Unit 1: Documents

Question 1

Declaration of Independence

Answer 1

The purpose of the declaration of independence is to give reasons why the colonist left. There are 3 basic ideas:
1. God made all men equal and gave them all the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
2. The main business of government is to protect these rights
3. If the government restricts these rights the people are free to revolt and start a new government

Question 2

Declaration of Independence - Intended audience

Answer 2

1. Colonial Radicals
2. Colonial moderates
3. British Parliament
4. France

Question 3

Declaration of Independence - Inspiration

Answer 3

1. Hobbes - People are naturally selfish and it is the governments jobs to protect us against these instincts.
2. Locke - Government must protect the freedoms and rights all citizens have been given to them by god. Government is a social contract between all willing citizens. Government can not remove inalienable rights.
3. Montesquieu - Governments should be correctly organized so that power does not become too centralized and create a tyranny.
4. Blackstone - Powers of governments are based on the proper interpretations of common law codes, civil authority, and judicial interpretations. These laws cannot be arbitrary to the whim of individual leaders.

Question 4

Articles of Confederation - Weaknesses

Answer 4

1. No executive branch to enforce laws or manage armed forces
2. No power to tax or regulate trade
3. states coining their own money
4. No federal courts to resolve conflicts
5. Unanimous vote needed to amend articles

Question 5

Articles of Confederation - Solutions in the constitution

Answer 5

Create a president with executive power
2. Congress has expressed power to tax and regulate interstate commerce
3. Only congress can coin money
4. They created the supreme court and had congress create lower federal courts (Article 3, Section 1)
5. Amendments proposed by 2/3 of the federal government and ratified by 3/4 of the states (Article 5, section 7)

Question 6

Federalist 10 - overview

Answer 6

The purposed government was not likely to have a dominate faction. He argues the key to mending the evils of a faction is to have a large republic.

Question 7

Federalist 51

Answer 7

Outlines a system of checks and balances within the three branches.

Question 8

Brutus 1

Answer 8

Argues that a free republic can not exist in such a large territory as the united states. He states that a true republic comes from the people not representatives of the people.