Midterm

Question 1

Oligarchy

Answer 1

Definition: A ruling class that consists of a few land-owning individuals.

Key Ideas:

• “Oligarchy arises out of timocracy and it emphasizes wealth rather than honor, wisdom or justice…”
• City of the rich and city of the poor. (No middle class)
• Cardinal fault is the desire for wealth; Greed is almost always inevitable
• Wealth as a social motive is to be mistrusted
• “A ruling class which is devoted to its wealth and which owes its position and power to wealth will substitute exploitation for government.”

Question 2

Formal Powers of the President

Answer 2

1. ) Chief of State (ceremonial role)
2. ) Chief Executive - In charge of 17 cabinet members + 60 major agencies, boards, and commissions
3. ) Commander in chief - Ultimate authority of military forces
4. ) Chief Diplomat - Making foreign policy and appointing ambassadors
5. ) Chief Legislator - Signs bills into laws and has the power to veto
6. ) Chief of his party*
7. ) Crisis manager*

Question 3

Plato’s Justice

Answer 3

“Giving to every man his due…for what is due to him is that he be treated for what he is, in light of his training and capacity; while what is due from him is the honest performance of those tasks which the place accorded him requires.”

• Justice is giving to every man his due
• Justice is a 2-way street

Question 4

Impeachment

Answer 4

• Actual impeachment resembles a criminal indictment in which the House acts as a Grand Jury

Process:

1. ) House Judiciary Committee conducts an investigation then recommends its vote to impeach to the full House
2. ) Hose can vote to impeach with a simple majority (50% + 1 or 218 votes)
3. ) Senate conducts a trial to determine criminal guilt
4. ) Chief Justice of S.C. presides over trial
5. ) 2/3 vote in Senate is required to convict and remove from office

Question 5

Impeachment Example: Bill Clinton

Answer 5

Bill Clinton (1993-2001)

a. ) Obstruction of justice: tampering with witnesses
b. ) Committed perjury under oath: “I did not have sexual relations with that woman”
c. ) He was impeached in the House but not convicted.
d. ) Conclusion: An impeachable offense is anything congress says it is

Question 6

7 Articles of the Constitution

Answer 6

Article 1 - Legislative Branch: bicameral (two houses), one with equal representation and the other with representation proportionate to population size

Article 2 - Executive Branch: President of the U.S. acts a check against powers of legislative branch

Article 3 - Judicial Branch: 9 justices nominated by the president and voted in by the president; serve lifetime appointments

Article 4 -The States: The federal government is responsible for providing protection to all states. All states are equal to each other.

Article 5 - Future generations can amend the Constitution. Both the federal and state governments can start the amendment process.

Article 6 - Constitution is the supreme law of the land. All states must swear an oath to abide by it. No religious test can be required.

Article 7 - Ratification: 9/13 states necessary to ratify

Question 7

Articles of Confederation

Answer 7

• First written constitution
• Adopted in 1777 by Continental Congress
• Replaced by Constitution in 1789
• Denied Congress the power to collect taxes and regulate commerce

Question 8

Shays’ Rebellion

Answer 8

• Daniel Shays was a farmer who fought in the Revolutionary War
• He demanded debt relief b/c war bonds from federal government were worthless
• He led a rebellion of angry farmers
• He pointed out the weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation b/c Congress could not regulate commerce or stop the states from issuing taxes

Question 9

Social Contract

Answer 9

• Thomas Hobbes said without government “life is nasty, cruel, brutish, and short” (Anarchy)
• John Locke said people give up a certain degree of liberty in exchange for the government’s protection against foreign and domestic threats