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Roots of American Government 
Chapter 4, Section 2 
9/30/2014 1
The Foundation of Democracy 
• Growth of Democracy 
–Not steady through 
the years 
–At times, governed 
by monarchs 
–Other times, ideas 
of democracy have 
spread 
9/30/2014 2
Athens, Greece 
• Athens 
–1st Democracy 
–Citizens took part in 
Assembly (right to 
speak) 
–Decisions were 
carried out by 
Athens council who 
governed 
9/30/2014 3
Different Democracies 
Direct Democracy 
• Smaller population makes this 
possible 
Representative Democracy 
• Larger population 
• People choose leaders to govern 
them 
• Government based on 
Representative democracy is called 
a republic 
– EX: U.S. 
9/30/2014 4
Roman Republic 
Govt. in the hands of Senate. 
• Members were Patricians 
(wealthy upper class) 
• Two Consuls to led 
– If Consul disagreed with 
each other, the other could 
VETO (I forbid) 
• Common citizens: Plebeians: 
gained political equality in 
266 B.C. 
9/30/2014 5
After the Roman Empire Collapsed 
Kings and Lords ruled most of 
Europe 
• Inherited land, wealth, and 
power 
• As towns grew, Lords 
weakened 
• Kings’ power grow protecting 
towns 
– Nobles resisted 
• King John rose up 1215 
• Agreed to sign Magna 
Carta (Great Charter) 9/30/2014 6
Magna Carta limited kings power 
Forbade taxes on Nobles 
w/o their consent 
Rights to Freemen: 
– Equal treatment 
– Trial by one’s peers 
Est. LIMITED GOVT. 
– Kings do NOT have all the 
power 
Under the Magna Carta rights 
given to nobles only 
9/30/2014 7
Kings that Followed in England 
• By 1300s’ representatives of 
the common people advised 
King 
– Advisors become the 
legislature (lawmaking 
body) called Parliament 
• Parliament worked well until 
King Charles I dismissed 
Parliament 
9/30/2014 8
Petition of Rights 
• Once Parliament as recalled, 
they forced King to sign the 
Petition of Rights. 
– Limited King’s power more 
– Civil war broke out 
• Parliament put Charles I on 
Trial. 
– Executed 
• Message to others: No King 
can claim absolute power 
and ignore the rule of law. 
9/30/2014 9
James II (Charles’s brother) 
• James II inherited throne 
– Flaunted his Catholic Faith 
• Parliament as James’s 
Daughter Mary and 
husband William to rule 
– Arrived with army 
– James Fled in Bloodless 
overthrow 
– Called: Glorious 
Revolution. 
9/30/2014 10
English Bill of Rights 
Wm. & Mary had to accept the 
English Bill of Rights before they 
were crown. 
– Parliament power of Monarchy 
– Summon Parliament regularly 
– Trail by jury 
– Abolish excess fines, cruel 
punishments 
– Habeas Corpus (no person held in 
prison w/o being charged of 
crime) 
9/30/2014 11
Limited Power of Monarchy 
• DEF: Constitution or 
legislative body limits 
the monarch’s power 
– Monarch has to obey 
the law 
– Govern in partnership 
with parliament 
9/30/2014 12

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Roots of american government

