A. Students will analyze historical documents to determine principles that served as precedents for the United States Constitution. • define individual and group values o What is a value? Ideas which groups/individual believe strongly and guide their behavior. o List and define the values and principles of democracy Limited government-the govt is limited in their power Change or abolish government-if the govt is not doing their job we can change it Individual right and freedom-everyone has their rights and freedom Consent of government-the power comes from the people Majority/Minority Rule-majority makes decision Equality-everyone is equal o Why are the values
"William Safire, in his Safire's Political Dictionary, defines "machine politics" as "the election of officials and the passage of legislation through the power of an organization created for political action." Hierarchy and discipline are hallmarks of political machines. "It generally means strict organization", (Safire ,1). The machine here is of course a political machine which by definition in US politics is a party organization headed by a single boss or small autocratic group, that commands enough votes to maintain political and administrative control of a city, county or state. In his Political Dictionary William Safire defines “Machine Politics” as the election of officials and the passage of legislation through the power of an organization created for political action.
Fundamentals of Constitutional History Judy Sigona March 28, 2012 Raymond Garubo America’s three core political ideas are; Liberty – The ability to think, acts, and choose freely. Individuals however can’t interfere with other individual freedoms and rights. Equality - Equality stands for the equal treatment under the law of the land, political views, and equal moral worth. Self Government – Is an idea that all Americans have a voice and we choose is government officials by way of majority votes. The three rules of American politics are: Democracy – Is a form of government where the people decide to govern or elect officials.
According to Maddox (2005 p.489) democracy has a number of guiding principles, including that all human beings are equipped with a sense of right and wrong, the ability to guide their own lives, freedom of expression and toleration of others. Maddox further maintains that there is an understanding that democracy seeks to find the truth and those citizens within a democratic system have the right and freedom to do so. This is where the lines can become blurred within some democratic systems, when governments seek to withhold information, deceive citizens or limit the control citizens may have, they can be seen to be pushing the democratic boundaries. Maddox (2005 p.4) states that there are a number of styles of democracy including; direct democracy, classical democracy,
It can be as small as just exercising our birth rights as U.S. citizens. It can be as big as running for office! By occasionally writing letters to the president about how I feel about certain issues, like the world’s current energy crisis, I preserve American culture. By simply respecting authority and obeying the law, I preserve American culture. The Constitution has established and maintained a culture of liberty in the United States.
b. Commager ii. The Constitution is essentially a political document, carefully created to stand for years to come and to serve as an example of democracy for people around the world. II. How thesis is supported c. Beard iii. Beard supports his thesis by giving evidence of the economic interests of elite who wrote the Constitution, and then showing how the structure of the government benefits these specific interests.
There laws applied to everyone, they believed it created equality and strengthened the emperor’s power. Since the laws strengthened his power it also made a stronger central government. This was the purpose of law in governing a nation according to Han Fei. In order to achieve peace and prosperity legalist’s
As Americans, we feel that we are superior and smarter as a whole. The term “American exceptionalism” is constantly being used is not only our nation, but others as well. It refers to the special character of the United States as a uniquely free nation based on democratic ideals and personal liberty. To us, the United States is like the “city on a hill”. The United States is often said to be a model which should be emulated by the rest of the world, just how the Winthrop viewed his new society, New England, as
Democracy is “a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system” (Dictionary.com, 2013). While the United States exercises under this form of government, its citizens hold the power to determine that in which they find fit for them and this country. For this reason, democracy, to a certain extent, gives the “supreme power” to its citizens. Furthermore, the U.S. Constitution has brought forth structure to the U.S. government and has helped maintain freedom and equality in our society. Through the checks and balances system, the United States has thus far kept democracy intact.
This concept calls for the redistribution of wealth and status and for the government to guarantee benefits such as housing, employment, medical care, and income equally to all citizens. Some argue that, if implemented, these two concepts would guarantee social equality and would, therefore, allow the ideal of political equality to be reached. Whether or not these concepts would work is under debate, but in terms of a system that has already been implemented and has proven itself to work, the American system of government has made huge steps in assuring equality to all of its citizens. The United States government protects the balance freedom, order, and equality for its citizens in a number of ways. One of these means of protection is through antitrust laws.