Transcript Roots of American Democracy









Types of Government
English Government
Enlightenment
Colonial Period
Revolutionary Period
Articles of Confederation
Constitutional Convention
The Constitution





Monarchy - These systems have been and are used by nations
throughout the world. In these systems, one person has control
of government. In a monarchy, it is held by a king, queen, or
ruling family (Sultan). This power is passed on through family
succession.
In a dictatorship, power is often seized by force; by a military
force or group. Power is usually passed on to the next in line of
people who share this philosophy.
(Monarchy) – England, Spain, France – Until 18th and 19th
centuries. Today many of these are constitutional monarchs.
Saudi Arabia today.
Dictatorship – Nazi Germany under Hitler; Fidel Castro (Cuba)
Types of Authoritarian Governments – Absolute Monarch,
Dictatorship/Totalitarianism/Autocracy, Aristocracy, Theocracy,
Oligarchy




This system is based on the philosophies of John Locke and
Montesquieu. Later, the founding fathers of the United States
extended these principles. Men such as Thomas Jefferson and
Thomas Paine.
(Problem) – For these philosophers, the problem could be explained
by a government, in many cases a monarch having too much power.
Most of these men agreed that individuals had natural rights, and
that if any person had too much power, these rights would not be
protected. The answer was to have elected government, with a
system of checks and balances.
Many nations are experimenting with these ideas of government.
US – Representative Democracy.
Types of Democratic Governments – Direct Democracy,
Representative Democracy/Democratic Republic, Constitutional
Monarchy
Before the Magna Carta


The Monarch (King or Queen)
had absolute authority.
Decisions of taxing, use of
the military, making and
enforcing laws all were made
by the monarch.
After the Magna Carta
A Common Counsel was
created made up of Nobles
(large landowners and church
officials)
Changes After the Magna Carta

Taxes (consult common
counsel)

Must have witness to crime.

Trial by Jury

English Church free of
Monarch Control



HOUSE OF LORDS
Made up of Nobles
Seat is Inherited
HOUSE OF COMMONS
 Members are Elected
 Come from Towns &
Cities throughout
England
 Representative
Democracy
Parliament has following powers in English Government
1.
2.
3.
Power to Tax
Make Laws
Control of the Nation’s Army




A system of law based on precedents.
A precedent is an earlier decision made by a
judge that serves as a model for future cases.
Over time common law creates a system of
consistent rulings.
English Common Law has been used in the
development of contracts, marriages, etc… in the
United States.

During the Enlightenment Period many ideas
that influenced the Framers of the United
States Government developed. These ideas
are seen in the Declaration of Independence
and the Constitution.
Enlightenment Philosophers


John Locke – natural rights, purpose of government
Montesquieu – separation of power, checks & balances


Hobbes was an English philosopher. He was older
than Locke, but they lived at the same time.
Hobbes described life in a “state of nature” as
“nasty, brutish, and short”.
He felt that people entered into a social contract
for fear of a violent death. Hobbes unlike Locke
believed in the divine right of kings. This meant
that the ruler obtained absolute power, and the
people had no right to question his/her rule or
revolt.



Locke was an English philosopher who lived during
the English Civil War. He believed that God
granted man 3 natural rights (life, liberty,
property).
Locke said that people entered into a social
contract with their government. People agreed to
pay taxes and follow reasonable laws. The
government in exchange must protect these
natural rights.
Locke believed if government did not protect
these natural rights, the government had broken
the contract. In this case, the people had the
right to overthrow the government.


Montesquieu was an important philosopher in the
development of the American democracy.
Montesquieu came up with the idea of a
separation of power.
He felt that if one person obtained all power,
there could be no liberty. He felt that there
should be a separation between the legislative,
executive, and judicial. Power should be a check
on power. “Power corrupts, absolute power
corrupts absolutely.”

