Chapter 1 – Democracy and American Politics
I) Democracy – demos (the people) & kratein (to rule) a. Oligarchy – rule by a few and a minority group holds power over a majority as in an aristocracy or a clerical establishment b. Monarchy – rule by one where power rests in the hands of a king or queen c. Athens was known for the purest form of democracy that has ever existed. d. Direct democracy – form of political decision making in which public business is decided by all citizens meeting in small assemblies. (school, city, workplaces, etc.) e. Representative democracy – indirect democracy in which the people rule through elected representatives. f. Benchmarks of a liberal
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i) Common Sense – Thomase Paine’s popular pamphlet that called for American independence. ii) Declaration was inspired by the second treatise on government by John Locke arguing that legitimate government can be established only by the people, to protect inalienable rights, and can govern only with their consent. c. Declaration avoided: slavery, women, native Americans, free blacks II) The Articles of Confederation: The First Constitution a. American Revolution had a loose confederation among the states. b. Articles of Confederation – first constitution of the US adopted during the last stages of the revolutionary war, created a system of government with most power lodged in the states and little in the central government. Ratified in 1781 by requisite number of the states; passed @ second continental congress in 1777 i. Preserve the power, independence, and sovereignty of the states and ensure that the central government would not encroach on the liberty of the people. ii. Could make war or peace iii. Could not levy taxes iv. Could not regulate commerce or start army v. No executive branch to ensure laws passed would
The Articles of Confederation was the formal charter of the government of the United States that was the first binding document outlining its independence from Great Britain. As tensions grew between the United States and Great Britain, a war was inevitable with the people of America growing tired of the British rule and wanting independence, the Revolutionary War was the next step in trying to free itself from British tyranny. The Articles of Confederation was fully ratified in 1781 after the Revolutionary War and seemed to be more interested in stability rather than liberty. The Articles of Confederation was the first document outlining a national government that wrote into law the unplanned arrangements of the continental congress and was
The Articles of Confederation, Adopted by Congress on November 15, 1777, for all practical purposes was the United States’ first Constitution. Created to establish a bond between the newly formed states, “...the Articles purposely established a "constitution" that vested the largest share of power to the individual states” (Early America). This ensured that the government did not have the majority of power. “...the Articles denied Congress the power to collect taxes, regulate interstate commerce and enforce laws...allowing the states retained their "sovereignty, freedom and independence” (Early
Jefferson received a great deal of inspiration from Locke in writing the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration, however, is not a creation of government. The Constitution of the United States is the result of the Declaration. Locke influenced that form of government, as well.
A direct democracy can only work in a small group, so as a form of government
Oligarchy - a form of government where the power rests in the hands of a few individuals
The Articles of Confederation was the first written constitution of the United States. Stemming from wartime urgency, its progress was slowed by fears of central authority and extensive land claims by states before was it was ratified on March 1, 1781. On this day in 1781, the Articles of Confederation are finally ratified. The Articles were signed by Congress and sent to the individual states for ratification on November 15, 1777, after 16 months of debate. (history.state.gov/milestones).
The Articles of Confederation was a start for what America would become. They were adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777. This document served as the United States ' first constitution, and was in force from March 1, 1781, until 1789 when the present day Constitution went into effect. The Articles of Confederation were a strong beginning for America however it had its flaws. The Articles of Confederations rigid and non flexible characteristics hindered American. The Constitution improved all of the trending problems in the Articles of Confederation. It helped form the strong structure of the government that America has today. The Articles of Confederation help show Congress exactly what America needed to become a
The Articles of Confederation was established in November 1777 and was the United State’s first written constitution. The Articles of Confederation had no intentions in forming a strong government, so its main concern was limiting the powers of the national government. Although its power was limited, “the national government was given the power to declare war and make peace, to make treaties and alliance, to coin or borrow
The Articles of Confederation helped establish the first form of government in the United States. John Dickinson’s wrote them in 1777. They were ratified in 1781. A constitutional convention in 1787 was called to revise the articles. This convention developed a completely new form of government.
The Articles of Confederation were the first constitution of the United States of America. The articles were written by multiple people over a couple of years. The first article was wrote by Benjamin Franklin. Not all 13 colonies approved the articles until March 1st, 1781.(1)
The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States. It was adopted by a committee of thirteen men from the Second Continental Congress. John Dickinson was the author of the first draft was also the chairman of the committee. The Articles of Confederation became effective after all thirteen states had ratified them on March 1, 1781. The Articles gave more power to states.
The Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, was adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777. However, sanction of the Articles of Confederation by all thirteen states did not occur until March 1, 1781. The Articles created a loose confederation of sovereign states and a weak central government, which resulted in most of the power residing with the state governments. The need for a stronger Federal government soon became apparent and eventually led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The present United States Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation on March 4, 1789 (Researchers,
This nation's success lies in the hands of its people. America is extremely fortunate to live in a democracy, a government in which the citizens elect the leaders and representatives. The idea of it began in the Athens when an emperor wanted his people to be involved in creating rules and choosing overseers for their society. This idea became highly popular in the Middle Ages, but empires like the “Holy Roman Empire” overruled it for dictatorship, but people soon began to fight back (Karen Carr). America’s fight was to succeed from England in the revolutionary war in hopes of having the basic rights that democracy promises. The citizens demanded a voice in their government so they fought hard and though lives were lost, the United States won its independence from England. The actions, dedication, and perseverance of the citizens were the main reasons why this country gained its freedom. Citizens are the vital key to success so it is important for them to be active in electing proper officials, recognizing past mistakes and correcting current ones in today’s society.
Monarchy Monarchy comes from the Greek terms monos and arkhein. It is a form of in which the people are led by a king or Queen. He/she takes power legally, and his/her sovereignty inherited. The ruler is empowered to remain in power for life. One city-state whose government was a monarchy was the city-state of Corinth.
Ever since the ancient Greeks, democracy has been widely acclaimed as the best form of governing. Known as the “rule of the majority”, democracy is made up of many factors that makes it so unique. For example, democracy is based on free and fair elections, active participation of the people, protection of human rights, and a rule of law that equally applies to everyone. With a system focussed on the rights and representation of all, why would such a system be on the decline? There are many elements that have contributed to the diminishing of the popularity for democracy. It all comes down to the fact that the people of democratic nations are losing trust in the system. It is this declining trust that can lead to the extinction of democracy.