CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Chapter 2
Foundations of Government
Section 1: Why Americans Have Governments
Section 2: The First Government
Section 3: A New Constitution
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 1: Why Americans Have Governments
The Main Idea
Government plays an essential role in every country. A
country’s government affects the lives of its people.
Often, it affects people around the world.
Reading Focus
 What are two main types of government?
 What are the purposes of government?
 How does the U.S. government guarantee freedom to
its citizens?
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 1: Why Americans Have Governments
A. Two types of governments
‹#›
1. Non-democratic
a. Monarchies
i. Monarchies today
b. Dictators
i. Force
ii. Oligarchy
iii. Totalitarian
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 1: Why Americans Have Governments
A. Two types of governments
1. Non-democratic
c. Theocracy
i. Rule
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 1: Why Americans Have Governments
A. Two types of governments
2. Democratic
a. Democracy
i. Direct democracy
ii. Representative democracy
iii. Republic
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
B. Purpose of Government
1. Helping people
2. Provide services
3. Provide laws
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
C. Guaranteeing Freedom
1. Structure
2. Beliefs
3. Guarantees
4. Rights
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 1: Why Americans Have Governments
Types of Governments
Characteristics of Governments
Democracy
People rule directly or indirectly
 Direct
Representative
Monarchy
‹#›
All voters make decisions together.
People elect representatives.
Ruled by a king or queen
Absolute
Monarchs have total control.
Dictatorship
A person or small group has
absolute power and does not answer
to the people.
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 2: The First U.S. Government
The Main Idea
The American ideals that people should rule themselves and that
government should protect human rights are clearly set forth
in the Declaration of Independence.
Reading Focus
 Why is the Declaration of Independence so important?
 What were the Articles of Confederation, and what were their
weaknesses?
 What was the effect of a weak national government on the
United States?
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 2: The First U.S. Government
A. Events Towards Independence
1. No Representation
2. 1765 Stamp Act
a. “No taxation without representation”
b. Repealed
3. 1774 Continental Congress
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 2: The First U.S. Government
A. Events Towards Independence
4. King George III sends troops
a. Patrick Henry’s response
5. April 1775—Lexington and Concord
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 2: The First U.S. Government
B. 1776—Declaration of Independence
1. Representatives from 13 colonies meet
2. Committee members
3. Approved
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 2: The First U.S. Government
B. 1776—Declaration of Independence
‹#›
4. Declaration and human rights
a. Statement of grievances
b. Consent of the governed
c. Human rights
d. “We hold these truths…”
5. Ideals of American government
a. Equal rights
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 2: The First U.S. Government
C. Articles of the Confederation:
1. Adopted in 1777
2. Approved in 1781
3. Association of separate groups
a. “Firm league of friendship”
b. Equal but separate
4. Limited national government
5. Congress—Legislative
a. Elected by state legislatures
b. Each state given one vote
6. Preserved state sovereignty
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 2: The First U.S. Government
D. The Need for a Change
1. Weak central government
2. States coin own money
3. Disputes with boundaries
4. Trade
5. Tax and debt
6. Decision making
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 2: The First U.S. Government
D. The Need for a Change
7. Army
8. Executive branch
9. Laws
10. States’ vote
11. Weak internationally
12. Need to strengthen national government
a. Shay’s Rebellion
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 2: The First U.S. Government
difficult to pass
laws because
9 out of 13
states’ approval
was needed
no judicial
branch to
interpret
laws
‹#›
difficult to change Articles
because unanimous vote was
needed
WEAKNESSES OF
THE ARTICLES OF
CONFEDERATION
no executive branch
to enforce
laws
lacked
power to
collect
taxes
HOLT, RINEHART
no means to
regulate
trade with
foreign
countries
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 3: A New Constitution
The Main Idea
The framers of the U.S. Constitution drew upon a history of
democratic ideals while developing a document that would
establish a new, stronger federal government.
Reading Focus
 What historical principles of government influenced the
delegates to the Constitutional Convention?
 How did the U.S. government become stronger under the
Constitution?
 How did the viewpoints of Federalists and Antifederalists
differ, and how were these differences resolved?
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 3: A New Constitution
A. Constitutional Convention
1. Need for a stronger central government
2. May 1787 in Philadelphia
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 3: A New Constitution
B. Convention and History
1. World’s oldest document
2. Influenced by historical democratic documents
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 3: A New Constitution
C. British Historical Documents
1. Magna Carta
2. English Bill of Rights
3. British Parliament
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 3: A New Constitution
D. Other Influences
1. Mayflower Compact
2. Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau
3. Virginia statutes
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 3: A New Constitution
E. Need for Secrecy
1. James Madison
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 3: A New Constitution
F. Writing the Constitution
1. Compromise—issues
2. Federalism
a. Federalists
b. Anti-Federalists
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 3: A New Constitution
F. Writing the Constitution
3. Representation
a. Virginia Plan
b. New Jersey Plan
c. Connecticut Compromise (aka Great Compromise)
4. Individual Rights
a. Bill of Rights
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 3: A New Constitution
G. Constitution is Completed
1. September 1787
2. Ben Franklin
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 3: A New Constitution
A STRONGER U.S.
GOVERNMENT
Powers of the National
Government
Print money
Raise armed forces
Regulate trade
Set taxes
‹#›
Powers Dealing with Laws
Provide a president to carry
out the country’s laws
Establish the Supreme Court
and other national courts to
interpret laws
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Chapter 2 Wrap-Up
1. What are two of the major factors that shape
a country’s government?
2. How are a democracy and other types of
governments different?
3. What were the key purposes of the Declaration of
Independence?
4. What were some of the problems the country faced
after independence was declared?
5. In what ways did the colonists’ English political
heritage influence American ideas about government
and individual rights?
6. What was the outcome of the Constitutional Convention?
7. What were the arguments of the Federalists and
Antifederalists?
‹#›
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON