Erm, right.

Anyway, I took a bunch of notes in American Government tonight.

And some of them amused me.

So here's those.

Talking about court cases, by the way; Supreme Court, USA.

Also, they're typed exactly as I wrote them. Which explains the lack of grammar.

.....

Marbury vs Madison (1803)

2nd Pres., Adams (1797-1801) - appointed several judges, including Marbury - commission not delivered. Jefferson now Pres, orders Madison not to deliver Marbury's commission; Mar. sues, goes to Supreme Court. Jefferson threatens to ignore decision.

*Constitutional Crisis!*

Chief Justice - Marshall. What to do? Argues for Madison... but says Marbury doesn't get the job because the laws allowing him to get the job are UNCONSTITUTIONAL! Whee!

Oh, and Jefferson was kinda pissed.

(This following is a quote from my professor.)

"We are more powerful than Congress, we are more powerful than the President, so screw you!"

.....

McCulloch vs Maryland (1819)

Congress had established nat'l bank, 1791. Located just outside DC, in MD. "Shouldn't it be taxed, like everybody else?" - MD. Bank - "I don't think so! You ain't my momma!" Reaches Supreme Court; Constitution doesn't say the Feds can exempt a bank from taxes, 10th Amend. says the states get lots of stuff. But... Marshall says the Feds get their way with three little words: not "I love you" ;) but "necessary and proper." Woohoo! Congress has more powers, even if they are implied. Opened doors for the Feds to buy big hats.

*Nat'l statutes take place over state & local ones.

.....

Dred Scott vs Sanford (1857)

Dred Scott was a slave, and traveled w/ his owners to IL and the territory of WI, in the LA territories. Oy! North of line in MO Compromise! (36(little circle degree thingie)30'N) He's in Free Territory now!

Later, he decided he wanted to be officially free. Well, at least the Sanfords decided, 'cuz they didn't like slavery and wanted it gone.

Well, Taney's court said nuh-uh - property rights take place over individual rights, so DS is property w/o rights before he's a person w/ rights.

DS: "I went north of the line, so now I'm free; shouldn't I still be free if I go back South?"

Taney: "Black folks have no rights the white folks are bound to bother with."

Also, the Feds overstepped their bounds with the MO compromise; they had no right to force the balance of slave and free states, to keep the Senators balanced.

No balance? Why not have a Civil War, then, oh say 40 years later? Looking back, hmmm... maybe we shouldn't've done that. We'll stop mucking around with intergovernmental stuff. Ah, well, at least for a while...

.....

Hey, let's take a break after that ucky war to write a couple of new Amendments, whaddaya say? Oh, and realize that Gen. Robert E. Lee opposed slavery.

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"Negro Emancipation" ruling: Plessy vs Ferguson (1896)

"separate but equal" - Louisiana law, segregation of railway cars. Court rules that the law is OK. Hey, why not? First, as long as the railcar quality is equal, it's okay if they're separate. Second, integrating the cars would slow commerce.

Meaning: Property rights include the right to deny service. Contributed to various Jim Crow laws, etc., for over 60 years.

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Economic (de)Regulation

1. Powel vs PA (1888) (also Santa Claray County vs Southern Pacific Railroad Company)

Pretty much, why don't we give corporations property rights, and while we're at it make 'em just like people?

2. Pacific Railroad Company vs IL (1886)

How about, the states can't regulate RR commerce cuz it crosses state lines. Woohoo! Let's hear it for corporate rights over democracy! Hey, they can treat labor like machines! No strikes! Yay for economic inequality! On the other hand, this lead us to end up with labor unions and a minimum wage, so it wasn't - quite - all bad.

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Transitions: Old Ways in Different Times

Eeek! Depression! Hoover screwed up by balancing the budget. New president: FDR, by a landslide. New Deal, new legislation, Congress is passing stuff without even reading what they're signing. Time for NIRA.

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1. NIRA (1933) (no idea what it stands for anymore)

Let's give unions lots of power, give laborers money so they can buy stuff and get us out of this Depression. Also a minimum wage, hey, screw the rich people. (Hey Dubya? Get a clue... giving rich people more money during a recession = BAD.) So the Court says NIRA sucks, and is unConstitutional. The people didn't really like this. They liked NIRA. FDR tried the Court Packing Plan, which failed, but put the Court on their toes.

2. Wagner Act (1935)

Even stronger than NIRA, but the Court said "Screw this, have it your way... sob, sob." Corporations don't really have all that many property rights. Wasserman (textbook author): "A switch in time saves nine" - in this case, nine Supreme Court justices' asses. Yay for keeping your job.

The Court is now pretty much out of the economic arena; time for civil rights.

Note: The country can't really function with unbridled capitalism; government regulation is needed.

...........

Yeah, so I really didn't get enough sleep before class.

On the other hand, I think I did really well on the test.

If I did, and do really well on the last test and the final, I should get a decent grade in the class.

If not, I'll probably get a C, and be pissed off.

Because I'm actually going to work at it, and all.

Yay for getting good grades in at least a class or three.

.....

Now I need to go to bed; it's ten till two, and I'm supposed to go free-fall off a thirty-foot tower tomorrow. Or something. At any rate, that's in nine hours and I'm probably going to need a shower and stuff.

The problem with wearing shorts... you have to shave every few days, because you are pale and your leghair shows way too much.

Yeah, so I was talking to myself there apparently.

And now I'm shutting up because yeah.