American Government Or How to not set up a monarchy

Basic Principles of American Government The new federal government was established in 1789 with George Washington being elected the first president of the United States. The new government included the following basic principles: Popular Sovereignty- (Democracy) The authority for government originates from the people. (Amendment IX and the Preamble) Individual Rights- Unalienable rights are guaranteed to all citizens in the Preamble and the Bill of Rights. Federalism- The federal system divides governmental powers between national government and the state governments. (10th Amendment)

Separation of Powers The structure of the new national government established three separate branches of government to limit the power of any one branch. 1.The Legislative Branch is the United States Congress which makes the laws. I.Congress is a two-house legislature a.Senate: To be equal for all states there are 100 members b.House of Representatives: H of R is based on population. There are The Judicial Branch consists of federal courts. I.The highest court is the Supreme Court a.The Supreme Court determines if laws made by Congress are constitutional. 3.The Executive Branch is headed by the President I.The Executive Branch carries out or enforces the laws. a.The Vice President and the Secretaries of all departments are also in the Executive branch.

Legislative Judicial Executive

Basic Principles of American Government Checks & Balances- Each branch can check the power of the other. These checks keep any one branch from gaining too much power. Limited Government - Powers of the government are restricted by the Constitution as stated in Articles I, II, and III and by the Bill of Rights which protects the rights of the individual against excessive power by the government. Representative Democracy (republicanism) - The constitution recognizes that the authority of the government derives from “We, the people.” Voters hold the sovereign power but elect representatives to exercise power for them, including the president, Senators and Representatives (The Preamble and Article I, II). Most state governments mirror the organization of the national government, with an executive, legislative and judicial branch including the concepts listed above, such as checks and balances.

A New U.S. Economy Alexander Hamilton became Secretary of the Treasury. He called for an economic policy that would strengthen the national government using 4 important strategies. 1.Hamilton proposed that the federal government pay the debt from the Revolutionary War 2.He wanted the national government to assume the debts of the states from the war 3.He called for a national bank to issue bank notes and collect taxes. 4.Finally, Hamilton asked Congress to pass a high protective tariff (tax/duty) on imported goods, to encourage Americans to make goods at home, rather than buy them from overseas. (This did not get passed)

The Two Political Parties Two political parties developed as a result of disagreements over these proposals. The Federalists were led by Alexander Hamilton and supported the policies of Hamilton. – The Federalists believed in a strong central government that would promote trade and industry. – Most Federalists were from New England. – The Lowcountry elite from S.C. tended to support the Federalists The Democratic-Republicans (Antifederalists) were led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison and opposed Hamilton’s proposals. – D-R believed that states should have more rights and the federal government should not be so strong – Those from the Upcountry of S.C. supported the Democratic- Republicans.

Disagreement Over Banks The biggest controversy was over the creation of a national bank. Democratic-Republicans say the Constitution did not specifically grant Congress the right to create a national bank. Federalists argued that a bank was necessary for the power to tax and control commerce which was granted to the national government in the Constitution. Washington sided with the Federalists and signed into law a bill creating the First National Bank. The protective tariff bill did not pass because the Democratic- Republicans favored a republic of small farmers and shopkeepers rather than manufacturing.

Disagreement over Foreign Policy The two political parties also disagreed over foreign policy. When the French Revolution began in 1789, the Democratic-Republicans supported the French in the overthrow of their king. When the French declared war on Britain The Federalists sided with Britain hoping to secure more trade. George Washington issued a Proclamation of Neutrality and the United States attempted to remain neutral in the Napoleonic Wars.

XYZ Affair The French threatened to declare war on U.S. 2 nd President and Federalist, John Adams sent South Carolinian Charles Cotesworth Pinckney to negotiate peace with France. Pinckney and two other Americans met secretly with 3 representatives of the French government (X, Y, and Z) who asked for a bribe ($250,000) before they would begin discussions. Angered, Pinckney replied, “No, no, not a sixpence.” The incident became known as the X, Y, Z Affair and it made Charles Cotesworth Pinckney a national hero. It also brought the emerging political parties into more conflict.

Alien & Sedition Acts Democratic-Republicans criticized President John Adams in their party newspapers. Angry about the insults, Federalists passed the Alien & Sedition Acts which was designed to limit the growth of the D–R Party and to silence its newspapers. – Several newspaper publishers were even thrown in jail Constitutionally what is wrong with the Federalists trying to silence the opposition? D–R claimed the Alien & Sedition Acts was an attack on their First Amendment rights; freedom of speech & the press. Anti-federalists’ Jefferson and Madison wrote the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions saying that states had the right to cancel any act of Congress that they found to be unconstitutional such as the Alien & Sedition Acts. These resolutions became a foundation of the states’ rights doctrine

Events Leading to the War of 1812 Controversy over the Alien and Sedition Acts contributed to the election of Thomas Jefferson as president in The Napoleonic Wars continued and Americans traded with both the British and the French. The British practice of impressment, pressing into service American sailors they claimed were British citizens, became a major grievance. In 1807, Congress passed the Embargo Act to stop American trade with both Britain and France. The embargo devastated the American shipping industry based in New England, a Federalist region. Federalists opposed both the embargo and later the War of 1812.

War of 1812 Democratic-Republicans living in the West accused the British of urging Native Americans to attack American settlers. When a British ship fired on an American ship, protest meetings were held all over S.C. In 1810, War Hawk John C. Calhoun was elected to Congress from South Carolina and urged Congress to declare war on Britain. In 1812, the U.S. declared war on Britain and invaded Canada where the American army was defeated. In 1814, a British army attacked Washington, D. C. and set fire to the capital and the president’s house [later the White House].

Nationalism Although the treaty that ended the war brought no exchange of lands the War of 1812 brought a new surge of pride in America, also known as nationalism. The Federalist Party died as a result of their opposition to the war and because Democratic-Republicans, including John C. Calhoun, began to support Federalist policies including a protective tariff and the national bank.