Explain the constitutional principles of separation of powers and checks and balances. Explain the implications of separation of powers and checks and balances for the U.S. political system.
Essential Knowledge:
The powers allocated to Congress, the president, and the courts demonstrate the separation of powers and checks and balances features of the U.S. Constitution.
Federalist No. 51 explains how constitutional provisions of separation of powers and checks and balances control abuses by majorities. Activity # 1 Download the Federalist 51 PDF. Save the PDF to your AP Gov folder on your desktop (or wherever you made your folder) and complete the walkthrough on the PDF using Preview and save it in your folder. Once you finish, move on to Activity #2
Activity # 2
Log in to AP Classroom (It sucks I know). Then complete quizzes 1.4 and 1.5 Homework:
Learning Targets: 1.5 Explain how Federalist and Anti-Federalist views on central government and democracy are reflected in U.S. foundational documents. Essential Knowledge:
Explain the ongoing impact
of political negotiation
and compromise at the
Constitutional Convention
on the development of the
constitutional system.
Compromises deemed necessary for adoption
and ratification of the Constitution are
represented by the: Great (Connecticut) Compromise, Electoral College, Three-Fifths Compromise, Compromise on the importation of slaves
Debates about self-government during the
drafting of the Constitution necessitated
the drafting of an amendment process in
Article V that entailed either a two-thirds vote
in both houses or a proposal from two-thirds
of the state legislatures, with final ratification
determined by three-fourths of the states.
Use ASAP (Author, Setting Audience, Purpose) to analyze the following document in 6 minutes...
Common Sense was a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775–76 promoting independence from Great Britain to people in the 13 colonies. Writing in clear and persuasive prose, Paine made moral and political arguments to encourage common people in the Colonies to fight for egalitarian government.
“The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind. . . .Volumes have been written on the subject of the struggle between England and America. Men of all ranks have embarked in the controversy, from different motives, and with various designs; but all have been ineffectual, and the period of debate is closed.
Arms, as the last resource, decide the contest; the appeal was the choice of the king, and the continent hath accepted the challenge.” “The sun never shined on a cause of greater worth. ‘Tis not the affair of a city, a country, a province, or a kingdom, but of a continent. But Britain is the parent country, say some. Then the more shame upon her conduct. Even brutes do not devour their young, nor savages make war upon their families . . .
I challenge the warmest advocate for reconciliation, to shew, a single advantage that this continent can reap, by being connected with Great Britain. I repeat the challenge, not a single advantage is derived. . . .
Every thing that is right or natural pleads for separation. The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, ‘TIS TIME TO PART. . . .
As to government matters, it is not in the power of Britain to do this continent justice: The business of it will soon be too weighty, and intricate, to be managed with any tolerable degree of convenience, by a power, so distant from us, and so very ignorant of us; for if they cannot conquer us, they cannot govern us. . . .
I am not induced by motives of pride, party, or resentment to espouse the doctrine of separation and independence; I am clearly, positively, and conscientiously persuaded that it is the true interest of this continent to be so . . .
O ye that love mankind! Ye that dare oppose, not only the tyranny, but the tyrant, stand forth!”
Activity # 1
The Constitutional Convention The Articles of Confederation was clearly failing and Shays' Rebellion highlighted the problems the new government was having. As a result, Congress authorized states to send delegates in the summer of 1787 to Philadelphia to revise the Articles. This became known as the Constitutional Convention and led to the creation of the world's longest lasting written constitution. Central to the convention was the series of compromises made by the delegates to help achieve consensus. Click here - Constitutional Convention Slides
Activity # 2 - Venn Diagram
Key Questions:
1. What were the key differences between the Virginia and New Jersey plans?
2. How did the Great Compromise solve the dilemma of representation?
3. How was the issue of slavery handled at the convention? How did that impact the future of our country?
Activitiy # 3:
Consequences of the Constitutional Convention Compromises
As we discussed yesterday, the Constitutional Convention was a series of compromises on issues ranging from equitable representation to how to handle slavery and the selection of the president. Those compromises still carry consequences today on our political system.
Key Question:
1. How do the compromises reached at the Constitutional Convention continue to impact our political system today?
Read and annotate (download the pdf, then click on Diigo-Annotate pdf, and then drag and drop the download) the following article, Big State, Small State on how the Great Compromise has led to the malapportionment of today's Senate and its impact on federal funding and policies. In your annotations, highlight what you consider to be the author's central claim and highlight in another color the author's supporting evidence. Include other notes and annotations on questions you have or quotes you think are worth discussing more. After you read and annotate Big State, Small State, please watch (with your earbuds) the following video from Khan Academy on the Constitutional Convention and the impact of its compromises.
Finally, evaluate what compromise reached at the Convention, has had the biggest impact on our political system today.
Learning Targets:
1.4 Explain the relationship between key provisions of the Articles of Confederation and the debate over granting the federal
1.5 Explain the ongoing impact of political negotiation and compromise at the Constitutional Convention on the development of the constitutional system.
Essential Knowledge:
Specific incidents and legal challenges that highlighted key weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation are represented by the:
Lack of centralized military power to address Shays’ Rebellion
Lack of tax-law enforcement power
Opener:
Reading Quiz over pages 3-24
Activity # 1
Use ASAP to analyze the following document excerpts from the Articles of Confederation, written in 1777 by members of the Continental Congress. Place your responses in your notebook.
ASAP - Historical Documents
Author - What do we know about the author? How does this shape the document?
Setting - What is the context? What was happening during this time that might have influenced the author?
Audience - Who was this intended for? How might this have shaped the language of the document?
Purpose - What did the author hope the document would accomplish?
Article I. The Stile of this Confederacy shall be "The United States of America."
Article II. Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.
