Lecture Notes: Foundations of American Democracy

Introduction

• Overview of Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy
• Three Big Ideas:
  1. Balance of power between federal and state governments
  2. Individual rights versus governmental power
  3. Impact of the Constitution today

Declaration of Independence

• Ideals of American Democracy
  • Natural Rights: Unalienable rights by being human
  • Social Contract: Government's role to protect these rights
  • Popular Sovereignty: People as the source of governmental power

Constitution

• Limited Government: Federal government powers are limited to those granted by the Constitution
• Republican Government: Representatives are elected to make laws; not a pure democracy

Models of Representative Democracy

• Participatory Democracy: Broad citizen participation and action
• Pluralist Democracy: Group-based activism and competition
• Elite Democracy: Limited role for individuals with power held by elites

Key Debates

• Governmental Power vs. Individual Rights
• State vs. Federal Power

Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers

• Federalist No. 10 (Madison): Concern over factions, solution in a large republic with elected representatives
• Brutus No. 1 (Anti-Federalist): Democracy and local control, warning against centralized government

Articles of Confederation

• State Sovereignty: States held authority, national government had limited power
• No taxation power, no regulation of interstate commerce
• Shay’s Rebellion: Highlighted the need for a stronger central government

Constitutional Compromises

• Great Compromise: Bicameral legislature, House by population and Senate equal representation
• Electoral College: Compromise for presidential selection
• Three-Fifths Compromise: Slave representation for apportionment
• Importation of Slaves: Agreement not to abolish the slave trade for 20 years

Amendments

• Article 5: Amendment process requiring two-thirds Congress proposal and three-fourths state ratification

Federalism

• Separation of Powers: Three branches of government with checks and balances
• Dynamic Federalism: Changing balance of power between states and federal government

Types of Federalism

• Dual/Layer Cake Federalism: Clear separation of state and federal powers
• Cooperative/Marble Cake Federalism: Blurred lines, shared administration and costs

Federal Grants

• Categorical Grants: Specific purposes, with conditions of aid
• Block Grants: Broader purposes
• Unfunded Mandates: Rules without financial support

Constitutional Clauses

• Supremacy Clause: Federal law and Constitution take precedence
• Necessary and Proper Clause: Congress’s implied powers
• Commerce Clause: Regulation of interstate commerce

Key Federalism Cases

• McCulloch v. Maryland: Confirmed implied powers and supremacy of federal government
• US v. Lopez: Limited Congress’s Commerce Clause power, reaffirmed states' rights

Conclusion

• Federalism provides multiple pathways to influence policy
• States as "Laboratories of Democracy" for policy experimentation
• Encourage further review and practice with additional resources

Note: Check out additional resources for multiple choice practice and full-length exams.