5 to 5 AP Government Chapter 6: Architecture and Development

• government can be defined as processes to conduct public policy 
  • public policy can be defined as the exercise of government power to maintain control over society
• The Preamble of the U.S Constitution lists the goals of public policy: 
  • forming perfect union while still maintaining sovereignty 
  • establishing justice 
  • preserve public order
  • provide protection 
  • provide public services
  • promote individual freedom 
• Forms of government
  • anarchy - lacks form on government 
  • autocracy - ruled by one including: absolute monarchy (power through inheritance), constitutional monarchy (power through influence), and dictatorship (ruler takes power)
  • oligarchy - rule by a few including: aristocracy (ruled by the elite) and theocracy (ruled by religious leaders)
  • democracy - rule by the people including: direct and representative democracies 
• Theories of Democratic Government - theories about who has power and/or influence on society 
  • traditional democratic theories: government depends on the thoughts of the people and can be through representatives 
  • pluralist theories: interest groups compete to promote their own policies (Robert Dahl)
  • elite theories: a group of people create an upper class and rule in their own self interest (C. Wright Mills)
  • bureaucracy theories: hierarchy of people governed by strict rules (Max Weber)
  • hyperpluralism: belief that democracy is a system of many groups causing the government to be pulled into multiple directions 
• democratic governments began with the greeks and romans which influenced the founding fathers
• the Magna Carta was the first attempt to reduce British power 
• the petition of right was used tao extend the power of the Magna Carta to include commoners 
• English Bill of Rights was an agreement between Parliament and King William and Queen Mary to prevent monarchs from abusing their power 
• the Bill of Rights guaranteed free parliamentary elections
• During the Enlightenment Era, philosophers like John Locke supported social contract which was an agreement between the government and the people
• Locke argued that people are born with natural rights to life, liberty, and property (natural law)
• Thomas Jefferson then adopted these ideas in the Declaration of Independence
• American colonies were in self-development. This was due to: long distance from England, indifference of the colonists to the king’s authority, and political authority
• the new government was then founded on new principles: 
  • colonial charters: each colony was founded on a charter which gave the colony political authority
  • house of burgesses: 1619 Virginia created representatives but only for men 
  • mayflower compact: 1620 colonists signed compact to establish a government
  • after the French and Indian War in 1756-1763, Britain wanted colonies to pay cost of the war which resulted in the increase in taxes 
  • the First Continental Congress included delegates from the 12 colonies 
  • the Second Continental Congress became the first national government which included the 13 colonies 
    • created the continental army, a monetary system, and wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of   Confederation
• Declaration of Independence: mainly done by Thomas Jefferson taking ideas from John Locke which included a statement on colonial unity and separation from Britain
• Articles of Confederation: first national constitution with weak national government, no national judicial or executive branch, congress could not tax or regulate commerce and each state had one vote 
  • as a result the states had central state control leading to them taxing other states, make their own money, make treaties, and openly ignore the Confederation government 
  • Philadelphia 1787 - Constitutional Convention to revise the Articles of Confederation
• Constitutional Convention
  • decided to rewrite instead of revise the articles that would include 3 branches 
  • Virginia Plan: 
    • includes an upper class and a lower class 
    • representation based on state population 
    • single executive chosen by the legislative branch, can be removed by Congress and limited to one term 
    • judges chosen by legislative branch 
  • New Jersey Plan: 
    • representatives chosen by the legislature
    • representation in the House would be equal despite population 
    • multiple executives chosen by the legislative branch, can be removed by the people
    • judges appointed for life by the executives
  • Connecticut  Compromise 
    • bicameral legislature (upper and lower class)
    • representation based on population in the lower class and equal representation in the upper class
    • second compromise concerned the counting of slaves for the purpose to determine population and for taxation
    • south wanted slaves to be counted for representation but not taxation
    • north wanted slaves counted for taxation but not for representation
      • Three-Fifths Compromise: three-fifths of its slave population would count for both representation and taxation
      • Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise resolved differences
        between southern and northern states and congress wasn't able to from tax exports from states and they couldn't ban the slave trade for 20 years
• Ratification  of the Constitution created a large divide between those for and those against the constitution
  • Federalists: 
    • supported a stronger central government with expanded legislative powers
    • cause was helped by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay 
    • collection of 85 essays published in the New York newspapers called the Federalist Papers helped defend government
    • believed checks and balances would help abuse 
  • Anti Federalists: 
    • believed that the new Constitution gave too much power to the national government 
    • the lack of a Bill of Rights, ensuring fundamental liberties
    • wanted strong state governments 
    • wanted fewer limits on popular participation
• The Constitution 
  • limited government - belief that government is not all-powerful
  • popular sovereignty - the people are the source of government’s authority
  • separation of powers - power is separated among three branches of government; each has its own powers and duties 
  • checks and balances - each branch is subject to restraints by the other two branches
• Federalism - a division of governmental powers between the national government and the states
• Amendments may be proposed in Congress by two methods and ratified by two methods, creating four possible methods for formally amending the Constitution including: 
  • proposed by 2/3 of each house of Congress and ratified by 3/4 of the state legislatures
  • proposed by 2/3 of each house of Congress and ratified by special conventions in at least 3/4 of the states 
  • proposed by a national convention called by Congress at the request of 2/3 of the state legislatures and ratified by 3/4 of the state legislatures (never used)
  • proposed by a national convention called by Congress at the request of 2/3 of the state legislatures and ratified by special conventions in at least 3/4 of the states (never used)
• Informal changes in the Constitution may occur by:
  • legislative actions - congress pass various acts that have altered ormade clear the meaning of the Constitution
  • executive actions - presidents use their powers can create informal amendments and expand presidential authority. The use of executive agreements allows the president to bypass the Senate
  • judicial review - people who serve as judges and the times in which they serve affect how courts interpret laws
  • custom and usage - Traditions that have been incorporated into the political system and which have lasted over time have changed the meaning of the Constitution such as “no-third-term” for presidents
• Marbury vs Madison (1803) - established the principle of judicial review and was the first time the Court declared an act of Congress unconstitutional