APUSGP Foundational Documents

ap us government and politics foundational documents

Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, Federalist 10, Brutus 1, Federalist 51, Federalist 70, Federalist 78, Letter from a Birmingham Jail, Constitution + Amendments

2 “main“ authors of the Declaration of Independence

Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin

Declaration of Independence publication date

July 4, 1776

Declaration of Independence main ideas

• A balance between governmental power and individual rights has been a hallmark of American political development.

• All people created equal (Natural Rights of Life, Liberty, Property)

• Governments are created to protect these rights

• If Gov’t does not protect these rights, then the People have the duty to  change/destroy

• Imperfect gov’ts should not be destroyed, only ones that seek to subject the People to Tyranny

“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”

Declaration of Independence quote

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.“

Declaration of Independence quote

“That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government...“

Declaration of Independence quote

Articles of Confederation author

Benjamin Franklin

Articles of Confederation publication date

November 15, 1777

Articles of Confederation big ideas

• A weak national government, states had more power

• Confederation of states, with an extremely limited central government.

• limitations placed upon the central government rendered it ineffective at governing the continually growing American states

• Each state remains sovereign

• Unicameral legislature, each state one vote

• No President, No Judiciary

• Could not force taxation; No standing Army

“In determining questions in the United States in Congress assembled, each State shall have one vote.“

Articles of Confederation quote

“The said States hereby severally enter into a firm league of friendship with each other,“

Articles of Confederation quote

“Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right“

Articles of Confederation quote

“The Stile of this Confederacy shall be ‘The United States of America’“

Articles of Confederation quote

“When land forces are raised by any State for the common defense, all officers of or under the rank of colonel, shall be appointed by the legislature of each State…“

Articles of Confederation quote

the three authors of the Federalist Papers

Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison

collective pen name of the authors of the Articles of Confederation

Publius

Federalist #10 author

James Madison

Federalist #10 publication date

November 22, 1787

Federalist #10 big ideas

• a strong, united republic would be more effective than the individual states at controlling “factions”

• a large republic will help control factions because when more representatives are elected, there will be a greater number of opinions. Therefore, it is far less likely that there will be one majority oppressing the rest of the people.

“By a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adversed to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community.“

Federalist #10 quote

“There are again two methods of removing the causes of faction: the one, by destroying the liberty which is essential to its existence; the other, by giving to every citizen the same opinions, the same passions, and the same interests.“

Federalist #10 quote

“It is in vain to say that enlightened statesmen will be able to adjust these clashing interests, and render them all subservient to the public good. Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm…“

Federalist #10 quote

“Hence, it clearly appears, that the same advantage which a republic has over a democracy, in controlling the effects of faction, is enjoyed by a large over a small republic,--is enjoyed by the Union over the States composing it.“

Federalist #10 quote

Brutus #1 author

Brutus (probably Robert Yates)

Brutus #1 publication date

October 18, 1787

Brutus #1 big ideas

• an Antifederalist series of essays designed to encourage New Yorkers to reject the proposed Constitution

• the immense power of the federal government requires the people to sacrifice their liberties

• a bill of rights was necessary to protect the people from the government

• Congress possesses far too much power: taxation, standing army, taxes, Elastic Clause

• a free republic cannot exist in such a large territory as the United States

• Judicial authority will broaden federal gov’t’s power (thus, tyranny)

“History furnishes no example of a free republic, anything like the extent of the United States.“

Brutus #1 quote

“If the people are to give their assent to the laws, by persons chosen...must be ...qualified to declare the sentiments of the people; for if they do not know, or are not disposed to speak the sentiments of the people, the people do not govern, but the sovereignty is in a few.“

Brutus #1 quote

“In so extensive a republic, the great officers of government would soon become above the control of the people, and abuse their power to the purpose of aggrandizing themselves, and oppressing them…“

Brutus #1 quote

Federalist #51 author

James Madison

Federalist #51 publication date

February 8, 1788

Federalist #51 big ideas

• The Constitution created a competitive policy- making process to ensure the people’s will is accurately represented and that freedom is preserved.

• Proposes a government broken into three branches: 

  • Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.

• Each branch should be self-sufficient, but each should have some kind of power over the other in order for them to keep each other from taking over the government.

• The Legislative branch needs to be split further into the House of Representatives and the Senate because it's the most powerful branch, and members of the Judicial branch need to be chosen by the President with the Senate's approval because they want qualified candidates for a position that lasts for life.

• This style of government also helps keep down the power of factions, a recurring theme from Federalist 10.

“Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.“

Federalist #51 quote

“ If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.“

Federalist #51 quote

“In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.“

Federalist #51 quote

“It is equally evident, that the members of each department should be as little dependent as possible on those of the others, for the emoluments annexed to their offices.“

Federalist #51 quote

Federalist #70 author

Alexander Hamilton

Federalist #70 publication date

March 15, 1788

Federalist #70 big ideas

• The presidency has been enhanced beyond its expressed constitutional powers.

• Argues that unity in the executive branch is a main ingredient for both energy and safety. Energy arises from the proceedings of a single person, characterized by, "decision, activity, secrecy, and dispatch," while safety arises from the unitary executive's unconcealed accountability to the people.

• Justifies executive strength by claiming that the slow-moving Congress, a body designed for deliberation, will be best-balanced by a quick and decisive executive.

• Also maintains that governmental balance can only be achieved if each branch of government (including the executive branch) has enough autonomous power such that tyranny of one branch over the others cannot occur.

• Makes the case for duration, meaning a presidential term long enough to promote stability in the government.

• Support can be defined as a presidential salary, which insulates government officials from corruption by attracting capable, honest men to office.

“Energy in the executive is a leading character in the definition of good government.“

Federalist #70 quote

“A feeble executive implies a feeble execution of the government. A feeble execution is but another phrase for a bad execution; and a government ill executed, whatever it may be in theory, must be, in practice, a bad government.“

Federalist #70 quote

“But one of the weightiest objections to a plurality in the executive, and which lies as much against the last as the first plan is that it tends to conceal faults and destroy responsibility.“

Federalist #70 quote

Federalist #78 author

Alexander Hamilton

Federalist #78 publication date

May 28, 1788

Federalist #78 big ideas

• The design of the judicial branch protects the Supreme Court’s independence as a branch of government, and the emergence and use of judicial review remains a powerful judicial practice.

• As “the weakest of the three departments of power,” the Judiciary needs strengthening.

• Without an independent judiciary, any rights reserved to the people by the Constitution “would amount to nothing,” since the legislature cannot be relied upon to police itself.

• lifetime appointments, guaranteed “during good behavior” to insure that judges can resist encroachments from the legislature (to which presumably they would be vulnerable by means of bribes or threats)

“As to the tenure by which the judges are to hold their places; this chiefly concerns their duration in office; the provisions for their support; the precautions for their responsibility.””“

Federalist #78 quote

“Whoever attentively considers the different departments of power must perceive, that, in a government in which they are separated from each other, the judiciary, from the nature of its functions, will always be the least dangerous to the political rights of the Constitution“

Federalist #78 quote

“If, then, the courts of justice are to be considered as the bulwarks of a limited Constitution against legislative encroachments, this consideration will afford a strong argument for the permanent tenure of judicial offices, since nothing will contribute so much as this to that independent spirit in the judges which must be essential to the faithful performance of so arduous a duty.“

Federalist #78 quote

Letter From a Birmingham Jail author

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Letter From a Birmingham Jail publication date

April 16, 1963

Letter From a Birmingham Jail big ideas

• The Fourteenth Amendment’s equal protection clause as well as other constitutional provisions have often been used to support the advancement of equality.

• King argues that he and his fellow demonstrations have a duty to fight for justice.

• It is up to the oppressed to take charge and demand equality.

• Segregation is used to debase one population (blacks) while uplifting another (whites), which makes it immoral in the eyes of God. Immoral laws are laws that are neither just nor fair. 

• White Americans who say they agree with the notion of desegregation but criticize the manner in which civil rights activists go about achieving it are the biggest obstacle standing in the way of racial equality. 

• The civil rights movement will ultimately be successful because "the goal of America is freedom."

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere…Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.“

Letter From a Birmingham Jail quote

“My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain in civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure.“

Letter From a Birmingham Jail quote

“We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.“

Letter From a Birmingham Jail quote

“We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied.“

Letter From a Birmingham Jail quote

“The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.“

Letter From a Birmingham Jail quote

“Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.“

Letter From a Birmingham Jail quote

Constitution written date

Sept. 17, 1787

Constitution ratification date

June 21, 1788

Constitution effective date

March 4, 1789

Constitution big ideas

• The Constitution emerged from the debate about the weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation as a blueprint for limited government.

• Outline of federal gov’t structure, powers, and limits to those powers

• Three branches (L, E, J) [Separation of Powers] that can limit each other [Checks & Balances]

• Federal system of government

• Constitution as Supreme Law

• Bill of Rights

  • 1-8: Individual Rights

  • 9: Rights not listed are NOT denied to the People

  • 10: Powers not given to Federal Gov’t nor denied to the states are State Powers

• Other Amendments

  • Generally, amendments are expansions of Peoples’ rights

  • 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26