Unit 2: Foundations of American Government

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Unit 2 Foundations of American Government

• Part I Our English Heritage

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The Magna CartaThe Great Charter

• 1215 England
• Nobles rebelled against the King and forced him
  to sign a document that protected their rights

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Rule of Law

• The law applies to everyone

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Limited Government

• The government is not all powerful

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The Development of Parliament

• Late 1300s-Present
• Started as a advisory group to King then evolved
  into a representative legislature a lawmaking
  body

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The Development of Parliament

• The Glorious Revolution Parliament removes King
  James II and puts William and Mary on thrown.
  Parliament now stronger than King

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Representative Government

• The people are the source of government power
• (POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY)

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The Ideas of the Enlightenment

• 1600s-1700s
• Philosophical movement that believed God had
  created an orderly universe and that the laws of
  this universe could be discovered using reason.

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NATURAL RIGHTS

• Rights people are BORN with that NO GOVERNMENT
  CAN DENY

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Social Contract

• Agreement between GOVERNMENT and the PEOPLE

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Self Government

• That people can RULE THEMSELVES IN AN ORDERLY
  MANNER

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The English Bill of Rights

• 1689
• Further LIMITED Kings power and increased the
  RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE
• Right to
• Free elections
• Fair Trial
• No cruel and unusual punishment

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English Common Law

• Developed over time
• Law that rests on previous court decisions
  (Precedents)
• Makes law fair and consistent
• Bases for our
• Divorce
• Civil

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Philosophers of the Enlightenment
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Thomas Hobbes(1588-1679)

• People could not rule themselves
• Have to have a strong government
• Social Contract Give up rights to absolute
  monarch for protection from a violent death

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John Locke(1632-1704)

• Natural Rights all people are born with basic
  rights (Life, Liberty, Property)
• Social Contract Relation between government and
  the people is a contract
• People obey laws
• Government protects rights
• Right to rebel if the government fails to
  protect the rights of the people it is the right
  of the people to destroy that government

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Jean-Jacques Rousseau(1712-1778)

• Everywhere gov. is oppressing the people
• The only just gov. is one the people create

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Baron de Montesquieu(1689-1755)

• Gov. needs power but power corrupts
• Protect the people by separating the powers of
  gov. into three branches
• Write the laws
• Enforce the laws
• Interpret the laws

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Answer the EQ

• Using two examples of from your notes on Our
  English Heritage answer the following question
• What characteristics of their English heritage
  influenced the founding fathers in the
  development of American democracy and how?