The document discusses the roots of American government in ancient Greece, Rome, English traditions, and Enlightenment thinkers. It explains that ancient Athens had a direct democracy and Rome established a republican system with elected representatives. The Magna Carta established that the English monarchy had to obey the law and consult Parliament on taxes. The English Bill of Rights protected rights like free elections, habeas corpus, and bearing arms. American democracy has its origins in documents like the Mayflower Compact and influence from Enlightenment philosophers like Locke and Montesquieu's idea of separating government powers.

1. Roots of American GovernmentBy: Shirley Lombardi
The
Constitution
Rome
Enlightenment American
Experience
English
Tradition
Magna
Carta
English
Bill of
Rights
Ancient
Greece
1

2. The
Constitution
Ancient
Greece
2

3. Athens, Greece
• Home of world’s first direct democracy –
a form of government in which laws are made
directly by the citizens
*An example is colonial town meetings and
voting on local issues
3

4. The
Constitution
Rome
Ancient
Greece
4

5. Roman Example
• Constitutional Convention delegates wanted
to create a republic –
a government in which citizens rule themselves
through elected representatives
5

6. Virtues
(moral goodness; righteousness)
• Independence and public service of its
citizens were admired by Americans.
• Romans served in public office out of
devotion to the republic, not for money.
6

7. BEWARE!
• Roman citizens lost their feelings of
independence and devotion to the republic.
• Rome became a dictatorship ( a government
in which one person or small group holds
complete authority)
• Without knowledgeable and devoted
citizens, a republic will die.
7

8. The
Constitution
Rome
English
Traditions
Magna
Carta
Ancient
Greece
8

9. Magna Carta’s First Basic Idea
• The monarchs had to obey the law.
* Our presidents must obey the law.
• The “Great Council” had to be consulted
before the monarchs could raise taxes (the
Great Council became Parliament).
*We have Congress, which is very similar to
the British Parliament which acts to
limit/check the president’s powers
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10. Second Basic Idea: Rights of
Citizens
• The Magna Carta stated certain rights
given to English nobles, among them were:
1. Rights to private property
2. Rights to a trial by jury
*These rights were later given to other
citizens as well.
10

11. The
Constitution
Rome
English
Traditions
Magna
Carta
English
Bill of
Rights
Ancient
Greece
11

12. English Bill of Rights
• Elections to Parliament should be held on a
regular basis.
• Maintained the right to a trial by jury
• Allowed citizens the right to bear arms
• Supported the right of habeas corpus (the
idea that no person could be held in prison
unless first being charged with a specific
crime)
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13. The
Constitution
Rome
English
Traditions
Magna
Carta
English
Bill of
Rights
American
Experience
Ancient
Greece
13

14. • Representative Government in America:
- Birthplace was Virginia’s House of Burgesses
(colonists elected burgesses to
represent them)
• Reliance on written documents
- Mayflower Compact
- Colonial charters issued by the
king or Parliament
14

15. The
Constitution
Rome
English
Traditions
Magna
Carta
English
Bill of
Rights
American
Experience
Enlightenment
15

16. John Locke
• Believed all people had natural rights to life,
liberty, and property
• Suggested the government is an agreement
between the ruler and the ruled
16

17. Baron de Montesquieu
• Suggested three separate branches of
government:
1. Legislative – make laws
2. Executive – enforce laws
3. Judicial – interpret meaning
of laws
• Separation of Powers: dividing government
power among legislative, executive and judicial
branches (checks and balances =guard against
tyranny)
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18. Personal Experience/Constitution
• President was made “Commander in Chief
of the Army and Navy. . . and of the militia
of the several states.”
• A court system was created to be
independent of the President and legislature.
18

19. “As we say at sea, huzza for the new world
and farewell to the old one!”
- John Adams
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