What was the founders’ view of the purpose of government and the role of the citizen in the American Republic?
The founders view of the purpose of government was to have a democratic system to control man kind. I beleive that the role of the citizen is to vote, be aware of your nations foreign affairs, and to be good and humble citizen.
Are these views still relevant at the close of the millennium?
I believe that the government system we have today is corrupt and not as efficient as it once was. The role of the American citizen is not relevant in this millennium because most people don't care about politics, and most people are rude and obnoxious. It is rare now a days to find a humble citizen that willingly cares to know about politics.
How does the constitution underpin U.S. government?
The constitution is in a way like a contract, it's between the federal government and the states.
Why was the concept of “checks and balances” a novel idea in the 18th century versus today?
"Checks and balances" was a novel idea in the 18th century because they had an monarchy and the kings and queens controlled everything.
How does Madison’s concept of checks and balances challenge popular understanding of Montesquieu’s theory of separation of powers?
Checks and balances allows the government to balance each other out. Meaning no branch of government over powers another.
Define the following concepts: democratic theory, republicanism, pluralist theory, majoritarianism, and the elitist theory.
Democratic theory: The systematic study of governance by the application of empirical and generally scientific methods of analysis.
Republicanism: the ideology of governing a society or state as a republic, where the head of state is a representative of the people who hold popular sovereignty rather than the people being subjects of the head of state.
Pluralist theory: The central question for classical pluralism is how power and influence is distributed in a political process. Groups of individuals try to maximize their interests. Lines of conflict are multiple and shifting as power is a continuous bargaining process between competing groups.
Majoritarianism: a traditional political philosophy or agenda which asserts that a majority of the population is entitled to a certain degree of primacy in society, and has the right to make decisions that affect the society.
Elitist theory: In political science and sociology, elite theory is a theory of the state which seeks to describe and explain the power relationships in contemporary society.
Republicanism: the ideology of governing a society or state as a republic, where the head of state is a representative of the people who hold popular sovereignty rather than the people being subjects of the head of state.
Pluralist theory: The central question for classical pluralism is how power and influence is distributed in a political process. Groups of individuals try to maximize their interests. Lines of conflict are multiple and shifting as power is a continuous bargaining process between competing groups.
Majoritarianism: a traditional political philosophy or agenda which asserts that a majority of the population is entitled to a certain degree of primacy in society, and has the right to make decisions that affect the society.
Elitist theory: In political science and sociology, elite theory is a theory of the state which seeks to describe and explain the power relationships in contemporary society.
Why did the Anti-Federalists fear the new governmental system?
The anti-federalist feared having a strong central government.
Does this new federal system strengthen or weaken the concept of separation of powers? Why or why not?
Strengthens.
What are the powers of state and local governments in an era of “new federalism” and devolution?
The state can set different laws. The government is allowed to tax and declare war.
What influence should the federal government have over state and local issues such as education, affirmative action, abortion, and the environment?
The federal government should have control over various things, but only to an extent. For example I believe that they should have full responsibilities for our education, it's like an investment for the government. Pay for the American education and have a bright future. Now, the touchy subjects such as abortion I believe that the government should stay out of for example, if a women wants to have an abortion that is her choice, if the government were to force her to have the baby, it would be taking her freedom of speech. The government should most definitely have control of the environment. They own the land, therefore they should take care of it. The environment is an extremely important for conserving the earths beauty.
Lecture Video 1: Why Study History
Studying history is important to not only learn mistakes from the past, but to not repeat them in the future. History improves our critical thinking. It helps us appreciate multiple perspectives and interpretations, it gives us an understanding of other peoples culture, and learning about history is "fun".
Lecture Video 2: Constitution Intro
This video was about how just a handful of men changed the course of American history. All 13 states were supposed to send a delegate to Philadelphia to discuss the Articles of Confederation, but not all of them sent any delegates. Some such as Rhode Island never even showed up because they thought it was a a waste of time. For three months these men argued about what they should do and finally somewhat agreed to our Constitution.