Principles of American Democracy

1
Principles of American Democracy

• Limited Government-- lower taxes, stress on
  personal freedoms.
• Historical Reasons. Experiences taught them that
  a strong central government (e.g. Britain)
  threatened liberty.
• Philosophical. Locke natural rights, government
  holds power with the consent of the governed.
  Also, doubts concerning human nature.
• Practical. Anything they created had to be
  accepted by the various state governments.

2
Principles of American Democracy

• Republican Government-- people govern through
  elected representatives.
• Fear of Democracy, Size of nation, A reasoned
  check, ideal democracy impactical
• Separate institutions sharing power-
• Requires consensus for policy change, frustrates
  majority rule.
• Protects against tyranny of majority.
• Problems lack of accountability, inefficient.

3
Antecedents to the American Republic

• 1700s British King and Parliament
• Very strong executive, weak legislature, strong
  central government.
• Colonial governments
• Powerful executives, weak legislatures.
• State Governments following independence
• Strong legislatures weak executives
• Articles of Confederation
• A national legislature, no executive, weak
  central govt, most power w/ states.
• Liberty threatened by a strong executive,
  safeguarded by a strong legislature.

4
Articles of Confederation Problems

• Laws difficult to enact
• 9 of 13 states must vote to pass legislation, and
  difficult to execute.
• Interstate rivalries in commerce and western
  lands.
• National government unable to respond to foreign
  threats, w/ no standing army
• Economic problems
• debt crisis and money crisis trade wars.
• Inability of national government to deal with
  rebellion and threats to property rights.

5
Delegates had similar points of view

• Limit, but strengthen, power of national govt
  (economic and national security).
• Must be a national executive, independent of the
  legislature. Needed for strong government and to
  protect property rights.
• Human nature is self-interested.
• Feared democracy, or the tyranny of the majority,
  insulate govt from the people.
• Who were the 55 delegates?

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Outline of the Constitution

• Article 1 Legislative Branch (Congress)
• Article 2 Executive Branch (the Presidency)
• Article 3 Judicial Branch (Supreme Court)
• Article 4 The Federal System
• Article 5 Amending the Constitution
• Article 6 Federal Supremacy
• Article 7 Ratification
• Amendments First 10, the Bill of Rights.