Politics can be defined as the struggle to have power over others. Politics does not end with our politicians; it follows us into our homes. There is always a struggle over who is the head of the house. Government can be defined as having the power to distribute resources, make laws, and enforce laws. The government decides where resources go, what laws are made, and what will happen if you break their laws.
A democracy can turn into a free for all and a certain group can have extreme amounts of power. In a democracy, the people meet, vote directly on an issue, and the majority rules. In a republic, the citizens vote for an elected representative, and that representative “works” for the citizens. The representative’s main goal is to do what the people want and get them what they need. The United States of America is a democratic republic.
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The United States of America is a democratic republic. We, the people, vote for our representatives and in return, they fight for us. We have a president who represents us and does what is best for us. We could also be labeled as a representative democracy. The main point is that the U.S. is a republic, we vote for our representatives, and we do not have a king or a monarch.
I picked the Colonizing America video as my first choice. This video talked about our first colonies and their first governments. The video talked about how colonies collected their revenue, through the sales of tobacco. Lastly, this video taught me about the sermon A Model of Christian Charity by John Winthrop. This video is important because it talks about where we came from and the struggles that we faced. It is important because it talks about how the colonies made money to support themselves. The video also teaches us about our history with Great Britain and how we broke away to gain our independence. The second video that I picked was the Tea, Taxes, and the American Revolution video. It gave light to what started the American Revolution. The video also highlighted the Boston Tea Party and the creation of the Committees of Correspondence. Lastly, this video gave us some key points about the Articles of Confederation. This video is important because it teaches us our history. It taught me how our Constitution came to be. Lastly, it is important because it cleared all the blurry spots on how we became states and not just colonies. The last video that I picked was the US Constitution and Articles of Confederation video. This video went into how the Articles of Confederation were drafted and how it became the base for the Constitution of the United States. The video demonstrated how we became bicameral and how our new government was set up. Lastly, this video tells what these documents do and what they allow the central and state governments to do.
The Democracy or Republic Blog makes us look to our government and classify it. What the blog tells me is that our government is Republic and we vote for our elected officials. These elected officials are then supposed to fight for us. The blog emphasizes the point that we do not vote directly and go by majority rule. Lastly, this blog tells the differences between a democracy and a republic.
Colonial history is important to the evolution of the United States because it gave birth to the first forms of government. The first colony was established in 1607 and it was called Jamestown. Jamestown was an English colony that established laws and guidelines. In 1620 the first New England colony was formed, and the Mayflower Compact was signed. This colony was called Plymouth. The Mayflower Compact was an agreement signed by 43 of the 43 separatists that stated the laws and guidelines that should be followed. Our original 13 colonies were established by 1732. The colonial period gave birth to multiple laws like the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut and the Pennsylvania Charter of Privileges.
The Pennsylvania Charter of Privileges was the “original” Constitution and Bill of Rights. Lastly, the colonial period gave us our independence from Great Britain. Thanks to Great Britain pushing the colonists to their breaking points, the Declaration of Independence was signed. It also started the Revolutionary War. The Common Sense was written by Thomas Paine during this period.
The confederacy period is important in understanding the creation of the US Constitution in many ways. During the Second Continental Congress, the Articles of Confederation were brought to life. On November 15, 1777, the Articles of Confederation were finalized, but they were not put into action until March 1, 1781. The Articles of Confederation made the 13 colonies into states and gave them a form of government. This form of government consisted of one chamber of legislature and each state had one vote. The Articles of Confederation lacked funding and enforcement of laws. During the Confederacy period, western land debates were settled, and the Northwest Ordinance was put into play in 1787. The confederacy period only lasted 8 years. There were many faults with the Articles of Confederation. Some of these faults are as follows: 9 states’ consent was needed for changes, revenues could not be demanded from the states for war, and there was no funding for the militia. After the Revolutionary War, our militias had to be relieved of their duties. During this time period, the central government had little authority and could not prevent the states from fighting with each other. This led to Shays’ Rebellion and the talk of the Constitution of the United States. Two plans for a new system of government were brought forward and they were the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan. The Virginia Plan called for 2 chambers of legislature, federal law to be supreme, state representation by population, and the creation of the 3 branches of government. The New Jersey Plan called for a single chamber of legislature that called for each state to have one vote, Congress would have the power to tax, federal law would be supreme, people would be elected to represent their state, and a Supreme Court would be made by the executive office. Neither of these plans were put into action, but they created the Great Compromise. The Great Compromise was a bicameral legislature that gave the states equal representation in the Senate and it gave us the checks and balances system (for the Senate and the House of Representatives). This plan resolved slavery issues and gave a base for the Constitution of the United States. A rough draft of the Constitution was finished on August 6th. The final touches were put on the Constitution, including the following: the 3 branches of government, the checks and balances system, and the electoral college.
The most interesting thing that I have learned would be all the steps we took to get to our Constitution. I remembered bits and pieces from previous classes, but I never paid attention. I now realize that we have come a long way from Jamestown, and we have overcome many obstacles. I think that we are still progressing as a country and we are still abiding our Constitution. Our founding fathers gave us a starting point and it was up to us to figure out the right solution.
I chose the Cram for the Exam video. This video explained the definition of federalism. The 10th Amendment was emphasized because it gave the states rights and powers. Lastly, this video breaks down federalism and puts it into simpler terms. Federalism is important because it gave both state and federal governments power. Federalism gave us the 10th Amendment, which gave the states certain powers. Lastly, this video is important because it shows the progression of the United States of America.
I think that the division of powers in American Federalism is a key lesson that I learned. The division of powers in important because it gave the central and state governments certain powers and rights. The central government have the power to declare war and the state governments have the power to regulate commerce. Another key lesson that I learned is that the federal system of government was the best solution for the United States. The federal system of government gives both the state and central governments power. It allows the people to vote for their representatives and states that the Constitution of the United States is Supreme Law. This is important because it limits the power that the state and central governments have. It also gives us the right to appoint our elected officials (every 4 years we get to vote for our president).
The last key lesson that I learned centered around the Supremacy Clause. I learned that state laws cannot override federal laws and that the Constitution will always rule over any law. A prime example of an issue with the Supremacy Clause is the legalization of marijuana. Under federal law, marijuana is illegal, but because of the CSA Preemption Clause, states can legalize marijuana.
I like how we have blog posts because it helps to cement the topics in place. My favorite topic so far would have to be the colonial and confederacy periods. They show what we evolved from and how much we have improved. I also like how we have detailed videos to explain the chapters and the topics. By far, my all-time favorite part of this class is the daily schedule. The schedule keeps me on track, and it lets me know if I need to slow down or pick up the pace. What am I taking away from this course so far? I have learned about our very first colonies and how they formed the first governments. They also declared their independence from Great Britain. By doing this, they created the Declaration of Independence, which got the ball rolling towards the Constitution of the United States. I have learned about the Confederacy and how the Articles of Confederation came to life, along with the Bill of Rights. The Virginia and New Jersey Plans were re-cemented into my brain, along with that fact that they formed the Great Compromise. The Great Compromise was the footings for the Constitution of the United States. I learned how the 13 original colonies became states and how our governments are split vertically and horizontally. Lastly, I learned the difference between the division of powers and the separation of powers.
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