government chapter 3 I'm dying

anti-federalists

opponents of ratification of the U.S. Constitution, who favored the loose association of states established under the Articles of Confederation

federalists

supporters of ratification of the U.S. Constitution, who favored the creation of a strong government that shared power with the states

civic virtue

the ancient Roman idea that citizens should serve their country

constitutionalism

the belief that governments should operate according to an agreed set of principles, which are usually spelled out in a written document

separation of powers

the idea that the powers of a government should be split between two or more strongly independent branches to prevent any one person or group from gaining too much force

individual rights

the liberties that can be claimed by individuals by virtue of being human

rule of law

the principle that government is based on clear and fairly enforced structure and that no one is above it

popular sovereignty

the principle that the people are the ultimate source of the authority and legitimacy of a government

electoral college

a body of electors from each state who cast votes to elect the president and vice president

representative government

a political system in which power is exercised by elected leaders who work in the interests of the people

limited government

a political system in which the powers exercised by the nation are restricted, usually by a written constitution

militas

a reserve army made up civilians who are trained to fight and can serve full time in an emergency

natural law

a universal set of moral principles believed to come from humans' basic sense of right and wrong that can be applied to any culture or system of justice

compact

a written agreement between two or more parties or nations to perform some action

charter

a written grant of authority

ratification

formal approval of an agreement, treaty, or constitution

majority rule

he idea that decisions approved by more than half of the people in a group or society will be accepted and observed by all of the people

No one was more aware of that pledge than James Madison. Like most Federalists, Madison had initially opposed a bill of rights, arguing that the democratic principles embedded in the Constitution made such protections unnecessary. Thomas Jefferson persuaded Madison to change his mind. In 1789, Madison introduced to Congress a series of proposed amendments. His list of rights drew from the many different proposals made at the state ratifying conventions. Madison also pulled ideas from other documents.Madison also drew from the writings of William Blackstone, a prominent English lawyer and judge

how did James Madison help prepare a bill of rights?

Raising the cry of "no taxation without representation," the colonists united in protest against the Stamp Act. Protests continued and violence flared. In 1773, Parliament tried again to force the colonies to accept its authority, this time by placing a tax on imported tea. Late that year, three ships arrived in Boston Harbor with the first load of taxed tea. The boston tea party occurred. In a belated effort to crack down on such protests, Parliament imposed sanctions known in the colonies as the Intolerable Acts. These harsh penalties further inflamed colonial resistance to British rule. After attempting peace at the continental congress, colonial patriots were already forming militias, or groups of armed citizens, to defend their rights. On April 19, 1775, militia troops from Massachusetts clashed with British soldiers in battles at Lexington and Concord.

how did americans begin to rebel against the british in the 1700's?

By the early 1700s, most colonies had developed a governing structure of executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The executive was a governor. The legislatures typically consisted of two houses. The upper house was a council appointed by the governor. The lower house was an elected assembly with members chosen by voters in the colony. The colonial assemblies were hardly models of democracy, because in most cases only white, male landowners were allowed to vote. Nevertheless, the assemblies reflected a belief in self-government.

how did colonial forms of government take shape in the early 1700's?

Most of the 13 colonies were established under royal charters issued by the king. But because the colonies were so far from Britain, the charters left a significant amount of local control in the hands of the colonists themselves. In several colonies, the settlers modified their royal charters or added other agreements. Before the settlers landed, they drew up a compact, or agreement, for the governing of the new colony. In this compact, they agreed to live in a "Civil Body Politic." New England colonists soon developed their own form of local government, a version of direct democracy known as the town meeting. At these meetings, residents could discuss issues and make decisions that affected their community. Later, in 1641, colonists in Massachusetts created New England's first code of laws, called the Massachusetts Body of Liberties.

how did colonial settlers have experience with self government?

In framing their new plans of government, state lawmakers demonstrated their commitment to constitutionalism. These principles included popular sovereignty, limited government, the rule of law, and majority rule. In addition, all state constitutions began with a statement of individual rights.The governments created under the new state constitutions derived their power from the people. However, they were not completely democratic.

how did state constitutions give power to the people?

In Massachusetts, however, the ratifying convention deadlocked over a key issue: the lack of a bill of rights. After much debate, the Massachusetts delegates agreed to ratify after receiving assurance that such a list of rights would be added after ratification. A number of other states ratified with the same understanding. By the summer of 1788, all but two states had ratified. The Constitution was now in effect.The winner of that election, by unanimous vote in the Electoral College, was George Washington.

how did the constitution go into effect?

nlike old nations based on blood ties or conquest, this new nation was born of two key ideas. The first is that governments are formed to protect people's "unalienable" rights. The second key idea is that governments derive "their just powers from the consent of the governed." The Declaration goes on to say that if a government fails to protect people's rights, the people should abolish it and form a new one.

how did the declaration of independence portray the vision of a new type of nation?

