APUSH FORUM #1
UNITS 1-5
Opinion is Power
-- Thomas Jefferson
"Were the founding fathers democratic reformers?"
About Forums:
All forums are composed of two grades, a written and a verbal grade. The written will usually be
due the morning of the forum, without the written portion of the seminar you cannot participate in the
in-class discussion. Your written work is your "entry ticket"
For This Forum:
Using the excerpts from Taking Sides: Vol. 1, “Were the founding fathers democratic reformers?”
and Chapters 1-8 of the America: Past and Present textbook,
1. Consider the questions below.
2. Select ONE and write a one page position paper arguing your stance on this issue. BE
PERSUASIVE, not ignorant, and please type this using 12pt, New Times Roman font double
spaced, with one inch margins. In your essay you must include 3 in-text citations from the provided
reading using a format style of your choice. For help, go here:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/
3. In class we will discuss and debate these issues, so be prepared
NOTE: R-15 is a safe place for ideas of all kinds. Forums are intended to be a practice in impassioned,
civil discourse. Ad hominem attacks are not allowed and demonstrate immature thinking.
So... “Were
the founding fathers democratic reformers?”
** Your arguments both verbal and written need to be grounded in
historical evidence and reasoning not opinion or conjecture. **
DIRECTIONS: Below are questions to think about with your reading for today. Take a few moments to
read each question. Remember you have to write a response to ONE question, but you should be able to
answer all of the questions in class. You should be able to take a stand on each question, and be prepared to
defend your position with reason NOT emotion.
1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a two party1
system? Should we begin moving towards a multi-party system? Does a
two party system limit democratic participation? Should the Constitution
guarantee more political access to citizens? Were the founder’s naïve to
think parties would not form?
2. Is the Constitution2 the best example of constitutional democracy today,
why or why not? Was/is the Constitution an example of revolutionary
change or is it a bulwark of the status quo?
3. To what extent did economics3 shape the Constitution/the country? Did
economic realities disrupt the reforms that could have taken place at the
time of the founding? Do economics get in the way of true democratic
reform then and now?
4. How was the Constitution ratified if a majority of the people opposed it?
Are the Federalist Papers4 the actual documents that were ratified as
opposed to a close reading of the actual Constitution? How do you know?
Are the ratification debates still relevant today? Why or why not?
5. Does the Constitution represent a zenith of American Enlightenment 5
thinking or the result of elite, upwardly mobile men protecting their
interests? Explain. Were the Articles of Confederation a better example of
Enlightenment thinking and republican practice?
1
Consider Aldrich, John. Why Parties?: The Origin and Transformation of Political Parties in America. (1995)
Consider Berkin, Carol. A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the American Constitution. (2003)
3
The most famous (and controversial) example of an economic interpretation of the Constitution is Beard, Charles. An Economic
Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States. (1913)
4
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/federalist-papers/
5
http://www.iep.utm.edu/amer-enl/
2