Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Possible ID Terms:
Majority Faction (Why is it dangerous?)
o Majority faction could take over government while minoriry will
take awhile and clog administration
o Trick is to keep majority from recognizing itself
o Harder for a majority to be formed
o Nothing to keep democracy in check
o America is dominated by its majority Tocqueville
o Omnipotence of the Majority all powerful
o Totalitarian/absolutism
Exceptionalism: America is a chosen people and designed
(sometimes by god) to be a beacon of light for the world.
Not only different, but better.
In literature its known as American difference.
o No socialism, small domestic state (not a lot of
benefits for citizens), no historical markers, higher
rates of social and geographical mobility (ex: hitching
up the wagon and moving- an ability to start over)be mobile to gain opportunity.
Question to keep in mind- How is America different? How is it
arguably better?
There is an ambivalent nature of American politics and history.
Liberalism
Democracy
Republican
How did the US recognize its own limits?
Limits governments put on themselves
o Constitution gave government less limits
Made us less democratic & more oligarchy
o Scope of Participation (who has the power)
Took power away from people gave to govt
Amidst crisis
o Intolerable burdens
Social Problems
Era of excessive democracy
Leveling: collapsing of social classes
Power resided in legislatures
Economic Power
Trade wars between states
Printed more money to pay debts
Result of political & social
States that resisted Maryland & Virginia
Good policy that avoids problems?
o Get better people in government
o Have a senate away from people to
weaken democracy
Republic: people are trained to see the
common good
o Valuable to have a small republic b/c of
common interest
Difference in America no feudal past
Constitution fixes acts of confederation
Explain the intolerable burden of accumulated evils in the
critical period.
(Politics, societal, economy) How did the Constitution address
these evil?
Provide a specific problem and solution.
(see above & below)
Problems of critical period
Weak central govt weak
mechanisms of coercion for central
govt)
- no checks and balances
Weak central nationalism (in
regard for America)- no legitimacy;
Social, political, economic &
intellectual problems
- social: leveling due to hyper
democracy (overwhelming
sense of equality. People
who use to be on the top of
colonial society starting to
be told they were equal to
Solution by constitution
Strong central government
Separation of power between the
different branches
Strong independent executive
branch & strong judiciary to
counter powerful legislative.
Congress gets to declare war with
pres. As commander in chief.
States cant engage in war on
their own, cannot trade
internationally, cannot regulate
currency.
we the people of the united
him/her in.
- this is because of the
electoral college which is
upholding states &
federalism
- courts hold their position
for life & get to be there by
the presidency & approved
by senate
filtration- filtering in the best
part of society & filtering out the
worst.
- relies on authority &
people but does not want
people to run govt
- want people more
equipped to govern
congress created a commercial
republic
it represents an intellectual
revolution in the nature of a
republic
- people check themselves
in an American govt (this
is how we avoid a balance
between democracy,
monarchy & aristocracy).
Madisons idea of factionif one group fo people gain
too much power, then the
other group will put them
in their place. They will do
so because of self interest.
Selfishness is our fuel
Exceptionalism
Liberal
Harts (Loche)
LFP
No antagonism
Democracy
Tocqueville
LFP
No obstacles in democracy
way
Republican
Madison
LFP
Constitution
Evidence
No socialism;
state
Culture; expanse
democracy
Central
government
regulated democracy
Consequenc
e
Weak state
Thinker
Origin
Casual
mechanism
weak
Tyranny?
of
Slow
government
Burke Individualism
Member of Parliament
Thinks America is exceptionally liberal
Loves England for how it was (conservative view)
America loves freedom more than England b/c
o English see freedom as break from taxes
o America is exceptionally democratic i.e. legislatures
The colonists emigrated from you when this part of your
character was most predominant; and they took this bias and
direction the moment they parted from your hands.
Abstract liberty, like other mere abstractions, is not to be found.
Liberty inheres in some sensible object; and every nation has
formed to itself some favorite point, which by way of eminence
becomes the criterion of their happiness.
o Big issues that defined liberty for the British taxes
o Protection of our things
o Does parliament rule me or legislation?
Distance & religion made Americans so hard to govern
o Protestants
Least likely to bow to authority
o Britain shouldnt force it
Freedoms real in America b/c some people arent free
o Believed priests are equal to Americans
Slavery makes Americans love freedom more
those who are free, are by far the most proud and jealous of
their freedom.
Lipset
Still the Exceptional Nation?
Small government
Tax/spendless
High mobility
Consensus oriented
democracy
More individualistic
More religious
Pragmatic over ideological
More constitutional
Less egalitarian (socially)
Less voting
High crime rates
What we lack
Aristocracy/feudal past
o Social class
structure
Socialism
National health care
o Was market based
health care where
government played
minimal role
Hobbs
o Good gov. provide order & protection
o Absence of governemt is chaos
o Hypothetical State of Nature
o Always in war brutish, isolated
Loche
o Freedom/Ability to keep property
o Preserve and protect the liberty of the people
o Some who believe that the American government was
formed with the ultimate purpose to protect freedom (this
is not backed though).
Public Goods
o Do things that society wont do for themselves
o Build roads, abolish slavery, keep order
Principle of Sovereignty
Point of Departure and Social State of Anglo-American