Direct Democracy Political decisions are made by the people directly, rather than by their elected representatives First democracy comes from Ancient Athens Pericles Funeral Oration: We partake of equality with respect to our private differences. Thomas Jefferson: "Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government." Founders believed in government based on the consent of the people but were highly distrustful of anything that might look like mob rule. (Ahoto/Nam Y. Huh) 1
Founding Fathers & Direct Democracy "Hence it is that democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention. -- James Madison "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!" -- Benjamin Franklin Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide. -- John Adams Our real disease - which is democracy. - Alexander Hamilton
California Direct Democracy Direct Democracy goes by many names: Referendums Propositions Initiatives 1. Prop 13: Property Taxes and a 2/3 to increase taxes 2. Prop 187: Deny illegal aliens publically financed social services 3. Prop 8: Defined marriage as one man, one woman 4. Prop 19: Legalize and tax marijuana Some California Statistics: 1) 20 Billion Dollar budget deficit 2) Infant Mortality Rank: #48 3) Student-Teacher Ratio Rank: #49 4) Language Arts Rank: #46 4) Math Rank: 41 6) Teacher Pay: #2 7) Correctional Officer Pay: #1
Classical Republicanism OR A Democratic Republic Democratic republic and representative democracy really mean the same thing government based on elected representatives except for the historical quirk that a republic cannot have a vestigial king. (National Portrait Gallery) Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning 4
The Rise of Classical Liberalism
The Declaration of Independence The Influence of John Locke Natural Rights Social Contract Thomas Jefferson said he was influenced by neither book nor pamphlet. Archivo Iconografico S.A. /Corbis Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning 7 Bettmann /Corbis
THE REBELLION OF THE COLONISTS Taxation without Representation The Continental Congress Breaking the Ties: Independence
Taxation without Representation In 1773, anger over taxation reached a climax at the Boston Tea Party, in which colonists dressed as Mohawk Indians dumped almost 350 chests of British tea into Boston Harbor as a gesture of protest. The British Parliament responded by passing the Coercive Acts (aka Intolerable Acts ) in 1774, which closed the Boston Harbor and placed the government of Massachusetts under direct British control.
Breaking the Ties: Independence One of the most rousing arguments in favor of independence was presented by Thomas Paine, who wrote a pamphlet called Common Sense. More than 100,000 copies were sold within a few months after its publication. John Adams gave a rousing speech at the Second Continental Congress arguing for independence. Richard Henry Lee proposed on June 7, 1776 that these states ought to be free and independent.
Why did the Articles of Confederation fail? I. International and Domestic Problems The U.S. lacked the military power to defend itself against Great Britain and Spain. No power to tax No power to regulate congress. Example: - Connecticut and Virginia almost went to war over land claims!
Why did the Articles of Confederation fail? Courts (Judicial Branch) The nation lacked a national court system. Supreme Court
Why did the Articles of Confederation fail? President (Executive Branch) The nation did not have a President, or Chief Executive. White House
Why did the Articles of Confederation fail? Congress (Legislative Branch) Congress had one house. (unicameral) Laws were difficult to pass, needing the approval of nine states. Congress was responsible to the states, not the people. Congress had no power to collect taxes, regulate trade, coin money, or establish a military.
Shay s Rebellion Shays' Rebellion was an
The Constitutional Convention begins 1787 - Philadelphia Delegates from all the states invited to a convention to improve the Articles of Confederation, which were not working Only RI didn t attend 55 Delegates attended
Leaders of the Convention George Washington was asked to preside (lead) over the convention. James Madison kept notes of the discussions and is often called The Father of the Constitution. The men who wrote the Constitution are called the Founding Fathers. All the participants in the Convention were wealthy, white, males.
The Founding Fathers
The Great Compromise
Virginia Plan New Jersey Plan - It called for a bicameral legislature, in which the number of representatives in each house would depend on the population of the state. - Both plans called for a strong national government with 3 branches. - It called for a unicameral legislature, in which every state received one vote. Great Compromise It provided for a bicameral Congress. A. House of Representatives each state is represented according to its population (satisfied the VA Plan) B. Senate each state has 2 Senators (satisfied the NJ Plan) * Both houses of Congress must pass every law.
Three-Fifths Compromise In order to determine the population of a state, only 3 out of every 5 slaves would be counted.
Ratification Debate James Madison (Federalists) 1. Checks & Balances 2. Federalism 3. Frequent Elections 4. Confederations lead either towards dissolution or union. Patrick Henry (Anti-Federalists) 1. A of C were not broken 2. Taxing and regulatory powers would lead to tyranny. 3. Certain clauses were too vague. 4. Judiciary would trump legislatures
Federalist Papers (Publius) Alexander Hamilton James Madison John Jay
Federalist Paper #10 Freedom and the unequal distribution of property leads to the formation of factions. Extend the sphere creates a situation known as Madisonian pluralism Pluralism protects freedom by preventing a tyrannical majority from forming. A republiccan form of government allows the country to be governed.
Federalist Paper #51 The solution to the paradox of government is found with checks and balances. Checks and balances limits the power of government BUT also provides for the effective use of government power. Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.
Jefferson v. Hamilton 1. Declaration of Independence 2. Anti-Bank 3. State Supremacy 4. Strict Constructionalism 5. Future of America is Agrarianism 1. Constitution 2. Pro-Bank 3. National Supremacy 4. Broad Constuctionalism 5. Future of the America is Industrialism
Jefferson s Grave
Hamilton Grave
Hamilton Grave Close Up
Amending the Constitution (Article V)
Recent Attempts to Amend The Constitution (Serious & Humorous) To allow non-natural born citizens to become president Abolish electoral vote and have popular vote To declare the life begins at conception and 5 th and 14 th amendment protections apply to unborn children To make English the official language The right to a home To protect the environment Repeal 26 th amendment and give 16 year olds the right to vote To disallow the desecration of the US flag