Executive Branch Departments and Their Functions

 

Civic Exam Review (with review questions): Follow the Links

 Self Government in the Thirteen Colonies

The Declaration of Independence

The Great Compromise/ The Connecticut Plan

The Three-Fifths Compromise

Declaration of Independence - The Second Paragraph

 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.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

1) What are the unalienable rights?

2) From where does government get its power to govern?

3) Why are governments created?

4) What must man do when government fails to do what it was created to do?

Three Fifths Compromise

 

1) What two factions at the Constitutional Convention compromised under the Three-Fifths Compromise?

2) What part of the legislative branch (Congress) does the Three-Fifths Compromise apply?

3) How were slaves to be counted in the census under the Three-Fifths Compromise?

The Great Compromise/ The Connecticut Plan

 

1) What was the original purpose of the gathering of delegates in Pennsylvania?  In other words, how did the Constitutional Convention came to be known as the Constitutional Convention?

2) Name the two factions that disagreed over the way states were to be represented in the legislative branch.

3) What type of representation did states with small populations prefer?

4) What type of representation did states with large populations prefer?

5) What are the two names of the compromise that settled the disagreement between states with small populations and states with large populations?

6) How was the disagreement between between states with small populations and states with large populations solved?

Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

 

Self Government in the Thirteen Colonies

 

dissent (n.) - the expression or holding of opinions at variance with those previously, commonly, or officially held.dissent (v.) - hold or express opinions that are at variance with those previously, commonly, or officially expressed.representative government – a government where citizens vote to elect people to represent their interests and concerns in making their laws.colonial charter - a document that gives colonies the legal rights to exist. Charters can bestow certain rights on a town, city, university, or other institution. Colonial charters were approved when the king gave a grant of exclusive powers for the governance of land to proprietors or a settlement company.constitution - the basic principles and laws of a nation or state that determine the powers and duties of the government.social contract - an agreement among the members of a society to cooperate for social benefits.

 Today our nation follows many democratic traditions.  Some of them took root during the colonial era.  This period of time began in 1607, with the founding of Jamestown, and lasted almost 170 years.

 Beginnings of Representative Government

In 1619, colonists in Jamestown, Virginia, created a legislature, or lawmaking body - the House of Burgesses.  The burgesses, or delegates, were chosen by Virginia's landowners.  Thus, the House of Burgesses represented the colony's people of property.  The legislature became the first example of representative government in the colonies.

 In time, most American colonies created such legislatures made up of elected representatives.  The right to vote and hold office, however, was limited to free males with a certain amount of property.

 The colonial legislature usually made a colony's laws.  In most colonies, though, the governor could veto (refuse to approve) a law.  Unlike legislators, governors were not elected.  Instead, they were chosen by the English king.

 Colonial legislatures usually paid the governors' salaries.  So to help "persuade" a governor not to veto a law, a legislature sometimes held back on paying the salary.  Payments would resume when the governor accepted the wishes of the lawmaking body.

 

Self-Government in Massachusetts

 Colonial self-government was strongly favored by the Pilgrims in Massachusetts.  The first group of these English dissenters sailed for America on the ship Mayflower.  In 1620, they entered the harbor of what is now Provincetown, Massachusetts.  Even before landing, the new settlers signed an agreement, the Mayflower Compact.  They agreed to form a government and obey its laws.  Soon afterward, they came ashore, settling in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

 Ten years later, neighboring Massachusetts Bay Colony developed a representative government.  Its lawmaking body was the General Court.  At first, membership in this body was limited to the few men who held part ownership in Massachusetts Bay Company.  Then, in 1634, a decision was reached to allow each town in the colony to elect representatives to the General Court.  Even so, only males who were followed Puritan Christianity could vote.

 On the local level, residents of Massachusetts created their own form of self-government.  They held town meetings, made up of all free men who belonged to the established church.  Those present at the meetings discussed and voted on important matters and elected local officials.  Today, people in different parts of New England still come together regularly in town meetings.

 

Early Personal Freedoms

 To protect their rights, people in several colonies drew up written constitutions (sets of basic principles and laws of a group).  The first constitution was the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut in 1639.  This document in Connecticut explained how the colonial government in Connecticut was to work.  It also listed the rights or personal freedoms of the colonists.

