Louisiana Purchase and Westward Expansion The Strict Constructionist, Thomas Jefferson, modified his views and purchased the

land from Napoleon and the French The Louisiana Territory included full control of the Mississippi River, the port of

New Orleans and the Great Plains The Louisiana Territory greatly benefitted Americans and so, Jefferson purchased

the land even though it was not written in the Constitution that a President could buy land

Jefferson modified or changed his position on strictly adhering to the Constitution to buy the land – since a President could make a treaty, according to the Constitution, he considered purchasing the land similar to making a treaty and thus, purchased it

Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark - with help from Sacagawea - to explore the region and make maps

The Louisiana Purchase and the maps of Lewis and Clark - with help from Sacagawea - encouraged westward expansion

The country began to expand west onto this new territory and then even further west

Yes, the Louisiana Purchase encouraged westward expansion Yes, the Louisiana Purchase had great geographic significance for the United States

because it focused the United States on westward expansion

Controversies over Slavery in New Territories As the United States acquired more land between 1803 and 1850, controversy over

these territories focused on the expansion of slavery As new territories entered the Union, a question arose: Would these new states be

free states or slave states? Fear arose in free states that if more new states entered the Union as slave states

then slave states would control Congress Conversely, slaveholders feared that if more new states entered as free states,

abolitionists would control Congress To control Congress is to influence law Compromises were tried but ultimately, as Gandhi once said, “Noncooperation with

evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good.” Abolitionists could not compromise with slaveholders

Manifest Destiny It is the belief that God wanted the United States to stretch from the Atlantic coast

to the Pacific coast This belief did not take into account the Native American Indians who populated

many of the lands stretching to the Pacific A belief in Manifest Destiny led to war, treaties, and purchases From New York to California; from sea to shining sea – the United States was to

expand It was the belief that God intended the nation to stretch from Atlantic to Pacific

Yes, Manifest Destiny was used to justify an American desire to expand the United States to the Pacific Ocean

Purpose of Protective Tariffs A tariff is a tax on an imported good A tariff raises the price of foreign goods Tariffs encouraged Americans to buy domestic goods or goods made in the USA Yes, at times, the United States Government has passed protective tariffs to help the

nation’s manufacturers Northerners generally favored tariffs as new industries were developing in the

North Southerners generally disliked tariffs as tariffs reduced British profits and therefore

British purchase of Southern cotton Tariffs divided the nation

Monroe Doctrine The Monroe Doctrine was a U.S. Policy that stated that the Americas were closed to

future European colonization The Americas were off limits to Europe The Monroe Doctrine was issued by U.S. President James Monroe after Latin

American nations gained independence from Spain The President wanted to make it clear to Europeans that now that Spain and

Portugal had lost their empires in Central and South America that they should never consider conquering the region again

Yes, a major reason for the issuance of the Monroe Doctrine (1823) was to prevent further European colonization in the Caribbean region

Andrew Jackson and Spoils System When Andrew Jackson was elected President, property requirements for voting had

been eliminated – now, all white men whether rich or poor could vote – at this time, women could not vote and most African Americans could not vote due to slavery and prejudice – most states even in the North did not allow African Americans to vote before the Civil War

When Andrew Jackson was elected President, he was known as the President of the “Common Man” – for he stated that he supported the interests of ordinary men and not rich men

Andrew Jackson also rewarded supporters with government jobs It is called the Spoils System – to reward supporters with government jobs – and it

was created to bring more Americans into government Today, the Spoils System is not used – today, a civil service system that requires a

candidate for government service to pass an examination Yes, during the presidency of Andrew Jackson, the spoils system resulted in elected

officials rewarding their supporters with government jobs There is an expression that to the victor goes the spoils or to the winner go the good

things and as such, the winner could give government jobs to his supportersIndustrial Revolution

During the early 1800s, an abundance of natural resources contributed the most to the start of the Industrial Revolution in the United States

