Balancing the common good with
individual rights
Learning target: Students will be able to identify
the purpose and history of the social contract.
1. Safari Montage “The History of the U.S. Government”
2. Notes on Lesson 4
3. Look at first short essay from Unit 1
Unit One: What Are the Philosophical and Historical Foundations of the
American Political System?
1. How would you distinguish between a
government with a constitution and a
constitutional government? Why is that
distinction important?
a. Why is a constitution considered a higher law?
What are the major characteristics of a higher
law?
b. What are the advantages and disadvantages of
a written constitution?
4. In pairs or groups of 3:
a. answer the above questions
b. find 3 historical (including court cases,
precedents, documents etc.) examples that
back up your answer
c. find 3 contemporary examples to back up your
answer