Foundational Documents

Federalist 10

• james madison

• factions

  • inevitable

• large republic: forced to compete (limit influence)

• pluralism (interest groups)

Brutus 1

• only anti-fed doc

• argued new central gov would be too powerful

• wants a small, decentralized gov (more power in hands of states)

• worried about supremacy and necessary and proper clauses

Federalist 51

• madison

• sep of powers

• checks and balances

• “men aren’t angels”

• “ambition must be made to counteract ambition”

• bicameral congress

federalist 70

• hamilton

• “energetic” executive

• singular executive

• accountability

• efficiency

federalist 78

• hamilton

• judicial branch is weakest

  • no purse, no sword

• need for life tenure for judges (insulated from politics)

• judicial review

declaration of independence

• us colonies declared freedom from brits

• set up their new country

• jefferson writes it

• social contract, pop sov, limited gov, participatory democracy; life, liberty, pursuit of happiness (natural rights)

articles of confederation

• first constitution

  • weak central gov

• gov can’t tax, no judicial branch; can’t regulate commerce, raise army; no exec branch, hard to amend

us constitution

• list of laws us will follow

• bill of rights

• amendments

• limited gov, checks and balances, sep of powers, strong central gov, enumerated/implied powers; key clauses

letter from Birmingham jail

• mlk gets arrested and is sent to jail

• he uses newspaper to write this letter

• urges higher ups to think about how what they are doing is wrong

• never right time for change

• advocates for nonviolent civil disobedience

• moderate/radical (extremist)

  • calls for action

• injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere