Chapter 1 A student from Chicago casts an early vote in the 2008 Illinois presidential primary. The peaceful transfer of political power through elections In 2000, Democrat Al Gore won the popular vote, but George W. Bush was declared winner by the Electoral College. Still, Gore graciously conceded defeat. I say to president-elect Bush that what remains of partisan rancor must now be put aside, and may God bless his stewardship of this country. Neither he nor I anticipated this long and difficult road. Certainly neither of us wanted it to happen. Yet it came, and now it has ended, resolved, as it must be resolved, through the honored institutions of our democracy. -Al Gore 1
In 2008, many Democrats still felt cheated by the process that occurred in 2000, and Republican nominee John McCain warned that there would be dire economic and national security consequences if Democratic nominee Barack Obama was elected. Yet following Obama s victory, Republican president George W. Bush did not attempt to prolong his time in office, and McCain and his supporters did not take up arms or go underground to plan a revolution. Similarly, neither Obama nor his supporters seriously thought about punishing McCain and his supporters. American Government and Politicians in Context Government by the people requires faith in our common human enterprise Constitutional democracy requires constant attention to protecting the rights and opinions of others Constitutional democracy means government by representative politicians Thomas Jefferson, one of our best-known champions of constitutional democracy Defining Democracy Democracy Demos (The People) Kratos (authority) Government by the People The Athenians are here, Sire, with an offer to back us with ships, money, arms, and men and, of course, their usual lectures about democracy. 2
Defining Democracy Democracy Government by the people, either directly or indirectly, with free and frequent elections Representative Democracy Government that derives its powers indirectly from the people, who elect those who will govern Direct Democracy Government in which citizens vote on laws and select officials more directly Constitutional Democracy Government that enforces recognized limits on those who govern and allows the voice of the people to be heard through free, fair, and relatively frequent elections Conditions Conducive to Educational Conditions Democracy puts a premium on education Economic Conditions Extremes of poverty and wealth undermine the possibilities for a healthy constitutional democracy Conditions Conducive to Social Conditions Ideological conditions Overlapping associations and groupings, so that allegiance to one group is not overpowering Acceptance of the ideals of democracy and a willingness from the majority to proceed democratically 3
Democracy as a System of Interacting Values Equality of Opportunity Popular Consent Personal Liberty Respect for the Individual These basic values of democracy do not always coexist happily. Democracy as a System of Interrelated Political Processes Free and fair elections Majority rule Freedom of expression The right to assemble and protest A student from Chicago casts an early vote in the 2008 Illinois presidential primary. Democracy as a System of Interdependent Political Structures The five distinctive elements of the U.S. constitutional system Federalism Separation of Powers Bicameralism Checks and Balances Bill of Rights 4
The Colonial Beginnings Mayflower Compact Legalized the Pilgrim s position as a body politic Colonial assemblies Every colony in the New World had an assembly The Rise of Revolutionary Fervor The Declaration of Independence We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That 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, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Toward Unity and Order The Articles of Confederation Goal: To bring the thirteen states together while allowing each state to remain independent Adopted on March 1, 1781 Under the Articles, each state issued its own currency 5
Shays s Rebellion Shays s Rebellion Economic depression of mid-1780s Daniel Shays Rallied farmers to demand change from government The Constitutional Convention of 1787: The Delegates 55 Delegates Educated Wealthy Experienced in state/local government White Male To encourage open debate, the proceedings were kept secret. The Constitutional Convention of 1787: Consensus The common philosophy accepted by most of the delegates was that of balanced government 6
The Constitutional Convention of 1787: Conflict and Compromise 2 competing plans The Virginia Plan National government would be supreme over the states Favored by populous states The New Jersey Plan Confederation model Favored by smaller states The Constitutional Convention of 1787: Conflict and Compromise The Conflict State-based approach versus an individual-based approach The Compromise House of Representatives: Proportional; Senate: Equal number of representatives from each state The Conflict The fact that Northerners hated slavery worried Southerners, who feared that their greater representation in Congress would be used to end slavery The Compromise Slaves counted as three-fifths of a free person; protection of the Atlantic Slave Trade for at least 20 years The Constitutional Convention of 1787: Conflict and Compromise The Conflict Southerners feared that the North s greater representation in Congress would be used to end slavery The Compromise Slaves counted as three-fifths of a free person in determining representation in the House of Representatives; protection of the Atlantic slave trade for at least 20 years 7
Federalists versus Anti-Federalists The Federalist Papers James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay The Brutus Essays The Politics of Ratification Ratification of the Constitution Patrick Henry s famous cry, Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death! 8