1. The Roots of American Democracy

2. What is democracy and where did our system come from?

3. Democracy
a :  government by the people; especially :  rule of the majority
b :  a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections
c:  the absence of hereditary or arbitrary class distinctions or privileges

4. Are we really a democracy?

5. Did Americans invent democracy?
Let’s figure out where it came from.

6. What is the difference between direct democracy and republican democracy?
Hint: One means that everyone votes or helps decide the other means you vote for people who vote for you.

7. Roots (Sources) of Democracy
Here is the deal…. We did not invent our system of government, although the United States is often considered the leader of democracy.
We borrowed ideas.
Does that make us smart or foolish?
Religion and Philosophy
Other countries:
Rome, England, France
Enlightenment Ideals
Our own unique American systems

8. Religious & Classical Roots
natural law, the idea that a universal set of moral principles existed. Natural law are truths that exist as a universal truth, not based on religion or people’s thoughts. A simple way to think of it, is, “it’s just a truth one cannot deny.”
Christianity, a religion that heavily impacted our nation’s development, embraced teachings of natural law. Many Christian concepts are recognition of natural law. (it’s wrong to lie, you shouldn’t kill someone, stealing is not acceptable)
In theory, then, athieists and Christians and people of all different religions could agree on law if those people accepted natural law.
While our government is not based on religious teachings, we can definitely see the impact of Christian values and natural law on the first forms of American law.
Many colonists believed that a human law that violated natural law was unjust and should be changed.

9. Do YOU think there such a thing as natural law?
What are some examples of natural law?

10. Classical Roots (Think Rome, Greece, Han China)
Classical refers to the time period of some of the first sophisticated govts. When you think of “Rome” and “Greece” or Han China, this is the classical era, where humans developed the first somewhat modern forms of government.
American founding fathers were well-read and looked to these examples to borrow ideas for a strong society.
Ancient Greeks introduced the idea of direct democracy, or decision making by all citizens. Direct Democracy took root in New England’s town meetings, where citizens gathered to solve local problems.

11. Direct Democracy: Can that really work?

12. Religious & Classical Roots Cont.
From Ancient Romans came the idea of Representative government, or a Republic, decision making by elected officials. This idea would be the basis of US government. Notice in the Pledge of Allegiance, we say, “Pledge allegiance to the flag….. And to the republic for which it stands..”
Rome also called its elected body of representatives the Senate and called rep. “Senators”

13. Other Nations: English Roots
With natural ties to Europe, American founders borrowed ideas from England and France.
The Magna Carta defined the rights and duties of English nobles, set limits on the monarch’s power, and established the principle of the rule of law. The colonists had great respect for the traditions of English government

14. English Roots
The Petition of Right demonstrated the idea of limited government by affirming that the king’s power was not absolute. The idea of limited government was one of the principles that colonists admired in English government.

15. English Roots
The English Bill of Rights reaffirmed the principle of individual rights established by earlier documents. One reason the colonists rebelled was to secure their individuals rights, which they believed had been denied to them.

16. The Enlightenment: 1700s
Historical time period, in the 1700s, in reaction to the rise of Absolute monarchs who ruled without any restraints, European thinkers began to question government and society. Is this right? What is the best form of government? And how should society look?
Enlightenment thinkers and writers challenged monarchies and abuse of power.
They proposed new ideas and concepts that called for changes in govt.
Enlightenment teachings proposed that knowledge and information should be available to all people.
Examples of new ideas: Public access to information, freedom of speech, political satire, freedom of religion, limited government, popular sovereignty, checks and balances, social contract theory.

17. The Enlightenment: English Roots
John Locke wrote about the idea that all people were equal and enjoyed certain natural rights, such as the right to life, liberty, ad property. This idea exerted a powerful influence on colonial thinkers and would be used to justify the revolution.
Govt exists to protect people
And their natural rights.
All men are born with these rights. If govt does not protect men, they have a right to rebellion.

18. English Enlightenment
Thomas Hobbes first introduced the idea that government was the result of a social contract between people and their rulers. His social-contract theory laid the groundwork for the idea that government was formed by the consent of the people.
People give up freedom and agree to be ruled in return for protection and law and order

19. French Enlightenment
Montesquieu introduced the idea of separation of powers, in which governments are organized to prevent any one person or group from dominating others. Americans applied this idea to their colonial governments.

20. French Enlightenment Cont.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed in the idea that a government formed by a social contract. Social contract means that people give power and permission to the government in return for protection of rights and safety.
popular sovereignty. Concept that the government only exists by the permission of the people. “sovereignty” means power, so popular sovereignty means power based on people agreeing to give it to you.