During the Industrial Revolution, machines replaced hand-made goods Yes, machines in factories were used to manufacture goods Production increased as a result of industrialization and thus prices for goods fell Urbanization also increased as more people moved to cities to work in factories Conditions in early factories were difficult as workers worked long hours for low

wages in unsafe working conditions and the work was very boring and monotonous But of course, machines to make goods need natural resources – to make a shirt,

cotton is needed and the U.S. had a lot of natural resources The many natural resources of the United States encouraged industrialization in the

nation

Population Data from Census and Electoral College The census records U.S. population in every state every ten years Data from the census determines the number of representatives each state receives

in the House of Representatives Representation in the House of Representatives is based on each state’s population In addition, data from the census is used to determine the number of electors each

states receives in the Electoral College A state’s electors is based on the state’s number of representatives and its two

senators Yes, population data from the census of 2000 was used to determine the number of

electoral college votes from each state

Erie Canal An immediate effect of the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 was that farmers

could more easily ship grain to eastern markets The Erie Canal connects the Hudson River to the Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes It connects New York City to the Great Lakes as New York City is on the Hudson

River The Erie Canal allowed farmers in the Midwest to sell the goods to Eastern Markets Back in the day, canals and rivers were the “highways” of transportation for

farmers and merchants Before railroads, there were rivers and with some human ingenuity, there were

canals too The Erie Canal is also a great song - listen to the Pete Seeger version of the song

Marbury v. Madison The significance of the Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison is that the decision

established the power of judicial review It was an important Supreme Court case The case was presided over by Chief Justice John Marshall The case established the principle of judicial review Judicial Review is the concept that the Supreme Court has the power to declare a

law unconstitutional

As a result of the case, Chief Justice John Marshall increased the power of the Supreme Court because the court had the power to declare a law of Congress unconstitutional or a law of a state government unconstitutional

Yes, Chief Justice John Marshall strengthened the power of the federal government because a branch of the federal government – the Supreme Court – had the power to declare a law unconstitutional

It is interesting to note that Judicial Review is not in the Constitution Judicial Review is considered part of the Unwritten Constitution

Great Plains The Great Plains and grain crops is a region of the United States is correctly paired

with an industry that is dominant in that region The Great Plains was a region that was added to the U.S.A. by the Louisiana

Purchase The region of the Great Plains is good for farming and herding The Great Plains is known as the “breadbasket” of the nation because it is a region

that is good for farming grains – grains like wheat that are used to make bread The original inhabitants of the region were the Plains Indians The Plains Indians depended on the buffalo With westward expansion and the needless slaughtering of the buffalo by settlers,

the way of life of the Plains Indians was destroyed Listen to Buffy Sainte-Marie’s “Now that the buffalo’s gone”

The Monroe Doctrine as a U.S. Policy The Monroe Doctrine was a United States foreign policy action that resulted from

the close geographic relationship between the United States and Latin America The Monroe Doctrine stated that the Americas were closed to future conquest and

colonization by Europe As countries in Latin America – specifically Central America and South America –

had gained independence in the early 1800s, the United States did not want the region to be ever conquered again

As Latin America is a neighbor to the United States, if France conquered Mexico, that conquest put the United States in danger

What would prevent France from adding more land to an empire in the Americas? – Why would France not attack the U.S.?

If your neighbor’s house is on fire, you are in danger The United States has always kept an eye on Latin America to ensure its own

security – the Monroe Doctrine was written with this concern for independence and security

Geography of the South The American South has fertile land The American South has a long growing season It is a region that is good for farming These geographic factors led to the development of plantations and slavery in the

American South

Yes, because of fertile land and a long growing season, plantations in the thirteen colonies developed in the South

Importance of Port of New Orleans Acquiring New Orleans as part of the Louisiana Purchase was considered important

to the development of the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys because the city served as a port for American agricultural goods

The port of New Orleans was acquired by the United States as a result of the Louisiana Purchase

