...produced political innovations and some social change in the direction of greater equality and democracy. The American Revolution did not overturn the social order, but it did produce substantial changes in social customs, political institutions, and ideas about society and government. Among the changes were the separation of church and state in some places, the abolition of slavery in the North, written political constitutions, and a shift in political power from the eastern seaboard toward the frontier. The first weak government, the Articles of Confederation, was unable to exercise real authority, although it did successfully deal with the western lands issue. The Confederation’s weakness in handling foreign policy, commerce and the Shays Rebellion spurred the movement to alter the Articles. Instead of revising the Articles, the well-off delegates to the Constitutional Convention created a charter for a whole new government. In a series of compromises, the convention produced a plan that provided for a vigorous central government, a strong executive, the protection for property, while still upholding republican principles and states’ rights. The Federalists met strong opposition from Anti-Federalists, especially in Virginia and New York, but through effective organization and argument, they succeeded in getting the Constitution ratified. By establishing the new national government, the Federalists checked the Revolutionary values of the popular republican government...
Words: 3481 - Pages: 14
...exist until the idea is posited. 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. Declaration of Independence 1776 Declaration of Independence- ideology, Constitution- gives form to the declaration. People enjoy rights not given by government. Government doesn’t do something to you. Government prevented from taking them away. Government is the problem, not the solution. Policy is inherently bad. It was the fear of what the government could do to you that motivated its nationhood. Why the US is different -founded on an idea - Born free- rights are inalienable -Wary on power -Strong on nationhood -Founded on ‘science of politics’ -People are supreme via Constitution The politics of a written text ‘Scarcely any political question arises in the United States that is not resolved, sooner or later, into a judicial question.’ Alexis de Tocqueville (1840) Democracy in America, Book I, ch.16 -slavery -civil rights -abortion -healthcare Constitution Problematic Bill of Rights (1791) The first 10 amendments to the Constitution -1,2,3: limits of Congress 4, 5, 6: limits on executive 7, 8: limits on both (via judiciary) 9, 10: federalism (limits on national power) All posit limits on the institutions in the Constitution. Two parts of the doc, the first iteration is not sufficient to...
Words: 1077 - Pages: 5
...background information about some of the critical ways in which the American legal system is unique, and differs from legal systems elsewhere in the world. This is hard: often you will find that your professors or fellow‐students will make assumptions or presuppose certain ways of doing things that aren’t explained in class. A large goal of this course is to explain those assumptions, and make them explicit. >> UNIQUENESS OF AMERICAN LEGAL SYSTEMS Briefly, there are four aspects of the American legal system that set it apart: 1) Inherited common law, existing out of three components: (a) judicial power; (b) civil jury trial; (c) law‐equity ; 2) Written Constitution and Bill of Rights; judicial...
Words: 43059 - Pages: 173
...officially ratified until 1781, they served as the actual constitution until that time. Under the authority of the Articles, the states created a national Congress comprised of annually elected delegates from all thirteen states. Each state had one vote in Congress, and, in most cases, decisions were made based on majority rule. The National Congress’ powers over the states were specific and definite: it had the sole power to negotiate treaties, declare war, and make peace. It also reserved the right to maintain an army and navy and regulated interaction with Native Americans in the West. The delegates also granted Congress the power to resolve interstate disputes, grant loans, print money, and operate a national postal system. Eventually, Congress was also authorized to govern western territories until they achieved statehood. All powers not granted to Congress were reserved for state governments. Congress had no power to levy taxes. For example, it could only request that the individual states raise revenue to cover their share of national expenses. Furthermore, any amendments made to the Articles required an animus agreement from the states. The Articles made the National Congress weak on purpose. Having just won independence from Great Britain, many Americans feared that creating a strong federal government with too much authority over the states would only replace King George III with another tyrant. Instead, they envisioned Congress to be a supervisory body that would tie...
