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Unitary Strong Central Government No Local or State involvement Deal almost directly with the people Federal all Confederation Weak Central Gov’t Strong State Gov’t Strong Federal Government Weaker State Governments Overlap in some areas; states get that is not specified Democracy • Power is in the hands of the people • Characteristics • Individual Liberty • Majority Rule with Minority Rights • Free Elections • Political Parties Totalitarian • Ruler(s) possess unlimited power • Usually come to power in a government overthrow • Uses force to control or eliminate opposition • “Sells” the program • Rulers form an elite class (monarchy, oligarchy or dictatorship) ECONOMIC SYSTEMS Free Enterprise Capitalism Profit Motive Socialism Private Ownership Competition Communism Public Ownership of the means of production. no private ownership Mixed Economy the government controls the economy Colonial Government 1700-1775 Beginnings of American Government English Influence Early Traditions – by 17th Century Limited Government Representative Government * House of Lords, 1327 - 850 * House of Commons, 1327 - 630 * Similar in Colonies No direct representation in Parliament(virtual representation) Chapter 2, Beginnings of American Government English Influence Important Documents Magna Carta, 1215 – King John * First attempt to limit absolute power * Protected nobles from arbitrary acts Petition of Rights, 1628 – Charles I * Extends rights to Commoners * No taxes without consent, trial by jury and no military rule in times of peace Chapter 2, Beginnings of American Government English Influence Important Documents English Bill of Rights - 1688 * Free parliamentary elections * Freedom from cruel and unusual punishment * Fair and speedy trial EARLY COLONIAL GOVERNMENTS Charter -Written agreement between the colony and king, set up rules of operation -Nearly self governing (CT and RI) - Elected both upper and lower houses of the Legislature Royal Colonies - Governors and Royal Councils - Bicameral Legislature - 8 Colonies: GA, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, SC and VA Proprietary Colonies - Directly controlled by a proprietor (DE, MD and PA) - Unicameral Legislature - Less resentment toward the crown Chapter 2, Beginnings of American Government Growing Resentment and Colonial unity • Navigation Acts 1660’s-1750 •English defeat the French in the French and Indian War – acquire land (1763) • Colonists should help pay for their own defense • Taxation to be enforced / new taxes coming Colonial Boycotts • Stamp Act – Boycott, 1765 • Boston Massacre, 1770 • Boston Tea Party, 1773 Chapter 2, Beginnings of American Government Continental Congresses • Coercion/ Intolerable Acts, 1774 • Sep/Oct 1774 – First Continental Congress • Declaration of Rights to King George • Second Congress in May 1775 • Apr 1775 – Lexington and Concord • Jul 1776 – Acceptance of Declaration of Independence Summary “Salutary Neglect” Relationship between “Laws written but the Monarch and the not enforced” Colonies Lack of Communication Growing Royal Anger “MercantilisM” Costs exceed revenues Triangular Trade Rum to Africa Slaves from Africa to West Indies Cash, Molasses and Sugar to the Colonies Summary Each Colony ultimately has: • • • • • Government Limited by Charter Governor Governor’s Council (charter – elected) Popularly –elected Assembly Courts and Local Government Declaration of Independence Moving toward Separation • Thomas Paine’s Common Sense• “Everything that is right or natural pleads for separation. The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, TIS TIME TO PART” • The Declaration of Independence- perhaps the most important document ever written. Spelled out not only the reasons for rebellion but also listed the rights all men have became the foundation of American political theory Structure of the document List of Lockean sounding natural rights • All men are created equal • Endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights • Life liberty and the pursuit of happiness are some of the most important rights Structure part 2 • Giving the just reasons for rebellion • When a government no longer represents its people • When the rights of a people are no longer protected by its government but rather trampled upon • It is the right of a people to abolish a government that acts in such a way List of Grievances • Most of the grievances deal with taking away the colonies rights to hold assemblies and to pass laws for their own good • The king sent his own un-elected British officials to rule over the colonies • The quartering of troops and martial law during time of peace • Taxation without representation • Waging War against the colonies • Causing Indian Insurrections Chapter 2, Beginnings of American Government THE CONFEDERATION PERIOD The Struggle for Balance • Republic – a democracy in which the supreme power lies in the citizens who vote for officials and representatives responsible to them. • Tariff – a duty or tax imposed on imported or exported goods • Shay’s Rebellion- a rebellion of discontented farmers State Constitutions Common Features of State Constitutions Popular Sovereignty Limited Government Civil Rights and Liberties Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances The principle of popular sovereignty was the basis for every new State constitution. That principle says that government can exist and function only with the consent of the governed. The people hold power and the people are sovereign. The concept of limited government was a major feature of each State constitution. The powers delegated to government were granted reluctantly and hedged with many restrictions. In every State