STRONG BUT NOT TOO STRONG

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STRONG BUT NOT TOO STRONG

• The American Government System

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Whom do you trust?

• Think, dont say! Which classmate would you
  trust to manage all the money for a May trip to
  Washington, D.C., that you have been fundraising
  for all year?
• Why would you trust him or her?
• Think of someone you would NOT trust with those
  funds ...

What rules would you create to make sure the
person in charge didn't do something wrong?
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Do you agree?

• Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power
  corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always
  bad men.
• ? Lord Acton, 1887

corrupt to destroy the honesty and integrity of
a person
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We are not all angels

• If men were angels, no government would be
  necessary. 
• If angels were to govern men, neither external
  nor internal controls on government would be
  necessary.
• - James Madison

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Think about it

• Do you know anyone (think of friends, family, and
  community) who is truly, truly good ... who
  always focuses on others? 
• Is everyone that way?  Why?
• Are all mayors, governors, presidents, and
  Senators angels?  Why?

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Key Ideas

• If you don't put controls on government
  officials, they often do things that are not in
  the people's interests.
• Our government is built strong, so it can get a
  lot done, but we have a lot of controls so it
  cannot do TOO much.

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Few examples of democracy

• When James Madison came to the Constitutional
  Convention, he had read many books about
  governments throughout the world, throughout the
  centuries.
• In most countries in the 1700s, some form of
  monarch or dictator ruled.
• Democracy was rare ... most experiments in
  democracy didnt last.
• Why do you think this was true?

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King Edward presiding over the British Parliament
in the late 13th century.
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImageMedieval_parlia
ment_edward.Jpg
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Americans were tired of dictators

• Colonists had always had a king, but as British
  citizens they had guaranteed rights.
• In their minds, King George III had become a
  dictator who was taking away the rights of his
  citizens.
• To many colonists, the British legislature was
  no better. They passed all kinds of laws against
  the colonists. The colonists had no
  representatives in the Parliament.

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Not another King George!

• At the Constitutional Convention, most of the men
  in the room feared the idea of an American
  version of King George III who would ignore and
  abuse the citizens.

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Watch out!

• Once your president becomes a dictator, it is
  hard to make him behave.
• He's put himself ABOVE your laws. 
• Dictators cancel elections, suspend the
  legislature, take away citizens rights, shut
  down newspapers, and imprison people who
  criticize them.

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So first we created a really weak government.

• During the American Revolution, the new United
  States created a government plan called the
  Articles of Confederation.
• The government created by the Articles was SO
  limited, Congress couldn't get much done. 
• There was not even really a President.

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We needed a stronger government!
States could make treaties
No President! No courts!

• This government got the new United States through
  the war, but our nation was quickly falling apart.

Congress was broke!
States had their own armies and navies
Every state made its own money
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Strong but not TOO strong

• The challenge was to make a government STRONG
  ENOUGH to keep the 13 new states together but NOT
  SO STRONG that it would take power away from the
  people and the states. 

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A more powerful government
Articles of Confederation Constitution
Congress asked states to pay taxes, couldnt enforce Congress requires individuals to pay taxes
No federal courts Federal courts
President of the Congress President with own powers
State armies and navies U.S. Armed Forces
69 of states had to vote to approve laws 50 1 of both houses must vote to approve laws President can veto
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Principles of the Constitution

1. Limited government
2. Popular sovereignty
3. Individual rights
4. Republicanism
5. Federalism
6. Separation of powers
7. Checks and balances

• The "principles" (ideas) of the Constitution help
  limit the power of a strong national government.

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1. Limited government

• The government is controlled by laws. If our
  leaders violate the Constitution, we can get rid
  of them or their laws.
• a government of laws and not of men
• John Adams

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2. Popular Sovereignty
the people rule
According to the Declaration of Independence
All men are endowed with certain
unalienable Rights Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness. To secure these rights,
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving
their just powers from the consent of the
governed. Whenever any Form of Government
becomes destructive of these ends, it is the
Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,
and to institute new Government
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3. Individual Rights

• The government cannot take away certain
  unalienable rights from the citizens.
• Our individual rights are explained in the first
  ten amendments to the Constitution
• the Bill of Rights.
• Some lawmakers would not approve the Constitution
  until the Bill of Rights was added.

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No cruel or unusual punishment
Freedom of speech
Freedom of the press
Right to an attorney
Right to face your accuser
Freedom of religion
Right to a speedy public trial
Freedom to assemble peaceably
No unreasonable search and seizure
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4. Republicanism

• Reps of the public
• The citizens do not make laws and public
  decisions directly. Instead, we vote for
  representatives who make decisions.
• We vote for Mayor, City Council, School Board,
  Governor, state legislators, some judges,
  President, Senator.
• If a representative does not do a good job of
  representing our interests, we can vote for
  someone else next time.

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5. Federalism

• If the national (federal) government made all the
  decisions, they might have too much power.
• The Constitution says that the federal (national)
  government should only do the things the state
  and local governments cannot do.

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6. Separation of powers

• If the president had all the power, s/he might
  abuse it, so the Constitution split up the
  government's power into 3 branches
• A LEGISLATIVE branch to make the laws
• An EXECUTIVE branch to enforce the laws
• A JUDICIAL branch to interpret the laws

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SE PA RA
TI ON OF
PO WE RS
Leg
Ex
Jud
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7. Checks and balances

• Each branch of government has the power to keep
  the other two branches from violating the law or
  becoming too powerful.
• Examples

• The Supreme Court can rule that a law is
  unconstitutional.
• The President can veto a law.
• Congress must approve Presidential appointments,
  like the Attorney General or a Supreme Court
  justice.

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An Example

• The President must ask Congress to authorize
  war.
• Congress must approve funding for the war.
• As Commander in Chief, the President is
  responsible for running the war (through the
  Armed Forces). S/he is advised by the Secretary
  of Defense, Secretary of State, and the Joint
  Chiefs of Staff.
• The Supreme Court can rule that the Presidents
  actions during war violate the law.