Shortly after fighting broke out in Massachusetts, the Continental Congress met again. The delegates quickly voted to form a Continental Army made up of volunteers from all the colonies. Still, the Congress hesitated to call for a final break with Britain. Finally, in June 1776, the Congress formed a committee to draft a declaration of independence.

how did the u.s. reach the decision to declare independence?

The national government created under the Articles of Confederation was much weaker than the governments established in the states. The government created under the Articles consisted only of a congress, with members chosen by the states. It had neither an executive to carry out laws nor a judicial branch to settle legal questions. IY had no power to levy taxes or control trade. For the most part, however, the government created by the Articles of Confederation was a failure. By 1786, it was clear to many of the nation's leaders that the government formed under the Articles was not working.

how did we govern under the articles of confederation?

By the mid-1700s, the colonies were accustomed to managing their own affairs. In the 1760s, however, Britain reversed this policy of "benign neglect" by enforcing taxes and restrictions on the colonies. Parliament enacted the Stamp Act in 1765 to help defend the ohio valley which said Americans must buy stamps to place on their deeds, mortgages, liquor licenses, playing cards, almanacs, and newspapers.

how was 'benign neglect' interfered in the 1700's?

Delegates from the North and South also argued over commerce. Northerners favored giving Congress broad powers to control trade. Southerners worried that Congress might outlaw the slave trade and place heavy taxes on southern exports of crops, such as cotton and tobacco. Again the delegates reached a compromise. Congress would have the power to regulate foreign and interstate commerce, but it could not tax exports, and it could not outlaw the slave trade until 1808.

how was a constitutional compromise made on commerce?

Those from northern states differed sharply with those from southern states on questions of slavery and commerce. These differences over slavery spilled into debates on representation and taxes. Since most slaves lived in the South, delegates from the South wanted slaves to be counted when determining representation in the House of Representatives. Yet they did not want slaves counted when determining each state's share of taxes to support the national government. In contrast, delegates from the North wanted slaves to be counted for taxation, but not when determining representation. The Three-Fifths Compromise helped hold the new nation together. However, by treating a slave as less than a free person, this provision contradicted the basic ideal of equality set forth in the Declaration of Independence.

how was a constitutional compromise made on slavery?

Finally, Roger Sherman of Connecticut proposed a compromise designed to satisfy both sides. His plan called for a bicameral legislature with a different form of representation in each house. In the Senate, states would have equal representation. In the House of Representatives, states would have representation based on their populations.

how was a constitutional compromise reached on representation?

The fighting with Great Britain dragged on for five more years, finally ending in 1781 with the surrender of the British army at Yorktown, Virginia. During this time, the Continental Congress served as the new nation's government. After declaring independence, Congress appointed a committee to prepare a plan of government known as the Articles of Confederation. With or without a constitution, Congress had a hard time managing the war effort. It depended on the states for funding and was often short of money. by the war's end, many Americans were skeptical of Congress's ability to govern the new nation. Some believed that the country needed a strong ruler to ensure stability. The obvious choice was George Washington, commander of the army and hero of the revolution.

how was a new government created during the american revolution?

Having introduced his bill of rights, Madison faced an uphill battle getting the amendments approved by Congress. Some legislators wanted to postpone them in favor of more pressing matters. Others wanted to wait until flaws in the new government became more apparent. Once Congress finally agreed to debate Madison's proposed amendments, lawmakers were merciless in their criticisms. After months of debate, In the end, however, Congress approved 12 amendments and passed them on to the states for ratification. Most states quickly ratified the Bill of Rights. By the summer of 1790, nine states had approved at least 10 of the amendments. Two of the proposed amendments, however, failed to win ratification in 1791. The first, dealing with the number of members of the House of Representatives, was never adopted. The other, limiting the ability of Congress to increase the salaries of its members, was finally ratified two centuries later as the Twenty-seventh Amendment.

how was the bill of rights ratified?

On May 25, 1787, the Constitutional Convention began. The 55 delegates were prominent in American political life.The delegates represented a wide range of personalities and experience. During the convention, no one played a greater role than James Madison. Although he was just 36 years old, he had already served in Congress and the Virginia legislature. He was a serious student of politics and democratic theory.

how was the constitutional convention conveyed?

Another major issue concerned the formation of the executive branch. In the end, however, the delegates voted for a single president. The next question was how to choose the president. They finally decided to set up a special body called the Electoral College. On September 17, 1787, after months of hard work, the Constitution was signed by 39 of the 42 delegates present.

how was the executive branch created/debated?

Colonial thinkers were strongly influenced by the ethical ideas shared by the Judeo-Christian religious traditions, such as respect for the law. Colonial leaders also looked to the past for ideas about how to govern a society, such as the direct democracy of Greece or New England's town meetings. In addition to this, the Roman ideas of direct democracy and civic virtue.

what are the Religious and classical roots of Colonial Ideas about Government?

