Athens - Democracy: a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

Ancient Rome

Roman Republic & Senate

Republic→ A state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives

But not too powerful it would lead to a king or dictator

They included many limits on the power of the government

The power to rule comes from the consent of the governed people

Separation of Powers

In the Federal government, there are….

Three branches of government

Legislative→ Makes laws

Executive→ Enforces laws

Judicial→ Interprets laws

The Federal government is supreme to the states

Delegated Powers→ Powers given to the Federal government

Reserved Powers→ Powers given (reserved) to the States

Concurrent Powers→ Powers shared by the Federal government and the states

Each branch of government can limit the others to ensure that no part of the government becomes too powerful

Influenced by Montesquieu

Decided to write a new Constitution instead

But, different states have different opinions on many issues

They need to compromise on major issues

The Great Compromise was that the Federal government could regulate interstate and foreign trade

The states can regulate intrastate trade

Three-Fifths Compromise

Slaves will count as 3/5 a person for representation and taxation

Benefits the South as they gain more members in the House of Representatives and the Electoral College

The Slave Trade

The Slave Trade would be banned 20 years after the Constitution went into effect (1808)

Some people are against the use of the Elastic Clause because it gives Congress a series of powers to allow it to pass legislation. However, these powers are not clearly stated. Without the Elastic Clause, Congress would have been severely limited in carrying out its functions to only those explicitly listed in the Constitution. Even with these Expressed Powers, it could have been unable to perform these without the Elastic Clause.

The Solution: The Electoral College

Each state’s electoral vote is determined by their population

Need a majority of electoral votes to be elected (270)

Criticism of the Electoral College→ Winner of the popular vote can lose the election

2 Senators per state (100 total today)

The Senate has to approve many presidential actions

Treaties

Cabinet Officials

Supreme Court Nominees

"The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branches of the State legislatures.

Also known as the Necessary and Proper Clause

Elastic Clause

Example: Creating a national bank in 1791; Louisiana Purchase in 1803

impeachment

The process of removing certain elected officials (President, Judges) from office

The House of Representatives needs a majority vote to impeach

The Senate holds a trial (2/3 need to convict & remove from office)

The impeachment process illustrates the fundamental principle of checks and balances in the U.S. governmental system. It reflects the interplay between the different branches, ensuring a mechanism for accountability and the prevention of potential abuse of power.

35 years old

A natural-born citizen of the United States

Reside in the US for at least 14 years

The President serves a 4 yr term

Since 1951, the President can only serve 2 terms (22nd amendment)

The President is the head of the executive branch

Elected by the Electoral College

Some roles of the President:

Chief Executive

Commander in Chief

Head of State

The Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S.

The Supreme Court’s main job: Judicial Review

Judicial Review established in 1803 with the case Marbury v. Madison

Qualifications for the Supreme Court:

No age limit or citizenship requirement

Serve for life

Different aspects of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the debate between the Federalist No. 10 and Brutus No. 1, reflect the tension between the broad participatory model and the more filtered participation of the pluralist and elite models.

To propose amendments, two-thirds of both houses of Congress can vote to propose an amendment, or two-thirds of the state legislatures can ask Congress to call a national convention to propose amendments.

The new central government is responsible for working with other countries, including trade agreements and declaring war. States were required to have trained soldiers who could be ready to fight.