2. Origins of the US Government
Magna Carta (1215)- The first attempt to limit
the power of the British monarch.
English Bill of Rights (1689)- Guaranteed free
parliamentary elections, the right to a speedy
trial, freedom of excessive bails and cruel and
unusual punishment, the right to petition to the
Kind, and protection of armies during time of
peace.
Enlightenment (discussed on next slide)
4. 3 Key Enlightenment
Philosophers
John Locke
Natural rights-life, liberty, and property
Government should be formed on consent of the
governed
Charles de Montesquieu
Separation of powers among branches
System of divided authority to prevent one branch
from gaining too much authority
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Social contract between people and government
Rulers are servants to the community
5. Colonial Times
Colonial charters-colonies formed from charter
from the King
House of Burgesses- VA established the first
representative legislature in the colonies in 1619
Mayflower Compact- an agreement in 1620
signed by colonists aboard the Mayflower
The First Continental Congress- Delegates from
12 colonies met in Philadelphia in 1774. Sent a
Declaration of Rights to the King
7. Troubles with Britain Con’t…
Townshend Acts
(1767)
Boston Massacre
(1770)
Boston Tea Party
(1772)
Coercive/Intolerable
Acts (1774)
8. The Second Continental
Congress
May 1775
Delegates from 13 colonies
The Declaration of Independence
Theory of government based on natural rights and
social contract
List of grievances
A statement of colonial unity and separation from
Britain
Articles of Confederation (continued on next
slide)
9. Articles of Confederation
First national constitution for the US
Unicameral legislative branch
League of friendship among states
Weak national government
No executive or judicial branches
Amendments would require unanimous vote
10. The national government was
too weak
States taxed each other and
printed their own money,
which led to economic chaos
No branch to uphold laws
Violence broke out (Shay’s
Rebellion)
Problems with
the Articles of
Confederation
11. Test Your Knowledge
1. The Articles of Confederation established
I. A unicameral legislature
II. The supremacy of state legislatures
III. A chief executive
IV. A national court
(A) II only (D) I, III, and IV only
(B) I and II only (E) II, III, and IV only
(C) I, II, and III only
12. Constitutional Convention
Philadelphia, May 1787
Delegates from every state except Rhode Island
Decided to write new Constitution
Agreed on Federal system
Agreed on three branches
Many plans presented, such as the Virginia Plan
and the New Jersey Plan (discussed on next slide)
Picture source:
www.whitehouse.gov
13. Important people at the
Constitutional Convention
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison (shown on left)
Alexander Hamilton (shown on right)
George Washington
Picture Source:
www.nps.gov
14. Test Your Knowledge
Base your answers to questions 1 and 2 on the quote below
and on your knowledge of U.S. government and politics.
"What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of
liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of
patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure."
– Thomas Jefferson, 1787
2.Thomas Jefferson expressed the above belief in the
immediate aftermath of
(A) Bacon's Rebellion (D) the Whiskey Rebellion
(B) Pontiac's Rebellion (E) Nat Turner's Rebellion
(C) Shays' Rebellion
3. Jefferson's remarks constitute an argument in support of the
(A) First Amendment (D) Fifth Amendment
(B) Second Amendment (E) Eighth Amendment
(C) Fourth Amendment
15. VPPlan
• Bicameral
Legislature
• Representation in
each house based
on population or
monetary
contributions
• Single executive
• Judges chosen by
legislative branch
NJPlan
• Unicameral
legislative
• Representation
equal among the
states
• Plural executive
• Judges chosen by
the executive
branch
Picture Sources: www.yellowmaps.com
wwp.greenwichmeantime.com
16. Compromises at the Constitutional
Convention
Connecticut (Great) Compromise- Bicameral
legislative branch with the Senate having equal
representation for each state and the House
having representation based on population
Three-Fifths Compromise- each state would
count slaves as 3/5 of a person-This resolved
representation and taxing issues
Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise-
Congress could not tax exports from the states or
ban slave trade for 20 years-this resolved
problems between the North and the South
17. Federalists
For Constitution to be ratified
James Madison, John Jay,
Alexander Hamilton
Wanted strong national
government
Didn’t need a Bill of Rights-
Constitution was strong enough
Federalist Papers
Anti-
Federalists
Against the Constitution being
ratified
Patrick Henry, Richard Henry
Lee, George Mason, Sam
Adams
Wanted strong state
governments
Wanted a Bill of Rights
18. Ratification of the Constitution
Ratified by 9/13 states
September 17, 1787
Picture Source:
www.house.gov
19. Principles in the Constitution
Limited government-government has limits on its
powers
Popular Sovereignty- government’s authority is by
the people
Separation of powers-separated among the three
branches
Checks and balances- each branch limited by
other branches
Federalism-division of government between
national and state levels
22. School House Rock Video to Review
Checks and Balances/Separation of
Powers
http://www.schooltube.com/video/9ee8d7e4bef24
e8394b4/
23. Articles in the Constitution
I-Legislative Branch
II-Executive Branch
III-Judicial Branch
IV-Intergovernmental Relationships
V-Amendment Process
VI-Supremacy of the Constitution
VII-Ratification Process
24. Amendment Process
4 methods
1. Proposed by 2/3 vote of each house of Congress
and ratified by ¾ of state legislatures (used 26
times)
2. Proposed by 2/3 vote of each house of Congress
and ratified by a special convention in at least ¾ of
all states (used once)
3. Proposed by national convention called by
Congress at the request of 2/3 of the state
legislatures and ratified by ¾ of the state
legislatures (never used)
4. Proposed by national convention called by
Congress at the request of 2/3 of the state
legislatures and ratified by special conventions in at
25. Informal Amendment Process
Legislative actions-Congress passes acts that
more clearly define the meaning of the
Constitution
Executive actions-to expand presidential authority
Judicial review-interpret constitution/decide what
is unconstitutional
Customs and precedents-example: no term limit
until the 22nd amendment was passed
26. Test Your Knowledge
4. Which of the following statements regarding constitutional
amendments is correct?
