2. Democracy and the Origins of the US Constitution
In a democracy:
Citizens elect their leaders
People have a right to change their leaders
People choose their leaders through elections which are held frequently.
Elections are free and fair
People have civil rights.
All of these ideas about democracy originated from a number of sources.

3. Ancient Athens
Ancient Athens is often referred to as the cradle of democracy. The Athenians developed a unique system of government in which citizens were allowed to take in the decision-making process. They called it democracy. One of their most famous leaders, Pericles, described their government this way :
"Our government does not copy our neighbors, but is an example to them. It is true that we are called a democracy, for the administration is in the hands of the many and not of the few."

4. Ancient Athens
The Athenian form of democracy was called Direct Democracy.
All the male citizens would gather, discussed the issues, and then voted on them. This was possible because the male population in Athens was small, about 40,000 men.
This was an advanced form of government for again, as Pericles noted, most governments at the time were ruled by monarchs or small groups of people. The idea of giving people the power to make important decisions is an important democratic principle.

5. Ancient Athens
Athenian democracy included three separate institutions (branches):
Ekklesia – governing body that wrote the laws and made decisions based on popular vote
Boule – council of 500 representatives (50 from each of the 10 Athenian tribes) who met everyday for one year. They did the hands-on work for the government and were chosen by a lottery system.
Dikasteria – courts in which citizens argued cases before a group of 500 lottery-selected jurors

6. Ancient Athens
Athenian democracy is limited to only male citizens. Women, slaves and foreigners were excluded.
Our Founders realized that the Athenian form of democracy was impractical in large nations. They took the idea of democracy and came up with "representative democracy." Under this system, citizens elect representatives to make these decisions for them. It's for this reasons we have elections through which we elect our leaders

7. The Magna Carta
The Founding Fathers found the Magna Carta an inspiring source.
In 1215, a group of English nobles, demanded certain rights and forced the King to sign the Magna Carta or the Great Charter.
500 hundred years later the American colonists were to use this example to demand their rights from the British King.

8. The Magna Carta
These rights included: The right of jury trial, protection of private property, limits on taxation, and some religious freedoms.
Note that these rights were intended to be enjoyed by the rich; it didn't apply to the people. These rights above became a part of our Bill Of Rights and apply to all.

9. English Bill of Rights
In 1688, William and Mary became the new King and Queen of England through a peaceful revolution known as the Glorious revolution.
To prevent further abuse by the monarchy, Parliament forced them to sign a historical document called the English Bill of Rights.

10. The Bill then guaranteed certain basic rights including…
The King cannot pass or suspend laws without the consent of Parliament.
The people must have the right to petition the King.
Only Parliament could authorize the keeping of an army during peacetime.
Certain people should have the right to bear arms.
Excessive bail or fines should not be imposed,; nor cruel or unjust punishment be meted out.

11. English Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights began by listing the grievances of the nobles against the King. Similarly, the American colonists began the Declaration of Independence by listing their grievances against King George.
These rights became part of the American Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

12. Mayflower Compact
One of the early steps toward democracy in America was taken aboard the Mayflower by the Pilgrims in 1620.
Shortly before their arrival, the colonists agreed on a set of laws that would govern their Plymouth colony in Massachusetts.
These laws, which came to be known as the Mayflower Compact, in essence, stated that the government would make "laws just and equal" with the consent of the colonists.

13. John Locke
No other individual influenced the author of the Declaration of Independence more than Unitarian John Locke ( ).
He was a British philosopher who rejected the idea that Kings had a divine right to rule. Instead, Locke argued that people are the source of power, not kings.
Locke argued that people are born with certain "natural" or "inalienable" rights. These include the right to "life, liberty and property." Government did not grant these rights; rather people are born with them and government can’t take them away.

14. John Locke
According to Locke, people formed governments to protect their rights, which he called a "social contract." People agreed to obey the government and in return, government had the responsibility to protect peoples' natural rights.
Locke argued that if the government failed to protect our natural rights, then the people had the right to replace the government. Locke's ideas became very influential in developing democratic ideas. Thomas Jefferson, in writing the Declaration of Independence, drew heavily from the writings of John Locke.

15. The Constitution of the United States
After the American Revolution the states were functioning under the Articles of Confederation. The Articles provided very little guidance to the states.
In September of 1786 there was a meeting among state representatives to see what they could do about trade problems among the states. As time passed it became clear that changes to this system had to be made.
A convention of delegates from all the states except Rhode Island met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in May of George Washington was chosen president of the convention. By the end of the month it was decided that the best solution to the young country's problems was to set aside the Articles of Confederation and write a new constitution. This meeting later became known as the Constitutional Convention.

16. The Constitution of the United States
The men had a big task ahead of them. A big problem the men had to solve was to decide how the legislature would be structured. Some wanted representation to be based on population. Others wanted equal representation.
Roger Sherman from Connecticut proposed a legislature with two parts. States would have equal representation in the Senate. The population of states would determine their amount of representation in the House.
Three months later and after a lot of debate this "Great Compromise" was agreed upon. On September 17, 1787, the Constitution of the United States was finally accepted by the delegates. But their work was not done.

17. The Constitution of the United States
The Founding Fathers now had to get all the states to agree that this was a good document and that they should vote in favor of it. This was the first great political question that faced Americans.
Nine states had to vote for the Constitution for it to be accepted. New Hampshire became the ninth state to accept the Constitution, ending government under the Articles of Confederation.
It was not until two years later that the last state, Rhode Island, finally accepted the Constitution.

18. About the Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the cornerstone of our American government. In 4,543 words this document describes the structure of the government and the rights of the American people.
No law may be passed that contradicts its principles and no person, or the government, is exempt from following it. This is why it is commonly called the "supreme law of the land".

19. About the Constitution
The purpose of the government is found in the Preamble. For the government to be successful, the Founding Fathers established three main principles on which our Government is based:
Inherent rights -- rights that anyone living in America has
Self government -- government by the people
Separation of powers -- branches with different powers
Through time this document has worked, it has been amended 27 times. The document is known as a "living document" because it can be amended. The Constitution is a document strong enough for safety and at the same time it is flexible enough to allow for freedom.

20. Three Parts of the Constitution
Preamble - describes the purpose of the document and government
Articles - establish how the government is structured and how the Constitution can be changed. There are seven articles.
Amendments - changes to the Constitution; the first ten are called the Bill of Rights