The port of New Orleans connects the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico The port of New Orleans is good for trade The port of New Orleans benefited farmers in the Ohio River Valley because it

allowed farmers to trade their goods far and wide

Virginia House of Burgesses In the Colonial Era, developments such as the New England town meetings and the

establishment of the Virginia House of Burgesses represented steps in the growth of representative democracy

The Virginia House of Burgesses was a representative body in colonial Virginia Colonial landowners could vote and elect representatives in the House of Burgesses The House of Burgesses was an example of self-government and representative

government even in colonial days Thus, even before the American Revolution, the colonists had a history of self-

government

Mercantilism Mercantilism is the idea that colonies exist for the benefit of the mother country According to mercantilism, colonies can only trade with the mother country Colonies can only export raw materials or natural resources Colonies can only import the mother country’s finished goods Colonies must export their gold and silver to the mother country The British system of mercantilism was opposed by many American colonists

because it placed restrictions on trading The colonists hated that they could only trade with Great Britain – without

competing buyers, the colonists could only get what Britain was willing to pay for their goods

John Peter Zenger Trial Court decisions in the trial of John Peter Zenger (1735) and the case of New York

Times Co. v. United States (1971) strengthened freedom of the press It is said that the case of John Peter Zenger was not just the cause of a printer but

the cause of liberty John Peter Zenger printed a colonial newspaper An article in the newspaper was critical of the colonial governor of New York Zenger was arrested and went to trial But what was printed was factual

Thus, he was found “Not Guilty” The John Peter Zenger Trial was a victory for freedom of the press In the case of New York Times Co. v. United States, in what became known as the

“Pentagon Papers Case,” the Nixon Administration attempted to prevent the New York Times and Washington Post from publishing materials belonging to a classified Defense Department study regarding the history of United States activities in Vietnam

The President argued that prior restraint was necessary to protect national security Justices Black and Douglas argued that the vague word “security” should not be

used “to abrogate the fundamental law embodied in the First Amendment.” Justice Brennan reasoned that since publication would not cause an inevitable,

direct, and immediate event imperiling the safety of American forces, prior restraint was unjustified

In other words, the newspaper could print the information These cases were victories for the principle of freedom of the press

Thomas Paine’s Common Sense Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was a pamphlet In the pamphlet, Paine encouraged the colonists to fight for independence from

Britain He reminded the colonists that there was no benefit to colonialism for them Paine wrote, “Our corn will fetch its price in any market” And that a mother country that devours its children is no mother worthy of obeying Yes, during the Revolutionary War period, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was

important because it convinced many Americans who had been undecided to support independence

Thomas Paine and Mercantilism Thomas Paine hated mercantilism – he did not think the colonists needed Britain –

he believed that the colonists could sell their corn anywhere in the world He wrote in Common Sense, “…I challenge the warmest advocate [supporter] for

reconciliation, to shew [show], a single advantage that this continent can reap [gain], by being connected with Great Britain. I repeat the challenge, not a single advantage is derived [acquired]. Our corn will fetch its price in any market in Europe, and our imported goods must be paid for, buy them where we will…”

Yes, he said that American corn would fetch or get its price in any market This meant that Americans did not have to only trade with Britain In fact, they only traded with Britain as colonies because Britain as the mother

country made them only trade with Britain It would be better to be free and to trade with whatever country paid the best price Independence was freedom and freedom was better than tyranny

Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson In the document, Jefferson stated the reasons for the colonists’ grievances with

England He also stated the colonists’ belief in natural rights and consent of the governed

And he announced independence The Declaration of Independence justified rebellion because the British were

denying the colonists their natural rights “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...”

Yes, a major argument for American independence found in the Declaration of Independence was that the British deprived Americans of their natural rights

Geography of New England In which area did good harbors, abundant forests, rocky soil, and a short growing

season most influence the colonial economy? – In the New England colonies Yes, New England has rocky soil New England has a short growing season It has many natural ports and harbors And New England has forests Geographic factors in New England encouraged shipbuilding, fishing, and trade in

Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, etc.