 Two personal freedoms were especially important to the colonists.  These were freedom of religion and freedom of the press.

 Many early settlers came to America to seek freedom of religion (the right to practice the religion of one's own choice).  Not all of the settlers, however, found the liberty that they sought.  Some immigrants settled in colonies where the right to practice a religion was limited to people of only one faith.

 Three colonies, though, protected religious freedom to some extent.  Rhode Island, founded by Roger Williams, welcomed people from all faiths.  Williams, a minister, believed that a government should not interfere with an individual’s religion.  He also believed that churches should stay out of the affairs of government.

 Maryland was founded by Roman Catholics who had been persecuted in England.  They established their colony as a place where they could worship in their own way, without being bothered.  In 1649, Maryland’s colonial legislature passed the Toleration Act which extended religious freedoms to all Christians in Maryland.

 In the late 1600s, William Penn, the proprietor of Pennsylvania, set up his colony for Quakers.  They, too, had faced religious persecution in England.  Penn welcomed to his colony all people who believed in God.

 The principle of freedom of the press (the right of newspapers to publish what they want) was strengthened in 1735.  In that year, John Peter Zenger, a newspaper publisher in New York City, went on trial.  Zenger had criticized the royal governor of New York.  Zenger's enemies accused him of misusing the power of the press to damage the governor's reputation.  Zenger's lawyer argued that open discussion of public questions was necessary among free people.

 A jury composed of men of the community heard Zenger's case.  Women did not serve on juries at this time.  The jury decided that Zenger had not misused his newspaper because he had printed the truth.

 

Other Rights and Freedoms

 English colonists brought to America certain rights they had enjoyed in England:

 - Trial by jury (a court trial with a group of citizens deciding guilt or innocence of the accused).

- Protection of life, freedom, and property.

- Habeas corpus.  This term refers to people's right to know about any criminal charges made against them.  By knowing these charges, people can defend themselves.  The term also refers to people's right not to be held in jail except as the law provides.

- Protection from having one's house searched without legal permission in the form of a written search warrant.

- Freedom of speech and freedom of assembly (the right to speak and meet in public without being bothered)

 

1) List the name of Jamestown’s colonial legislature?

2) Who was Jamestown named after?

3) How were colonial governors involved in making laws for the colonies?

4) How did a person become a colonial governor?

5) What power did the colonial legislatures have over the colonial governors?

6) List the name of the legislature for Massachusetts Bay Colony.

7) How did the towns within Massachusetts Bay Colony govern their local affairs?

8) What is a constitution?

9) List all the rights and freedoms present in the colonies as listed and mentioned in this reading.

English Civil War Reading

The Clash Between Parliament and the Stuart Monarchs

     The Stuart Kings, James I and Charles I, were unpopular.  They (a) claimed "divine right", (b) followed an unpopular foreign policy, (c) discriminated against the Puritans, a powerful Christian sect, (d) harmed the middle class by taxing it heavily while neglecting to further trade, (e) violated English law by imprisoning opponents without a fair trial, and (f) raised money by means not approved by Parliament.  Popular resentment against Stuart policies encouraged Parliament - with its many middle class Puritan members -  reassert its authority.

    

     In 1628, Parliament issued the "Petition of Right".  In the "Petition of Right", Parliament protested the despotism of Charles I and reaffirmed that the monarch, according to English law, may not (a) levy taxes without Parliament's consent, (b) imprison persons without a specific charge and without provision for jury trial, and (c) quarter (board) soldiers in private homes without the owner's permission.  By withholding new tax laws, Parliament finally compelled Charles to sign the Petition of Right.

     Charles disregarded the Petition of Right and denied Parliament's authority to curb his "divine right" rule.  From 1629 - 1640, Charles did not convene Parliament.  Ruling autocratically, he (a) illegally raised money, (b) illegally imprisoned his opponents, (c) utilized the royal Star Chamber Courts, where accused persons were denied a jury and often were tortured to compel them to testify against themselves, and (c) continued to persecute the Puritans.

