POLISCI 101 Final: AMPOL Final Overview.docx

• School: UMASS-Amherst
• Department: Political Science
• Course: POLISCI 101
• Professor: Raymond La Raja

Document Summary

First part of course: political power, authority, legitimacy, dilemma of keeping order without stifling liberty, founders value liberty above all, but wary of mob rule, articles of confederation; weak central government, shays" rebellion leads to constitutional convention, constitution, design of 3 branches, separation of powers, civil liberties and civil rights, how us constitutions tries to provide for both, sources of tension in balancing liberty, equality, stability, especially in modern era, congress, concerns of founders, constitutional powers and informal powers, importance of committees and political parties in congress, main differences between house and senate, process of making laws, importance of electoral connection, power of congress relative to other branches (why president can"t ignore congress) Second part: executive branch/president, high expectations with limited powers, execute laws of nation, commander in chief, appoints ambassadors, cabinet, judges, makes treaties, increasing power in past decades, but still not all powerful.