Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy

Natural Rights

Popular Sovereignty

Republicanism

Social Contract

Declaration of Independence (REQUIRED DOC)

Pluralist Democracy

Elite Democracy

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

Electoral College

Three-Fifths Compromise

Importation (slavery) compromise

Separation of Powers

Checks and Balances

Federalism

Exclusive Powers

Implied Powers

Concurrent Powers

Categorical Grants

Block Grants

Mandates (unfunded)

Commerce Clause

Limited Government

Articles of Confederation (REQUIRED DOC)

Federalists vs Antifederalists, Ratification of The Constitution

The Constitution of the United States (Articles I-VII, Tenth and Fourteenth Amendments)(REQUIRED DOC)

Necessary and Proper Clause

Federalist No. 10 (REQUIRED DOC)

One of the Federalist papers defending the Constitution and the strong federal government it established.

In it, Madison argued that what the U.S. needed was a LARGE REPUBLIC with a STRONG CENTRAL GOVERNMENT because a large republic and strong central government would LIMIT THE POWER OF FACTIONS (groups of people with interests for themselves).

Said FACTIONS ARE INEVITABLE, as long as people have different opinions and the liberty to express them (factions cannot exist without liberty, but to take away liberty is foolish), but a LARGE REPUBLIC WITH A STRONG CENTRAL DEMOCRACY can limit the harmful effects of factions.

Large Republics are less likely to have one faction become the majority and gain too much power because they have more people and more variety of parties and interests.

In a Large Republic, the PEOPLE ELECT REPRESENTATIVES, A BODY OF ELECTED OFFICIALS, TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR THEM. Madison argued that this would be better than a direct democracy because a group of elected officials chosen by the people would have the wisdom to make the best decisions based on what the people want and the patriotism and love of justice to act in the interests on common good, not the interests of factors.

A STRONG NATIONAL/CENTRAL GOVERNMENT CAN HAVE THE POWER TO CONTROL FACTIONS AND LIMIT THE CONFLICTS BETWEEN THEM AND HARMFUL EFFECTS OF THEM.

Believed a Direct Democracy and Small Republic would not be able to solve the issue of one faction becoming the majority and gaining too much power since small republics are more vulnerable to the issue of one faction becoming the majority and gaining too much power to ignore the public good because of less diversity of interests.

Direct Democracy

ALL CITIZENS in a society VOTE ON laws and policies, and policies and laws are decided by the majority.

Unlike a Republic, decisions are made by everyone, NOT A BODY OF ELECTED OFFICIALS.

Also called a “Pure Democracy”.

Federalist No. 10 opposed a direct democracy for the U.S., believing it could not solve the issue one faction gaining a majority and becoming too powerful.

Brutus No. 1 said a direct democracy would be impossible to have in a country as big as the U.S. and if the 13 states were consolidated into one big country (as the Constitution intended) because the country would be too large for the people to easily gather to discuss and make decisions as a whole.

Small Republic

A small republic is smaller in size, with a smaller number of citizens and less diversity of interests.

In a republic, the people ELECT REPRESENTATIVES TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR THEM.

Small republics are more vulnerable to the issue of one faction becoming the majority and gaining too much power to ignore the public good because of less diversity of interests.

In Brutus No. 1, it argued that in small republics it is easy to understand the interests of the people and act in the interest of public good and easier to represent a small number of people with smaller variety of interests.

Large Republic

A large republic is larger in size, with a larger number of citizens and more diversity of interests.

In a republic, the people ELECT REPRESENTATIVES TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR THEM.

Large republics are less vulnerable to the issue of one faction becoming the majority and gaining too much power to ignore the public good and only serve their own interests because more diversity of interests makes it difficult for one faction to gain too much traction.

In Federalist No. 10, Madison argued that the Constitution should be ratified and the U.S. become a large republic because factions were less likely to gain too much power if a large country elected a group of representatives to make decisions for them.

Brutus No. 1 (REQUIRED DOC)

Antifederalist paper published in response to Federalist No. 1.

Argued that the central/national government that would be established by the Constitution would be TOO STRONG, and would have ABOLSUTE POWER. FEDERAL LAW IS THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND and trumps state law.

The power given to the federal government by the Constitution is too general and vague that the federal government can pass almost any law they want to.

The central government would have the power to make laws that affect the rights of the people.

The central government would have the power to collect as many taxes as they want, and taxation is a very important power that can be used as a tool of oppression by a bad government. When the federal government uses its power to tax states, states will have a hard time raising money to support their state governments, and their state governments would lose even more power.

The federal government’s power to control the military will lead to liberty being destroyed.

States are left with a little bit of power, but overtime the federal government will use their power to destroy the power of state governments.

The Supreme court would have more power than state courts.

Wants the 13 states to be 13 CONFEDERATED REPUBLICS, EACH THEIR OWN SMALL REPUBLIC HELD TOGETHER BY AN ALLIANCE rather than be brought together as one large country under one central government.

In a small republic, it is easier to act in accordance with the public good, understand the interests of the people and easier to represent the people in a small republic with a smaller amount of people and smaller variety of opinions.

OPPOSES A LARGE Republic because thinks states should not be brought under one central government because they have too many differing interest and would constantly argue and never come to an agreement about a decision.

In a country as big as a the US, it would be impossible to represent the full diversity of interests without there being an unweildily large number of elected representatives.

In a large republic, the central government cannot attend to the concerns and wants of every different state, cannot solve local problems.

Brutus No. 1 said a direct democracy would be impossible to have in a country as big as the U.S. and if the 13 states were consolidated into one big country (as the Constitution intended) because the country would be too large for the people to easily gather to discuss and make decisions as a whole.

Federalist No. 51 (REQUIRED DOC)

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) (REQUIRED DOC)

Lopez v. United States (1995) (REQUIRED DOC)