Origins of American Government

Origins of American Government

Chapters 1 & 2

Bell Ringer

1. List things the gov’t does for us.

2. Who makes the rules at your house and list a few that you don’t like. Why do you have to have rules?

Learning Target

-Define &describe government and its basic powers

-Explain 4 characteristics of the state-Describe the purpose of gov’t in the USA &

other countries.

GOVERNMENT

1. Oldest of all human inventions. 2. 1st appeared – when humans realized that they

could not survive without some way to regulate both their own & their neighbors behavior.

3. Govt - Institution through which society makes & enforces its public policies

GOVERNMENT

4. Public Policies - things a gov’t decides to do

(taxation, defense, education, etc…)5. Types of Govt power:

- Legislative (lawmaking power)- Executive (enforce & execution power)- Judicial (power to interpret laws)

State

1. State - nation or country2. Body of people living in a defined territory,

(example)3. Organized politically with the pwr to make

& enforce law without the consent of any higher authority.

4. 190 states in the world today

State

5. 4 Main characteristics:PopulationTerritory (land with boundaries)Sovereignty (supreme power over itself)Government

4 characteristics of a state

• Population: people…(homogenous)(top 3)• Territory: land with recognized boundaries.

(world’s largest state/land)• Sovereign: has supreme/absolute power

within it’s territory. Can decide its own policies. Not subordinate to any other authority

• Government: institution by which society makes & enforces its policies.

Origins of the State

• Many theories have been developed to explain the origins of the state.

• These include the force theory, the evolutionary theory, the divine right theory, and the social contract theory.

• The force theory holds that an individual or group claims control over a territory and forces the population to submit.

• The state then becomes sovereign and those in control form a government.

The Force Theory

• The evolutionary theory says that a population formed out of primitive families.

• The heads of these families became the government.

• When these families settled in one territory and claimed it as their own, they became a sovereign state.

Evolutionary Theory

• The divine right theory holds that God created the state, making it sovereign.

• The government is made up of those chosen by God to rule a certain territory. The population must obey their ruler.

Divine Right Theory

• Checkpoint: What is the Social Contract Theory?– The social contract theory was

developed by philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean Jacques Rousseau and has had the greatest influence on United States government.

– This theory holds that the people chose to give the state enough power to promote the well-being of everyone and that all political power comes from the will of the people.

Social Contract Theory

Social Contract Theory, cont.

• Social contract theory holds that the people can withhold power from an unjust government.

• In the political cartoon, what types of government might restrict people from “having it as good as this”?

Purpose of Gov’t

1. To form a more perfect union.2. To establish justice3. To insure domestic tranquility4. To provide for the common defense

Purpose of Gov’t

5. To promote the general welfare6. To secure the blessings of liberty

(rights and patriotism) In 1781, the US adopted the Articles of

Confederation which created a firm league of friendship among the 13 states. This did not work, why?

The actual constitution was written and adopted in 1787.

Chapter 1 sec 2

Forms of Government

1. Democracy- political authority is the people- Direct democracy (pure democracy)

voting is done directly by the people in mass meetings (sm communities). - In direct democracy (national level)

Also called representative democracy because the people vote in-directly

Forms of Government

2. Dictatorship- those who rule cannot be held responsible to the will of the people (they do their own thing)

- dictatorships are authoritarian, totalitarian, militaristic. (examples)- Autocracy

Gov’t in which a single person holds unlimited political power.

Forms of Government

2. Recent Dictatorships: Fascist Italy (1922-1943)Nazi Germany (1933-1945)Soviet Union (1917-late 80’s)

Forms of Government

3. Unitary Gov’t (centralized govt) - power held by the gov’t belong to a single, central agency (Britain’s Parliament)

Forms of Government

4. Federal Gov’t- the powers of govt are divided between a central gov’t & several local gov’ts. Federal Gov’ts have a division of power. - national, state, & local govt act directly

on the people thru their own sets of laws, officials, and agencies.

Forms of Government

5. Confederate Gov’t - alliance of independent states. - powers of confederate gov’ts limited to the fields of defense and trade. -- EX – European Union (EU)

Forms of Government

6. Presidential Gov’t - the executive & legislative branches of gov’t are separate & independent of one another & coequal (Separation of Powers)

Forms of Government

7. Parliamentary Gov’t - Prime Minister or premier - the executive- Cabinet & PM are members of Parliament- The PM is the leader of the majority party. - PM selects members of the cabinet from the members of Parliament. - The executive is chosen by the legislature

& is subject to its direct control

Assignment 1

Define these terms1. Democracy2. Constitution3. dictators 4. Politics5. divine right

Assignment 2

6. Which of these terms describes a part of our American Govt?

direct democracy, indirect democracy, dictatorship, unitary government, federal government, confederation, presidential government, parliamentary government

Assignment 3

7. List 3 concerns you have about: government rules

lawspolicies.