Words: 3410 - Pages: 14
...U.S. History U.S. History Unit One Pre-Columbian & Colonial America (Ch. 1-5) * Years- 33,000 B.C.-1763 * Presidents-none * Foreign Policies/Key Events: People migrated from Eurasia across Beringia to Alaska and spread south to the Americas. * Domestic Policies/Key Events 1) Various European settlements were established in the Americas. 2) 16th century, Europeans brougth new staples to the Americas and vice-versa. 3) Spanish exploreres were first Europeans to arrive with Christopher Columbus' second expedition to Puerto Rico on November 19, 1493. 4) First successful English colony was established in 1607, on the James River at Jamestown. 5) The Pilgrims established at Plymouth Colony. 6) Mayflower Compact was established for people to govern themselves. 7) Colonies characterized by religious diversity many congregatinalists in the Middle colonies. 8) First Great Awakening in the 1740s led by Jonathan Edwards. 9) French and Indian War (1754-1763) was a watershed event in the political development of the colonies. 10) Stamp Acts of 1765 was enforced and imposed a tax on the colonies following the Seven Years War. 11) Boston Tea Party in 1773 protest against British taxes and government. * Key Court Cases: Witchcraft trials (1480-1750) executions of innocent people that were accused of being witches or involving with any witchcraft. * Important Documents 1) Mayflower...
Words: 2567 - Pages: 11
...U.S. History U.S. History Unit One Pre-Columbian & Colonial America (Ch. 1-5) * Years- 33,000 B.C.-1763 * Presidents-none * Foreign Policies/Key Events: People migrated from Eurasia across Beringia to Alaska and spread south to the Americas. * Domestic Policies/Key Events 1) Various European settlements were established in the Americas. 2) 16th century, Europeans brougth new staples to the Americas and vice-versa. 3) Spanish exploreres were first Europeans to arrive with Christopher Columbus' second expedition to Puerto Rico on November 19, 1493. 4) First successful English colony was established in 1607, on the James River at Jamestown. 5) The Pilgrims established at Plymouth Colony. 6) Mayflower Compact was established for people to govern themselves. 7) Colonies characterized by religious diversity many congregatinalists in the Middle colonies. 8) First Great Awakening in the 1740s led by Jonathan Edwards. 9) French and Indian War (1754-1763) was a watershed event in the political development of the colonies. 10) Stamp Acts of 1765 was enforced and imposed a tax on the colonies following the Seven Years War. 11) Boston Tea Party in 1773 protest against British taxes and government. * Key Court Cases: Witchcraft trials (1480-1750) executions of innocent people that were accused of being witches or involving with any witchcraft. * Important Documents 1) Mayflower Compact ...
Words: 2557 - Pages: 11
...U.S. History U.S. History Unit One Pre-Columbian & Colonial America (Ch. 1-5) * Years- 33,000 B.C.-1763 * Presidents-none * Foreign Policies/Key Events: People migrated from Eurasia across Beringia to Alaska and spread south to the Americas. * Domestic Policies/Key Events 1) Various European settlements were established in the Americas. 2) 16th century, Europeans brougth new staples to the Americas and vice-versa. 3) Spanish exploreres were first Europeans to arrive with Christopher Columbus' second expedition to Puerto Rico on November 19, 1493. 4) First successful English colony was established in 1607, on the James River at Jamestown. 5) The Pilgrims established at Plymouth Colony. 6) Mayflower Compact was established for people to govern themselves. 7) Colonies characterized by religious diversity many congregatinalists in the Middle colonies. 8) First Great Awakening in the 1740s led by Jonathan Edwards. 9) French and Indian War (1754-1763) was a watershed event in the political development of the colonies. 10) Stamp Acts of 1765 was enforced and imposed a tax on the colonies following the Seven Years War. 11) Boston Tea Party in 1773 protest against British taxes and government. * Key Court Cases: Witchcraft trials (1480-1750) executions of innocent people that were accused of being witches or involving with any witchcraft. * Important Documents 1) Mayflower...
