Origins of American Government

Chapter 2

Origins of American Government

Colonial Period1. Self gov’t.

2. Seeking political & religious freedoms

3. Most from England

4. England = limited & representative gov’t.

Colonial Period

• Limited gov’t: a system in which the power of the gov’t. is limited, not absolute

• Magna Carta = protected against unjust punishment & the loss of life, liberty, & property except according to the law.

• Representative gov’t.: people elect delegates to make laws & run the gov’t.

In WI we have 8 representatives based on our 2010 census:

District 1: Paul Ryan

District 2: Mark Pocan

District 3: Ron Kind

District 4: Gwen Moore

District 5: James

Sensenbrenner

District 6: Tom Petri

District 7: Sean Duffy

District 8: Reid Ribble

WI Districts

Origins of American Government

John Locke’s Two Treatises on Gov’t.:

• People contracted among themselves

to form gov’t. to protect their natural

rights. Locke argued that if a gov’t.

failed to protect these natural rights,

the people could change that gov’t.

Articles of Confederation

• The 13 states (colonies) wanted a “league of friendship” among the 13 independent states rather than a strong national gov’t.

The Articles eventually needed to be revised to include:

1. Limited gov’t.2. Representative gov’t.3. Separation of powers

Separation of Powers

Need for Stronger Gov’t.

Despite its achievements, the Confederation faced difficulties with problems facing the nation.

States quarreled over boundary lines & taxes.

The new nation faced serious money problems.

The gov’t. could not maintain an army for defense of the states.

Constitutional Convention

The Confederation Congress gave its consent to hold the Philadelphia convention “for the sole & express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederations.”

Constitutional Convention

The Convention began by unanimously choosing George Washington to preside over the meetings.

It also decided that each state would have one vote on all questions.

While the delegates originally came together to revise the Articles, they eventually agreed to abandon the former gov’t. and begin again.

Constitutional ConventionDecisions & Compromises

Connecticut Compromise(Virginia Plan vs. New Jersey Plan)

Legislative Branch have 2 parts:House of Representatives• based on a state’s population• Larger states have the advantageSenate• 2 members from each state• Smaller states are protected

Three-Fifths Compromise

(North vs. South)South wanted slaves counted for

representation but not for levying taxes.The North took the opposite stand.

3/5 of the enslaved people were to be counted for both tax purposes & for representation.

Slavery

The delegates knew the Southern states would never accept the Constitution if it interfered with slavery.

The refusal to deal with slavery left it to later generations of Americans to resolve this terrible issue.

Ratifying the ConstitutionTo become law, 9 of the 13 states had to

agree.

(Federalists vs. the Anti-Federalists)

Federalists = favored ConstitutionAnti-Federalists = opposed Constitution

because it lacked a Bill of Rights

To gain the votes, the Federalists promised to add a Bill of Rights as the first order of business under the new gov’t.

Results of the Convention

New York City • nation’s temporary

capital.George

Washington • was elected our

first President.John Adams • Vice President