(A) The Constitution has never been amended by a
constitutional convention.
(B) No constitutional amendment has ever been
successfully repealed.
(C) The majority of proposed amendments have been
ratified.
(D) Every state legislature requires a three-fourths majority
for ratification.
(E) A constitutional amendment requires the signature of
the President.
27. Bill of Rights
First 10 amendments of the Constitution
Added to satisfy Anti-Federalists
Passed by Congress September 25, 1789.
Ratified December 15, 1791.
Visit this site to read the Bill of Rights:
http://billofrightsinstitute.org/founding-
documents/bill-of-rights/
28. List of ALL Amendments (including
Bill of Rights)
Bill of Rights
Amendment 1 Freedoms, Petitions,
Assembly
Amendment 2 Right to bear arms
Amendment 3 Quartering of soldiers
Amendment 4 Search and arrest
Amendment 5 Rights in criminal cases
Amendment 6 Right to a fair trial
Amendment 7 Rights in civil cases
Amendment 8 Bail, fines, punishment
Amendment 9 Rights retained by the
People
Amendment 10 States' rights
Later Amendments
Amendment 11 Lawsuits against states
Amendment 12 Presidential elections
Amendment 13 Abolition of slavery
Amendment 14 Civil rights
Amendment 15 Black suffrage
Amendment 16 Income taxes
Amendment 17 Senatorial elections
Amendment 18 Prohibition of liquor
Amendment 19 Women's suffrage
Amendment 20 Terms of office
Amendment 21 Repeal of Prohibition
Amendment 22 Term Limits for the
Presidency
Amendment 23 Washington, D.C.,
suffrage
Amendment 24 Abolition of poll taxes
Amendment 25 Presidential succession
Amendment 26 18-year-old suffrage
29. Test Your Knowledge
5. Since the adoption of the Bill of Rights, the greatest
number of constitutional amendments have served to
(A) broaden the government's role in the economy
(B) expand voting rights to the disenfranchised
(C) reform Congress to counteract corruption
(D) formalize the concept of judicial review
(E) clarify the federal structure of government
6. In 1933, the Eighteenth Amendment was repealed by
the
(A) Nineteenth Amendment
(B) Twentieth Amendment
(C) Twenty-first Amendment
(D) Twenty-sixth Amendment
(E) Twenty-seventh Amendmen
30. Marbury v. Madison
1803
Established judicial review
Chief Justice John Marshall (shown in picture
below)
Picture Source:
www.lva.virginia.gov
31. Unwritten Traditions
Political parties are not found in the Constitution.
President’s cabinet was not specifically in the
Constitution
Senatorial Courtesy-The President much first
seek the approval of the senator or senators of
the President’s party from the state in which the
nominee will serve.
32. Answers to Test Your Knowledge
Questions
1. B
2. C
3. B
4. A
5. B
6. C
33. Information Sources
Pamela, K. Lamb. 5 Steps to a 5 Ap Us Government
and Politics. [S.l.]: Mcgraw-Hill Contemporary, 2011.
Print.
Krieger, Larry. AP U.S. Government and Politics
Crash Course. Piscataway, NJ: Research &
Education Association, 2010. Print.
"Sources for the Individual Delegate Attendance
Record | Teaching American History."Teaching
American History. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2013.
<http://teachingamericanhistory.org"AP US
Government and Politics Questions Catalogue." N.p.,
n.d. Web. 18 May 2013.
<http://www.eduware.com/>.The practice test
questions came from this website.
"Bill of Rights and Later Amendments." N.p., n.d.