 

     Desperate for funds to suppress a Scottish rebellion in 1640, Charles summoned Parliament into session.  He soon realized that the House of Commons was controlled by his enemies, the Puritans.  Charles' demand for new taxes was resisted by the Puritans, who insisted that he first abandon his autocratic policies.  In 1642 his unsuccessful attempt to arrest the Puritan leaders of the House of Commons led directly to the outbreak of Civil War.

 

The Puritan Revolution (1642 - 1660)

     Parliament rallied the middle class, the small landowners, and the Puritans - groups collectively called the "Roundheads".  Parliament also had the support of the Scottish, who had rebelled against Charles' interference with their Presbyterian religion.  Charles had the support of the nobility, the wealthy landowners, and high clergy from the Anglican and Catholic churches - groups collectively called the Cavaliers.  The Parliamentary forces were led by an ardent Puritan named Oliver Cromwell.  He decisively defeated the Cavaliers.

 

      Charles was captured by his enemies.  His most bitter foes in Parliament accused him of treason, murder, and tyranny.  He was placed on trial, convicted, and executed in 1649.  Although this extreme measure shocked many people, it reaffirmed that English monarch’s rule in accordance with the law, not divine right.

    

     England was declared a republic, or Commonwealth, and Cromwell, the victorious Puritan general, ruled as a military dictator from 1649 to 1658.  In 1653 he took the title of "Lord Protector".  A highly capable leader, Cromwell suppressed rebellions in Ireland and Scotland, furthered economic growth, and maintained a successful anti-Spanish foreign policy.  However, Cromwell's Puritan rule did not gain popular support.  Many English people objected to (a) Cromwell's dictatorial government and heavy taxes; (b) the role of Cromwell and his Puritan followers in the execution of Charles I; (c) Puritan intolerance of the Anglican religion - whose members were far more numerous than the Puritan minority; and (d) the severe Puritan moral code, which prohibited dancing, athletic games, theatrical performances, and other amusements.  Shortly after Cromwell's death in 1658, Puritan rule ended.

 

9) Refer back to your chart that compares authoritarian government with a representative liberal democracy. Which of the two types is closest to the form of government under Oliver Cromwell’s rule?  Support your answer by matching two features of Cromwell’s government with two features of either a representative liberal democracy or an authoritarian government.

 

The Stuart Monarchs Rule Again (1660 - 1688)

     Upon Parliament's invitation, Charles II (the exiled son of Charles I) returned to England and assumed the throne.  He pledged to observe the Magna Carta and the Petition of Right, and to respect the authority of Parliament.  In 1679, Charles yielded to Parliament's wishes and approved the Habeas Corpus Act.  This act limited the monarch's powers by providing that (a) an arrested person may secure from a judge a court order called a writ of habeas corpus and (b) by this writ the prisoner must be brought before the judge and given a statement of charges.  Thereafter, the prisoner may be released on bail pending a speedy trial.  Today, in both England and the United States, habeas corpus protects the individual against arbitrary arrest and imprisonment.

 

In 1685, Charles II died and his brother assumed the throne as James II.  A convert to Catholicism, James outraged the people and Parliament by (a) his pro-Catholic acts and (b) his efforts to dominate Parliament and revive "divine right" rule.  Moreover, the birth of his son aroused fear of continuing Catholic rule in England.

 

The Glorious Revolution (1688 - 1689)

      Parliament secretly offered the English crown to William, a Protestant ruler of Holland, and his wife Mary (Protestant daughter of James II).  They accepted.  When William arrived in England, James fled the country.  Parliament declared the throne vacant and proclaimed William and Mary the new King and Queen.  By this bloodless revolution in 1688, Parliament (a) finally ended "divine right" in England and (b) reaffirmed its supremacy over the monarch.

 

     As part of this Glorious Revolution, Parliament passed the (a) The Bill of Rights (1689) which provided that the monarch may not suspend laws, levy taxes, or maintain an army without the consent of Parliament; the monarch may not interfere with parliamentary elections and debates; Parliament must meet frequently; the monarch must be Anglican in religion; and the people are guaranteed basic civil liberties: the right to petition the government and to an impartial, speedy jury trial and protection against excessive bails, fines, and cruel and unusual punishments.  A hundred years later this great document served as a model for the first ten amendments of our Constitution - the American Bill of Rights.  Also passed was the (b) Toleration Act (1689) which granted freedom of worship to non-Anglican Protestants.