Proclamation Line of 1763 The British stated that the dividing line between the colonists and the Native

American Indians was the Appalachian Mountains The colonists were to stay east of the Appalachian Mountains West of the Mountains was Indian Territory The Proclamation Line of 1763 was established to avoid conflict between colonists

and Native American Indians Yes, the main reason Great Britain established the Proclamation Line of 1763 was to

avoid conflicts between American colonists and Native American Indians The colonists hated the Proclamation Line of 1763 as they wanted more land for

farming

Abraham Lincoln’s Argument against Secession The argument President Abraham Lincoln used against the secession of the

Southern States was that the government was a union of people and not of states Yes, the Constitution begins with the words: “We the People…” and not “We the

States” – therefore, the Union is a union of people and not an association of states This then means that a state cannot leave the Union – a state cannot secede A state cannot secede or withdraw because the states did not create the Union only

the people did Secession means that a state leaves the Union but Lincoln believed that this was not

possible because the Union was not a union of the states but of the people

Sectionalism and Geography

Sectionalism is loyalty to a region and not the country as a whole An example would be a Southerner being loyal to the South but not necessarily the

United States Sectional differences developed in the United States largely because economic

conditions and interests in each region varied The United States is a big country and different regions of the country developed

differently – like fishing as an industry in New England but plantations developing in the South

Yes, sectionalism is loyalty to a region as opposed to the nation New Englanders favored New England and Southerners were loyal to the South While geographic features encouraged different ways of living, slavery increased

sectionalism as Northerners generally opposed slavery and Southerners generally depended on slavery

Thus, geographic differences increased sectionalism as different economic and social systems developed in different regions

Slavery in the South Geographic features like fertile soil and a long growing season encouraged the

development of plantations and slavery in the American South Large farms (plantations) depended on slave labor Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin also increased the demand for slaves in the

South as now cotton could be cleaned faster and sent to market quicker  More cotton meant more money and to grow more cotton, more slaves were needed In the American South, the plantation economy was fueled by slavery Of course, this was not the case in the North and so slavery began to divide the

nation

Abraham Lincoln and Preserving the Union The statement that best explains President Abraham Lincoln’s justification for the

Civil War is that President Lincoln’s oath of office required him to defend and preserve the Union

President Lincoln believed that secession or leaving the Union was not constitutional as the union was a union of the people and not the states

Lincoln also stated that he fought the civil war to preserve the Union His first goal was to preserve or save the Union As President, he had taken an oath to defend and preserve the Union

Slavery in the American South The South had fertile land and a long growing season These geographic factors gave rise to plantations dependent on slave labor Yes, before the Civil War, slavery expanded in the South rather than in the North

because geographic conditions in the South encouraged the development of large plantations

In the North, particularly in New England, the growing season was short and the soil was rocky – it was not land particularly well-suited for farming

But the South was well-suited for farming due to rich agricultural lands

Sectional Differences Threatening the Union Abraham Lincoln said in 1858, “A house divided against itself cannot stand. I

believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.” According to this quotation, Abraham Lincoln believed that sectional differences

threatened to destroy the Union The house, of course, is the nation and the nation like the house could not be half

free and half slave It either had to be a slave nation or a free nation This division would destroy the nation and destroy the Union – but fortunately,

after the Civil War, the nation was restored to unity

Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Chief Justice John Marshall strengthened the power of the national government Yes, when John Marshall was Chief Justice, United States Supreme Court decisions

tended to strengthen the power of the National Government Marshall was Chief Justice during Marbury v. Madison – the case that established

the concept of judicial review or that the Supreme Court could declare a law unconstitutional

Judicial review increased the power of the federal government as the Supreme Court is part of the federal or national government

