Chapter 2 Constructing a Government: The Founding and the Constitution Copyright © 2018 W. W. Norton & Company The Founding and the First Principle of Politics All political behavior has a purpose. The events of the Founding era were not primarily driven by philosophical debates. Members of colonial society should be understood as pragmatic political actors with disparate interests. The First Founding There was a variety of interests in colonial America. The notable political sectors included • New England merchants. • southern planters. • royalists. • shopkeepers, artisans, and laborers. • small farmers. The Founding and the History Principle Prior to the 1760s, the British were preoccupied with wars with France across several continents, so colonists were largely left to manage their own affairs. As the war with France ended, the British sought to extract revenue from the colonies and to regulate trade. This history matters, as colonists had become used to greater autonomy. British Taxes and Colonial Interests When the war with France ended, the British Crown began imposing a series of modest taxes on the colonists, in part to pay some of the costs of imperial defense. The particular types of taxes—levies on stamps and commercial goods, such as sugar and molasses—caused several of the colonial interests to begin to organize against the Crown. Clicker Question 1: Rationality Principle Which of the following sectors’ interests in colonial society were mostly likely to organize in opposition to taxes on commerce such as the Stamp Act and the Sugar Act? a) New England merchants b) southern planters c) royalists d) shopkeepers, artisans, and laborers e) small farmers Clicker Question 1: Rationality Principle (Answer) Which of the following sectors’ interests in colonial society were mostly likely to organize in opposition to taxes on commerce such as the Stamp Act and the Sugar Act? a) New England merchants – Correct b) southern planters – Correct c) royalists d) shopkeepers, artisans, and laborers e) small farmers A Coalition for Revolt Taxes and regulation began to move merchants and planters away from their royalist allies and toward the more radical interests in colonial society. Events such as the Boston Massacre (1770) fanned the flames of anti-British sentiment. Political Strife and the Radicalizing of the Colonists A series of provocative acts and counter-acts radicalized the colonists and led to the Declaration of Independence. • Boston Tea Party (1773) • First Continental Congress (1774) • Lexington and Concord (1775) • Second Continental Congress (1776) This is the collective action principle in action. The Declaration of Independence “All men are created equal.” Governments derive their legitimacy from the consent of the governed. When a government no longer serves the needs of the people, the people have aright to revolt. The Declaration does not c ...

1. Chapter 2
Constructing a Government:
The Founding and the
Constitution
Copyright © 2018 W. W. Norton & Company
The Founding and the First Principle of Politics
All political behavior has a purpose.
The events of the Founding era were not primarily driven by
philosophical
debates.
Members of colonial society should be understood as pragmatic
political actors
with disparate interests.
The First Founding
There was a variety of interests in colonial America.
The notable political sectors included
• New England merchants.

2. • southern planters.
• royalists.
• shopkeepers, artisans, and laborers.
• small farmers.
The Founding and the History Principle
Prior to the 1760s, the British were preoccupied with wars with
France across
several continents, so colonists were largely left to manage their
own affairs.
As the war with France ended, the British sought to extract
revenue from the
colonies and to regulate trade.
This history matters, as colonists had become used to greater
autonomy.
British Taxes and Colonial Interests
When the war with France ended, the British Crown began
imposing a series of
modest taxes on the colonists, in part to pay some of the costs
of imperial
defense.
The particular types of taxes—levies on stamps and commercial
goods, such as

3. sugar and molasses—caused several of the colonial interests to
begin to
organize against the Crown.
Clicker Question 1: Rationality Principle
Which of the following sectors’ interests in colonial society
were mostly likely
to organize in opposition to taxes on commerce such as the
Stamp Act and the
Sugar Act?
a) New England merchants
b) southern planters
c) royalists
d) shopkeepers, artisans, and laborers
e) small farmers
Clicker Question 1: Rationality Principle (Answer)
Which of the following sectors’ interests in colonial society
were mostly likely
to organize in opposition to taxes on commerce such as the
Stamp Act and the
Sugar Act?
a) New England merchants – Correct