Magna Carta

1) When and where was the Magna Cart formed and signed?

2) Who was the king of England at the time of the forming of the Magna Carta?

3) What issues did the English nobility have with have the way in which King John ruled?

4) What actions did the English nobility take in response to the way in which the king ruled?

5) What is the translated meaning of the term “Magna Carta?”

6) List the conditions that were agreed to by King John at Runnymeade?

7) Why is the Magna Carta important?

PREAMBLE HWK: Copy 3 times in your own handwriting.

 "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America".

The Difference Between United Kingdom, Great Britain, and England

 1) What is meant by the term "United Kingdom"?

2) What countries make up United Kingdom?

3) What is meant by the term "Great Britain"?

4) What is meant by the term "British Isles"? 

     4a) What islands make up the British Isles?

5) What part of the island of Ireland is part of United Kingdom?

An Introduction to Parliament

 

VOCABULARY

scrutinize - examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.

constituent - being a voting member of a community or organization and having the power to appoint or elect.

constituency - a body of voters in a specified area who elect a representative to a legislative body.

manifesto - a public declaration of policy and aims, especially one issued before an election by a political party or candidate.

lobby (v.) - seek to influence (a politician or public official) on an issue.

lobby (n.) - a group of people seeking to influence politicians or public officials on a particular issue.

petition - a formal written request, typically one signed by many people, appealing to authority with respect to a particular cause.

 

1) What two events in the history of the United Kingdom played a major role in starting the process of creating Parliament as a representative legislature?

2) What are the three parts of Parliament?

3) What is the House of Commons and how many members does it have?

4) How are members of the House of Commons chosen?

5) What is an MP?

6) What is the other House of Parliament?

7) How is the monarch involved in Parliament?

8) What do Select Committees do?

9) What are the seven stages in making a law?

10) How often do elections for MPs occur?

11) What are the elections for MPs called?

12) At what age can citizens of the United Kingdom begin to vote?

Authoritarian vs. Representative Liberal Democracies

 

Power Distribution Homework: Complete in Longhand

 Answer the following on a sheet of paper.  Complete in your own handwriting.

 

1) What type of power is being described when the term “power distribution” is mentioned?

 

2) What are the three ways in which “power” is distributed?

 

3) What are the regional authorities in the United States of America? 

 

4) How is power distributed in each of the following:

 

a) federal -_

 

b) unitary -

c) confederation -

 

5) In a unitary system, where does power come from?

6) In a confederation, who/ what possesses most if not all power?

7) Which system allows for the greatest amount of self-government for regional authority?

8) Which of the systems comes closest to creating equal sharing of power between regional and national authority?

9) Which type of system does the United States have?

Preamble to the United States Constitution

Homework: copy the preamble to the U.S. Constitution three times.  Complete this assignment on a sheet of paper in your own handwriting. Do not use abbreviations.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

CLASS RULES AND EXPECTATIONS

 

1) Come to class on time.

2) Come to class prepared (notebook, any assignments that are to be turned in, pencil, pen, sharpener, eraser).

3) Electronic devices are prohibited. You should not have any electronic device with you upon entering class.  Store them in your locker.  We will go through "Disconnect to Reconnect.

4) Cheating on any assignment results in a zero; this may result in previous assignments receiving a zero as a result of cheating (e.g. plagiarism).

5) Avoid any unusual behaviors when testing because such behaviors will be suspected to be an attempt to cheat.

6) You must make me think you are paying attention.

7) What I think is more important than what you tell me.

8) Do not interfere with classroom instruction.

9) The only beverages permitted in class are water and coffee.  In order to have coffee in my class you must have your parent's permission.  If you choose to have coffee please remember that it is too expensive to drink the varieties of chilled coffee. It is cheaper to learn to make your own and bring it to and from school in a thermos.

10) Use the bathroom between class periods.  During class, bathroom passes are given during the last ten minutes of class.

11) First and second periods: Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.  If you have religious objections then that is acceptable as you are exercising your right of conscience which is protected by Georgia's Bill of Rights: "Freedom of conscience. Each person has the natural and inalienable right to worship God, each according to the dictates of that person’s own conscience; and no human authority should, in any case, control or interfere with such right of conscience."

This is not a demand I am making a request.