Introduction
Welcome to the AP U.S. Gov Topic 1.1 article! This is all about the Ideals of Democracy and will serve as your introduction to the wonderful world of AP Gov!
Firstly, we’ll be discussing how the U.S. Government is based on the following ideas:
Natural Rights: Everyone has rights that can’t be taken away. These are rights people have simply for existing. They are the base of human rights. John Locke states that the natural rights are life, liberty, and property.
The Social Contract: Rousseau argues that people give up some freedoms, such as total privacy, to ensure social order is maintained by the government. The government not only maintains social order, but they also protect individual rights, for example, we can dissolve the government if it becomes tyrannical.
The best example of this is the American Revolution. The colonists were upset by how Great Britain was not following the social contract (explained above), so they revolted to gain their freedoms back.
Popular Sovereignty: The belief that the people rule over themselves. The government should work for the people, not vice versa. All of the government’s power/authority stems from the people; we give them their power.
Limited Government: The government must not have absolute control, and limits must be established. This is to stop the government from gaining too much power and becoming tyrannical.
These ideals were introduced in the Enlightenment, which took place in Europe before the American Revolution. People such as John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, who were philosophers, played a key role in the development of these ideals. The Enlightenment occurred for many reasons, such as economic and social change, religious conflicts, and so much more. It took place in the 1600s and 1700s.
To achieve limited government, there are several principles that come into play:
Separation of Powers: Powers are distributed into separate, independent branches of government rather than one having all of the power. An example of this is that while the President can enforce the law, they cannot interpret it, as that is the job of the Judicial branch. It keeps duties separate instead of concentrating it in one place.
Checks and Balances: The three branches can check, or basically limit the powers of the others to ensure one doesn’t become too powerful. Each branch has a “check” on the other branches.
For instance, the President can veto a law passed by Congress, which demonstrates a “check” by the President on the Congress. The President “checks” if Congress is doing something right. On the other hand, Congress can override a veto with a supermajority vote.
Federalism: Federalism is a system in which the national and state governments share/divide power. There is a central (national) government, but there are also state and local governments to regulate rules and power locally.
For instance, Cooperative Federalism is a type of federalism in which the state and federal governments constantly work together. For example, the state government could have some discretion as to how they could carry out a national law. Dual Federalism is where they work together less, as the power each level has is clearly outlined.
Republicanism: People elect other people to represent their views. Think elections, which are pretty common.
Many of these philosophies, such as the social contract and limited government, are seen in the Declaration of Independence, written primarily by Thomas Jefferson. The Declaration elaborated the grievances of the colonists and reasons why the U.S. sought to become a sovereign nation. Grievances are essentially the complaints that the colonists had.
The Declaration of Independence also emphasizes natural rights, as Thomas Jefferson stated that people are born with life, liberty, and happiness. Jefferson’s ideas of rights are based on Locke’s natural rights of life, liberty, and property. Popular sovereignty is also a component, as the Declaration is essentially the “break up letter” from Great Britain. Our Founding Fathers felt that Great Britain’s government was imposing too much, prompting them to seek their own sovereign government.
The U.S. Constitution, drafted by James Madison and other members of the grand committee , served as a blueprint for the government. The grand committee was a group of people who helped settle disputes regarding the U.S. Constitution. This document is an example of a social contract, due to it serving as a formal agreement between the government and the people, as well as providing the basis for limited government outlining the specific powers of the three branches of government. For example, Congress’ powers are explicitly mentioned, and so are the other branches’ powers.
Give yourself a pat on the back for making it this far! Let’s do some practice to see how you understand this topic thus far: