Political Science 1100, Introduction to American Politics, January 30, 2013
Current Events
What were the Founders
Thinking? (Continued)
4. Madison's dilemma:
making a new republican government
5. Madison’s opponents at the
Convention
Roger Sherman wanted
Equal representation of the states
in Congress
A national
government with narrow authority
The New Jersey Plan
6. The framers built the
Constitution on political compromises
Compromise #1: Congress
Compromise #2: The presidency
Compromise #3: Slavery
Compromise #4: Federalism
6. The Results:
The U.S. Constitution has had many successes
But
gridlock was built into the Constitution -
Checks and
balances were
intended to
make gridlock possible
The
Constitution created a government that is very hard to use when
Americans are passionately and evenly divided
– like they are now.
only
works when politicians, like the framers, use all of their skills of negotiation
and compromise
Federalism
How and Why
do Americans fight about states' rights and federalism?
1. WHAT IS FEDERALISM?
In a federal political
system, political authority is divided by a constitution between a central
government and regional governments
Examples:
Canada, Australia, U.S.
(As Opposed To A Unitary System, Such As Britain Or France)
2. WHO CARES ABOUT
FEDERALISM?
A. States Affect Everyone's
Lives
B. States do things differently
3. FEDERALISM AND NATIONAL
POLITICS:
Interstate economic competition
The Economic Shift to the
Sunbelt
The Political Shift to the
Sunbelt:
Population Shifts Result In
Shifts In ....
... The distribution of Seats In The House Of
Representatives,
.... and Therefore in The Electoral College that elects
the President