it was made clear that the sovereign people held certain rights that the government must respect at all times. Seven of the new constitutions contained a bill of rights, setting out the “unalienable rights” held by the people. The powers granted to the new State governments were purposely divided among three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. Each branch was given powers with which to check (restrain the actions of) the other branches of the government. The Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation established “a firm league of friendship” among the States. Powers Congress was given the power to declare war, deal with national finance issues, and settle disputes among the States. Obligations The States promised to obey Congress, and to respect the laws of the other States. Most other powers were retained by each State. Northwest Ordinance of 1787 • The primary effect of the ordinance was the creation of the Northwest Territory as the first organized territory of the United States out of the region south of the Great Lakes north and west of the Ohio River, and east of the Mississippi River. • Abolition of state claims • Admission of new states • Establishment of territorial government • Establishment of civil rights • Prohibition of slavery • Definition of the Midwest as a region • Indian lands Framers of the Constitution Leaders of the Philadelphia Convention James Madison was the co-author of the Articles of Confederation. Gouverneur Morris was a lawyer who helped develop the U.S. system of money. Alexander Hamilton was a lawyer who favored a strong central government. George Washington was the successful leader of the Continental Army. Some famous leaders who were NOT at the Philadelphia Convention Patrick Henry said he “smelt a rat” and refused to attend. Samuel Adams and John Hancock were not selected as delegates by their states. Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine were in Paris. John Adams was on diplomatic missions to England and Holland. Different Constitutional Plans The Virginia Plan • Three branches of government • Bicameral legislature • “National Executive” and “National Judiciary” The New Jersey Plan • Unicameral Congress • Equal representation for States of different sizes • More than one federal executive Constitutional Compromises • The Connecticut Compromise – Delegates agreed on a bicameral Congress, one segment with equal representation for States, and the other with representation proportionate to the States’ populations. • The Three-Fifths Compromise – The Framers decided , for the purposes of taxation and representation in Congress, three slaves would equal five free men. • The Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise – Congress was forbidden from taxing exported goods, and was not allowed to act on the slave trade for 20 years. The Federalists • People such as Madison, Hamilton, and Washington • Believed a strong central government could better secure the nation from foreign invasion • Help with trade negotiations • United by a set of common ideals, goals, language, religion, history and heritage • The Federalist Papers- Hamilton, Madison, Jay • The Constitution would eliminate trade barriers set up by states who each had their own self interests in mind • One set of universal currency • The National government would take on all debt Major points of Federalists • The civic virtue alone could not be depended upon to protect basic rights. Selfishness has always been the biggest obstacle to a democratic republican form of government. • The way the Constitution separates powers and creates a system of checks and balances will protect basic rights. • The wide representation of different interests will also protect basic rights • The federalists admitted that the new national government was more powerful than the old in that it had more control of the states. But they also said it was limited to certain enumerated powers. They argued the government under the Constitution was only able to protect the rights of individuals and incapable of violating them. • Argued strongly against the addition of a Bill of Rights The Anti-Federalists • People such as George Mason, Patrick Henry, James Monroe and John Quincy Adams • Distrusted a strong centralized government like that in England • They believed that the best way to guarantee rights was to have the majority of power resting in the hands of the legislative branch • They also believed from experience and history that republican forms of government could only work on a small local level. • They believed that people living in the same communities would have each others best interests in mind (the general will) however people in South Carolina would be less likely to do what was in the best interests of the people of New Jersey. • Anti Slavery advocates said that the Constitution was a slave document • Demanded a Bill of Rights Reason for Federalist’s Success 1. The Federalists stood for something, whereas the anti’s only stood against the Constitution with no plan of their own to offer as an alternative 2. The Federalists were far more organized nationally the Anti’s were somewhat organized at the state and local levels but had no national leaders. 3. The Federalists set up the process and really controlled its proceedings from the beginning 4.The Federalist Papers as well as George Washington and Ben Franklin 5. The Promise of a Bill of Rights Creating and Ratifying the Constitution Ratification • Constitution signed Sep. 17, 1787 Nine states needed for ratification (2 years) The Federalists got their Constitution with a strong central government and a powerful executive at the helm while the AntiFederalists got a Bill of Rights.