21. From Ideas to Independence
1620, Mayflower Compact = direct democracy at work
Before settlers from the Mayflower landed, they drew up this compact for governing their new colony.
They agreed to live in a civil body politic and obey just and equal laws enacted by representatives.
1st written framework for self-government in the colonies.

22. From Ideas to Independence
1776, Declaration of Independence
Called for a final break between the colonies and Britain due to growing unrest over government laws that took money and trade from colonists without any representation.
In other words, the king had broken the “social contract” by NOT protecting the rights of the people.
It set a vision for a new kind of nation in which the government is formed to protect people’s unalienable rights and gets its powers from the consent of the governed.
How did the colonists want govt. to change?

23. Post Revolution: Now What?
So we broke away from England, now what?

24. What was so bad about our first government? Articles of confederation
State govts
National govt
Confederacy =
state govts have power over national govt.

25. States have power over the national government: Can this work?
From 1781 – 1787, the Articles of Confederation was the system in which we operated.
The Articles preserved state power over national power.
The United States, as a new nation, almost crumbled during this time period.

26. Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
Congress could not force states to pay taxes
Congress could not regulate trade among states
Amendments to the requirements required unanimous agreement
Congress could not create a national currency
No executive or judicial branch
No power to raise a national army
No consequences for states that don’t follow national law.

27. Roots of Government: Constitution
The American Experiment Begins

28. Constitutional Convention Major Questions
What powers are reserved for the states?
Should we have more than one president or head of executive branch?
Does the national government have authority to control money and trade?
What about slavery?
What about representation? Is it based on statehood or population?
How should the president be elected?
One house or two houses of Congress?

29. Fixing Problems and Forming a New Government: Constitutional Convention
1st issue was how to determine representation in the new government.
Some delegates favored a unicameral legislature in which all states had equal representation.
Others favored a bicameral legislature with representation based on population.
The resolution was to have a bicameral legislature. In one house, representation was based on population. The other house had equal state representation.

31. Major Challenges at the Constitutional Convention
2nd challenge was over slavery. The resolution was to count slaves as 3/5 of a free person for determining taxation and representation.

32. Major Challenges at the Constitutional Convention
3rd Challenge – how to choose the president.
(At first we had to decide how MANY chief executives to have.) Some argued for a 2 person presidency.
Some delegates thought Congress should do it, while others favored popular elections. The resolution was to set up the Electoral College.

33. Why can’t we just let people vote for president?

34. What we agreed on: Articles of Confederation were failing.
Primary goal was to avoid tyranny and provide for a republican form of government.
Prevent domination by foreign nations seeking to re-colonize or capture the newly independent nation.

35. What we didn’t agree on: The Constitution Federalists v
What we didn’t agree on: The Constitution Federalists v. Anti-Federalists
Pro-Constitution
Anti-Constitution
Federalists you probably know: John Adams, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton
Greatest Fear: dissolving of national government due to weakness.
“More power to national government”
Anti-Federalists you probably know: George Mason, Patrick Henry Greatest Fear: Constitution is a slippery slope to tyranny, corruption. “Less power to national government, more power to states and individuals.”
Give me liberty, or give me death.

36. Ratifying the Constitution
Federalists
Favored the creations of a strong federal government that shared power with the states.
Anti-Federalists
Preferred the loose association of states established under the Articles of Confederation
Push for Bill of Rights.

37. Ratifying the Constitution
Federalists
Believed that separation of powers in the Constitution kept the national government from becoming too powerful.
Anti-Federalists
Were concerned that the Constitution did not contain a bill of rights.

38. Ratifying the Constitution
Federalists
Believed that because the national government represented so many people, it would be less likely to fall under the sway of factions
Anti-Federalists
Feared that a strong national government would lead to tyranny.
Believed that states are better able to represent people’s rights and preserve democracy.

39. Twitter of the Time: Federalists Papers
Federalists were smart to use the social media of the era: distributing pamphlets containing essays.
WOW! Yes. People actually read essays. LONG essays. For information. These were targeted towards educated citizens.
The Federalists argued persuasively and turned public opinion towards ratification.

40. Ratifying the Constitution: 1787 How was the debate resolved?
By an agreement that a Bill or Rights would be added to the document.
1789,James Madison, father of the Constitution, introduced a series of proposed constitutional amendments in Congress. These amendments were a list of rights, found in various documents.
Congress eventually approved 12 amendments, 10 of which were ratified at that time.