1. We The People, Lesson 1 Read “Purpose of the Lesson” (p. 2)
Make note of the “Terms to Know”. You will be expected to know these terms.

2. What Would Life Be Like In a State of Nature?
Read pp. 2-4
Respond (in writing) to the “What do you think” questions (2-4) on p.5
Withdrawing Consent?

3. Nullification: How states are making it a felony to enforce federal gun laws
By Lois Beckett
In mid-April, Kansas passed a law asserting that federal gun regulations do not apply to guns made and owned in Kansas. Under the law, Kansans could manufacture and sell semi-automatic weapons in-state without a federal license or any federal oversight.
Kansas’ Second Amendment Protection Act backs up its states’ rights claims with a penalty aimed at federal agents: When dealing with “Made in Kansas” guns, any attempt to enforce federal law is now a felony. Bills similar to Kansas’ law have been introduced in at least 37 other states. An even broader bill is on the desk of Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell. That bill would exempt any gun owned by an Alaskan from federal regulation. In Missouri, a bill declaring federal gun laws null and void passed by an overwhelming majority in the Statehouse, and is headed for debate in the Senate.
Mobilizing the pre-Civil War doctrine of nullification, these bills assert that Congress has overstepped its ability to regulate guns – and that states, not the Supreme Court, have the ultimate authority to decide whether a law is constitutional.
Read more here:

4. What Would Life Be Like In a State of Nature?
Read pp. 5, 6
Respond (in writing) to the “What do you think” questions (1-4) on p.6
Iron Fist “ Yahoo answers”
“Would Iraq be stable with an iron-fist leader like Saddam Hussein?”
Answer: “A stable nation, any stable nation, does not require an iron-fist to rule. That being said, all those countries in that area -- Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and all the other "Stans" -- will never be democratized simply because there are too many tribal, ethnic, and religious differences. An iron-fist is needed to maintain order and, unfortunately, some people have to be "dealt with accordingly" to suppress dissent against the regime that keeps that order. “ Do you agree/disagree??

5. We The People, Lesson 2 Read “Purpose of the Lesson” (p. 7)
Make note of the “Terms to Know”. You will be expected to know these terms.

6. How Does Government Secure Natural Rights?
Read pp. 7-9
Respond (in writing) to the “What do you think?” questions (1-3) on p. 9.

7. How Does Government Secure Natural Rights?
Critical Thinking Disc. p.10
Read pp. 9-12
Respond (in writing) to the “What do you think?” questions (1-3) on p. 12.

8. How Does Government Secure Natural Rights?
Small group
Read discuss 1-5, “Reviewing and Using the Lesson, on page 12.
Make note of any questions you have or of any of the content that is still unclear.

9. Lesson 3: Republican Government
What’s the difference??? Republic vs. Democracy
Read pp
Respond:
Describe the concepts of civic virtue and moral education in your own words.
Explain why small, uniform communities were seen as an essential condition for a republic.

10. Critical Thinking: Compare and Contrast (pp. 13-15)
Natural Rights Philosophy
Classical Republicanism
Stressed the right of the individual to life, liberty and property
Stressed that human nature is such that individual behavior is motivated by self- interest.
Stressed that society is a collection of individuals, each sharing the same right to pursue his or her own welfare.
Stressed that peoples opportunities should not be limited by the situation or group into which they are born.
Stressed that the main purpose of government should be to protect natural rights. The State existed to serve the interests of the individual.
To preserve natural rights, governments guarantee specific rights, such as civil rights (freedom of conscience and privacy) and political rights (vote, run for office.)
Stressed promotion of the common good above the rights of the individual.
Stressed that individuals should be motivated by civic virtue
Limited individual rights to privacy, belief, expression, and opportunities to read, think and earn money. People must be dedicated to the common good…not self-interest
Discouraged diversity of beliefs, wealth and ways of life. People were expected to know their place in the community.
The State exists to promote the common good…not individual interests. Stressed avoiding the formation of factions or interest groups that might endanger the common good.
Stressed the importance of political rights such as voting and serving in public office.

11. What government is best?
Read on p. 16, “How did the founders think a government should be organized to promote the common good?
* What did Montesquieu mean by divided and balanced? Why did he believe this was the best solution?
* What is mixed government?
* Did Montesquieu contribute anything to our system???

12. Madison and Republicanism
“If all people were angels there would be no need for government…”Expand the sphere…”
James Madison, Federalist 10
Democracy only works in small settings
A republic uses representatives…allows extension of the people’s will over a large area
Representative Democracy???
Advantages?
Disadvantages?
What becomes of “civic virtue” (17)

13. Respond to “What do you think”, #1-3, p.18
Final Reading…pp16-18
Respond to “What do you think”, #1-3, p.18
Small group
Read and discuss 1-7, “Reviewing and Using the Lesson, on page 18.
Make note of any questions you have or of any of the content that is still unclear.