The following map shows
European Countries and
where each set up colonies
in the New World.
Mercantilism



Economic Policy that a
country should sell more
goods to other countries
than it buys.
EXPORT > IMPORT
Salutary Neglect –
England will allow colonies
to rule themselves. Need
raw materials.
Colonial Period



Colony – A group of people
in one place ruled by a
government in another.
European Nations began
to colonize the Americas.
Colonies provided mother
country with a cheap
source of raw materials,
could then produce
finished products to
export to colonies, and
other parts of the world.
JAMESTOWN COLONY



Representative
Democracy
House of Burgesses
22 Members - House of
Burgesses were elected
by colonists
PLYMOUTH COLONY



Colonists on the
Mayflower signed a
document called the
Mayflower Compact.
The Mayflower Compact
created a direct
democracy.
Members of the colony
would come together
periodically, and vote
on the direction the
colony would take.
Colonies
Motivations
New
England
Colonies
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
Connecticut
Rhode Island
Mainly religious
dissenters –
Puritans did
not believe in
toleration
Middle
Colonies
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Delaware
Mainly religious Farming –
dissenters –
wheat & other
Quakers (Penn) cash crops;
industry –
mines, etc…
Maryland
Virginia
NC, SC
Georgia
Economic
Reasons –
indentured
servants &
slavery
Southern
Colonies
Economy
Small scale
farming; small
business &
shipbuilding
Agriculture –
large scale
plantation
farming
COLONIAL
GOVERNMENTS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
• Governor
• Appointed by
King or Elected
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
• Many were Bicameral
• Elected Members
• Representative
Democracy
JUDICIAL BRANCH
• Judges were appointed
by King
• Trial by Jury




The French & Indian War resulted from a land
dispute between the French & the English. Fought in
the mid 1750’s, the British came out of the war
having gained territory in the Americas.
This war however had disastrous effects on the
relationship between the British and the colonies.
Due to fighting with the French in the Americas and
in Europe, England was in debt. The English felt that
the colonies should pay for the French & Indian War.
The Colonists felt that protection was a part of the
relationship between the British & The Colonies.
BEFORE
AFTER
CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION











Navigation Acts (1660)
Sugar Act (1764)
Stamp Act (1765)
Quartering Act (1765)
Townshend Acts (1767)
Writs of Assistance
Proclamation Act (1767)
Boston Massacre (1770)
Tea Act (1773)
Coercive (Intolerable) Acts (1774)
Battles of Lexington & Concord
(Massachusetts)
COLONIAL OPPOSITION
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Albany Plan of Union (1754)
Sons of Liberty – Stamp Act
Stamp Act Congress
Committees of Correspondence
Boston Tea Party
Thomas Paine – Common Sense
COLONIAL SOLUTUIONS


1st Continental Congress –
drafted letter to King and
Parliament demanding rights be
restored.
2nd Continental Congress –
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Declaration of Independence (1776)

Revolutionary War (1776-1783)

Articles of Confederation (1781)

Treaty of Paris (1783)

United States gains Independence

British troops to leave US soil

United States gains land to the Mississippi
River
GOVERNMENT

Congress – Each State had one Vote.
Powers of Congress






Make Laws
Declare War & Make Peace
Make Treaties & Alliances
Borrow Money
Maintain Army & Navy
Other Less Important Matters
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Congress – Limited Powers (most needed 9 of 13
states to agree)
No Executive Branch – Enforce Laws
No Judicial Branch – Settle State Disputes
No Power to Tax
No Money = No Military
Amendments – Needed Approval of all 13 States





British troops have not left US soil.
French/Spanish will not allow use of
Mississippi River.
Debts contracted during the Revolutionary
War have not been paid.
Shay’s Rebellion.
Economy is very poor.
VIRGINIA PLAN



3 Separate Branches
(legislative will elect other
2)
Bicameral Legislature
(based on population & $
contributions)
Authority to cancel
conflicting state laws
NEW JERSEY PLAN



Unicameral Legislature (1
vote)
Plural Executive – selected
by Congress
Supreme Court – appointed
for life by the executive
GREAT COMPROMISE
(AKA – Sherman or Connecticut)
1) Congress – Bicameral

House of Representatives –
based on population, directly
elected by the people

Senate – 2 Representatives
per state – chosen by state
legislatures
2) 3/5 Compromise – Every 5
Slaves would count as 3
persons for population &
taxing
3) Economics

President enters into treaties

Slave trade not prohibited (20
years)

Congress cannot tax exports

Treaties – 2/3 Senate
approval



Wrote a collection of essays in support of the new
Constitution.
The purpose of the essays was to show how the new
Constitution would solve many of the problems that existed
under the Articles of Confederation.
Three men combined to write 85 of the essays.