4. b) southern planters – Correct
c) royalists
d) shopkeepers, artisans, and laborers
e) small farmers
A Coalition for Revolt
Taxes and regulation began to move merchants and planters
away from their
royalist allies and toward the more radical interests in colonial
society.
Events such as the Boston Massacre (1770) fanned the flames of
anti-British
sentiment.
Political Strife and the Radicalizing of the Colonists
A series of provocative acts and counter-acts radicalized the
colonists and led
to the Declaration of Independence.
• Boston Tea Party (1773)
• First Continental Congress (1774)
• Lexington and Concord (1775)
• Second Continental Congress (1776)

5. This is the collective action principle in action.
The Declaration of Independence
“All men are created equal.”
Governments derive their legitimacy from the consent of the
governed.
When a government no longer serves the needs of the people,
the people have
aright to revolt.
The Declaration does not create a new government.
The Revolutionary War
The War of Independence was long and bloody, with tens of
thousands of
casualties.
It represented a significant challenge for the inexperienced and
independent
colonial militias, although they ultimately prevailed.
The Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation became the first written
American constitution.

6. In the Articles, America was 13 sovereign states with a weak
central
government.
• No standing army
• Weak executive
• No ability to tax and spend
• Problems of international standing
• Shays’s Rebellion
Constitutional Convention (1787): Key Issues
Key issues
• Revise or scrap the Articles of Confederation
• National power versus state power
• Extent of democracy
• Slavery
Constitutional Convention (1787): Some Answers
Some answers
• The Great Compromise provided states with equal

7. representation in the
Senate and representation based on population in the House.
• The Three-Fifths Compromise postponed the divisive issue of
slavery by
counting slaves as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of
apportioning
House seats.
Representation by State, 2010
Representation by State, 2010 (cont’d)
The Constitution
The Constitutional Convention produced a Constitution with
seven articles.
• The first three articles outline the structure and power of the
legislative,
executive, and judicial branches.
• Other articles relate to national power, the amendment
process, and the
ratification process.
It is a brief document.

8. Article I: Legislative Branch
Bicameralism—division of a legislative assembly into two
chambers or
houses.
Expressed powers—powers explicitly granted to the federal
government by
the Constitution.
Necessary and proper clause—also referred to as the “elastic
clause,” it
provides Congress with the authority to make all laws needed
and to employ all
means “necessary and proper” to carry them out.
Article II: Executive Branch
Article II provides for an independent, stronger, and more
“energetic” executive
than in the Articles of Confederation.
The president is commander in chief, chief executive, and chief
diplomat.
Other powers include the nomination of executive and judicial
officials and the
power to grant reprieves and pardons.
The president is indirectly elected.
Article III: Judicial Branch

9. Article III provides for a Supreme Court and other federal
courts Congress can
establish.
Judges have lifetime terms and are nominated by the president
and confirmed
by the Senate.
Article III does not explicitly provide for judicial review—the
power of the
courts to declare actions of the legislative and executive
branches
unconstitutional.
Clicker Question 2: Articles I, II, and III
Which of the first three articles is longest and most specific in
its grant of
governmental power?
a) Article I—legislative branch
b) Article II—executive branch
c) Article III—judicial branch
Clicker Question 2: Articles I, II, and III (Answer)
Which of the first three articles is longest and most specific in
its grant of
governmental power?

