Chapter 2

1. Chapter 2 Foundations of our Government Pgs.20-32

2. Questions What is a government?

3. What does it do?

4. Define • Government • Absolute monarchs • Dictatorship • Totalitarian government • Democracy • Direct democracy • Representative democracy • Republic • American government • Laws • Constitutions

5. I. Governments • Governments Differ • They differ in the way their rulers are chosen and the amount of POWER held by their people • Each nation’s government has been shaped by the BELIEFS of the people and by their HISTORY • In a democracy the powers of our nation are divided between the national and state governments

6. Types of Government • A DICTATORSHIP is a form of government in which all power is in the hands of one person or one group of persons. • A DIRECT DEMOCRACY is a form of government in which all the people meet together to decide laws and decide what action to take. • A REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY is a form of system of government in which the people elect their representatives to carry on the work of government for them. a. Another word for this is a REPUBLIC

7. A rule of conduct enforced by government is a LAWS • A written plan of government describing the government’s organization, purpose, basic laws, and the right of the people is a CONSTITUTION • Under the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT the powers of government are divided between the national government and state government.

8. Purposes of Government • Government makes it POSSIBLE for people to live TOGETHER • Government PERFORMS many SERVICES • Government provides RULES, or LAWS • Government enables a NATION to put its IDEALS into practice.

9. What would life be like if there were no government in the United States?

10. II. Declaration of Independence • Complaints against Great Britain • The colonists were upset that they were paying HIGH taxes to Great Britain • The colonists were upset that under Great Britain’s laws, they were receiving UNFAIR treatment • The colonists felt that under the power of Great Britain, they had a LACK of personal liberties

11. The Document • The Declaration of Independence was a document that demanded certain things from GREAT BRITIAN • THOMAS JEFFERSON wrote the Declaration of Independence in the year 1776

12. Define • Declaration of Independence • Human rights • Articles of Confederation • Confederation

13. III. The Articles of Confederation • The Document • A CONFEDERATION is a loose association rather than a firm union of states. • The Articles of Confederation is the nation’s FIRST plan of government, and was written in the year 1781 • Under the Articles of Confederation, the central government was given LIMITED powers. • The people of the states did not want a STRONG CENTRAL GOVERNMENT

14. 5. The states feared a strong central government would LIMIT their powers. • Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress consisted of a ONE HOUSE legislative body. • Under the Articles of Confederation, there was only a LEGISLATIVE branch. • Under the Articles of Confederation, there was no JUDICIAL branch, nor was there a EXECUTIVE branch.

15. Weakness of the Articles of Confederation • The REPRESENTATIVES in Congress were chosen by the legislatures themselves. • This was a weakness because it limited the INPUTof the people. • The people were upset they had no say. • It was DIFFICULT for Congress to pass a LAW • They needed 9out of 13states to agree. • This was a weakness because it was difficult to get 9 states to agree. • To change something in the Articles of Confederation the vote needed to be UNANIMOUS

16. Congress did not have the power to TAX the states. • They could ask for CONTRIBUTIONS/MONEYbut not force them. • This was a weakness because the country was in DEBT due to the American Revolution • Congress did not have the power to regulate TRADE • This was a weakness because it CAUSED MANY DISPUTES

17. Congress did not have the power to coin MONEY • Again, this is a weakness because the country was in debt. • Congress did not have the power to create an ARMY

18. Define • Delegate • Constitutional Convention • Constitution of the United States • Magna Carta • Parliament • Bicameral • Compromise • Legislature • Great Compromise • Ratification • Anti-Federalist and Federalist

19. IV. The Constitutional Convention • The Constitutional Convention took place in the year 1787 • The purpose of the Constitutional Convention was to revise the Articles of Confederation (draft a new plan) • There were 55 delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention. • A delegate is a person who is a representative for a state or the nation. • During the Constitutional Convention, the meetings were held in secret. We only know of what occurred because of the journals of James Madison

20. English Background • The first document that we look information from was the Magna Carta which was written in 1215 • Right to a fair trial adopted from the Magna Carta • The second document that we took information from was the English Bill of Rights which was written in 1689 • The right to petition was adopted for the English Bill of Rights • The Document 1. The Constitution was approved in the year 1787

21. V. The Great Compromise • The Great Compromise created two houses in Congress, which is called bicamerial • Previously, under the Articles of Confederation, Congress had only one house, called unicamerial • The Virginia Plan, favored the large states. • In this plan, there were two houses and the number of congressmen were determined by population

22. The New Jersey Plan, favored the small states • In this plan, there was one house and the number of congressmen were determined by equality. • The compromise was a legislative body of two houses. • The House of Representatives are chosen by population. • The Senate is chosen by equality. (2 persons) • The new plan of government also included an executive branch of government and a judicial branch of government.

23. VI. Ratification • The Constitution was sent to the states to be ratified or approved. • Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists • Supporters of the Constitution were the Federalists • The people who opposed the Constitution were the Anti Fedearlists • They feared the Constitution would create too strong of a central government, and would defeat the purpose of winning their independence from Great Britain. April 30, 1789. George Washington was sworn in as the 1st President.