Unit 2: Foundations of American Government

Unit 2: Foundations of Our American Government

How was ancient Greek society like our American society today?

• ​self-government - citizens create and run their own government

• civic participation - action taken by citizens who seek to influence the government

• rule of law - no one was above the law and everyone was expected to follow it

• written constitution - to provide laws and government processes

Ancient Greece:

What type of government did Ancient Greece have?

Direct Democracy is a form of democracy in which all laws and policies imposed by governments are determined by the people themselves, rather than by representatives who are elected by the people.

Ancient Greece:

How was ancient Rome society like our American society today?

• separation of powers: to divide a government into parts, with each part having its own purpose

• rule of law: the idea that those who govern must follow the laws; no one is above the law.

• republicanism: a theory of government that emphasizes the participation of citizens for the common good of the community.

Ancient Rome:

What type of government did Ancient Rome have?

Representative Democracy (Republic): a system of government in which citizens elect representatives who propose and vote on legislation or policy initiatives on their behalf

*The United States currently uses this form of government*

Ancient Rome:

Multiple Choice

A country with a written constitution and governed by elected representatives.

• Democratic monarchy
• Constitutional republic
• Autocratic dictatorship
• Anarchist commune

Multiple Choice

Government in which citizens vote on laws and select officials directly (Example: Ancient Greece)

• Oligarchy
• Autocracy
• Direct Democracy
• Representative Democracy

Multiple Choice

A form of democracy in which citizens elect officials to govern on their behalf (Example: Ancient Rome & USA)

• Direct Democracy
• Autocracy
• Oligarchy
• Representative Democracy

Labelling

The following image is an example of which of the following terms.

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

Communism

Polis

Republicanism

Ethical or moral beliefs include concepts like right and wrong and can vary among cultures. For those in the Judeo-Christian tradition, the concepts below heavily influences the Founders of our nation:

• justice: all people are treated fairly and equally under the law.

• individual worth: every person is born with worth and dignity because they were created by God.

• personal responsibility: every individual is responsible for their actions and should be held accountable.

• rule of law: the idea that those who govern must follow the laws; no one is above the law.

Judeo-Christian Traditions

Multiple Choice

The diagram below shows the impact of an important tradition.

Which of the following phrases BEST completes the diagram above?

• Voting rights

• Separation of Powers

• 1. Ethical ideas of justice

• Representative government

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT a Judeo-Christian ideal?

• Justice

• Rule by the People

• Individual Worth

• Personal Accountability

Multiple Choice

What is one way Judeo-Christian values influenced the US government?

• Founding Fathers ended freedom of religion

• Founding Fathers ended separation of church and state

• Founding Fathers were influenced by religion in their writings, but did not permit an official religion

• Founding Fathers created an official religion for the US

The Magna Carta’s main purpose was to limit the power of the king and protect certain rights for the nobles.

Big Ideas:
- due process
- limited government
- right to justice
- right to fair trial

​

​Magna Carta (1215) - by English Nobles

The Mayflower Compact was created to give the Puritans a government. A compact is an official agreement made by two or more parties.

Big Ideas:
- consent of the governed
- self-government

​

​Mayflower Compact (1620)- by Puritans/Pilgrims

The English Bill of Rights expanded the rights of the Parliament and the people and limited the rights of the king.

Big Ideas:
- right to life, liberty and property
- no taxation without representation
- right to a speedy and fair jury trial
- no excessive punishments

​

English Bill of Rights (1689)- by English Parliament

Common Sense communicated the ideas for independence and made it easy to understand for everyday colonists.

Big Ideas:
- representative self-government

Common Sense (1776)- by Thomas Paine

Match

Match the following:

• An agreement between individuals that created a government that would provide order and protect the rights of the colonists.

• The document that expanded the rights of the Parliament and the people and further limited the rights of the king.

• The first document to ever limit the power of the king.

• a pamphlet created to convince the American colonists to support becoming independent from England.

Mayflower Compact

English Bill of Rights

Magna Carta

Common Sense

• Mayflower Compact

• English Bill of Rights

• Magna Carta

• Common Sense

Multiple Choice

How did the English Bill of Rights change the government structure of England?

• It limited Parliament's power and increased the power of the church.

• It limited the monarch's power to be shared with Parliament and the people.

• It increased the role of a sovereign leader over.

• It increased government spending and focused on absolute control.

Multiple Choice

What did many American colonists use Thomas Paine's Common Sense to justify?

• Acts of sabotage against British merchants

• Declaring independence from Britain

• Joining the army instead of the militia

• Supporting the British monarchy

How did the theories put forward by John Locke and Montesquieu influence the Founding Fathers?

How did John Locke influence the Founding Fathers?

• natural rights - individuals are born with basic rights that cannot be taken away by governments; life, liberty, and property

• natural law - laws passed by government to protect natural rights

• consent of the governed - an agreement made by the people to establish a government and abide by its laws

• social contract - An agreement between the people and their government whereby the people agree to follow the law and the government promises to protect the people's natural rights

John Locke (influenced the Declaration of Independence)

How did Montesquieu influence the Founding Fathers?

• separation of powers - to divide a government into parts, with each part having its own purpose

• checks and balances - the power of one branch of government to limit the power of other branches, in order to ensure that no branch is more powerful than another

Baron de Montesquieu (influenced the U.S. Constitution)

Multiple Choice

The passage below is from the Declaration of Independence (1776).

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.

Which earlier thinker influence the reasoning of this passage?

• John Locke

• King George III

• George Washington

• Baron Montesquieu

Multiple Choice

According to John Locke, what do people need to do in order for a social contract to work?

• The people must give all of their freedoms to the government to protect.
• The people have to agree to give up some personal freedoms if the government agrees to protect everyone's rights.
• The government decides which freedoms to protect.
• The government protects the freedoms of the educated people in a society.

Multiple Choice

Which example illustrates Montesquieu's idea of separation of powers?

• Citizens of the United States choose many of their public officials in elections.

• The state government of Florida has a governor, state legislature, and state court system.

• Individual rights to life, liberty and property are guaranteed by natural law.

• People have the right to overthrow an unjust government.

Multiple Choice

Locke's ideas were prominently reflected in the American Declaration of Independence.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

According to the video, who were two important thinkers that influenced the American founders?

• George Washington and Thomas Jefferson

• Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt

• John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu

• Benjamin Franklin and James Madison

Multiple Choice

What is the main purpose of government, according to the ideas discussed in the video?

• To make decisions for the people without their input.

• To protect the rights and freedoms of the citizens.

• To tax the people as much as possible.

• To give the ruler absolute power.

Multiple Choice

What does the video say about the influence of Locke and Montesquieu on the American founders?

• They had no influence on the American founders.

• Their ideas were completely rejected by the American founders.

• Their ideas were important in shaping the American system of government.

• Their ideas were only briefly mentioned by the American founders.