10. a) Article I—legislative branch – Correct
b) Article II—executive branch
c) Article III—judicial branch
Articles I, II, and III: The Separation of Powers
Articles IV and VI: National Unity and Power
Article IV provides reciprocity among the states through the
“full faith and
credit” clause and the “privileges and immunities” clause.
Article VI promotes national power through the national
supremacy clause—a
clause stating that laws made by the federal government are
supreme and
superior to state or local laws.
Article V: Amending the Constitution
Article V sets forth the procedures for amending the
Constitution.
Article VII: Ratification

11. Article VII calls for ratifying conventions in each of the 13
states.
The Constitution is deemed ratified when 9 of the 13 states vote
to ratify.
Constitutional Limits on the National Government’s Power
Separation of powers—division of governmental power among
several
institutions using checks and balances.
Federalism—division of power between a central government
and regional
governments.
Bill of Rights—first 10 amendments to U.S. Constitution
ensuring certain
rights and liberties to the people.
The Fight for Ratification
The Fight for Ratification: Federalists versus Antifederalists
Federalists favored ratification and a stronger national
government.
Antifederalists opposed ratification but disagreed among
themselves about
what the alternative should be.

12. At issue:
Nature of representation
Threat of tyranny—unjust rule by those in power
Scope and location of governmental power
Clicker Question 3: Contemporary Comparisons
Which contemporary group’s ideas do the Antifederalists’ ideas
resemble?
a) Occupy Wall Street
b) Tea Party
c) Green Party
d) Libertarian Party
Clicker Question 3: Contemporary Comparisons (Answer)
Which contemporary group’s ideas do the Antifederalists’ ideas
resemble?
a) Occupy Wall Street – Correct
b) Tea Party – Correct
c) Green Party – Correct

13. d) Libertarian Party – Correct
The Fight for Ratification: The Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights is one key result of the fight for ratification.
Federalists were forced to agree to adopt a series of
amendments to the
Constitution immediately after ratification.
Spells out protections for individuals and states from Congress,
the executive
branch, the courts, and the national government
The Bill of Rights: Analysis of Its Provisions
Beyond the Constitution: Limiting Governmental Power 1
The Federalists and Antifederalists agreed that governmental
power had to be
checked; they also agreed that “mere parchment barriers” would
not be enough.
In Federalist 10, James Madison outlines the strongest argument
from the
Federalist camp for why popular government will succeed in the
new United
States.

14. Beyond the Constitution: Limiting Governmental Power 2
In Federalist 10, James Madison argues
• The key problems of democracy are instability and
factionalism.
• We must control the effects of factionalism:
• Representation and “filtering” of public opinion.
• “Extend the sphere”—take in a greater variety of interests.
The American “solution” is that we will agree to disagree!
Amending the Constitution
There have only been 17 amendments to the Constitution since
1791.
Two of these cancel each other out (Prohibition).
The remaining 15 amendments primarily involve:
• Expansion of the electorate
• Change in elections
• Expansion/limitation of government power
Expansion of the Electorate

15. Changing Elections
Expanding and Limiting the Power of Government
Discussion Question:
Lincoln, King, and Rule of Law
Should a law be followed if it is immoral or unjust?
a) yes
b) no
Lincoln, “The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions”
Lincoln argues for the rule of law.
The perpetuation of our political institutions requires that
citizens must not
tolerate any violation of the law, no matter how small.
We should work to change unjust laws, but they must be
observed while they
are in force.

16. King, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
King argues for civil disobedience in the face of unjust or
immoral laws.
Individuals have a moral duty to break an unjust law.
Individuals must accept the consequences “openly and lovingly”
in order to
arouse the conscience of the community.
Discussion Question: Lincoln, King, and Rule of Law
(Revisited)
Should a law be followed if it is immoral or unjust?
a) yes
b) no
Additional Information
Following this slide, you will find additional images, figures,
and tables from the
textbook.
Representation in Congress: States’ Ranks

17. Representation in Congress: States’ Ranks (cont’d)
The Constitution and Policy Outcomes
Analyzing the Evidence: How Many Veto Gates?
Copyright © 2018 W. W. Norton & Company
Student 2
POL 1011
Movie Review: Lincoln
The plot of Lincoln takes place in 1865 during the dregs of the
American Civil War.
Peace has become a waiting game instead of a bloody battle, but
the end of the war has brought
forth a new problem for President Abraham Lincoln as played
by Daniel Day-Lewis. He fears
that the Emancipation Proclamation, signed in 1863, will be
undone once the Confederacy
surrenders. Lincoln enters a race against time to pass the

