POLITICAL SCIENCE 202 STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

1. POLITICAL SCIENCE 202STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT MW 12:30-1:45, Kinard 201

2. American Government • PLSC 201, American Government, is not a prerequisite for this class. However, I’m assuming a certain level of knowledge on your part about American national government. So that I don’t end up repeating my lectures from another class, if there’s anything you’re unclear about as far as national government is concerned, speak to me after class or during office hours. I’ll be happy to take the time to clarify points or help you catch up.

3. So…who are you? • Name • What do you like to be called? • Where are you from? • Do you have any experience in politics or government? • Why are you taking this class? (Major requirement, prospective political science major, general interest, etc.)

4. Comparing the States • http://www.commonwealthfoundation.org/policyblog/detail/sat-scores-by-state-2011 • Comparisons can be tricky!

5. Declaration of Independence • “united States” or “United States”? • We knew we needed a defense alliance to fight the Revolution, but it was unclear at the time whether we would subsequently be one large nation or a collection of smaller, semi-independent “nation-states.” • So we won the Revolution…now what?

6. Fear of Tyranny • Thomas Jefferson believed that government which is closer to the people is less likely to be tyrannical, and should therefore be given more power. • “Closer to the people” means state, rather than national, government. Jeffersonian philosophy anticipated that the states would be more powerful than the national government. • Alexander Hamilton and the Federalists favored a stronger national government. • The Jeffersonians won, at first.

7. Articles of Confederation • http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/artconf.asp • National government had no power to raise or pay a military • States were required to maintain an active militia • Unicameral legislature, one vote per state regardless of population • Nine votes out of 13 required to pass most legislation • Some significant legislation had to be unanimous • Delegates to Congress were considered to be officials of their states (who paid them), not officials of the national government

8. State Powers under the Articles of Confederation • States could conduct their own foreign policies, and make treaties with other nations, with the consent of the national Congress • States could impose their own tariffs on foreign goods as long as the tariff was reciprocal or did not conflict with national treaties with France and Spain. • States could issue their own declarations of war if actually invaded or informed of imminent attack by Indians; this had to eventually be approved by national Congress.

9. Competing Federal and State powers • Both national and state governments had the power to coin money. This, combined with the states’ ability to conduct their own trade policies, meant we had 13 state economic systems instead of one national economy.

10. Revising the Articles • The Articles of Confederation were soon found to provide too little power to the national government. The Constitutional Convention which met in Philadelphia in 1787 was originally intended only to revise the Articles and correct some specific problems, but it was quickly decided to create an entire new system of government. • NEXT: State power under the Constitution