U1: Foundations of American Democracy

Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy (15-22% Exam Weight)

1.1 Ideals of Democracy

Important Documents

● The Declaration of Independence

○ An official statement to summarize the colonist views

○ Justified colonists break from Great Britain as well as their declaration of war

○ Defined reasons for independence

● The Constitution

○ Drafted at the Philadelphia Convention

○ Successor of the Articles of Confederation

○ Established federalism

○ Established and defines the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branch, as well as articles for other political processes (ie. amendment process, national supremacy, etc.)

Major Topics

● Social Contract

○ Relationship/ mutual agreement between the people and it’s government

○ A balance between individual rights and national safety

○ The people (citizens) are the powerhouse of states

■ They can elect representatives

● John Locke & Natural Law

○ John Locke was a philosopher of the Enlightenment Era

○ Natural Law = a law that believes people are born free and equal

■ Constitution defines our natural rights as the rights to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness

■ Protected by the Bill of Rights

● Popular Sovereignty

○ The people are the ultimate ruling authority

○ Consent of the Governed = power is a result of the consent of the people

● Republicanism

○ A nation that maintains popular sovereignty and the consent of the governed through elected representatives

1.2 Types of Democracy

Important Documents

● Brutus No. 1

○ Anti-federalist argument against the ratification of the Constitution

○ Feared the national government had too much power and argued for states to hold power rather than the government

■ Feared Elastic Clause and Supremacy Clause gave federal government absolute power

● Federalist No. 10

○ Written by James Madison (federalist)

○ Argued the dangers of factions

■ Citizens united by a common interest

○ Believed that in a large republic, many factions will overlook the minority factions/opinions

Major Topics

1.3 Government Power and Individual Rights

Important Documents

● Brutus No. 1

○ Written by Anti-federalists

○ Opponents of a strong central government

■ Strong central government would be unable to accommodate the needs for all citizens

○ Proponents of small, decentralized government

● Federalist No. 10

○ Written by federalists

○ Believed a strong central government is capable of controlling the effects of factions

○ Large republic is able to control “mischief of factions”

Main Topics

● Limited Government

○ The Constitution is written in a way that limits the powers of our government

● Anti-Federalists v. Federalists

1.4 Challenges of the Articles of Confederation

Important Documents

● Articles of Confederation (1776-1789)

○ First documented government system of the US

○ States controlled the power

○ No executive or judicial branch

Main Topics

● Shay’s Rebellion

○ An uprising led by veteran Daniel Shays in Massachusetts

○ Shay and farmers attacked a federal arsenal

■ Protesting against foreclosure of their farms, debt crisis, and increased tax collection

○ Exposed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

■ Central government was unable to help Massachusetts stop the rebellion

○ Weaknesses of the AoC

1.5 Ratification of the United States Constitution

Important Documents

● Article V of the US Constitution

○ Section of the Constitution that defines the process for drafting an amendment

○ Requires a ⅔ vote from a congressional proposal or convention of the states & a final ratification from ¾ of the states

Main Topics

● Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)

○ Compromise at the Constitutional Convention between large and small states

○ Created a bicameral (two house) legislation

■ Senate is composed of equal representation from all states

■ House of Representatives is composed of representation based on the size of the state’s population

● Electoral College

○ Representatives from the states that formally elect the president and vice president

○ Electors are chosen by the states rather than Congress or the people

● Three-Fifths Compromise

○ Controversial agreement of the Constitution that defined each enslaved person as ⅗ of a person

○ Used to determine the number of representatives in the House of Representatives & electors for the election

1.6 Principles of American Government

Important Documents

● Federalist No. 51

○ Written by James Madison (federalist)

○ Explained that the separation of powers and checks and balances of the new Constitution will protect the people from a tyrannical government

Main Topics

● Separation of Powers

○ Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branches were delegated different powers

■ Legislative = Congress; makes the laws

■ Judicial= Courts; interprets the law

■ Executive= President; enforces the laws

● Checks and Balances

○ Specific powers that “check” and “balance” one branches power over another

■ Prevents one branch from becoming too strong

1.7 Relationship Between States and the Federal Government

Important Documents

● Article IV

○ States must give “full faith and credit” to the laws of other states

○ Ensures that the states are under the protection of the federal government

■ Ex: Federal government will protect the states from invasion

Main Topics

● Federalism

○ National government and state government share powers

● Types of Powers

○ Delegated or Enumerated Powers = powers exclusively belonging to the national government

○ Concurrent Powers = powers shared between the federal and state governments

○ Reserved Powers = powers reserved for the state governments

● Federal Funding

○ Categorical Grants = federal aid given with restrictions in place

■ States have to agree to federal rules

○ Block Grants = federal aid to support state programs

■ Less regulated than categorical grants

○ Mandates = Requirement state must meet

■ If federal aid is received after meeting requirements then it is a funded mandate

○ Federal Revenue Sharing = sharing federal income tax revenue with state and local government

1.8 Constitutional Interpretations of Federalism

Important Cases

● McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

○ Established supremacy clause

○ Established that Congress has implied powers (powers not explicitly stated in the Constitution) to maintain their enumerated powers

○ Increased the powers of the national government

● United States v. Lopez (1995)

○ Supreme Court Case that ruled that Congress exceeded its power under the commerce clause

■ Congress attempted to use the commerce to ban guns in school

Main Topics

● Tenth Amendment

○ Powers not given to the federal government are reserved for state governments/ the people

● Fourteenth Amendment

○ Gives citizenship, equal protection, and due process to all people born in the US

● Necessary and Proper Clause

○ Part of Article I of the Constitution

○ Gives Congress the power to create laws they deem “necessary and proper” to carry out their responsibilities

○ Also known as the Elastic Clause

● Commerce Clause

○ Part of Article I of the Constitution

○ Gives Congress the power to regulate the buying and selling of products across states (interstate commerce)

1.9 Federalism in Action

Main Topics

● Federalism

○ Power is divided between national and state government

○ Policy-making is “federalism in action”