18. Thirteenth Amendment, which will
abolish slavery, effectively preserving the freedom of former
black slaves. The movie primarily
focuses on the conflict within the House of Representatives and
Lincoln’s own cabinet. Further,
it captures the feud between Democrats and Republicans and
radical Republicans versus
conservative Republicans.
One of the earliest points within the film that I found to relate
to the text was
Lincoln’s assertion of his powers as president (p. 172–174). He
states, “I decided that the
Constitution gives me war powers,” and “I decided I needed
them to exist to uphold my oath to
the Constitution.” Lincoln takes advantage of his powers to
confiscate slaves from the South,
which is legal only because slaves were viewed as property, and
emancipate them in the North.
The legality of this is admittedly slippery due to the status of
the South, which leads into the next
point from the textbook covered in the movie: types of
government and leadership (p.
170).

19. In a later scene, Lee Pace’s character, Fernando Wood, a
Democratic Congressman from
New York, launches into a diatribe against Lincoln’s perceived
abuse of these powers. He
berates Lincoln’s suspension of habeas corpus, free press, and
states’ rights, and this relates back
to the text’s example of Lincoln serving as a constitutional
dictator during the Civil War. The
movie focuses largely on the democratic process. For instance,
one of the main points of
conflict is trying to secure two-thirds of the House members to
vote in favor of the Thirteenth
Amendment.
Lastly, an overarching, yet underlying theme throughout the
movie, is the debate over
civil rights (p. 84). One Congressman in the film did not want
to vote in favor of the Thirteenth
Amendment because he did not believe that black people should
be emancipation. Further, he
argued that it would eventually lead to women being granted the
right to vote. Some members
of Congress were only open to the Thirteenth Amendment after
a civil rights advocate stated that

20. the amendment would “only make black people equal before the
law, not equal in actuality.”
This alludes to the Jim Crowe era that is also discussed in the
textbook. In the final act of the
film, progress is made toward equality with the Fourteenth
Amendment being discussed.
However, Lincoln is assassinated before he sees black men
being secure the right to vote.
Overall, I would give this movie 4.5 out of 5 popcorn bowls. If
I were being completely
biased I would give it 5 out of 5 popcorn bowls, but I am
docking it a half point only because the
film is not completely accurate. After all, while Lincoln was
opposed slavery, he was known to
be ambivalent towards it on a legal basis and his main goal
during the Civil War was the
restoration of the Union. Otherwise, it is a very good film, and
I believe Daniel
Day-Lewis portrayed Lincoln extremely well.
MOVIE REVIEW
EVALUATION RUBRIC

21. Criteria SCORE COMMENTS
Fundamentals. The paper has a title, name,
film is political, typed, turned in on time,
meets page limit, and is neatly finished.
Thesis Statement. Paper has a clear and
concise thesis statement. Further, it is one
sentence and thought provoking.
Introduction. The introduction is engaging
and states the main topic and previews the
structure of the paper
Topic Focus. The topic is focused narrowly
enough for the scope of this assignment. The
paper also stays on topic.
Body. Each paragraph has thoughtful
supporting detail sentences that develop the

22. main idea
Organization. Writer demonstrates logical
and subtle sequencing of ideas through well-
developed paragraphs; transition are used to
enhance organization.
Textbook. The student relates the film to 3
concepts in the textbook. The concepts are
bolded and followed by the page number in
parenthesis.
Evaluation. Does the student include a
section whether they recommend the film
(i.e., five popcorn bowls) or they do not
recommend the film (i.e., zero popcorn
bowls).
Conclusion. The conclusion is engaging and
restates the thesis.

23. Mechanics. No errors in punctuation,
capitalization, and spelling. Also, no errors
sentence structure and word usage.
Scoring:
1 Poor, many requirements not met
2 Fair, some requirements met
3 Good, meets most or all expectations
4 Outstanding, exceeds expectations