He also was Chief Justice during Gibbons v. Ogden – this case stated that only Congress could control interstate commerce or trade between states

He also presided over McCulloch v. Maryland – this case stated that a state could not tax a federal institution and that Congress had implied powers and could establish a National Bank

Alexander Hamilton, the National Bank and the Elastic Clause The elastic clause is the “Necessary and Proper” clause and it states that Congress

can do more than what is listed in the Constitution to carry out its duties Alexander Hamilton’s argument that the government has the power to create a

National Bank was based on the elastic clause in the Constitution A National Bank is not listed in the Constitution but Congress has the right to tax

and collect revenue and having a National Bank gave Congress a place to store money and pay off the nation’s debts

Alexander Hamilton was a Federalist and believed in a strong national government He believed that a National Bank was “necessary and proper” to ensure that the

federal government could pay its debts and ensure economic stability George Washington and a Foreign Policy of Neutrality

Before he left office, President George Washington wrote the nation a letter that is known as his “Farewell Address”

In the letter, he wrote, “Our true policy is to steer clear of permanent alliances…” President Washington made this statement to warn against United States

involvement in European military conflicts Washington knew the nation was a young and new nation and it needed time to

develop and gain in strength

To become involved in European wars or European conflicts would weaken the new nation

So, he encouraged neutrality or no alliances

Reasons for Formation of First Political Parties One factor that led to the formation of the first two political parties in the United

States in the 1790s was the conflict over the distribution of power between the federal and state governments

In fact, the first political parties were the Federalists and the anti-Federalists The Federalists wanted a strong national government and believed that separation

of powers and checks and balances would prevent tyranny But Antifederalists feared a strong national government and wanted states to have

more power Antifederalists wanted a Bill of Rights added to the Constitution to ensure that

individual rights were protected Political parties are not mentioned in the Constitution and thus the political party

system is part of the unwritten Constitution But political parties developed because some Americans wanted a stronger federal

government and some Americans did not want a stronger federal government

Reason Antifederalists Opposed Ratification of the U.S. Constitution A major reason the Antifederalists opposed the ratification of the United States

Constitution was because the Constitution changed the balance of power between the state and national governments

The new Constitution created a stronger federal government – the federal government had more power (Congress could tax and there was a President and a Supreme Court)

Antifederalists feared tyranny and they feared a strong federal government because they believed a strong government could deny people their natural rights and act like a king

They opposed ratification of the U.S. Constitution Antifederalists wanted the protection of individual rights and freedoms They wanted a Bill of Rights added to the Constitution

Fear of a Strong Federal Government The colonists fought a king and so, they feared powerful government When independence came, Americans wanted to limit the power of government to

prevent another king Yes, in the 1780’s, many Americans distrusted a strong central government This distrust is best shown by the plan of government set up by the Articles of

Confederation The Articles of Confederation served as the first document of government in the

new United States but it created a weak central government The federal government was weak under the Articles of Confederation – Congress

could not tax and there was no President and no Supreme Court

Eventually, the Articles of Confederation had to be replaced by the Constitution

A Flexible Constitution The Constitution has survived for so long because it is a flexible document – it can

adapt and change over time In the United States, the use of implied powers, the amending process, and Supreme

Court interpretations have resulted in the Constitution being adapted Thanks to the amending process, the Constitution can be changed – although not

easily – and adapted to changing times Women could not vote in the original Constitution but today women can vote thanks

to the Nineteenth Amendment Slavery existed in the original document but today slavery has been abolished

thanks to the Thirteenth Amendment

Unwritten Constitution The Unwritten Constitution refers to traditions and practices of American

government that are not in the actual Constitution An example of the use of the unwritten constitution is the creation of the president’s

cabinet The president’s cabinet is not listed in the Constitution but this practice of advisors

for the president has been used since the days of President George Washington Judicial review, political parties, and congressional committees are also examples of

the Unwritten Constitution Some practices of American government are based on tradition as opposed to being

formally listed in the Constitution

Electoral College Americans do not vote directly for President of the United States Americans vote for their states’ electors and electors select the next President of the

