Foundational Documents

Federalist (No.) 10

-Argued that the establishment of a representative democracy is effective against partisanship and factionalism
-Shows why founding fathers rejected direct democracy and factionalism (party politics)

Brutus (No.) 1

-Argued that a free republic cannot govern over a country as large as the United States
-States that the government officers would control the people and abuse their power

(The) Declaration of Independence

-States the principles on which the American government is based
-Gave reasoning behind a separation from Britain
-Establishes that all people are created equal

(The) Articles of Confederation

-First written Constitution of the US
-Faults included:
1) Could not collect taxes
2) Could not regulate trade
3) Could not enforce laws
4) Needed approval from 9-13 states in order to pass laws
5) Amending the document had to have unanimous approval
6) No executive branch
7) No national court system

(The) Constitution

-Supreme law of the US
-Contains seven articles & twenty-seven amendments
-Creates the framework of the US government

Bill of Rights

-Series of amendments to the Constitution that guarantees individual freedoms and due process

Federalist (No.) 51

-Addresses means by which appropriate checks and balances can be created in government
-Advocates a separation of powers within the national government

Letter from a Birmingham Jail (Martin Luther King Jr.)

-Defends the strategy of nonviolent resistance to racism.
-States that people have a moral responsibility to break unjust laws
-Message: take direct action rather than waiting potentially forever for justice to come through the courts

Federalist (No.) 70

-Argues the purpose of having a single executive (president) in government
-States that an executive brings the government both the energy of one person & the safety of an accountability to the people

Federalist (No.) 78

-Discusses the power of judicial review
-Argues that the federal courts have the duty to determine whether acts of Congress are constitutional
-Justifies the structure/function of the Judicial Branch