east georgia college

1. East Georgia College American Government POLS 1101 Instructor: Mr. Mancill

3. Politics and Economics Economics is very important in politics. Who gets what, when, and how? We must decide how we spend our money. More spending on defense or more spending on social security? We must achieve a balancing act.

4. Capitalism An economic system based on private ownership of property and free economic competition among individuals and businesses. The United States has never been a pure capitalist society. Our government places some control over our economic system.

5. Politics and Ideas The ideas we have about government are a result of our ideology. Ideology-a set of ideas concerning the proper political and economic system under which people should operate. Differing ideologies can cause conflict in society.

6. Why Government? What exactly is a government? Government-the political and administrative organization of a state, nation, or locality. Why is government necessary? The answer can be found in the Preamble to the United States Constitution. To establish justice, to ensure domestic tranquility, and secure the blessings of liberty. To provide for common defense To promote the general welfare.

7. Justice, Tranquility, Liberty A government is necessary for protecting people from one another. Thomas Hobbes Without government man would be in a state of nature.

8. Common Defense A government must also protect us from other societies and governments. National security is essential to a society�s preservation.

9. General Welfare A collective good is something that can be made available only to everyone, or not to anyone at all. Examples include: Railroads Dams Providing for the needy A good that is available for the benefit of all.

10. What Type of Government Does the United States Have? Democracy-a system of government based on majority rule, protection of minority and individual rights, and the equality of all citizens before the law. �Rule by the People�

11. Democracy For a government to be a democracy is must be based on four precepts. Majority rule expressed in free, periodic elections. Full protection of minority rights. Protection of individual rights to freedom of speech, press, religion, petition, and assembly. Equality before the law for all citizens.

12. Constitutionalism American democracy revolves around the idea of constitutionalism Constitutionalism-the belief in limiting government power by a written charter. Our Constitution restricts the power of government.

13. Dates To Remember British Colonial Period 1607-1776 Continental Period 1776-1781 Confederation Period 1781-1789 Federal Period 1789-Present

14. The Declaration of IndependenceThe Idea of Consent Taxation Sugar Act (1764), Stamp Act (1765) Help pay for Britain's war expenses The Declaration is based on the idea of consent Consent of the governed-the idea that government and laws derive their legitimacy from the people.

15. The Declaration of Independence "These United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states". Content of The Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence is largely a list of grievances against King George III but also include four (4) main themes. Humankind shares an equality Government is the creation and servant of the people The rights that all intrinsically possess constitute a higher law binding government. Governments are bound by their laws.

16. The Articles of ConfederationThe Idea of Compact Compact-the people agree to create a government and abide by its rules. The Articles of Confederation became our first form of government. The Articles were approved and sent to the states for ratification, and were ratified in February of 1781.

17. The Articles of Confederation Includes five (5) key points The Articles preserved state autonomy. The Articles guaranteed equal representation for the states. The Articles granted the central government only a few important powers. The Articles provided for no separate executive branch and no national courts. The Articles made amending very difficult. The STATE was the dominant power for the duration of the Articles of Confederation.

18. The Articles of ConfederationKey Elements Created a confederation The state was the major unit of government Intended to protect individual liberties No President No Supreme Court Unicameral legislative branch No power to tax

19. The Articles of Confederation Shay's Rebellion showed how weak the national government was. Could not adequately protect people during a crisis. A meeting of the states was proposed to consider amending the Articles.

20. Philadelphia Convention(Constitutional Convention) Held in 1787 Convened for the purpose of only modifying the existing Articles. After a few days the decision was made not to amend the Articles but to write a new constitution. A majority of delegates attending the convention called for a strong national government. Convention lasted 115 days in total secrecy.

21. Philadelphia Convention(Constitutional Convention) A major point of disagreement at the convention was the issue of representation. Representation in proportion to a state's population versus equality between the states. To solve the problem of representation two (2) compromises were proposed. The Virginia Plan The New Jersey Plan

22. The Virginia Plan Called for a strong central government. A bicameral (2 house) legislature. Broad but undefined legislative power. Single executive (president), elected by the legislature. National judiciary (courts) elected by the legislature.

23. The New Jersey Plan Called for strong state governments A Unicameral (1 house) legislature. Plural executive. Judiciary appointed by the executive. A "supremacy clause" similar to that found in Article VI of our current Constitution.

24. The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise) Called for representation by population in the House and by states in the Senate. House: numerical representation. Senate: equal representation. The Great Compromise led to the creation of a new Constitution.

25. The United States Constitution of 1789 Two house (bicameral) legislature. Broad legislative power. Single executive chosen by an electoral college. National judiciary, appointed by the President and confirmed by Senate. Supremacy Clause: Makes all national laws superior to all conflicting state laws.

26. The United States Constitution of 1787 The new Constitution needed ratification (formal approval by 9 of the 13 states) by the states. Federalists Advocated ratification of the new Constitution. Favored a strong central government. Antifederalists Opposed ratification of the new Constitution. Favored strong state governments.

27. Ratification: Formal Approval The "Bill of Rights" was added to protect individual liberty. "Bill of Rights" is sometimes referred to a "Bill of Limits". Ratification took place between September of 1787 and June of 1788.

28. Features of the Constitution Republicanism Creation of a republic Representative government-a government in which representatives are elected by the people to make decisions for the people.

29. Features of the Constitution Divided Powers Madison submitted the idea of separation of powers and checks and balances (Madisonian Model). Separation of powers- each branch of government has only one responsibility. Checks and balances- no one branch can act without the "approval of the other".

30. Features of the Constitution Adaptability There are three (3) elements that make the Constitution adaptable. The Constitution is very brief. Many words and phrases do not have an exact meaning. Necessary and Proper Clause The Constitution holds procedure over substance

31. Amending the ConstitutionFormal and Informal Two formal methods for proposing an amendment 2/3rds vote in each chamber of Congress. A national convention called in the states at the request of 2/3rds of the state legislatures. Two formal methods of ratification A positive vote in 3/4ths of the state legislatures. A national convention called in the states and a positive vote in 3/4ths of them.

32. Judicial Review: Marbury v. Madison Judicial Review-power of the courts to declare a law or action unconstitutional. Judicial Review was established in the Supreme Court case of Marbury v. Madison (1803). Details Before President Adams left the presidency he appointed William Marbury a Justice of the Peace. Upon taking office President Jefferson told Secretary of State Madison not to deliver the commissions. William Marbury filed suit against Secretary of States James Madison Marbury wanted the court to issue a writ of mandamus, a court order.

33. Judicial Review: Marbury v. Madison Issues Supreme Court did not have the power to issue the writ. Judiciary Act of 1789 which authorized the use of the writ was unconstitutional. Significance of Marbury v. Madison Officers of the government were under the law and could be called to account in court. Statutes contrary to the Constitution were invalid. The court claimed for itself the authority to decide what the Constitution means.