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The Building Blocks of Government

The Building Blocks of Government. Goals: To understand the basic ideas of state constitutions To understand the idea of Legislative Supremacy. Status after the Declaration. “My country” would have been the state in which someone resided The states were only united in fighting the British

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The Building Blocks of Government

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  1. The Building Blocks of Government Goals: To understand the basic ideas of state constitutions To understand the idea of Legislative Supremacy

  2. Status after the Declaration • “My country” would have been the state in which someone resided • The states were only united in fighting the British • All states were required to draft a new state constitution

  3. Basic Ideas of State Constitutions • Higher Law and Natural Rights – The constitution served as a “higher” law that could not be changed • Social Contract – The people should not fear the government, rather the government should fear the people • Popular Sovereignty – Ultimate authority rests with the people • Representation and Suffrage – Legislatures were formed and voters needed to meet property requirements (even freed blacks and Native Americans) • Checks and Balances – each branch of government had checks on each other's powers

  4. Legislative Supremecy • A government in which the legislature has the most power • The legislature reflected the will of the people • The executive branch couldn’t be trusted because they were less accountable • Judges shouldn’t be trusted with too much power • Pennsylvania’s constitution created a 12-member council in lieu of a governor • Governors were to play a minute role in lawmaking

  5. Critical Thinking – Evaluating Legislative Supremacy • John Locke, among others, believed that in a representative government, the legislative branch should be supreme because it is the closest to the people. • Accordingly, the legislative branch is the least likely to violate the people’s rights. • Most early state constitutions reflected this idea and weighted the balance of governmental power in favor of their legislatures.

  6. Critical Thinking – Evaluating Legislative Supremacy • Do you agree with Locke’s argument for the supremacy of legislative power? Why or why not? • Does the legislative branch necessarily reflect the people’s will? Explain your response. • What might a government be like in which the executive or judicial branch was supreme rather than the legislature?

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