unit 2 origins of american government
TRANSCRIPT
Origins of
American
Government:Unit 2
Vocabulary: Consent of the governed: People are the only source of
governmental power
Limited government: the government may do only those things that the people have given it the power to do
Separation of powers: Government is divided into three branches- Legislative, executive, and Judicial
Checks and balances: this is a system whereby each branch of government exercises some control on the others
Federalism: In this form of government, powers are divided between the national and state governments.
Rule of Law: The Constitution of the United States is supreme and all individuals are accountable under the law
Foundations
The U.S. Constitutional system
has incorporated
democratic ideas from
Athens and Rome.
Athens-Direct
Democracy
Rome-indirect
democracy
Basic Concepts of
Government:
Ordered Government:
creating local governments
for regulation of citizens
Examples of offices: sheriff,
coroner, assessor, and justice
of the peace….
Other Concepts of
Government:
Limited Government: government is
restricted in what they can or cannot do
and people have rights
Colonists didn’t want the government to be
too strong.
Representative Government: government
should serve the will of the people
Foundations Ideas gained from famous documents:
Magna Carta Limited power of the government Fundamental rights
Trial by Jury Due process of Law
English Bill of Rights Limited power of the Monarch
No standing army in peacetime Free elections Right of petition Parliamentary checks on power
English Petition of Rights Early document supporting idea that men have rights and
establishing concept of rule of law Included basic rights
Guarantee of trial by jury Protection against marshal law Protection against quartering of troops Protection of private property
Framework of our
government:
Ratification debates
Nine of thirteen states needed to ratify
Constitution
Anti-Federalist position
Suspicious of a strong central government
Wanted Bill of Rights to protect personal liberties
Federalist Position
Believed that a strong central government was
the best way to protect freedom
Royal Colonies:Directly controlled by the King
Bi-cameral: two-house legislature
Examples: : New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, New York, New
Jersey, Virginia, N.C., S.C. and
Georgia
Proprietary
Colonies:Colonies that were organized
by a proprietor
Unicameral: one-house legislature
Examples: Maryland,
Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
Charter Colonies:Self-governing colonies
Examples: Connecticut and
Rhode Island
Colony Selection Activity!
Unhappy Colonists:
“Taxation without
representation”
They refused to
accept that
Parliament had the
right to control their
local issues.
Taxes Activity!
The Decision to Unite:
New England
Confederation was
formed in 1643
Confederation:
grouping of states
for a common
purpose
Albany Plan: Ben
Franklin proposed
the formation of an
annual congress of
delegates
Delegates:
representatives
Sugar Act:
Colonists were
forced to pay a tax
on sugar
Townshend Acts:
Taxed TEA and
other imported
goods!
Glass, paint, paper,
oil etc.
Stamp Act:
Taxed all legal
documents
Ex: newspapers, business
agreements,
marriage licenses
Colonies protested
but the King didn’t
care and increased
other taxes.
Boycott: refusing to
buy or sell certain
products or
services
BOSTON TEA PARTY!
First Continental Congress:
Intolerable Acts
Formed the Congress to discuss and send
a declaration to England telling them to
repeal the taxes. (Sept. 5 1774-Oct. 26)
Agreed to meet again in May for a
second time.
Second Continental Congress:
Refusal of compromise by England
This Congress served as government fighting a war, raising armies, a navy, borrowed funds, bought supplies, created a money system, and made treaties with foreign nations.
Unicameral Congress exercised both legislative and executive powers.—Large State—had one vote.
Declaration of
Independence!
First State Constitutions:
1776-1777 most of the states adopted written constitutions:
States laid out the principles, structures, and process of their government. Massachusetts constitution of 1780 is the oldest present-day State constitutions.
Popular sovereignty: government can only exist with permission of the people.
Articles--Fail:
Under the Articles of Confederation, each State kept “its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every Power, Jurisdiction, and right that was not one that was given to Congress”
Articles--Fail: Delegates chosen by states
Each state had one vote in the Congress.
No executive or judicial branch.
Power consisted of making war and peace; send and receive ambassadors; make treaties; borrow money; set up a money system, ect…
Articles--Fail:
Weaknesses- no power to tax, raise
money only by borrowing and by asking
for State funds.
13/13 states had to ratify for every law.
Creating the Constitution: The men who met were a new generation
of political minds. They met at Independence Hall, the same
room the Declaration was signed 11 years earlier.
Washington was president of the convention.
They worked in secrecy. It was at first used to revise the Articles but than was decided that they should rewrite everything.
Virginia Plan:
Called for a new government with three separate branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.
Divided into two houses but representation was based on population.
Smaller states were at a disadvantage
New Jersey Plan:
A unicameral system
with each of the States
equally represented.
Called for a federal
executive of more than
one person.
Favored the smaller
states because it was
not based on
population
Virginia & New Jersey
Plan Activity:
Compromises:
The Connecticut Compromise/The Great Compromise- agreed that Congress should be composed of two houses.
In the small Senate, the States would be represented equally.
The House would be based on population.
3/5ths Compromise- Provided that all “free persons” should be counted, and so, too should “three-fifths of all other persons.”
Ratifying the Constitution
Two groups emerged from the States:
Federalists who approved ratification
Anti-Federalists who apposed the ratification.
Two major features of the proposed
Constitution drew the heaviest fire: The
greatly increased powers of the central
government and the lack of a Bill of Rights.
Nine States ratify
The Six Basic Principles: The Constitution sets out the six basic
principles and the framework of government in the United States
1. Popular Sovereignty: The people are sovereign and the government is limited, not all powerful.
2. Limited Government: Government must obey the law
3. Separation of Power: Power is distributed among 3 branches
The Six Basic Principles:
4. Checks and Balances: Each of those branches has powers with which it can check the operations of the other two branches.
5. Judicial Review: the power to determine whether what the government is doing is in line with the Constitution.
6. Federalism: the division of power between the federal and state governments
Formal Amendments:
Since 1789, 27 amendments have been added to the Constitution.
The Formal amendment process reflects both federalism and popular sovereignty.
The first ten
amendments, known
as the Bill of Rights,
guarantee several
basic freedoms.
Formal amendments
may be added
through four different
methods.
Constitutional Change by
Other Means:
Over time, many changes have been made in the constitution by means other than formal amendment.
Those changes have not involved any changes in the written words of the Constitution.
The major agents of those changes have been Congress, various Presidents, the courts, political parties, and custom.
Am
en
dm
en
ts to
the
Co
nstitu
tion
:
Amendments Activity:
Is Flag-Burning a Right?
Executive Action:
Executive Agreement: a
pact made by the
President directly with
the head of a foreign
state
Treaty: a formal
agreement between two or more states
Party Practices:
Electoral College:
the points that each state is assigned in
order to elect a
president based on
population
Cabinet: An advisory body to the President, made up of the heads
of departments
What’s NOT in the Constitution?
Sh
ou
ld S
ch
oo
ls Use
Co
rpo
ral P
un
ishm
en
t?
Should Schools Use
Corporal Punishment?
“Any teacher or school principal may use
corporal punishment in a reasonable
manner against any pupil for good cause
in order to maintain discipline and order
within the public schools.”
Source: Tennessee Code Annotated 49-
49-6-4103