Criticized the adoption of the Constitution of 1787.
Opposition to slavery – continue to exist under the new
Constitution.
States would lose power under the Constitution.
Federal Government would be too powerful. People still fear a
strong central government.
#1 opposition – NO BILL of RIGHTS!
Anti-Federalists (Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, John
Hancock, Richard Henry Lee, George Mason)




1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
PREAMBLE
A preamble is an introduction. The introduction to the
Constitution lists the goals of the Constitution.
The goals of the Constitution refer to problems under the Articles
of Confederation.
GOALS OF THE CONSTITUTION
Form a More Perfect Union
Establish Justice
Insure Domestic Tranquility
Provide for the Common Defense
Promote the General Welfare
Secure the Blessings of Liberty to Ourselves and Our
Posterity
7 ARTICLES OF THE CONSTITUTION
Article I
Legislative Branch
Article II
Executive Branch
Article III Judicial Branch
Article IV
States and the Federal Government
Article V
Amendment Process
Article VI
Supremacy of National Law
Article VII Ratification
HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES


Based on State Population
Directly Elected by People



MAJOR POWERS OF
CONGRESS








Tax
Declare War
Raise/Maintain and Army
Regulate Interstate Trade
Tax Imports
Create Postal System
Coin Money
Create Lower Federal Courts
SENATE
2 Per State
Originally selected by
State Legislatures
Today Directly Elected
POWERS DENIED CONGRESS
•
•
•
•
Suspend Writ of Habeas
Corpus
Pass Bills of Attainder
Ex Post Facto Law
Tax Exports






ROLES OF THE
PRESIDENT
Chief Executive
Commander-in-Chief
Legislative Leader
Judicial Leader
Chief of State
Foreign Policy Maker
POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT

Enforce laws passed by
Congress

Send troops into battle

Enter into Treaties

Appoint Federal Judges

Appoint Ambassadors

Grant Pardons - Reprieves
SUPREME COURT



9 Justices – Appointed by the President
Justices serve life terms.
Supreme Court oversees actions of Congress and the
President. Court uses the Constitution to make sure
government actions are Constitutional.
FEDERAL to STATE
STATE to STATE


Respect laws, contracts,
etc.. Full Faith & Credit
Extradition – send criminal
to stand trial in other
states.



Rules for admitting
new states to the
Union
Republican form of
Government
Protect against
invasion
PROPOSAL


Amendments to the
Constitution must be
approved by 2/3 of both
houses of Congress to be
proposed
(or)
2/3 of the states call for
a national convention for
the proposal of an
amendment
RATIFICATION

Amendments must be
ratified by ¾ of the State
Legislatures
1.
2.
3.
All debts contracted under the Articles of
Confederation will be honored by US Government
US Constitution, Federal Law, and Treaties are
the Supreme Law of the Land (Supremacy Clause)
All Federal Public Officials will take an oath to
protect and support the Constitution
>

For the Constitution to go into effect, it had to
be ratified, approved by 9 of 13 states.
RATIFICATION
9 of 13 STATES

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
These are major concepts embedded in the Constitution.
Each of these concepts are important ideas that deal with
limiting the power of government, and ensuring that the
people retain power and rights.
Popular Sovereignty – The people rule.
Limited Government – The people retain certain rights that
cannot be denied by the government.
Federalism – The states and the federal government share
power.
Separation of Power – 3 Branches + Checks & Balances.
Rule of Law – Everyone must follow the law.










Amendment 1 – Freedom of Speech, Press, Religion,
Petition, & Assembly
Amendment 2 – Right to Bear Arms
Amendment 3 – Quartering of Soldiers
Amendment 4 – Search & Seizure
Amendment 5 – Rights of the Accused
Amendment 6 – Requirements for a Jury Trial
Amendment 7 – Rules of Common Law
Amendment 8 – Limits on Criminal Punishment
Amendment 9 – Rights Kept by the People
Amendment 10 – Powers of the States and the People









Amendment
Amendment
Amendment
Amendment
Amendment
Amendment
Amendment
Amendment
Amendment
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Suits Against States
Presidential Election Method
Slavery Abolished
Civil Rights Guaranteed
Black voting Rights
Income Tax
Direct Election of Senators
Prohibition
Women’s Voting Rights








Amendment
Succession
Amendment
Amendment
Amendment
Amendment
Amendment
Amendment
Amendment
20 – Terms of Office and Presidential
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Repeal of Prohibition
Limits on Presidential Terms
Electors for the District of Columbia
Abolition of Poll Tax
Presidential Disability
Voting Age
Congressional Pay