Chapter 1 – Principles of
Government
Section 3 – Basic Concepts of Democracy
You will learn…
1. about the foundations of the American democratic
system…
2. about the core values of American Democracy…
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
*** Any democratic government is built on 5 principles…
What is the foundation of American Democracy?
1. “Worth and respect of the individual”:
*Individuals are important…
“Democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that
have been tried…” – Winston Churchill
2. “Equality of all persons”:
* Opportunities –
*** How has equality before the law changed?
* Before the law –
3. “Majority rule”:
* Majority rule is restrained by what?
* Think about what a gov’t is…
4. “Absolute necessity of compromise”:
* A means to an end…
5. “Individual freedom and liberty”:
* BUT, freedom cannot be absolute!
* Democracy works to strike a balance between…
“The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man
are threatened.” – JFK
OR…
“The right to swing my fist ends where the other man’s nose
begins.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes
What are core American Democratic Values?
1. “Separation of Power”:
* Article 1, Section 1…
2. “Checks and Balances”:
* Branches of government…
* WHY???
3. “Rule of Law”:
* Gov’t uses discretion under the Constitution…
* WHY???
4. “Popular Sovereignty/Consent”:
* John Locke?
* How did this change?
5. “Limited Government”:
* B.o.R and the 9th and 10th amendments…
* WHY???
Section 1.3, “Basic Concepts of Democracy” Review
Questions
Name __________________________________
Directions: Detach this last page from your notes. Use your book and class notes to complete the following questions.
Turn into your “in-box” when finished.
1. Democracy is firmly based on a belief in the fundamental importance of ___________________________.
2. The Democratic concept of equality insists that all individuals are entitled to _________________________________
and _________________________________.
3. Democracy insists upon ________________________ restrained by ________________________.
4. What two reasons explain why the ability to ‘compromise’ is so important in a democracy?
1)________________________________________________________________________________________________
2)________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Democratic governments must work to strike a balance between __________________ and __________________.
6. What is the main reason that the Founding Fathers set up a system of checks and balances/separation of powers in
the United States system of government?