AMERICAN CIVILIZATION THE POLITICAL SYSTEM

THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION Republican form of government Montesquieau The Spirit of Laws -Separation of powers Madison “If people were angels no government would be necessary” WHO GETS WHAT, WHEN AND HOW-Harold Laswell

THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION A mistrust of the average individual Greek political philosophy Polish and Iroquois Constitutions

MADISON FEDERALIST 51 ”If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions.”

THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION Structure: Preamble ”We the People” Article One: Powers of Congress: to lay and collect taxes, to raise an army, to declare war, to coin money, necessary and proper or elastic clause

THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION Article Two: Powers of the Executive: commander in chief, appoint ambassadors, nominate to Supreme Court, makes treaties Article Three: Powers of the Judiciary: there shall be one Supreme Court and several inferior courts below

THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION Article Four: Interstate Relations Article Five: Amendment process Article Six: Supremacy clause Article Seven: Ratification: Nine states were required, first: Delaware, ninth: New Hampshire, Constitution goes into effect in June 1788

THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION Separation of Powers three branches of government Checks and Balances built in guarantees that none of the three branches can dominate the other Congress: impeachment “High crimes and misdemeanors”, Senate: advice and consent, override veto President: veto power, pocket veto, nominates to Supreme Court Supreme Court judicial review the power to decide whether the acts of Congress or the President are constitutional or not Federalism: The division of power between the state and central government : federal and state income tax

BASIC FEATURES Resulting from Connecticut Compromise Bicameral legislation House of Representatives: 435 seats, representation is based on population Senate: 100 seats, representation is equal As a group tends to vote on the conservative side Senate: 6 year term, House: 2 year term

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PRESIDENCY Natural born citizen: to avoid divided loyalties 35 years old, must have lived in country for 14 years before taking office Youngest President: Theodore Roosevelt (42) Oldest President: Ronald Reagan (69) Elected for 2 (4 year terms) only Grover Cleveland 1884, 1892

POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT Commander in chief Chief executive: head of the executive branch Chief legislator: bills must be signed by him to become law, can recommend legislation, State of the Union address Chief diplomat: treaty making power, appointing ambassadors Chief of state Chief of his political party

THE POWER TO PERSUADE The president as a negotiator What can the president offer: patronage appointments, contracts and programs for their constitutients Quid pro quo: specific exchange of favors A leader is a man who has the ability to get other people to do what they want to do and like it—Harry Truman

PRESIDENTIAL IMAGES T. Roosevelt: The use of newspapers, photographs, early films. FDR: fireside chat, we have nothing to fear but fear itself JFK-Nixon debate, JFK’s inauguration speech Nixon: „I am not a crook” speech Reagan-Carter debate Reagan after assassination attempt ” forgot to duck” Bush bloopers Obama in Japan

OBAMA IN JAPAN

REPUBLICANISM Popular sovereignty Indirect democracy Power is exercised through elected representatives What have you wrought? A republic if you can keep it

THE CONSTITUTION AND THE PEOPLE A living document, 27 amendments An important symbol Unifying, legitimizing, providing security and safety Protects the majority against the concentration of power in too few hands

POLITICAL PARTIES Two party system: Origin: end of the eighteenth century: Federalists-Democratic Republicans Democratic Party: 1820’s Republican Party: 1854 Third parties: not as successful, but agenda built in the platform of major parties: I.e.: demand for Social Security was adopted by FDR in 1935