Chapter 17 Section 3 The Government of the Republic

Anticipatory Set We have learned about many different types of government Monarchy Oligarchy Republic What were the forms of government in Rome? At different period Rome has had all of these government types Today we are going to learn how Rome began moving towards a democracy

Standards S.S. 6.7.2 E-LA Reading 6.1.3 Describe the government of the Roman Republic and its significance (e.g. written constitution and tripartite government, checks and balances, civic duty). E-LA Reading 6.1.3 Recognize the origins and meanings of frequency used foreign words in English and use these words accurately in speaking and writing.

Objective Students will learn about the government of the Roman Republic. They will learn that Rome had three branches representing three types of government: monarchy, oligarchy, and democracy.

Language of the Discipline Tripartite Dictator Cincinnatus Veto Constitution Checks and balances

Tripartite Government (Input) The Roman Republic has a tripartite, or three-part government Magistrates Senate Assembly

The Magistrates (Input) The magistrates were the main officials of the Roman Republic They represented the tradition of a monarchy 2 consuls served as the top magistrates They were elected for 1 year terms leading the government and the army, while also acting as judges and high priests Magistrates also occupied the position the king formally had. They had the power to block the other’s decisions, so they had to work together to get things done

The Magistrates (Input) When consuls left for war they appointed a dictator to serve in their place A dictator is a ruler with unlimited power The dictators served for 6 month periods or less During a war a former soldier was appointed dictator. His name was Cincinnatus. He raised an army, defeated the enemy, and handed power back to the consuls in just 16 days. The lower officials managed specific areas of government, such as collected taxes or maintenance of the road

The Senate (Input) The senate was the 2nd branch of government It represented the tradition of oligarchy The senate continued to advise the consuls, control state finances, and passed laws The original Roman Senate had 300 members who served for life They came from the oldest and richest patrician families in Rome Over time, the entrance of wealthy plebeians caused the Senate to grow

The Senate (Input)

The Assemblies (Input) 2 assemblies made up the third branch of government The 2 groups represented the democratic element The Centuriate Assembly developed from a system that placed all men in classes according to how much military equipment they could provide Wealthy patricians gained more votes than plebeians could afford less equipment

The Assemblies (Input) In the Tribal Assembly, the plebeians were in charge Over time they became a powerful force in Rome It elected tribunes, who had the power to veto other branches A veto is the power to reject a proposed action or law. It means “I forbid”

The Roman Constitution (Input) The powers of the branches were adjusted according to the Roman constitution A constitution is a set of laws and principles that forma basis for a government The Roman constitution included laws and practices that formed over time, unlike the U.S. constitution that is a single written document

The Roman Constitution (Input)

Checks and Balances (Input) The basic principles of the Roman constitution evolved during the Struggle of the Orders One principle was checks and balances Checks and balances represent a means for keeping any one branch of a government from gaining more power than the others No one branch could become too powerful Each consul had the power to veto the other This is a key feature of the U.S. government today

The Rule of Law (Input) The second basic principle was the rule of law With the passage of the Twelve Tables, Romans accepted the idea that they should be ruled by written laws, rather than whims of judges Over time the Roman law changed to give rights to the common people The law code was altered to allow plebeians to marry patricians and for one consul to be a plebeian Later laws prohibited debt bondage and allowed plebeians to become priests

The Lex Hortensia (Input) Plebeians won a great passage of a law called the Lex Hortensia which gave the Tribal Assembly the power to pass laws without the approval of the Senate or consuls The Roman Republic then became a democracy at least in theory In reality the patricians still dominated the government Members of the old aristocracy controlled the Senate and held most of the magistrate positions. They also dominated the Centuriate Assembly and had influence over the Tribal Assembly Most Roman citizens remained loyal to the Republic As long as the plebeians had the right to vote in their assembly, they felt like they had a role in the system

Check for Understanding Please determine the BEST answer for the following question. Please write your answer on your white boards and wait for the teacher’s signal. On the teacher’s signal, hold up your white boards.

Checking for Understanding #1 Fill in the blank _______________ the power to reject a proposed action or law Veto

Checking for Understanding #2 Answer the following question. Two assemblies made up the ___________ branch of government. Third

Checking for Understanding #3 Answer the following question. Why were checks and balances important to the Roman government? Check and balances were important because no one branch could become too powerful

Guided Practice/Independent Practice Complete questions 1 - 3 on the reading comprehension worksheet. Raise your hand and wait to get stamped. If you received an “R” go to the back table with Ms. Graham. Independent Practice Once you have been stamped moved to independent practice and complete numbers 4 and 5 on the reading comprehension worksheet. Homework Note-taking guide on the reverse side.