constitution?
How did the Constitution deal with the issue of slavery?
Why was slavery not addressed in a definitive way?
Does this make the framers “wimps/hypocrites” or “pragmatists”?

12. AIM: CONSTITUTION
How did the original concept of the electoral college reflect the founder’s distrust of democracy?
What other Constitutional features limited the role of popular majorities?
What did Jefferson mean when he asserted that “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants”?
What is the meaning of this statement for the current generation of Americans?
What event was he referring to?

13. AIM: CONSTITUTION How can our Constitution be amended?
Proposed Constitutional Amendments
-Equal Rights Amendment?
-Balanced Budget?
-Defining Marriage as between a Man and a Woman
-Banning flag burning?
5th Amendment (protection against self-incrimination, no double jeopardy)
8th Amendment (Protection against cruel and unusual punishment) – capital punishment?
2nd Amendment – right to bear arms = right to handgun?…automatic weapon?

14. AIM: CONSTITUTION
Suppose you wanted to make government more capable of solving pressing problems of the country. Which of the following changes would you favor?
Unicameral Congress
eliminating Presidential veto power
Having binding national referenda on important issues
Abolishing Supreme Court’s power of judicial review

15. AIM: CONSTITUTION
The fragmentation of power under the Constitution – separation of powers, checks and balances – makes the enactment of public policy a slow process.
Can the U.S. survive in the nuclear age when the government cannot respond quickly?
Do events in which the President has acted independently, such as Viet Nam and Kuwait, indicate that the system of checks and balances has broken down?

16. AIM: CONSTITUTION PANEL DISCUSSION
Designing a Political System – which would you rather have? (Read)
Constitutional Reform – Reducing the separation of powers
-allow President to appoint members of Congress to serve on Cabinet
-allow President to dissolve Congress and call for a special election
-allow Congress to require a President who has lost its confidence to face the country in a special election (before term is up)
-President – single six-year term
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM – Federal government – stronger or weaker?

17. Aim: How did Madison’s view of faction influence the development of the U.S. Constitution?
DO NOW:
What Constitutional features limited the role of popular majorities?
Why did Madison prefer a “large, extended Republic” to a “small republic” (state governments) as a way to safeguard liberty?

18. Aim: What do you need to know to do well on tomorrow’s exam?
Direct v. Representative Democracy
5 Elite theories
Why were framers mistrustful of direct democracy (popular majorities)?
Identify 3 weaknesses under the Articles of Confederation
Discuss the significance of Shay’s Rebellion

19. Aim: What do you need to know to do well on tomorrow’s exam?
Identify features of the Constitution that limit popular majorities
Discuss James Madison’s view of factions
Why did Madison believe that liberty would be most secure in large, “extended” republics?
Why, if the framers were so concerned about securing liberty, was a Bill of rights not initially included in the Constitution?