Lecture on the U.S. Constitution

Introduction

Focus on foundational U.S. documents: Constitution, Declaration of Independence.
Overview of history: American Revolution, politics in drafting the Constitution.
Importance of compromises in the Constitution's creation.

Definition 1: Politics as a form of rule for conciliating diverse interests and making policies.
Definition 2: Politics as the distribution of resources ("who gets what, when, and how").
Politics involves public life, potential for both conflict and cooperation, and building communities.

Period: 16th-18th centuries in Western Europe.
Concepts: Rejection of monarchical and religious authority, emphasis on human reason and science.
Impact: Raised questions about self-organization and societal ideals.

Initially 13 colonies under British rule.
Colonists saw themselves as British until political changes in the 1770s.
Key events:
- End of the Seven Years War (French and Indian War) in 1763.
- British debts led to increased taxation of colonies.
- British interest in ending slavery clashed with colonies' economic reliance on it.

A document of compromise, a blueprint for U.S. governance.
Establishes:
- Relationships among the federal government's three branches.
- Federalism: balance between federal and state governments.
- Rights and responsibilities of government and citizens.

Order vs. Individual Rights:
- Importance of balancing societal stability with personal freedoms.
- Initial Constitution focused on order; Bill of Rights added for individual freedoms.
Centralization of Power:
- Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists debate.
- Creation of executive and judicial branches, separation of powers, and checks and balances.
- Federal vs. state powers: enumerated vs. reserved powers.
Representation:
- Large vs. small state representation in Congress.
- Great Compromise: House based on population, Senate with equal state representation.
Slavery: The Three-Fifths Compromise - counting enslaved people for representation without granting rights.