Words: 2567 - Pages: 11
...intervention, social justice and economic welfare for the Nation. Abstract In 1901 when President McKinley was assassinated, Roosevelt confronted sentiment, especially from the older members of the Republican Party, that he was not the right person to lead the country, often referring to him as “His Accidency.” Roosevelt was interested in quickly changing the mood of the country and establishing his legitimacy to his new position. He did so by introducing a “New Nationalist” form of Progressivism. When Roosevelt was sworn in, the Progressive Party had already been developing and growing since the end of the 19th century. It advocated for reforms and the lead of the government in changing society’s problems in response to socio-economic and political imbalances. Such thinking was a radical change in the country’s mindset, with earlier efforts supporting private efforts to solve the nation’s ills. The Progressive party had a broad platform, but the overall goal was for government to implement and lead efforts to alter societal inequalities. The Progressives called for eliminating corruption in the federal government as well as supporting a social welfare program, the women’s vote, penal system reform, and prohibition. Although the issue of civil rights for African-Americans was of concern of some members, this issue was not formally included in any of the Progressive party’s literature. With the support of journalists, and the many lectures and speeches by activists, the Progressives...
Words: 5710 - Pages: 23
...government: delegated powers, implied powers (necessary and proper clause), and concurrent powers. • Delegated Powers: (expressed/enumerated powers) powers given to the federal government directly by the constitution. Some most important delegated powers are: the authority to tax, regulated interstate commerce, authority to declare war, and grants the president role of commander and chief of the military • Implied Powers: Powers not expressed in the constitution, but that can be inferred. “Necessary and proper clause” • Concurrent powers: powers shared by both levels of government. Ex: Taxes, roads, elections, commerce, establishing courts and a judicial system • Reserved powers: powers not assigned by the constitution to the national government but left to the states or the people. Guaranteed by the 10th amendment. Include “police power”-health and public welfare, intra-state commerce. Example of police powers: Gonzales vs Raich (2005) and California Medical Marijuana. The parts and relevance of the "Triad of Powers" • Interstate commerce clause • General welfare • 10th amendment – non-delegated powers go to the states Federalism between states (i.e. full faith and credit and privileges and immunities clause, original...
Words: 37488 - Pages: 150
...completely. 1) The Preamble to the Constitution begins A) "We the People . . ." B) "Four score and seven years ago . . ." C) "When in the course of human events . . ." D) "In order to form a more perfect Union . . .” E) "These are the times that try men's souls . . .” 2) A social contract theory of government was proposed by A) Plato and Aristotle. B) Aquinas and Luther. C) Newton and the separatists. D) Locke and Hobbes. E) Plato and Luther. 3) Locke's Second Treatise on Civil Government sets out a theory of A) the divine rights of kings. B) aristocracy. C) democracy. D) republicanism. E) natural rights. 4) Indirect democracy is based on A) consensus. B) unanimity. C) the system of government used in ancient Greece. D) representation. E) "mob rule." 5) Republics are A) representative democracies. B) direct democracies. C) a hallmark of unitary governments. D) frequently found in totalitarian regimes. E) another name for states. 6) Who was the major author of the Declaration of Independence? A) George Washington B) James Madison C) Thomas Jefferson D) Benjamin Franklin E) Alexander Hamilton 7) According to ____, life without government would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” A) John Locke B) St. Thomas Aquinas C) Jean-Jacques Rousseau D) Thomas Hobbes E) Aristotle 8) The idea of popular sovereignty can first be found in the A) Mayflower Compact. B) Declaration of...
Words: 3950 - Pages: 16
...constitution state two basic levels; certain decisions; only the federal government; each of the states Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between a central government and several regional, or state, governments. 1. Population; the people who live within the boundaries of the state 2. Territory; land with known and recognized boundaries 3. Sovereignty; the supreme and absolute power within a state’s territory to decide its own foreign and domestic policies 4. Government; the institution through which society makes and enforces public policies 5. Force theory; the state was born of force, when one person or a small group gained control over people in an area and forced them to submit to that person’s or group’s rule. 6. Evolutionary theory; the state evolved from early families that united to form clans. Later, clans united to form tribes. As tribes settled into agricultural groups over time, they formed states. 7. Divine right theory; God created the state and gave a chosen few the right to rule. 8. Social contract theory; people voluntarily agreed to create a state and give to the government just enough power to promote the safety and well-being of all. Government exists to serve the will of the people, and the people are the sole source of political power. Chapter Outline 2 I. Section 1: Government and the State A. Definition of Government and the State 1. legislative, executive, judicial 2. state B. Political...
Words: 19014 - Pages: 77
...Beverly, Rose A. His 221 010 August 27, 2011 Morris, Erin The cultural patterns of the Native American groups prior to European colonization. Even though Christopher Columbus claimed to have discovered the Americas in 1492, it was already inhabited some fifteen to twenty thousand years prior. The glaciers were reduced because of global warming and this gave the nomadic hunters access to the core of the North American continent. Amazingly, this contributed to their food supply abundantly and this produced a swift population growth. More changes became evident in the environment which included a new food source such as fish, nuts and berries. These Native Americans, known as Paleo-Indians, adjusted and propelled forward. Because they were exposed to a new food source they discovered how to cultivate certain plants. At this stage, the Agriculture Revolution was born and this significantly altered the Native American culture. With a more stable food source these Indians became docile and established. This also helped in establishing stable villages and eventually led to some type of government which included elders and leaders. The Eastern Woodland Cultures did not practice agriculture first and foremost but supplemented their food chain with hunting and fishing. They had settled in the northern region along the Atlantic coast. The Algonquian-speaking Natives resided from North Carolina to Main and spoke many different...
Words: 7887 - Pages: 32
...OUTLINE OF U.S. HISTORY OUTLINE OF OUTLINE OF U.S. HISTORY C O N T E N T S CHAPTER 1 Early America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 CHAPTER 2 The Colonial Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 CHAPTER 3 The Road to Independence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 CHAPTER 4 The Formation of a National Government . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 CHAPTER 5 Westward Expansion and Regional Differences . . . . . . . 110 CHAPTER 6 Sectional Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 CHAPTER 7 The Civil War and Reconstruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 CHAPTER 8 Growth and Transformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 CHAPTER 9 Discontent and Reform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 CHAPTER 10 War, Prosperity, and Depression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 CHAPTER 11 The New Deal and World War I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 CHAPTER 12 Postwar America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 CHAPTER 13 Decades of Change: 1960-1980 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 CHAPTER 14 The New Conservatism and a New World Order . . . . . . 304 CHAPTER 15 Bridge to the 21st Century . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320 PICTURE PROFILES Becoming a Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....
Words: 104976 - Pages: 420
...fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed.[1] These rules together make up, i.e.constitute, what the entity is. When these principles are written down into a single document or set of legal documents, those documents may be said to embody a writtenconstitution; if they are written down in a single comprehensive document, it is said to embody a codified constitution. Constitutions concern different levels of organizations, from sovereign states to companies and unincorporated associations. A treaty which establishes an international organization is also its constitution, in that it would define how that organization is constituted. Within states, a constitution defines the principles upon which the state is based, the procedure in which laws are made and by whom. Some constitutions, especially codified constitutions, also act as limiters of state power, by establishing lines which a state's rulers cannot cross, such as fundamental rights. An example is the constitution of the United States of America. George Washington at Constitutional Conventionof 1787 signing of the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution of India is the longest written constitution of any sovereign country in the world,[2] containing 444 articles in 22 parts,[3][4] 12 schedules and 118 amendments, with 117,369 words in its English-language translation,[5] while the United States Constitution is the shortest written constitution, at 7 articles...
Words: 16003 - Pages: 65
...Jump to navigation Search Cornell Search About LII / Get the law / Lawyer Directory / Get Legal Forms / Legal Encyclopedia / Help Out • • Wex • all pages • articles • español • Inbox Project • search • FAQ Legal systems Introduction: profusion and variety There are hundreds of legal systems in the world. At the global level, international law is of great importance, whether created by the practice of sovereign states or by agreement among them in the form of treaties and other accords. Some transnational entities such as the European Union have created their own legal structures. At the national level there are over 180 sovereign states in the United Nations Organization. Many of these are federal or confederal, and their constituent parts may well have their own law. But, despite this great variety, it is important to begin by emphasizing one great division: that into religious and secular legal systems. Each side of this split holds quite different views as to law, in its source, scope, sanctions, and function. The source of religious law is the deity, legislating through the prophets. Secular law is made by human beings, and one of its most famous examples begins with the words 'We, the people'. It follows from this difference in their source that religious laws are perceived to be eternal and immutable, while secular rules can be changed by their makers. Religious law tells people what to believe as well as how to behave, whereas secular law deals...
Words: 8159 - Pages: 33