14. Problems with a Republic?
Small homogenous communities??
The diversity of America…Wealth, Religion, Culture
Reconciling capitalism with republicanism…stratification of society

15. Madison’s Representative Democracy
Direct democracy only works at the small scale (i.e., local level). A republic would allow government to be extended over a larger area.
Representatives would come from the “whole people”…i.e., the diverse community of people throughout the country. In that way, the right to govern comes from the people (popular sovereignty, social contract.)
Civic virtue will arise through the pursuit of self-interest.
Government must be structured in a way that guards against the corruption of power.
Separation of powers checks and balances

16. Magruder’s American Government
C H A P T E R 1 Principles of Government
© 2001 by Prentice Hall, Inc.

17. S E C T I O N 1 Government and the State
How is government defined?
What are the basic powers that every government holds?
What are the four defining characteristics of the state?
How have we attempted to explain the origin of the state?
What is the purpose of government in the United States and other countries? 2 3
Chapter 1, Section 1

18. What Is Government? What Should it look like?
Government is the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies. 2 3
Chapter 1 Section 1

19. Straight to the Source (12 or 760)
Explain how the language of the preamble reflects the idea of the Social Contract

20. The Purpose of Government What Should It Be?
The main purposes of government are described in the Preamble of the Constitution of the United States:
“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.” 2 3
Chapter 1, Section 1

21. Origins of the State: Central Question – How do governments form?
The Force Theory
The force theory states that one person or a small group took control of an area and forced all within it to submit to that person’s or group’s rule.
The Evolutionary Theory
The evolutionary theory argues that the state evolved naturally out of the early family.
The Divine Right Theory
The theory of divine right holds that God created the state and that God gives those of royal birth a “divine right” to rule.
The Social Contract Theory
The social contract theory argues that the state arose out of a voluntary act of free people. 2 3
Chapter 1, Section 1

22. The State: What is a State?
The state can be defined as having these four characteristics: 2 3
Chapter 1, Section 1

23. What Is Government?
Challenges?? 2 3
Chapter 1 Section 1

24. Quiz Time!!

25. S E C T I O N 2 Forms of Government
How can we classify governments?
How are systems of government defined in terms of who can participate?
How is power distributed within a state?
How are governments defined by the relationship between the legislative and executive branches? 1 3
Chapter 1, Section 2

26. Brainstorm Forms of Government and their characteristics
Small Group:
Brainstorm Forms of Government and their characteristics
Note: 3 types of government power???

27. Classifying Governments: Compare and Contrast
Governments can be classified by three different standards:
(1) Who can participate in the governing process.
(2) The geographic distribution of the governmental power within the state.
(3) The relationship between the legislative (lawmaking) and the executive (law-executing) branches of the government. 1 3
Chapter 1, Section 2

28. Classification by Who Can Participate
Democracy
In a democracy, supreme political authority rests with the people.
A direct democracy exists where the will of the people is translated into law directly by the people themselves.
In an indirect democracy, a small group of persons, chosen by the people to act as their representatives, expresses the popular will.
Dictatorship
A dictatorship exists where those who rule cannot be held responsible to the will of the people.
An autocracy is a government in which a single person holds unlimited political power.
An oligarchy is a government in which the power to rule is held by a small, usually self-appointed elite. 1 3
Chapter 1, Section 2

29. Classification by Geographic Distribution of Power
Unitary Government
A unitary government has all powers held by a single, central agency.
Confederate Government
A confederation is an alliance of independent states.
Federal Government
A federal government is one in which the powers of government are divided between a central government and several local governments.
An authority superior to both the central and local governments makes this division of power on a geographic basis. 1 3
Chapter 1, Section 2

30. Classification by the Relationship Between Legislative and Executive Branches1 3
Chapter 1, Section 2

31. Forms of Government 1 3
Chapter 1, Section 2

32. Another Quiz?? (This guy is out of his mind…)

33. S E C T I O N 3 Basic Concepts of Democracy
What are the foundations of American democracy?
What are the connections between democracy and the free enterprise system?
How has/will the Internet affected democracy? 1 2
Chapter 1, Section 3

34. Foundations: Central Question – What are the foundations of American Democracy?
The American concept of democracy rests on these basic notions: “Give me 5”
(1) A recognition of the fundamental worth and dignity of every person;
(2) A respect for the equality of all persons;
(3) A faith in majority rule and an insistence upon minority rights;
(4) An acceptance of the necessity of compromise; and
(5) An insistence upon the widest possible degree of individual freedom. 1 2
Chapter 1, Section 3

35. Democracy and the Free Enterprise System A reflection of Locke??
The free enterprise system is an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods; investments that are determined by private decision rather than by state control; and determined in a free market.
Decisions in a free enterprise system are determined by the law of supply and demand. In other words, individuals free to pursue self-interest…
An economy in which private enterprise exists in combination with a considerable amount of government regulation and promotion is called a mixed economy. In other words…Civic Virtue?... 1 2
Chapter 1, Section 3

36. Democracy and the Free Enterprise System
Is American Free Enterprise Capitalism consistent with the foundations of American Democracy?
Yes/no/example?
(1) A recognition of the fundamental worth and dignity of every person;
(2) A respect for the equality of all persons;
(3) A faith in majority rule and an insistence upon minority rights;
(4) An acceptance of the necessity of compromise; and
(5) An insistence upon the widest possible degree of individual freedom. 1 2
Chapter 1, Section 3

37. Democracy and the Internet: Central Question – Is our Democracy aided by I.T.
Democracy demands that the people be widely informed about their government.
Theoretically, the Internet makes knowledgeable participation in democratic process easier than ever before….Does it? 1 2
Chapter 1, Section 3