the burger king crown incident

enlightenment

when people started thinking with their heads as opposed to a religious book

Natural rights

rights that can’t be taken away by gov

life, liberty, property

Social contract

gov exists to protect natural rights, gain protection in exchange for following laws

popular sovereignty

power of gov comes from general people of people

limited gov

power of gov should be restricted

Declaration of Independence

written after revolutionary fighting had already begun

Declaration of Independence audience

King, Parliament, British people, other colonists

Declaration of Independence purpose

explain why they were declaring independence

Declaration of Independence overview

Unalienable rights

Gov exists to protect those rights

Gov power comes from people

People have the right to alter or abolish an unjust gov

Unalienable rights

Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness

participatory model

people elect politicians to represent them

people have direct influence

NOT direct democracy

participatory model examples

voting

townhall meetings

protests

representative democray

republic

Pluralist model

organized groups compete to influence gov, no group dominates

people self reflect and decide which group suits their interests

Pluralist model examples

plotical parties

NRA(National Rifle Association)

AARP(American Association of Retired People)

Elite model

Emphasizes limited participation in politics.

A small number of people influence gov

usually those who are wealthy and/or well-educated

Constitution

a written plan that describes the powers and organization of  government.

Legislative

makes laws

Executive

enforces laws

Judicial

interprets laws

The Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the U.S.

Established a “league of friendship” among the states

Created a confederacy- a limited national gov where the states have more power

The Articles of Confederation context

Written after the Declaration of Independence

During the Revolutionary War

The Articles of Confederation purpose

Unite the colonies into one nation

• The United States of America

Prevent a tyrannical government from taking control

Principle of limited gov

Congress under A.o.C. (Legislative Branch)

• Each state= 1 vote

  • Representatives chosen by state legislatures

    • Elite Model

• 9/13 states to pass laws

• 13/13 states to amend/change the A.o.C.

A.o.C. (executive Branch)

No Executive Branch

States enforced laws

A.o.C. (judicial Branch)

No Judicial Branch

Congress settled disputes between states

State courts interpreted the laws of Congress

Congress under A.o.C could

Conduct foreign affairs

Declare war

Regulate currency

States could have their own currency

Borrow $

Acquire territory

Establish post offices

Congress under A.o.C could NOT

Raise a standing (permanent) army or navy

• Relied on voluntary assistance from the states

Tax

• Relied on voluntary assistance from the states

Regulate trade

Shays’ Rebellion

A small band of farmers/former revolutionary war soldiers in MA rebelled

• High taxes

• Lack of currency to pay debts

Attacked courthouses to prevent judges from foreclosing on farms.

Congress was not able to raise an army to put down the rebellion.

Illustrated the weakness of the A.o.C

• Many began to call for changes to the gov’t

Constitutional Convention

13 delegates met in Philadelpia

Debated how to address the weaknesses of the A.o.C

Ended up drafting a new constitution

• Delegates had competing interests at the Convention

Representation

New Jersey Plan

• Each state has equal representation in Congress

  • Favored by small states

Virginia Plan

• Representation in Congress determined by population

  • Favored by large states

Representation solution

The Great Compromise “Connecticut Plan”

• Created a bicameral (two house) legislature

  • House of Representatives - representation proportional to state’s population

    • Higher population = more representatives

  • Senate - each state has equal representation (2 Senators)

Slave representation

Southern states wanted enslaved people to be counted

• Large enslaved populations

  • Increase their representation in the House

Northern states did not want enslaved people counted

• Small enslaved populations 

  • Voters in S. states would have more representation than voters in N. state

Slave representation solution

The Three-Fifths Compromise

• When determining representation in Congress, enslaved people are counted as ⅗ of a person

Trade

Northern states wanted to give Congress the power to regulate international trade

Southern economy was based on agricultural exports

• Feared Congress would use power to regulate trade to immediately ban slave trade

Trade solution

Congress can regulate international trade

• Could not tax exports

Slave trade clause - Congress could not limit international slave trade for 20 years (1808)

Office of the President

Who is in charge of the executive branch

Single Executive

• More accountable to the people

Plural Executive

• Division of power

• Multiple points of view

Office of the President solution

President & Vice President lead the executive branch

Selecting the President

How to/ who should elect the President?

