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Government
The institution through which a society makes & enforces its public policy.
Public Policy
An institutionalized proposal or a decided set of elements like laws, regulations, guidelines, & actions to solve or address relevant & real-world problems.
Constitution
The basic principles and laws of a nation, state, or social group that determine the powers and duties of the government and guarantee certain rights to the people in it.
Citizen
one who holds both rights & responsibilities in a state. A good citizen has an abiding respect for each of the core beliefs on which a democracy is based in this country.
Duty
Required of every citizen
Responsibility
Strongly encouraged of every citizen.
Duties of Citizenship
Serving on a jury
Serving as a witness when called
Attending school
Paying taxes
Registering for the draft ( men only )
Obeying local, state, & national laws
Respecting the rights of others
Responsibilities of Citizenship
Voting
Volunteering
participating in civic life
Understanding the workings of our government
3 Basic Powers of Government
Legislative Power, Executive Power, Judicial Power
Legislative Power
The power to make laws & to frame public policies.
Executive Power
The power to execute, enforce, & administer laws.
Judicial Power
The power to interpret laws, to determine their meaning, & to settle disputes that arise within the society.
4 characteristics of a state:
Population
Territory
Sovereignty
Government
1st American Basic Concepts of Democracy
Recognition of fundamental worth & dignity of every person;
2nd American Basic Concepts of Democracy
Respect for the equality of all persons;
3rd American Basic Concepts of Democracy
Faith in majority rule & an insistence upon minority rights;
4th American Basic Concepts of Democracy
Acceptance of the necessity of compromise;
5th American Basic Concepts of Democracy
Insistence upon the widest possible degree of individual freedom.
Unitary Government
Centralized
All powers belong to the central agency.
All powers held centrally (not dispersed to localities)
Not the same as dictatorship.
Great Britain
Federal Government
Powers are divided between central and local governments.
Both sets of governments work directly on the people through their own sets of laws, officials and agencies.
The US, Canada, Mexico, Switzerland, Germany, India.
Confederate Government
An alliance of independent states.
The confederate government only handles those matters that member states assign to it.
They do not have power to make laws that directly affect people.
The European Union is the best example to date.
Social Contract Theory
The agreement of free and equal people to abandon certain natural rights in order to find freedom in a single body politic committed to the general good- give up certain “rights” to help protect those natural rights
What did John Locke believe?
the most basic human law of nature is the preservation of mankind. To serve that purpose, he reasoned, individuals have both a right and a duty to preserve their own lives.
Natural Law
People are born free & equal
Religion Freedom
Natural Rights: “Life liberty & property”
State should protect individual rights
Citizens should rebel against unjust governments
Natural Rights
(life, liberty, property)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Proposed the Social Contract - Give up certain “rights” to help protect those natural rights.
(Jean-Jacques Roousseau)Popular Sovereignty
The will of the people as the authority for making laws, & a government of officials to carry them out.
What did Thomas Hobbes believe?
Concluded that people are incapable of ruling themselves, primarily because humans are naturally self centered and quarrelsome-therefore, they need the iron fist of a strong leader.
What did the Enlightenment thinkers believe?
They proposed that a democracy should rely on consent of the people; that there were natural rights that could not be taken away by the government (life, liberty, property)
Factors that led to the colonist’ rebellion:
Taxation without representation
Violations of free religion, speech, assembly, etc.
Declaration of Independence Main sections:
Preamble: Reason for writing the document.
Statement of Beliefs/Philosophies
Lists of Grievances/Complaints
Statement of Prior Attempts to Remedy Grievances
Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Independence Main Principles:
Natural Rights: Rights inherent in human beings, not dependent on government.
Consent of the Governed: People must agree on who their rulers will be.
Limited Government: Must be clear restrictions on what rulers can do.
If violated, people can revolt.
How does the government affect your daily life?
Gives stability to society, as well as many crucial services such as free public education, police and fire services, and mail delivery.
Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
Central government was too weak
No power to tax
No power to draft an army/navy
No uniform currency among the states
No Supreme Court
Very difficult to make laws - 9 out of 13 states had to agree
In order to amend the Articles, All 13 states had to agree
Shays’ Rebellion
An uprising of farmers/property owners in Massachusetts who lost their homes because of failure to pay taxes.
Philadelphia Convention
Also known as the “Constitutional Convention”
Initial Purpose: Amend the Articles
55 Delegates present (all states represented except Rhode Island)
George Washington was elected president of Convention
Delegates quickly decided to:
Decide on a new form of government
The farmers were forced to make several compromises
Meeting was kept a secret
Virginia Plan
3 Separate Branches
Bicameral Legislature (one chosen by the people)
Representation based on population
Congress would choose a National Executive and Judiciary
Proposed by Edmund Randolf (Virginia)
Largely written by James Madison
Weakness: Representation for smaller states
New Jersey Plan
Unicameral Congress
National Congress only had limited ability to tax & regulate interstate trade
Equal State Representation (Every state one vote)
Plural Executive by Congress
No National Courts
The Connecticut Compromise
Also known as the “Great Compromise”
Connecticut delegates, Roger Sherman, Oliver Ellsworth, & William Samuel Johnson, presented their compromise to the Convention.
Took principles from both the New Jersey and Virginia Plans
Created a two house congress (bicameral)
Senate - Equal representation
House of Representatives - Based on population
3/5ths Compromise
Counted slaves as 3/5th of a person in terms of representation and taxation
Fugitive slave clause that provided for slaves to be returned to their owners.
Commerce & Slave Trade Compromise
Southern delegates feared this new government would try to abolish slavery.
Congress was forbidden the power to tax the export of goods from any State and to act on the trade in enslaved people for a period of at least 20 years.
Solidified the position of slavery in the new nation.
Federalists
Supported strong national government to preserve order
James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, & John Jay
Stressed the weaknesses of the Articles
Argued that the difficulties that faced the Republic could be solved by only a few government
Believed no Bill of Rights were needed
Anti-Federalists
Supported a government like the one under the Articles
Feared a single executive and favored strong state governments; believed the government created by the Constitution was too strong and neglected individual freedoms
Feared the presidency could become a monarchy and Congress would become too powerful.
Patrick Henry, George Mason, and Richard Henry Lee
Desired a bill of rights for basic rights and liberties for citizens.