8. What do you want the government to do about your concerns?

Assignment 4

1. Students will create one Venn diagram showing the differences & commonalities between direct and indirect democracies.

2. Students will create 1 Venn diagram to illustrate the similarities & differences in an autocracy and an oligarchy.

Video

Rise of Hitler 1 (45 min)http://youtu.be/3hEG-5_9nK4Rise of Hitler 2 (45 min)http://youtu.be/cqPc93Pvs0U

Rise of the Nazi (4 min)http://youtu.be/a2YEUhHFMHY

End of Day 1 !!

Learning Target

Students will learn the types of American colonies & the causes of the Am Rev.

Basics of Democracy

1. A recognition of the fundamental worth & dignity of every person.

2. A respect for the equality of all persons (equality of opportunity & before the law).

3. A faith in majority rule and an insistence upon minority rights.

4. An acceptance of the necessity of compromise.

5. An insistence upon the widest possible degree of individual freedom.

Democracy & Free Enterprise System

1. Democracy & Individual Freedom create FES.2. The Laws of Supply and Demand guide the Free

Enterprise System.3. Mixed economy (US)

- private enterprise exists in combination with a considerable amount of gov’t regulation.

Citizenship Overview

Duties Responsibilities

• Serving on a jury• Serving as a witness• Attending school• Paying taxes• Obeying local, state,

and national laws• Draft registration• Respecting the rights

of others

• Voting• Volunteering• Participating in civic

life• Understanding the

workings of our government

America’s Political Beginnings

Chapter 2

Basic Concepts of Gov’t

1. Created ordered govt with offices2. Limited gov’t3. Representative gov’t

- gov’t for the people

Landmark English Documents

1. The Magna Carta-- protected the people from the unlawful acts of a monarch - due process of law.

2. The Petition of Right - king could not unlawfully punish any person- martial law cannot be imposed during peacetime

The Magna Carta• Signed by King John in 1215

• Created by English barons to put limits on the once absolute power of the King.

– Guaranteed certain fundamental rights for the privileged, such as trial by jury and due process of law. Over time, these rights were extended to all English people.

The Petition of Right• The Petition of Right was

signed by King Charles I in 1628.

– Banned the king from imprisoning or punishing people without first following the laws of the land.

– Kept the king from declaring military rule in times of peace or making people house soldiers.

– Required the consent of Parliament for taxation.

Landmark English Documents

3. The English Bill of Rights - standing army in peacetime - right of a fair trial - freedom from excessive bail.

The English Bill of Rights

• Checkpoint: What were the limitations set by the English Bill of Rights?– The English Bill of Rights was drawn up by

Parliament in 1689 to prevent the abuse of power by all future monarchs.• Required the consent of Parliament for taxation

and suspension of laws.• Promised the right to a fair trial, and to petition the

monarchy to correct injustices.

American Rights

• This chart compares the rights guaranteed by the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights with the freedoms listed in the Virginia Bill of Rights and the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution.

The English Colonies

1. Charter - written grant of authority from the king.

2. Royal Colonies - subject to the direct control of the King who named a governor to serve

The English Colonies

3. Proprietary Colonies - colonies that were organized by a proprietor who appointed a gov

4. Charter Colonies - colonies that were based on charters granted by the King

Three Types of Colonies• Royal colonies were directly

controlled by the king.

• Proprietary colonies were run by a proprietor chosen by the king.

• Charter colonies were run mainly by elected legislatures and were the most independent.

– How many royal colonies were left at this time? How were royal colonies and charter colonies different?

The English Colonies

5. 1st permanent colony - Jamestown, VA (1607)

(What was 1st colony) 6. Last colony

- Savannah, GA (1733)

Causes of the Am Rev

1. Taxation without RepresentationThe Stamp Act of 1765 tax on all legal documents, business agreements, newspapers

* King George III came to power and imposed new taxes

Causes of Am Rev

2. Boston Massacre (Mar 5, 1770)- five civilians were killed by Redcoats

3. Boston Tea Party- Sons of Liberty dumped tea in Boston Harbor

4. Coercive Acts- harsh laws against the colonists

Video

Causes of Am Revhttp://youtu.be/-DnZ_ZY3lgAhttp://youtu.be/bdpirDWZ47khttp://youtu.be/3q_0v_OGg54

Am Rev Playlisthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot0AFi8h8VI&feature=share&list=PL8E31482FB575EE1D

Assignment 5

1. Each group will study 1 of the five basics of democracy.

2. Give 3 examples of the basics3. Share with the class

Assignment 6

Crossword Puzzle

Assignment 7

1. The 13 Original ColoniesType of charterDate colony was foundedPurpose of the colonyOutcome of the colony

2. Compare 2 of the 3 English Documents using a Vien Diagram.

End of Day 2 !!