  • 1. Roots of American Government Chapter 4, Section 2 9/30/2014 1
  • 2. The Foundation of Democracy • Growth of Democracy –Not steady through the years –At times, governed by monarchs –Other times, ideas of democracy have spread 9/30/2014 2
  • 3. Athens, Greece • Athens –1st Democracy –Citizens took part in Assembly (right to speak) –Decisions were carried out by Athens council who governed 9/30/2014 3
  • 4. Different Democracies Direct Democracy • Smaller population makes this possible Representative Democracy • Larger population • People choose leaders to govern them • Government based on Representative democracy is called a republic – EX: U.S. 9/30/2014 4
  • 5. Roman Republic Govt. in the hands of Senate. • Members were Patricians (wealthy upper class) • Two Consuls to led – If Consul disagreed with each other, the other could VETO (I forbid) • Common citizens: Plebeians: gained political equality in 266 B.C. 9/30/2014 5
  • 6. After the Roman Empire Collapsed Kings and Lords ruled most of Europe • Inherited land, wealth, and power • As towns grew, Lords weakened • Kings’ power grow protecting towns – Nobles resisted • King John rose up 1215 • Agreed to sign Magna Carta (Great Charter) 9/30/2014 6
  • 7. Magna Carta limited kings power Forbade taxes on Nobles w/o their consent Rights to Freemen: – Equal treatment – Trial by one’s peers Est. LIMITED GOVT. – Kings do NOT have all the power Under the Magna Carta rights given to nobles only 9/30/2014 7
  • 8. Kings that Followed in England • By 1300s’ representatives of the common people advised King – Advisors become the legislature (lawmaking body) called Parliament • Parliament worked well until King Charles I dismissed Parliament 9/30/2014 8
  • 9. Petition of Rights • Once Parliament as recalled, they forced King to sign the Petition of Rights. – Limited King’s power more – Civil war broke out • Parliament put Charles I on Trial. – Executed • Message to others: No King can claim absolute power and ignore the rule of law. 9/30/2014 9
  • 10. James II (Charles’s brother) • James II inherited throne – Flaunted his Catholic Faith • Parliament as James’s Daughter Mary and husband William to rule – Arrived with army – James Fled in Bloodless overthrow – Called: Glorious Revolution. 9/30/2014 10
  • 11. English Bill of Rights Wm. & Mary had to accept the English Bill of Rights before they were crown. – Parliament power of Monarchy – Summon Parliament regularly – Trail by jury – Abolish excess fines, cruel punishments – Habeas Corpus (no person held in prison w/o being charged of crime) 9/30/2014 11
  • 12. Limited Power of Monarchy • DEF: Constitution or legislative body limits the monarch’s power – Monarch has to obey the law – Govern in partnership with parliament 9/30/2014 12

Editor's Notes

  1. The Roman Empire collapsed around A.D. 476. For the next 700 years, kings and lords ruled most of Europe. Lords were noblemen who usually inherited land, wealth, and power. Over time the growth of towns as Business and trade centers weakened the power of the lords. The kings gained greater control of their kingdoms. Many nobles resisted this change. In England they rose up against King John in 1215. They forced him to sign a document called the Magna Carta (Latin for “Great Charter” READ: King John Signs the Magna Carta in 1215
  2. Magna Carta limited the king’s power. It forbade him from placing certain taxes on the nobles without the consent. It gave rights to free men. These included The rights to equal treatment under the law and to trail by one’s peers. The Magna Carta is important b/c it established the principle of LIMITED GOVERRNMENT. This is the idea that a ruler or a government is not all- powerful. At first, many of the rights protected by the Magna Carta applied only to nobles. However, the Magana Carta was an important step in gaining basic rights for all the English people For the first time the monarch’s power had been limited. Eventually, the rights it listed were given to all English citizen including colonist.
  3. Kings who came after John were advised by nobles and church officials. Gradually this group grew to include representatives of the common people as well. By the late 1300s’ the advisors had become a legislature, or lawmaking body. It was called Parliament. Parliament had some influence, by England’s monarchs remained strong for the next 300 years. In the mid-1600s, a power struggle developed between the monarch and Parliament. In 1625 King Charles I dismissed Parliament and ruled alone.
  4. When he recalled the members in 1628, they forced him to sign the Petition of Rights. Like the Magna Carta, this document limited the King’s power. When Charles failed to uphold the terms of the agreement, a civil war broke out. Eventually, Parliament set up a court to put the king on trail. It condemned him to death as a “tyrant, traitor, murderer, and public enemy. On a cold January day in 1649, Charles I stood on a scaffold surrounded by his enemies. “I am a martyr of the people” he said. Showing no fear, the king told the executioner that he himself would give the sign for him to strike. After a brief prayer, Charles knelt and placed his neck on the block. On the agreed signed, the executioner severed the king’s had with a single stroke. The Execution sent shock waves throughout Europe. In the past, kings, had occasionally been assassinated or died in battle. But for the first time, a ruling monarch had been tried and executed by his own people. The Parliament forces had sent a clear signal that, in England, no ruler could claim absolute power and ignore the rule of law.