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Monday, February 18, 2008

AP Government –Chap 2- Notes (1/2)

The Constitution:

  • The Origins of the Constitution
    • 1776: Declaration of Independence passed in Philadelphia supporting an armed revolution against the British
    • Attempting to overthrow the government is a serious act and considered treason punishable by death
    • Road to Revolution:
      • Life was not bad for most people in America at the time by current standards
      • White colonists were "freer, more equal, more prosperous, and less burdened . . ."
      • Britain generally confined themselves to only government America's foreign policy and trade
      • After the French and Indian War Britain put up taxes to pay for the costs
      • They also began tightening enforcement on its trade regulations which were design to benefit the mother country rather than the colonies
        • Colonists outraged, they protested, boycotted, and went through with the Boston Tea Party
          • Britain reacted through a naval blockade
          • Colonists formed the First Continental Congress in 1774
    • Declaring Independence:
      • May and June 1776 the Congress began debating resolutions
      • Richard Henry Lee moved that "these United States are and of right ought to be free and independent states"
        • June 7: Committee of Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Sherman, and Livingston formed to draft the Declaration of Independence
        • July 2: Lee's motion approved
        • July 4: Jefferson's Dec. of Independence adopted
      • Can be read as a political tact and a philosophical treatise
      • Politically:
        • Justified and announced a revolution
        • Listed the ways the king had abused them
        • Colonists need foreign support of countries such as France to take on the British
    • The English Heritage: The Power of Ideas:
      • Franklin, Jefferson, Madison, Morris, and Hamilton were all learned men familiar with the works of English philosophers
        • John Locke influenced the Dec.
          • He built his philosophy on the belief of natural rights
          • Said that the laws of nature govern people
          • Believed government should be built on the consent of the governed (people must agree on who their rulers will be)
          • Should also be a limited government (clear restrictions on what rulers can do)
          • The sole purpose of government was to protect the natural rights
          • Supported two limits:
            • Governments must provide standing laws so the people know in advance whether their acts will acceptable
            • Supreme power cannot take from any man any part of property with his consent
          • Said people have right to rebel against their government that no longer has their consent
            • People should no revolt until injustice become deeply felt
    • Jefferson's Handiwork: The American Creed
      • Said that since the government had failed to secure the rights of the people the people had the right to create their own government
      • People should have primacy over the government and should rule rather than be ruled
    • Winning Independence:
      • 1775: British had 8,500 men stationed in the colonies and 30,000 mercenaries
        • Initially the colonies only had 5,00 uniformed men
      • 1783: Won independence
    • The "Conservative" Revolution:
      • Did not completely alter the colonists way of life
      • Primary goal was to restore rights
  • The Government that Failed: 1776-87
    • 1776: Articles of Confederation drawn
    • The Articles of Confederation:
      • Government dominated by the states
      • National legislature with one house
        • States could send 2-7 delegates, but only had one vote
      • No president, no national court
      • 1781: Finally put into effect after ML ratified them
      • Congress had few powers and little money
        • Had to get permission from states to tax
        • Sold western land
        • Disbanded the army
        • Did not have power to regulate commerce
    • Changes in the States:
      • States adopted bills of rights to protect freedoms, abolished religious requirements for hold office, and liberalized requirements for voting
      • Farmers and craft workers became a decisive majority with the voting restrictions gone
      • Structure of government in the states become more responsive to the people
    • Economic Turmoil:
      • Postwar depression left farmers in debt and threatened with foreclosures
      • Printed worthless money to get the farmers out of debt
    • Shay's Rebellion:
      • Policies favoring the debtors over the creditors did not please the economic elite
      • 1786: Band of farmers rebelled when they lost their land
        • Led by Daniel Shay
        • Series of attacks on courthouses
        • Congress nor state was able to get an army to stop the attacks
    • Aborted Annapolis Meeting:
      • 1786: Handful of leaders met in Md. to discuss Article problems and suggest solutions
        • Only five states were represented
        • Decided that a larger meeting was necessary
  • Making a Constitution: The Philadelphia Convention
    • Reps from 12 states attended (RI did not send a delegate)
    • They were ordered to meet to only revise the Articles
    • Reps did not pay attention to this order because to revise the Articles they needed unanimous consent, which they knew to impossible
    • Instead they began writing the US Constitution
    • Gentlemen in Philadelphia:
      • The men in attendance were mainly men of wealth
      • Coastal residents rather than residents of the western frontiers
      • Most from urban America
    • Philosophy in Action:
      • Debates ranged from high principles on big issues to self-interest on the small ones
      • First two weeks devoted to general debates about the nature of republican government
      • Though all had different ideas on government they all shared one common ground:
        • Human nature: Delegates held a cynical view of human nature; they thought they were self-interested
          • Government should play a role in containing the natural self-interest of people
        • Causes of political conflict: The distribution of wealth is the greatest cause
          • Factions are caused by these conflicts
          • If unchecked the factions might tyrannize each other
          • Majority would seize the government to reduce the wealth, the minority would seize the government for its own gains
        • Objects of government: The preservation of individual rights to acquire and hold wealth
        • Nature of government: Power should set against power so that no one faction would overwhelm the others
          • Limited government would have to contain checks on its own power
          • Separation of power would be needed
  • The Agenda in Philadelphia
    • The Equality Issues:
      • Equality and Representation of the States:
        • How would the new Congress be constituted?
          • New Jersey Plan: Paterson; called for equal representation
          • Virginia Plan: Randolph; representation based on population
          • Connecticut Compromise: Sherman and Johnson; two houses of congress, one with equal rep. the other based on pop.
            • Actually gives more power to smaller states
      • Slavery:
        • Congress could limit future importations, but did not forbid slavery
        • Said the escapees had to be returned to owners
        • 3/5ths Compromise
      • Political Equality:
        • Some suggested universal manhood suffrage, others wanted property ownership to be a requirement
        • Decided that if one was qualified for state voting the could vote in national elections
    • Economic Issues:
      • Delegates disagreed on whether the economy was in shambles
      • Federalists stressed the economies weaknesses
      • Writers of the constitution addressed the following:
        • States had erected tariffs against products from other states
        • Paper money was worthless in some states, but many state governments forced it on creditors
        • Congress was having trouble raising money because the economy was in a recession
      • All believed a strong national government was needed to bring economic stability to the union of states
      • Delegates made sure the Constitution clearly laid out the economic powers of Congress
        • Was to be chief policymakers
        • Could obtain revenue through taxes and borrowing
        • Congress could punish counterfeiters and pirates
        • Ability to regulate interstate and foreign trade
    • I

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