1. Why does our book say that our constitutional political system is built on a fragile foundation? Do you agree?

2. Our Source…..
Because each generation of Americans respects, renews and works at understanding the principles and values found in these precious documents.
Different generations have faced different challenges……

3. Terrorism
#1 on the political agenda when this book was written, still very high on the list.

4. Economy
Always has been and always will be a major issue…..especially in today’s current global market/recession.

5. Purpose of the Book..
Perception of the U.S. in the eyes of other countries.
Analyze our relationships with countries over our War on Terror.
Look at different perspectives due to our economic status with an “interdependent” globalizing economy.

6. Government
…merely a shorthand term to refer to tends of thousands of our fellow Americans: the people we elect and the people they appoint to promote the general welfare, provide the domestic tranquility, and secure the blessings of liberty for us.

7. Jefferson
Government degenerates when left to the hands of rulers…..but power of people must be restrained from time to time.

8. Expectations of our leaders
Like all individuals, politicians live in a world in which perfection may be the goal but compromise, ambition, fund raising and self-promotion are necessary.
“Politicians are only ‘ideal’ when they are dead.

9. Democracy
Government by the people, either directly or indirectly, with free and frequent elections.

10. Direct Democracy
Government in which citizens vote on laws and select officials more directly.

11. Democracy perceived negative
Mob rule: violent.

12. Representative Democracy
Government that derives its powers indirectly from the people, who elect those who will govern, also called a REPUBLIC.

13. Constitutional Democracy
A government that enforces recognized limits on those who govern and allows the voice of the people to be heard through free, fair, and relatively frequent elections.

14. Constitutionalism
Set of arrangements, including checks and balances, federalism, separation of powers, rule of law, due process, and a bill of rights, that requires leaders to listen, think, bargain and explain beofre they act or make laws. We then hold them politically and legally accountable for how they exercise their powers.

15. Personal Liberty
“self-determination”-- meaning that all individuals must have the opportunity to realize their own goals.

16. Respect for the Individual
Jefferson: “all men are created equal”

17. Statism
The idea that the rights of the nation are supreme over the rights of the individuals residing in that nation.

18. Popular Consent
The idea that a just government must derive its powers from the consent of the people it governs.

19. Majority Rule
Governance according to the expressed preferences of the majority.

20. Majority
The candidate or party that wins more than half the votes cast in an election.

21. Plurality
Candidate or party with the most votes cast in an election, not necessarily more than half.

22. Conditions Conducive to Constituional Democracy
1) Educational Conditions
Are people smart enough? Does that always matter? “Miseducated” like Germany.

23. 2. Economic Conditions Too poor for food you do not care to vote.
Private ownership of property and market economy are related.
“Cannot have democracy without a middle class.”

24. 3. Social Conditions Social fragmentation “overlapping associations”
Ethnicity, religion, job, education-- overall socioeconomic status.

25. 4. Ideological Ideas
Ideology is a consistent pattern of beliefs about political values and the role of government.
Usually due to socioeconomic conditions: education, money, social conditions an individual experiences.

26. The Colonies Grievances against King George III of Britain
Colonists complain about the passage of the Intolerable Acts
These acts basically took many rights away from the citizens of Massachusetts and continued “taxation without representation”

27. Boston Massacre

28. Boston Tea Party

29. Declaration of Independence

30. Articles of Confederation
No taxation
No national executive
No centralized government
No army or navy
No real communication. 13/13 needed to vote and to ratify.
Basically 13 separate states.

31. Shay’s Rebellion

32. Annapolis Convention
Not enough showed to this meeting out of the 13 colonies.
At least started the process of realizing the needed for a stronger centralized government.

33. Virginia Plan Big states like this
Called for representation based off of state populations
Lower house elected by voters.
Upper house elected by lower

34. New Jersey Advantageous to small states.
Centralized government, with a single house.
States would be represented equally.

35. Connecticut Compromise
Bicameral legislature
Lower elected by people based off of state populations.
Upper house elected by state legislatures. Each state gets two representatives.

36. Three-fifths compromise
Northern vs. Southern states on the issues of slavery.
The south wanted slaves to count in order to bolster their representation in the election.
The Northern states did all not necessarily agree with slavery, and did not feel slaves should be part of representation.
The founding fathers ignored the issue of slavery in order to ratify the constitution. Every 5 slaves would count as three votes.

37. Federalists vs. Antifederalists
Federalists pushed for a strong centralized government. They felt the AOC were too weak to run the country.
Antifederalists did not trust the idea of a strong centralized government. Thought the government would eventually be tyrannical.

38. Federalist Papers
Written by John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison
Written under different names, persuading citizens of the need for for a strong centralized government.
Federalist # 10 and #51 are two of the more popular papers cited historically.

39. Federalist #10 This paper discusses factions.
“Liberty is to faction what air is to fire, an aliment without which it instantly expires…but it could not be less follow to abolish liberty, which is essential to political life, because it nourishes faction, than it would be to wish the annihilation of air, which is essential to animal life, because it impart to fire its destructive agency.”

40. Federalist #10
“The smaller the number of individuals composing a majority, and the smaller the compass within which they are placed, the more easily will they concert and execute their plans of oppression. Extend the sphere, and you take in a greater variety of parties and interests; you make it less probably that a majority of the whole will have a common motive to invade the rights of other citizens.

41. Federalist #51
If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on the 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.

42. Federalist #78
“all judges who may be appointed by the United States are to hold their offices during good behavior….”
“the judiciary, from the nature of its functions, will always be the least dangerous to the politic rights of the Constitution… “will ultimately depend on the aid of the executive arm”
Judges ought to be governed by the latter, not the former”