United States The electoral college helps explain the following headlines: “Presidential Candidates

Skip Campaigning in Low- Population States” and “Winner Of Popular Vote Loses Election”

Yes, these headlines refer to controversial issues most directly related to the electoral college

A candidate for the Presidency must win the electoral college vote Even if he has won the popular vote (more people in the country voted for him), he

may not become president if he has not won the electoral vote Because Americans do not vote for President – they vote for electors – and states

have different numbers of electors based on their population

The Great Compromise Disagreement at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 over the Virginia and New

Jersey plans was resolved by a compromise that created a Congress made up of a Senate and a House of Representatives

This compromise of a bicameral Congress or a Congress with two houses: a House of Representatives based on population and a Senate with two senators per state – is known as the Great Compromise or Connecticut Compromise

The Great Compromise was a compromise between the big states and the small states

Representation in the House of Representatives is based on the population of each state – this was what the Virginia Plan wanted – representation based on population of each state – so, states with more people receive more representatives in the House of Representatives

But in the Senate, each state receives two senators Yes, in the Senate, every state receives the same number of representatives – this is

what the New Jersey Plan wanted – equal representation for every state And of course, a census is recorded every ten years to determine each state’s

number of representatives in the House of Representatives The Great Compromise is also known as the Connecticut Compromise took

elements of the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan and reached a compromise in a bicameral Congress

An Accomplishment of the Government under the Articles of Confederation One accomplishment of the national government under the Articles of

Confederation was the passage of legislation establishing a process for admitting new states to the Union

Yes, an accomplishment of the government under the Articles of Confederation was the Northwest Ordinance

The Northwest Ordinance established a method for a territory to enter the union as a new state

The Northwest Ordinance, adopted July 13, 1787, by the Second Continental Congress, chartered a government for the Northwest Territory, provided a method for admitting new states to the Union from the territory, and listed a bill of rights guaranteed in the territory

There was a three-stage method for admitting a new state to the Union – with a congressionally appointed governor, secretary, and three judges to rule in the first phase; an elected assembly and one nonvoting delegate to Congress to be elected in the second phase, when the population of the territory reached “five thousand free male inhabitants of full age”; and a state constitution to be drafted and membership to the Union to be requested in the third phase when the population reached 60,000

Bill of Rights Antifederalists opposed ratification of the Constitution because it lacked a Bill of

Rights So, in order to win ratification of the United States Constitution, supporters agreed

to add a bill of rights A Bill of Rights lists the rights of individuals – rights that government officials

cannot ignore or disregard The first 10 amendments to the Constitution make up the Bill of Rights – written by

James Madison in response to calls from several states for greater constitutional

protection for individual liberties, the Bill of Rights lists specific prohibitions on governmental power

One of the many points of contention between Federalists and Anti-Federalists was the Constitution’s lack of a bill of rights that would place specific limits on government power

Federalists argued that the Constitution did not need a bill of rights because the people and the states kept any powers not given to the federal government

Antifederalists held that a bill of rights was necessary to safeguard individual liberty

First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution The First Amendment States:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Yes, the first amendment of the Constitution deals primarily with rights of self-expression

The first amendment ensures individuals the right to freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and the right to petition the government

It is the right of the individual to express his/her own conscience and own convictions

It is the freedom of thinking amendment

Federalism Federalism is the American system of government Under federalism, a federal government and state governments exist The federal government has certain powers known as delegated powers like the

power of Congress to declare law The state governments have other powers known as reserved powers like the power

to issue a High School diploma and a marriage license Some powers are shared or concurrent powers like both the federal government and

the state governments can tax An example of federalism is the national government coins money, but states

cannot.