Although the colonists eventually rebelled against British rule, they had great respect for Britain's constitutional system. This system was based on a set of laws, customs, and practices that limited the powers of government and guaranteed the people certain basic rights. This tradition of English rights was based on three key documents: the Magna Carta, the Petition of Right, and the English Bill of Rights.

what are the english roots of american government?

Montesquieu is most famous for his book The Spirit of Laws, published in 1748. In this book, Montesquieu argued that governments should be organized in a way that prevents any one person or group from dominating or oppressing others.his principle of separation of powers was so admired by Americans that they applied it to their colonial governments.

what did Baron de Montesquieu, an enlightened thinker, contribute?

In his book The Social Contract, Rousseau extended the social contract still further. He added the idea that for a government formed by a social contract to have legitimacy, it must be based on popular sovereignty, or the general will of the people. Rousseau further argued that if a government acted contrary to the general will, it had broken the social contract and should be dissolved.

what did Jean-Jacques Rousseau, an enlightened thinker, contribute?

n his Second Treatise on Government, published in 1689, Locke argued that in the state of nature, all people were equal and enjoyed certain natural rights, or rights that all people have by virtue of being human. Locke agreed with Hobbes that it was in people's self-interest to enter into a social contract that exchanged some of their freedom for the protection of government. He went on to argue that this social contract was provisional. The idea that the purpose of government was to protect the rights of the people exerted a powerful influence on colonial thinkers.

what did John Locke, an enlightened thinker, contribute?

Hobbes first introduced the idea that government was the result of a social contract between people and their rulers. This contract obliged the people to give up some of their freedom by agreeing to obey an absolute ruler. In exchange for this pledge of obedience, the ruler agreed to bring peace and order to society. Leviathan, published in 1651

what did Thomas Hobbes, an enlightened thinker, contribute?

These two bicentennial events reminded Americans that they live in a country that is held together not by blood or history, but by ideas. Those ideas, first put forth in the Declaration and then given shape in the Constitution, were not new.

what did the bicentennials of both the declaration of independence in 1976 and the signing of the constitution in 1987 remind the U.S.?

The third key document, the English Bill of Rights, was passed by Parliament in 1689. At the time, Britain was just emerging from years of political turmoil and civil war. The English Bill of Rights reaffirmed the principle of individual rights established in the Magna Carta and the Petition of Right. New individual rights guaranteed to British subjects included the right to petition the king, the right to bear arms, and freedom from cruel and unusual punishments.

what did the english bill of rights do?

The Magna Carta defined the rights and duties of English nobles and set limits on the monarch's power. In addition, the Magna Carta established the principle of the rule of law. the Magna Carta, or "Great Charter"—was signed by King John in 1215.

what did the magna carta do?

The Petition of Right underscored the principle of limited government by affirming that the king's power was not absolute. Over the next few centuries, English monarchs often ignored or defied the principles set down in the Magna Carta. Royal taxation and abuse of power sparked ongoing struggles with Parliament.

what did the petition of right do?

. The New Jersey Plan proposed a series of amendments to the Articles of Confederation. These changes would have created a somewhat more powerful national government with a unicameral, or one-house, legislature in which all states had equal representation.Delegates from the smaller states welcomed the New Jersey Plan. But after several days of debate, the convention voted to reject this proposal and return to discussion of the Virginia Plan.

what was the new jersey plan?

The Constitution included a provision for ratification. To go into effect, the new plan of government would need to be ratified by at least 9 of the 13 states. The pro-ratification effort was led by supporters of the Constitution who called themselves Federalists.

what was the rule for ratification of the constitution?

The Virginia delegates, who favored a strong national government, put forth a plan for a new constitution. The Virginia Plan, written mainly by James Madison, was clearly designed to replace the Articles, not to revise them. It called for a government of three branches. The legislative branch would make the laws, the executive branch would carry out the laws, and the judicial branch would interpret the laws. Under the Virginia Plan, the new government would have a bicameral, or two-house, legislature.

what was the virginia plan?

In the face of such criticism, the Federalists mounted a spirited defense of the Constitution. Three men led this campaign: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. Together, these men wrote a series of 85 essays known as The Federalist Papers. These essays were published over the course of several months and made a strong case for the new plan of government. Some historians have called the publication of these papers one of the most powerful public relations campaigns in history.

why did the federalists like the constitution?

In general, however, the Anti-Federalists had two chief complaints about the proposed Constitution. The first was that the Constitution would make the national government too powerful. The second was that it did not contain a bill of rights. The Anti-Federalists feared that a strong national government would lead to tyranny.

why didnt anti-federalists like the constitution?