PS 1100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Robert A. Dahl, Indirect Election, Connecticut Compromise
30 Aug 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Monday, August 29, 2016
Federalism
How Democratic is the Constitution: Considerations from Robert Dahl
7 undemocratic elements of the Constitution
•Protected slavery
•Left qualifications for suffrage to the states
•Indirect election of president through electoral college
•Indirect election of senators
•Equal (but unequal) representation senate
•Independent, unelected judiciary with policymaking capacity
•Congress was given insufficient power to raise revenue & regulate the economy
4 Conclusions regarding the Constitution
-Undemocratic elements may not have been Framers’ intentions
•They were unable to anticipate social, economic and political changes
-Many undemocratic elements were a function of compromise
•Great Compromise, 3/5 clause
-The Framers may have overestimated the danger of popular majority
-Americans are uninterested in any alternatives to the Constitutions
What is Federalism
State Governments develop and enforce:
•elections
•vast majority of criminal codes
•health and safety rules
•property
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Document Summary
How democratic is the constitution: considerations from robert dahl. Undemocratic elements may not have been framers" intentions: they were unable to anticipate social, economic and political changes. Many undemocratic elements were a function of compromise: great compromise, 3/5 clause. The framers may have overestimated the danger of popular majority. Americans are uninterested in any alternatives to the constitutions. State governments develop and enforce: elections, vast majority of criminal codes, health and safety rules, property. Monday, august 29, 2016: marriage and family, education and many more. Federalism: divided authority between a central government and regional governments. Each government maintains separate and autonomous powers. Each also provides for the welfare of its citizens. Allows each governments to retain its own identity. Unitary system- voters elect central government who hires state and local governments. Confederation- state and local government is select by votes and state/local choose who is central government. Federation- voters select both state/local government and central government.
