Essential Questions of Course:

1. Essential Questions of Course: Course Units • Upon completion of this course, all students should be able to answer the following questions: • What does it mean to live in a democracy? • How does the U.S. Constitution set up our framework of government? • What is federalism and why is it important? • What are your rights and responsibilities as a citizen? • What links you to government? • What are the primary institutions of government and what do they do? Unit 1—Introduction To American Democracy Unit 2—The United States Constitution Unit 3—Federalism and Illinois Government Unit 4—Active Citizenship Unit 5—Politics & Government: Linkage Institutions Unit 6—Institutions of National Government (Three Branches and Bureaucracy)

2. Unit 2: The U.S. Constituion UnitTwo

3. Essential Questions of Unit: • Essential Questions: 1. What is the historical context for the creation of the U.S. Constitution? 2. What does our U.S. Constitution do and what are its basic principles? 3. What is the structure of the U.S. Constitution and how has it endured for over 220 years?

4. Chapter 2—The U.S. Constitution

5. What is a Constitution? • Definition • A constitution is a nation’s basic law. • It creates political institutions, assigns or divides powers in government, and often provides certain guarantees to citizens.

6. The Brevity of the U.S. Constitution • The Constitution is short, with fewer than 8,000 words. • It does not prescribe every detail. • There is no mention of political parties, congressional committees or the President’s cabinet/bureaucracy. • The Constitution is not static, but flexible for future generations to determine their own needs.

7. US Constitution

8. National Archives: Houses the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution

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12. The United States Constitution Basic Principles of the U.S. Constitution Separation of Powers Popular Sovereignty --government exists based on consent of people Creates Judicial Review --Courts decide if laws/action of government are constitutional Checks & Balances Federalism (National & States Govs) Limited Government: Civil Liberties & Rights --Free speech, voting, Rights of Accused

13. Real World Examples of the Basic Principles of the Constitution • Popular Sovereignty & Civil Rights/Liberties • Government can govern only with the consent of the governed.--People are the ultimate source of power and have the right to dissent • Basic Example = Elections, Voting • Examples of civil liberties: free speech, protests • Action examples: • 1968 Democratic National Convention protest against the war in Vietnam • Led by Chicago 8—Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, and Black Panther leader Bobby Seale • 1968 clip • 1970—Kent State University Michigan Ave.--1968

14. Ohio National Guard opens fire on student protestors at Kent State University killing 4 students and wounding 9 others. Clip There was a significant national response to the shootings: hundreds of universities, colleges, high schools, and even middle schools closed throughout the United States due to a student strike of eight million students, and the event further divided the country along political lines. 1970—Kent State University

15. 2004 Protests against War in Iraq

16. Basic Principles • Separation of Powers • The Constitution distributes the powers of the National Government among 3 branches, • Example = It is the job of the Legislative Branch to make laws,

17. Checks and Balances is created by separating powers • Each branch of government was subject to a number of constitutional restraints by the other braches. • Example = The President (executive branch) can veto a bill • Example = The Supreme Court could declare a law unconstitutional • Example = Advice and Consent: The Senate fails to confirm a candidate for the Supreme Court that the President nominated.

20. Federalism • Federalism is the division of political power among the national government and the 50 states governments. • Federalism is a compromise between strong central government and a loose confederation, such as that provided for in the Articles of Confederation. • Example = Different States laws/policies • Example = National government controlling military

21. The United States Constitution Basic Principles of the U.S. Constitution Separation of Powers Popular Sovereignty --government exists based on consent of people Creates Limited Government: Civil Liberties & Rights --Free speech, voting, Rights of Accused Checks & Balances Federalism (National & States Govs) Judicial Review --Courts decide if laws/action of government are constitutional

22. Context for the creation of the Constitution

23. Timeline of Independence and Constitution American Revolution Articles of Confederation New Constitution 1787 1789 1792 1781 1776 “Confederation” 1789 1775 Constitutional Convention War Over French Rev. First Elections Held George Washington Elected President -Takes office in 1789 -1st Congress Convenes July 4th 1776 Declaration Of Independence Washington Re-elected