• Congress? (Elite)

• State legislatures? (Elite)

• The people? (Participatory)

Selecting the President solution

The Electoral College

• Citizens vote (participatory) in each state to determine electors 

• Electors (elite) vote for President (majority wins)

  • If no majority, Congress elects the president

Bill of Rights

Many people feared increasing the power of the national gov would lead to tyranny.

Bill of Rights solution

Ten amendments to the Constitution that protect the rights of individuals and the power of the states.

Added after the Constitution was ratified (approved)

Six Principles of the Constitution

Republicanism

Popular Sovereignty 

Separation of powers

Checks and Balances

Federalism

Limited Government

Republicanism

The Constitution created a republic

• citizens elect representatives

Popular Sovereignty 

Citizens are the source of gov power

Separation of Powers

dividing the powers of gov to prevent the abuse of power.

• Legislative Branch  (make law) → Congress

• Executive Branch (enforce law)→ President

• Judicial Branch (interpret law) → Supreme Court

Checks and balances

Each branch of gov checks (limits) the power of the other two

Federalism

Division of power between national & state gov

• Delegated Powers

  • Powers given to national/federal gov in the Constitution

• Reserved Powers

  • 10th Amendment reserves all powers not delegated to national gov to the states

Limited Government

the power of gov should be restricted

• limits as to what the gov can & can’t do

Solutions in the Constitution

Congress has power to:  

tax

regulate trade (commerce clause).

raise an army & navy

Majority to pass laws in Congress
President is chief executive responsible for enforcing laws

Created the Supreme Court
⅔ of Congress & ¾ of states must agree to amend the Constitution

Only national gov can print currency

Federalist Papers

Context

• Written after the Constitutional Convention, during ratification (approval) process

Audience

• People of NY

Purpose

• Convince NY to support ratification of the Constitution

Point of View

• Pro -Constitution

Federalist 51 - Publius (James Madison)

Argues in favor of the separation of powers & checks & balances

• Protect against factions in gov

  • factions=interest groups/political parties

• Limit the powers of gov & protect the peoples rights

Branches need to be independent

Legislative branch will be most powerful

• Divided into two houses (bicameral) to limit influence

Federalism will further prevent factions from controlling gov

Ratification of the Constitution

fore the Constitution went into effect, it had to be ratified (approved) by 9 states.

• Citizens were divided on their opinion about the Constitution

Federalist

Pro-Constitution

Strong national government (large republic) was needed to fix the nations problems

Wanted to increase powers of Congress, create a national executive and judicial branches

• Elite Model

Antifederalist

Wanted to keep the A.o.C.

Feared that a strong national government would violate individual rights

Believed that the states (small republics) should have more power

Participatory Model

Brutus 1 (Robert Yates) 

Ratify Constitution or remain a confederacy?

U.S. was too large for one central  gov

• Congress would not represent the interest of the people

  • Wanted participatory model 

    • “Small republics” = the states

New gov created by Constitution would be too powerful 

• “necessary and proper clause” 

  • Too vague

• “supremacy clause” 

  • states lose power

• Power to tax & raise a standing army

  • Threat to individual liberty

Federalist 10 - Publius (James Madison)

Argues for creation of a “large republic”

Worried about factions among the people

• factions=interest groups/political parties

Creating a large republic would control factions

• Too many competing factions for any one to become a majority & threaten minority rights

  • In “small republics” (states) it would be easier for majority factions to rise to power

Wanted elite model

Bill of Rights(in regards to federalism)

Anti Federalist feared the new Constitution didn’t protect individual & states rights 

Federalist agreed to add the Bill of Rights to the Constitution

• First 10 amendments

  • individual and state rights

  • The Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788

Bill of Rights added in 1791