"Big Ideas" of our Founding Documents
Define self-government & provide a document/primary source we discussed that is an example of it...
Self-Government = government of a place created and run by its people
Document = Mayflower Compact, English Bill of Rights, Bill of Rights, Constitution, etc.
Who wrote "Common Sense"?
Thomas Paine
What does life look like in a "state of nature"?
Constant war/conflict
The Magna Carta and English Bill of Rights gave Thomas Paine the idea that THIS FORM OF GOVERNMENT was/is BAD!
Monarchy
Who had the power?! Under the Articles of Confederation, did the STATES or FEDERAL GOVERNMENT have the most power?
STATES and it wasn't even close
Define due process...
Fair treatment through the law/courts
"Common Sense" tried to convince American colonists that...
They should join the cause for independence:
- The King & all Kings are bad
- Freedom is right and good
- Utilized Enlightenment ideas to convince people to support/desire liberty
What is a Social Contract? Provide at least ONE example of a social contract that we have in the United States...
- Unwritten agreement where people agree to give up some of their rights, in return for protection from the government (we give up something; receive something in return)
- Government is told what it can/cannot do; people agree to be governed
Which right did Cato's Letters emphasize?
FREE SPEECH
Under the Great Compromise,
- Congress is divided into two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives.
- In the Senate, each state gets two votes, no matter what size it is. (What size states does this favor?)
- In the House of Representatives, the more people a state has, the more votes it gets. (This favors large states?)
- Senate = favors small states
- House of Representatives = favors large states
Define limited government and provide a government that is an example of this... Explain WHY...
- Government authority/leaders are checked/limited by laws/Constitution
- Many responses are acceptable (United States, Canada; free/democratic countries)
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Hobbes: feared a state of nature and valued ORDER/SECURITY over INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS
What ideas did the Magna Carta give to the Founding Fathers?
That a leader's power should be limited and that rights should be given to the people
Describe the Three-Fifths Compromise... How is it not reflective of the following words from the Declaration of Independence: "all men are created equal"
Found within the US Constitution, the Three-Fifths Compromise stated that 3/5ths of the enslaved population would be counted towards a state’s population. By counting enslaved people, the South gained much more power in Congress than they would have had by counting just free persons.
Clearly not all "men" were viewed as equal, as slaves weren't considered a "whole" person
Define individual rights and provide at least ONE example of an individual right WE have...
- Group or collective rights that are guaranteed
- Freedom of speech, religion, right to privacy; own property, etc.
Why is the Declaration of Independence important?
It served as the formal statement for independence from Great Britain/King George III
- Declaration of War
- Colonies (states) would now seek to create their own country/government
According to John Locke, what are our natural rights? Be specific and list ALL THREE
Hint: Who do natural rights belong to? When do they get them? What are the three natural rights according to him?
- Rights we are born with...
- Life, liberty, and property
What is the significance of the Mayflower Compact?
First example of self-government in the colonies. Established the rule of law - everyone follows the law and serves the common good.
What were the Articles of Confederation?
The Articles of Confederation were America's first attempt to govern itself as an independent nation. They united the states as a confederation... and FAILED MISERABLY
Define Rule of Law... To what citizens in the United States does "rule of law" NOT apply?
- A principle under which all persons, institutions, and entities are accountable to laws; nobody is above the law
- TRICK QUESTION: the law applies to EVERYONE
According to the Declaration of Independence, what TRUTH is "self-evident," even though it did NOT actually apply to everyone in the United States?
"all men are created equal"
Who had a greater influence on our government - Thomas Hobbes & John Locke? Why?
What was the significance of the English Bill of Rights?
Gave the Founding Fathers the idea (primarily Jefferson) of what would become the Bill of Rights (in the US Constitution).
- Free elections
- Right to bear arms
- Right to petition the government
- Right to fair trial (DUE PROCESS!)
- No excessive bail/fines
- No cruel/unusual punishment
Why were the Articles of Confederation NOT what the United States needed?
So many reasons...
- Congress was given little to no power
- States had too much power
- Rules and roles of government were unspecific and weak
- & more!