Foundations of American Government

Unit Introduction: KWL and Legitimacy

  • Subject Matter: Inquiry questions regarding the legitimacy and existence of governments.

    • Compelling Question: Why do governments exist, and what makes a government legitimate?

    • Supporting Question: What is the relationship between the government and the governed?

KWL Chart

  • Focus Area: Understanding the reasons for the existence of governments.

What I Know

  • Governments are essential for maintaining order and providing services to citizens.

  • Many governments have different forms and structures.

What I Want to Know

  • What specifically grants a government its legitimacy?

  • How do different governments operate and uphold rights?

What I Learned

  • Legitimacy is critical for governmental authority, derived from public consent rather than force alone.

The Foundations of Political Legitimacy

  • Key Inquiry: Why do we obey laws?

    • Center of Legitimacy: The popular acceptance of a government's right to exercise power.

    • Without Legitimacy: A government only rules through force; with legitimacy, it rules by consent.

Social Contract Theory

  • Developed during the Enlightenment to explain the origins of government legitimacy.

  • State of Nature: A hypothetical scenario to explore why individuals might cede absolute freedom for government authority.

Key Thinkers:

  1. Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679)

    • Perspective: Pessimistic view of human nature; life in a state of nature is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”

    • Social Contract: Individuals give up nearly all rights to a powerful absolute monarch for safety and order.

  2. John Locke (1632–1704)

    • Perspective: Positive view; humans are born with natural rights: life, liberty, and property.

    • Social Contract: A mutual agreement where people obey laws in exchange for governmental protection of their rights.

    • Legitimacy Condition: If a government fails to protect natural rights, it loses legitimacy, and the citizens have the right to revolt.

  3. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778)

    • Expansion of Ideas: Focused on the "General Will"—legitimate authority comes from collective decisions made by citizens.

    • Direct Participation: Emphasized joining together to rule rather than mere protection from the government.

  • Modern Reflection: The American political system is fundamentally built on these Enlightenment principles. The concept of government’s power originating from the “consent of the governed” traces back to the social contract theorists.

Check for Understanding

Questions:

  1. Difference Between Hobbes and Locke: Purpose of Social Contract

    1. Hobbes believed it is for safety from chaos; Locke considered it a means to protect natural rights.

    2. Define 'government legitimacy': The public's recognition and acceptance of a government's right to exercise authority.

  2. Locke’s Belief about Government Failure:

    • Locke argued that citizens should resist and overthrow a government that fails to protect their natural rights.

Comparison Chart: Types of Government

  • Compelling Question: Why do governments exist, and what makes a government legitimate?

  • Supporting Question: What are the various types of government and their operations?

  • Standard: HS.C.CP.2 - Compare and contrast government forms.

Critical Evaluations:

  • Understanding who holds power and how it is acquired is crucial for evaluating legitimacy.

Government Structures:

Government Type

Who Holds Power?

How is Power Acquired?

Historical/Current Example

Monarchy

Monarch

Inherited

United Kingdom

Dictatorship

Dictator

Force or manipulation

North Korea

Oligarchy

A small group

Status or wealth

Russia (historical)

Direct Democracy

Citizens

Voting on issues directly

Swiss referendum

Representative Democracy

Elected officials

Election by the populace

United States

Critical Thinking Reflection

  • Evaluation Request: Identify which government system best protects individual rights with two reasons supporting your choice.

U.S. Constitution Scavenger Hunt

  • Compelling Question: Why do governments exist, and what makes a government legitimate?

  • Supporting Question: How does the U.S. Constitution reflect democratic principles?

Directions:

  • Utilize a copy of the U.S. Constitution to locate specific items.

Search Item Descriptions:

Search Item / Description

Location (Article, Section or Amendment)

Six goals of the Constitution (e.g., 'establish Justice')

(Location needed)

Article describing the powers/structure of the Legislative Branch

(Location needed)

Location of the 'Necessary and Proper' clause (Elastic Clause)

(Location needed)

Article outlining qualifications/powers of the President

(Location needed)

Definition of 'Supreme Law of the Land' (Supremacy Clause)

(Location needed)

Article for amending the Constitution

(Location needed)

Amendment that protects against 'unreasonable searches and seizures'

(Location needed)

Location of protection against self-incrimination (right to remain silent)

(Location needed)

Amendment guaranteeing the right to a 'speedy and public trial'

(Location needed)

Amendment stating that powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the States/people

(Location needed)

Location of the 'Full Faith and Credit' clause

(Location needed)

Amendment that abolished slavery in the U.S.

(Location needed)

Location of the 'Equal Protection Clause' guaranteeing equal protection under the laws

(Location needed)

Amendment granting women the right to vote

(Location needed)

Amendment limiting the President to two terms

(Location needed)

Definition of Treason against the United States

(Location needed)

Amendment lowering the voting age to 18

(Location needed)

Article establishing the Judicial Branch and the Supreme Court

(Location needed)

Description of the process for the Electoral College

(Location needed)

Amendment protecting the freedom of the press and right to petition the government

(Location needed)

Critical Thinking

  • Evaluate which of the items identified has the greatest impact on daily life as a citizen and explain reasoning.

The Relationship Between Governed and Government

  • Key Inquiry: Exploring Social Contract Theory and government legitimacy.

  • Central Theme: Consent of the governed determines the moral justification of governmental power.

Primary Sources Analysis:

  1. The Declaration of Independence (1776):

    • Essential Quote: "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed… it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it."

  2. Preamble to the U.S. Constitution (1787):

    • Essential Quote: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union… do ordain and establish this Constitution."

  3. Contemporary Example (2024):

    • Citizens demonstrated against new zoning laws, emphasizing the need for elected officials to uphold accountability to voters.

Synthesis

  • Modern Perspective on Government Legitimacy:

    • Reflecting on Locke and Rousseau's ideas, consider how citizens demonstrate consent and identify actions by governments that may cause loss of legitimacy (e.g., failure to protect natural rights).

Questions for Reflection

  1. Relationship between government and the governed:

    • When government imposes high taxes, engages in war, or changes forms without public vote, and fails to protect citizen rights.

  2. Concept of 'government legitimacy':

    • Acceptance and recognition of a government's authority, rather than reliance on force.

  3. Queries on the existence and legitimacy of governments, types, and their operations.