Bell Ringer

Why were the English colonies important to Great Britain ?

Learning Target

Students will learn the struggles of the colonists to create a country

Growing Colonial Unity

1. The Albany Plan formation of an annual congress of delegates power to raise the military power to make war/peace power to regulate trade

Growing Colonial Unity

2. First Continental Congressdelegates urged each of the colonies to boycott all trade with England in hopes that it would force the taxes to be repealed

Growing Colonial Unity

The British gov’t refused to compromise with the colonies and the American Revolution began

3. The 2nd Continental Congress John Hancock was chosen president A continental army was formedGeorge Washington--commander in chief.

Growing Colonial Unity

4. The Articles of Confederationa. established a “firm league of friendship” among the states b. each state kept its sovereignty.c. Each state had to ratifyd. Congress was created to run the

Confederation

Growing Colonial Unity

4. The Articles of Confederation (cont)e. each state had one vote in Congressf. Congress could: make war/peace, make treaties, borrow money, set up a money system, build a navy, raise an army, and settle disputes among the States

Weaknesses of the AoC

1. One vote for each State, no matter what2. Congress did not have the power to tax3. Congress could not regulate all trade4. No executive to enforce acts of Congress5. No national court system6. Amendment only with approval from states7. A 9/13 majority required to pass laws8. Articles were only a “firm league of

friendship”

The Critical Period

1. The Am. Rev. ended October 19, 1781 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.

2. The AoC made the central gov’t unable to act. - States bickered amongst each other. - Taxed each other’s goods- Banned trade with each other- Printed their own money

Shays’ Rebellion• In 1768, former

revolutionary officer, Daniel Shays led an armed uprising of farmers.

• State troops finally ended the rebellion after rebels attacked state courts and a federal arsenal. Shays fled to Vermont.

Creating the Constitution

1. The Virginia Plan3 branches of govt (EX, LEG, JUD)State rep a State based on population.

2. The New Jersey PlanNo branches of govtSt rep would be a set number

Creating the Constitution

5. The Connecticut Compromise - combined the basic feature of VA/NJ Plan.- Two houses in Congress.

Senate - the states would have equal repHouse of Rep – rep based on state pop.

- 3/5 Compromise – count 3/5 of slaves in st- Congress could not tax state to state trade- Congress not act on slave trade for 20 yrs

Ratifying the Constitution

1. At least 9/13 states had to ratify it.2. Federalists - favored ratifying the Const

Fed stressed the AoC was weak3. Anti-Federalists - strongly opposed

ratifying the Constitution. Why??Increased power of Nat’l govtLack of Bill of Rights

Struggle for Ratification

4. After 11 States had ratified the Constitution in 1788 the States held elections for a new President.

5. The 1st Congress of the New National Government met in March 1789 in New York, NY as the temporary capital.

6. April 30, 1789 - George Washington was declared President of the USA.

Assignment 8

1. Create a timeline from Stamp Act in 1786 to the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1781.

2. Include:Causes of Am RevMajor Battles of Am Rev

Assignment 9

How people have made a difference throughout American history.

• the civil rights era of the 1960s• the issue of slavery• the fight for women’s suffrage (right to vote)• the fight for an Equal Rights Amendment• protests against the Vietnam War

Assignment 10

1.Define “patriotism.”2.Describe what patriotism means to you.3.Identify three things that make you feel

patriotic.4.Describe the best ways to show your

patriotism.

Assignment 11 Create a Country

1. Name of Country:2. National Emblem:3. Flag (picture):4. Currency (picture):5. Size:6.Population:7. Demographics:8. Budget (pie chart):

Assignment 12

1. Each group will research how Shays’ Rebellion influenced the call for the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

2. Each group will write down 2 influences.3. Allow time for each group to present its results to the class as a whole.

Video

Am Rev – 1776 (50 min)http://youtu.be/zv1QdkMdGrA

Am Rev Playlisthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot0AFi8h8VI&feature=share&list=PL8E31482FB575EE1D

End of Notes !