24. Declaration of IndependenceJohn Adams clip

25. Excerpt from the Declaration of Independence • When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. • We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. • That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends,it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

27. State Constitutions and the Articles of Confederation State Constitutions were created immediately following independence The colonies effectivly became sovereign “STATES”

28. America—The Confederation The first government of the United States was a loose confederation among the States.

30. Citizens of Each State Elects State Gov’t Citizens of Each State Elects State Gov’t NH NY NH MA MA RI RI CT CT NY PA PA NJ NJ DE DE MD MD VA VA NC NC SC SC GA GA Unicameral (one house) Congress Each State = 1 Vote No Executive No Executive No Judicial System No Judicial System Structure of Government under the Articles of Confederation:

31. Articles of Confederation • Weaknesses: • 1. One vote per states, regardless of size • 2. Congress powerless to collect taxes • 3. Congress powerless to regulate foreign and interstate commerce. • 4. No executive branch to enforce acts of Congress • 5. No national court system • 6. Amendments only with consent of ALL states • 7. A 9/13 majority needed to pass simply laws

32. Summary of Articles of Confederation • Essentially, there was no unity between the 13 states • Too difficult for the national government to make national laws let alone try to enforce the ones already in existence. • National govt. was at the mercy of the states

33. The Articles of Confederation fail… New meeting = Constitutional Convention

34. Constitutional Convention Philadelphia, 1788Those who attended (55) were have become known as the “Framers” of the Constituion

35. The Framers were: • Well educated and familiar with different forms of government • Relatively young—average age was 42 and nearly ½ were in their 30’s. • Experienced in Politics • Many fought in the Revolution

36. The Framers James Madison “Father of the Constitution” Alexander Hamilton George Washington—Elected President of Convention

37. Biggest Questions of the Convention: • What type of structure should replace the confederation? • How should states be represented? • Who should be counted into the population? • Who should head the executive branch? • PM or President, or Congress itself?

38. The Virginia Plan • Called for a strong National Government with 3 separate branches. • It favored large States because representation in congress would be based on state population

39. The New Jersey Plan • Called for a weak central government and a “plural executive” chosen by Congress • It favored small States because each State was given equal representation in the legislature.

40. The Connecticut Compromise • Congress should be composed of 2 houses. • In the smaller Senate, the States would be represented equally. • In the House, the representation would be based on population. • So important it is often called the “Great Compromise” since It was ultimately accepted by The Convention

41. The Three-Fifths Compromise • For every 5 Slaves in a state… • 3 would be counted

42. Timeline of Independence and Constitution American Revolution Articles of Confederation New Constitution 1787 1789 1792 1781 1776 “Confederation” 1789 1775 Constitutional Convention War Over French Rev. First Elections Held George Washington Elected President -Takes office in 1789 -1st Congress Convenes July 4th 1776 Declaration Of Independence Washington Re-elected

43. On September,17, 1787, the Philadelphia Convention approved the Constitution. However, before it could replace the Articles of Confederation, it had to be ratified by 9/13 states. Battle over Passage of the Constitution

44. Federalist v. Anti-Federalist • The Federalist favored Ratification of the Constitution. • Led by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton • The Anti-Federalistopposedratification of the Constitution, because they feared a stronger central government and also b/c there was not a “Bill of Rights” • A Bill of Rights (First 10 Amendments) would later be added to the Constitution. • The disagreement was the beginning of the two-party system in America.

45. The Federalist Papers • A series of 85 published essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay. • In these papers, they argued in support of ratification of the Constitution. • The Federalist Papers serve, and continue to serve, as a primary interpretation of the Constitution, as they outline the philosophy and motivation of the proposed system of government.

46. Federalist #10

47. Federalist #51 • Ambition must be made to counteract ambition. • But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on 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. A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions.

48. Success • Constitution was officially ratified in June of 1788. • Elections were held shortly thereafter (Feb, 1789). • The first government began operating under our current Constitution in March, 1789. • To date, the Constitution has been in existence for nearly 223 Years! • 2008 was the 55th Presidential Election in our history and elected the 44th President.

50. US Constitution