POL SCI 21A Midterm: topics 1-3 (mid1)
23 Feb 2018
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Topic #1 the constitution and separation of powers. The founders established a federal system of government that divided the power of government between a national government and the individual state governments. They did not want the national government to be too strong, that it would abuse the power. Also, they want to eliminate tyranny of the majority , which to prevent a single faction from becoming so powerful that they would oppress other individual citizen"s rights. Therefore, they established the checks and balances system to separate institutions sharing power. American constitutional structure is based on separation of power, which sets power against power to constrain government actions. It allows deliberations, and compromise, and public participation. It is good at preventing bad legislature, but hard to get the good legislature. Also, it lacks accountability that it is hard to know who is in charge, and inefficiency, easily being caught in the gridlock.
