What are the roots of our Representative Democracy?

What are the ideas included in the Constitution?

Consent w/ individual liberty
The public good
Limited government
The rule of law

Democracy

people govern directly or through their elected reps

Devotion to the public good

caring about the well-being of all, not just a few (aka common good, general welfare, civic virtue, public good)

Key Ideas from Rome

Representative government and public good

Key ideas from the renaissance

Individual dignity and individual worth

What did the Reformation question?

The special authority of priestsW

hat did the Reformation argue?

All believers are equal in the eyes of God

Covenanting

The formation of self-governing groups of believers

The Mayflower Compact, 1620

covenant in which colonists agreed to govern themselves

Key Ideas from the Reformation

Equality and self-government

Why was signing of the Magna Carta significant?

King gives up certain powers to the Nobles
Rule of Law - No one was to be arrested or imprisoned "except by the lawful judgement of his peers or by the law of land" this meant... everyone, even the King, had to obey the law
Today, the power of our government is limited by our Const

Key Idea from the Magna Carta

Rule of law

Montesquieu

Article I - legislative Branch
Article II - executive Branch
Article III - judicial Branch

Key Idea from Montesquieu

Limited power of government

Popular sovereignty -

when the power of government is in the hands of the people

Natural rights

life, liberty and property; "powers of the government are limited by the rights of people" "right to change the government, by force if necessary"

Key Ideas from Locke

Popular sovereignty and right to revolution

Colonial governments had basic constitutional principles:

Some separation of powers between executive legislative branches and upper and lower houses
The members of the upper house were appointed by the governor. The members of the lower house were elected by citizens w/ a certain amount of property. Colonists became accustomed to governing themselves w/ little interference from Britain-salutary neglect

What did Parliament (Britain) do in 1765?

Levied first direct taxes on colonies (Stamp Act)

The Stamp Act Congress (1765)

Organize resistance

Why is the Stamp Act congress significant?

It was the first such gathering in our nation's history

Issue of First Continental Congress 1774

Taxation w/o consent

Issue of Second Continental Congress 1775

Oppression from British crown

Declaration of Independence: July 4, 1776, written mainly by

Thomas Jefferson

What did the Declaration of Independence proclaim?

Universal political equality
Inalienable natural rights
Consent of the governed

The first plan for national government was the

Articles of Confederation

Why was the AoC liked by many?

Most of the power held by new states not by a central or national government

Others believed that the AoC

was not strong enough to govern the loose federation of the states

Why is the Philadelphia Convention Summer 1787 historic?

Never before had anyone tried to govern such a large territory as a republic or representative democracy

Many Framers agreed that a stronger central government should be established by the new Const. Why did the convention nearly break down?

States couldn't agree states could not agree on how the people should be represented in the two houses of Congress

States couldn't agree states could not agree on how the people should be represented in the two houses of Congress. In the end, they reached a compromise: they agreed

Senate each state has 2 Senators favored the smaller states and House of Reps based on population states with larger population would have more reps... favored large states.

Legislative Branch

Congress

Executive Branch

President

Judicial Branch

Courts (Supreme Court)

None of the 3 branches can function alone. These built in

Checks and balances prevent any one branch from abusing power

All the states are joined together in a

federation in which they retained power in some areWas of government (Federalism)

Why was a Bill of Rights added in 1789?

To secure ratification

Issues of Slavery

Framers deeply divided
The economy of the Southern states relied more on slavery than the economy of the Northern states
Positions: Framers from Northern states wnated to abolish slavery. Framers from the South would reject a union that outlawed it.
The Framers compromised. 1. Three-fifths Clause 2. Slave Trade (1808) 3.Fugitive Slave Clause

Key idea from Greece

citizens have the right to control government