Article III. The said States hereby severally enter into a firm league of friendship with each other, for their common defense, the security of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, binding themselves to assist each other, against all force offered to, or attacks made upon them, or any of them, on account of religion, sovereignty, trade, or any other pretense whatever.
Article IV. ...The people of each State shall have free ingress and regress to and from any other State, and shall enjoy therein all the privileges of trade and commerce, subject to the same duties, impositions, and restrictions as the inhabitants thereof respectively, provided that such restrictions shall not extend so far as to prevent the removal of property imported into any State, to any other State, of which the owner is an inhabitant; If any person guilty of, or charged with, treason, felony, or other high misdemeanor in any State, shall flee from justice, and be found in any of the United States, he shall, upon demand of the Governor or executive power of the State from which he fled, be delivered up and removed to the State having jurisdiction of his offense.
Article V. No State shall be represented in Congress by less than two, nor more than seven members; and no person shall be capable of being a delegate for more than three years in any term of six years; nor shall any person, being a delegate, be capable of holding any office under the United States, for which he, or another for his benefit, receives any salary, fees or emolument of any kind.
Activity # 2 Next, go to this webpageand read about the failures under the Articles of Confederation. Create a t-chart with the first column labeled Weaknesses under the Articles and the second column titled Constitutional Fixes. Fill in the first column with the weaknesses described from the website. We'll fill in the other side later.
Homework:
Ed Puzzle - Articles of Confederation Additional Help:
1.4 Explain the relationship between key provisions of the Articles of Confederation and the debate over granting the federal government greater power formerly reserved to the states.
4B Explain how the author’s argument or perspective relates to political principles, institutions, processes, policies, and behaviors.
Essential Knowledge:
Madison’s arguments in Federalist No. 10 focused on the superiority of a large republic in controlling the “mischiefs of faction,” delegating authority to elected representatives and dispersing power between the states and national government.
Anti-Federalist writings, including Brutus No. 1, adhered to popular democratic theory that emphasized the benefits of a small decentralized republic while warning of the dangers to personal liberty from a large, centralized government.
Use ASAP to analyze the following document excerpts from the Articles of Confederation, written in 1777 by members of the Continental Congress. Place your responses in your notebook. Article I. The Stile of this Confederacy shall be "The United States of America."
Article II. Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.
Article III. The said States hereby severally enter into a firm league of friendship with each other, for their common defense, the security of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, binding themselves to assist each other, against all force offered to, or attacks made upon them, or any of them, on account of religion, sovereignty, trade, or any other pretense whatever.
Article IV. ...The people of each State shall have free ingress and regress to and from any other State, and shall enjoy therein all the privileges of trade and commerce, subject to the same duties, impositions, and restrictions as the inhabitants thereof respectively, provided that such restrictions shall not extend so far as to prevent the removal of property imported into any State, to any other State, of which the owner is an inhabitant; If any person guilty of, or charged with, treason, felony, or other high misdemeanor in any State, shall flee from justice, and be found in any of the United States, he shall, upon demand of the Governor or executive power of the State from which he fled, be delivered up and removed to the State having jurisdiction of his offense.
Article V. No State shall be represented in Congress by less than two, nor more than seven members; and no person shall be capable of being a delegate for more than three years in any term of six years; nor shall any person, being a delegate, be capable of holding any office under the United States, for which he, or another for his benefit, receives any salary, fees or emolument of any kind.
ASAP - Historical Documents
Author - What do we know about the author? How does this shape the document?
Setting - What is the context? What was happening during this time that might have influenced the author?
Audience - Who was this intended for? How might this have shaped the language of the document?
Purpose - What did the author hope the document would accomplish?
1.1 Explain how democratic ideals are reflected in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
1.2 Explain how models of representative democracy are visible in major institutions, policies, events, or debates in the U.S.
Essential Knowledge
Participatory democracy, which emphasizes broad participation in politics and civil society
Pluralist democracy, which recognizes group-based activism by non-governmental interests striving for impact on political decision making
Elite democracy, which emphasizes limited participation in politics and civil society
Different aspects of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the debate between the Federalist No. 10 and Brutus No. 1, reflect the tension between the broad participatory model and the more filtered participation of the pluralist and elite models. The three models of representative democracy continue to be reflected in contemporary institutions and political behavior.
ASAP - Historical Documents Author - What do we know about the author? How does this shape the document? Setting - What is the context? What was happening during this time that might have influenced the author? Audience - Who was this intended for? How might this have shaped the language of the document? Purpose - What did the author hope the document would accomplish?
A balance between governmental power and individual rights has been a hallmark (or important piece) of American political development.
Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to explain how democratic ideals are reflected in the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution.
Essential Knowledge:
The U.S. government is based on ideas of limited government, including natural rights, popular sovereignty, republicanism, and social contract.
The Declaration of Independence, drafted by Jefferson with help from Adams and Franklin, provides a foundation for popular sovereignty, while the U.S. Constitution drafted at the Philadelphia convention led by George Washington, with important contributions from Madison, Hamilton, and members of the
“grand committee,” provides the blueprint for a unique form of political democracy in the U.S.
Complete Steps Below 1) Sign Up for Remind Texts (81010) - @apcollgov 2) Follow on Twitter - @OphsAPGov 3) Bookmark: this blog site http://collegegovderose.blogspot.com 4) collegeboard.org/joinap class - using the join code provided in class 5) Sign up for EdPuzzle - also using the join code provided in class www.edpuzzle.com 6) checkout Textbook from Library Mini Lecture over 1.1 - See Unit 1 Notes
Welcome to College Government. This course will hopefully challenge you in thinking about how our Federal Government operates. I am excited to start our year together as we get ready to study a government that is in the midst of massive transformations, yet is still being guided by our Constitution, a document written over two hundred years ago.
