TODAY’S CLASS

Introduction to Government Systems

Discussion of 9/11 attacks

Important Dates: Monday - No School! Block Day – Presidential Profile Due Friday/Monday – Identifications Due

FOUNDATIONS OF GOVERNMENT

United States Government & Economics

WHY DO WE HAVE GOVERNMENTS?

With a partner consider the following:

Why do we have governments?

What purposes do governments have?

How do governments serve the people (if at all)?

Is it necessary to have a government for a country to function?

EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD HAS A GOVERNMENT…

Helps people cooperate with one another

Provides basic services to the population

Provides a set of laws that all people obey

Guarantees certain freedoms, rights, etc.

Establishes unity across the nation

And many, many more…

TYPES OF GOVERNMENTS

Democratic

Type Description

Example

Non-Democratic

Try to begin your notes on types of governments by brainstorming systems /examples of democracies and non-democracies.

Type Description

Example

TYPES OF GOVERNMENTS

Democratic

Direct Democracy: All voters meet and decide the proper course of action

Representative Democracy: People elect officials to carry out government actions on their behalf

Republic: System with elected officials where power is held primarily by the people

TYPES OF GOVERNMENTS

Non-Democratic

Monarchy: king or queen

Dictator: one ruler of absolute power

Oligarchy: Small number of people lead the nation Often has tie of wealth…needs a means to

separate classes

Theocracy: Leader of the government is the leader of the state religion; laws based on religious code

SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT

ORGANIZER FOR YOUR NOTES

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION

VISUAL STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES EXAMPLES

UNITARY

CONFEDERATE

FEDERAL

UNITARY SYSTEM

Central government holds all the power

Gives directives to lower governments

Allocates power as they choose

Example: Great Britain during Revolution

CONFEDERATE SYSTEM

Local governments hold the power

Weak central government

Promotes cooperation between states

Often has voluntary membership and states can leave

Treaties often used to define relationships between the states

FEDERAL SYSTEM

Central and local governments share power

Often times, a document outlines which powers each shares (CONSTITUTION)

May have powerful central government, but it may not dissolve states

THINK-PAIR-SHARE

Think Individually, write out the pros and cons of each

system of government Try to add additional examples to your list

Pair With a partner, discuss the systems, compare

organizers, and come to a consensus on the best system.

Why is this system better than the others? Think in terms of efficiency, fairness, stability, etc.

Share Class Discussion

TODAY’S CLASS

Declaration of Independence Historical Significance Reading of the Declaration Jefferson’s Intent

Reminder: Presidential Profile Project is due on the Block

Block: Articles of Confederation & Constitution

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Watch the reading of the Declaration of Independence (and preface by Morgan Freeman) as a class and come up with a list of the five key points Jefferson was trying to make in this document.

Discuss the reasons as to why Jefferson worded the document the way he did and what goals he was trying to accomplish.

Follow up from last week…what system of government is represented by King George III? Explain how this document and historical context exemplifies one of the weaknesses you came up with last week.

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Declaration:Page 38 of Textbook

It’s not Festivus……but the same general idea?

STRUCTURE

Preamble Explains why it is necessary to leave Right to become state

Rights of People Basic Human Rights Consent of Governed Self-Government

Grievances List Tyrannical Actions Lack of Self-Government Abandonment of Citizens Abroad Call to Arms, Defense of Colonists…WE ARE THE GOOD GUYS!

Actual Declaration

WHY DOES THIS ALL MATTER?

Created a new government? NO

Started the war? NO

Rallied the troops? MAYBE

Discussed ideas of our democracy? YES

LET’S THINK ABOUT THIS…

Why did Jefferson put the grievances in there?

He says gov’t shouldn’t be overthrown often, yet this is essentially a document stating an overthrow.

Why is “united States of America” important?

Signers: put name against the king…rebel or hero? What happens if we lose?

DECLARATION MEANT TO BE SPOKEN…OR SUNG?TJ AND THE REVOLUTION

TODAY’S CLASS

Collect Presidential Profiles (Make sure name is somewhere on project—even if it is on the back)

Identifications for Ch. 2 & 3 will be due Monday

Today’s Agenda Snapshot of Articles of Confederation, Constitutional Ideas, Constitution itself Constitutional Scavenger Hunt Assignment (will get most done in class—due Fri.) Extra time? Finish up those IDs!

ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

STRENGTHS:   To declare war and make

peace To coin and borrow money

at state level To detail with foreign

countries and sign treaties To operate post offices

WEAKNESSES:

The national government could not force the states to obey its laws

It did not have the power to tax

It did not have the power to enforce laws

Congress lacked strong and steady leadership

There was no national army or navy

There was no system of national courts

There was no strong executive branch

Each state could put tariffs on trade between states (A tariff is a tax on goods coming in from another state or country.)

IDEOLOGY BEHIND CONSTITUTION

Social Contract Theory

Major Theorists: Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau

Relationship between individuals and their governments need mutual consent

Important historical role in the emergence of the idea that political authority must be derived from the consent of the governed

Citizens give up some rights

IDEOLOGY BEHIND CONSTITUTION

Popular Sovereignty

Legitimate states must have consent of the people

People have all the political power

Explain:

How does this work in the US?

KEY VOCABULARY

Limited Government Government with specific restrictions on power Constitution did this by clarifying what government can and cannot

legally do to the citizens Try to come up with examples of how this works within the United

States today

Majority Rule Everyone will accept the decision of the majority Minority Rights: Provisions to protect minority views on issues Come up with examples of how majority rule exists in the US and how

minority rights are protected

THE CONSTITUTION

Why was it created?

What are some key ideas outlined within the Constitution?

Explain the structure of our government system

THE CONSTITUTION

Why was it created? Originally to fix the Articles…then just replaced them Created the new laws of the land based on a FEDERAL system

What are some key ideas outlined within the Constitution? Federalism, Checks/Balances, Separation of Powers

Explain the structure of our government system Multiple layers…State/Federal, 3 Branches

A TIMELINE: HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND REVIEW

1775: Revolutionary War Begins

1776: Declaration of Independence

1777: Articles of Confederation Adopted

1781: Articles of Confederation goes into effect

1783: Revolutionary War Ends

1787: Constitutional Convention Debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists

1788: Constitution Ratified

1789: Constitution goes into effect

SEPARATION OF POWERS

Creates the system of

“checks and balances”

AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION

THE AMENDMENT PROCESS: ARTICLE V

Outlined in Article V of the Constitution

Amendment Proposal: 2/3 vote in both houses of Congress Legislatures in 2/3 of the states (34 of 50) can ask

Congress to call for a national convention

Ratification of Amendments ¾ of the states must approve (38 of 50) Approved by state legislatures or state conventions

Why is it difficult to amend the Constitution?

AMENDMENTS

Constitution amended a total of 27 times

If people do not like results of an amendment, they may repeal it Example: 1933, 21st amendment repealed the 18th amendment (Prohibition)

INTERPRETING THE CONSTITUTION

Congressional laws Example: Minimum Wage

Congress can control trade between states

Goods made by workers travel amongst states

Thus, Congress has power to pass laws about working conditions nationally

Always able to be overturned by Judicial Review Congress can rewrite the law

using the court’s objections as guidance