Separation of Powers and Montesquieu Montesquieu was an important philosopher of the European Enlightenment or the

European Age of Reason During the Enlightenment, philosophers developed new ideas about government

and law The French Enlightenment philosopher Baron De Montesquieu praised the British

political system because it divided the power of government between the monarch and the two houses of Parliament

The principle included in the United States Constitution that shows that the framers of the Constitution agreed with Montesquieu is the principle of separation of powers

In the United States federal government, there is an executive branch, a legislative branch and a judicial branch of government – no one branch has all power and in fact, each branch limits the powers of the other branches

The President can veto a law of Congress and Congress can impeach a President and the Supreme Court can declare a law unconstitutional – each branch has the power to limit the power of the others thereby preventing tyranny

The Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights One similarity between the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights is

that both documents stress the importance of individual liberty Yes, the Declaration of Independence states that men have natural rights like the

right to life, the right to liberty and the right to the pursuit of happiness The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the Constitution, amendments that

protect individual freedoms – like freedom of speech Both the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights promote liberty or

freedom The freedom of individuals is promoted by both documents

Judicial Review Judicial Review is the power of the Supreme Court to declare a law unconstitutional Established in the case of Marbury v. Madison, judicial review increased the power

of the Supreme Court and therefore increased the power of the federal government Of course, judicial review means that the Supreme Court has the power to interpret

the Constitution The Supreme Court has the power to interpret or make sense of what the

Constitution allows regarding laws today So, the Supreme Court determines the meaning of the Constitution applied to

today’s changing circumstances

Democracy A democracy is a political system based on the participation of citizens Citizen participation in government is the key feature that a nation must have to be

considered a democracy  A democracy is a government by the people; especially rule of the majority It depends on the consent of the governed or citizens voting to select officials It is a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised

by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections

A Criticism of the Electoral College Americans do not vote directly for the President of the United States Rather Americans vote for state electors and then electors select the President Thus, a major criticism of the electoral college system has been that a president may

be elected without receiving the majority of the popular vote

Yes, a candidate may receive the majority of votes in the nation but not be elected President

Because it is the electoral college that determines the next President of the United States

Checks and Balances American government is based on separation of powers: an executive branch, a

legislative branch, and a judicial branch To ensure that no one branch has total power, power is divided and each branch

can check or limit the power of the other branches Yes, to check is to limit the power of the other branches of government By dividing government power into three branches, each branch has the power to

check or limit the power of the other branches to prevent tyranny The system of checks and balances is used to keep the government from getting too

powerful in one branch For example, the Executive Branch can veto bills from the Legislative Branch, but

the Legislative Branch can override the veto A governmental action that illustrates the system of checks and balances is the

Senate ratifying a peace treaty The President makes the treaty but only the Senate can ratify or approve the treaty This ensures that the President’s decision is not his alone but a decision that must be

approved or disapproved by another branch of government

John Locke and Natural Rights John Locke was an important philosopher of the European Enlightenment or Age of

Reason John Locke wrote of natural rights or that every person was born with rights – like

the right to life and the right to liberty and the right to property In writing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson was influenced most

by John Locke’s idea of natural rights Jefferson wrote in the document about natural rights Jefferson wrote, “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…”

Examples of the Unwritten Constitution The Unwritten Constitution refers to the traditions and practices of U.S.

government Examples of the Unwritten Constitution include the President’s cabinet, political

parties, judicial review, and congressional committees Yes, the unwritten constitution is best defined as the practices of the government

that are based on custom and tradition These practices and traditions are not listed in the U.S. Constitution but they have

become part of American government

Many of these practices were established by President George Washington or in the early days of the republic

Concurrent Powers Concurrent means “at the same time”, in this case concurrent powers are those that

both the federal and state governments have simultaneously Yes, concurrent powers are powers that both the federal government and state

governments have and share A power that is shared by the federal government and the New York State

government is that of levying taxes Both the federal government and state governments share this power Levying or imposing taxes is a power that the federal government has and the state

governments have – it is a concurrent power