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MOHAMED KHIDER UNIVERSITY OF BISKRA FACULTY OF LETTERS AND LANGUAGES ENGLISH LANGUAGE DIVISION MASTER 1: Instructor: AMERICAN CIVILIZATION KERBOUA Salim Semester 1: Understanding American Politics Lecture 1: The Idea of Democracy 1. Introduction Democracy is not a simple concept. It can be defined from different perspectives and may refer to various political and social kinds of human organizations. Basically, it refers to any form of government or political and social system that emanates from the will of the people. A democratic system of government or a democratic society implies that people are sovereign and can freely elect those who shall govern them. They are also free to choose the economic, social, and societal institutions and regimes that shall govern the nation. In democratic political and social system, those in power are accountable before the people who have elected them. 2. Philosophical Origins The idea of democracy goes back to Antiquity and more precisely to Greek Civilization. The Greeks can be considered as the inventors of democracy, though that kind of democracy lacked many of present day principles. Basically, Greeks raised the idea that citizens of the “Polis” have the right to choose – and thus elect – the people in charge of the government. Direct democracy – one man, one vote – was the basis of their political structures. The Romans created Representative Democracy. The Roman Senate was seen as representing Roman citizens. Additionally, Romans introduced written laws that governed the life of citizens. During the Age of Enlightenment (17th and 18th centuries), some European thinkers and philosophers relied on their observations of the tumultuous events that shook some their countries to establish some principles that should dominate the relationship between those who govern and those who are governed. English philosopher John Locke (1632–1704), for example, introduced basic notions such as those of “natural rights” of life, liberty, and property. Locke introduced another basic principle in democracy: the “consent of the governed.” He argued that the governed have the right to rebel and dissolve the consent they give to the ruler(s) if their rights to life, liberty, and property are not guaranteed by those who govern. Another philosophical contribution to present day concept of democracy is that of French thinker Montesquieu (1689-1755). The latter introduced the notion of “Separation of Powers.” Voltaire (1694-1778), in his turn, defended the freedoms of speech, thought, and belief. Swiss philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) developed the idea of “social contract.” Of course, democracy and individual freedoms cannot evolve and operate in a vacuum. The idea of strong unifying state that guarantees order and security was defended by philosophers such as English Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) and Florentine N. Machiavelli. As for American Democracy, it has been heavily influenced by the thinkers mentioned above. Many of its principles were shaped by the ideas of Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau, and others. 3. Philosophical Contributions to American Democracy The ideas argued for by European philosophers influenced the development of democracy in American colonies. Other ideas were implemented by colonists even before those thinkers suggested them. For example, Rousseau’s concept of “social contract” can be found in the Mayflower Compact (1620), the covenant that would lay the foundations of the right to form self-governments as shown in Massachusetts Bay Colony, or in the House of Burgesses, the elective body that would govern the Virginia Colony. Additionally, Locke’s ideas became justifications and bases for the American colonists’ rebellion against the British crown. His concept of the Consent of the Governed influenced the US Declaration of Independence. Montesquieu’s ideas can be perceived the Articles of Confederation (1781-1787) and then the US Constitution (since 1787), and the creation of the three branches of the US government, and the Federal system of government. Voltaire’s ideas related to freedoms of speech and religion are outlined in the Bill of Rights. The ideas of Hobbes and Machiavelli became the basis of a stronger central government as shown in the Federal system of government. American democracy is embodied in its Constitution which is itself the product of historical events that shaped early American society. References: - Edward S Greenberg and Benjamin Page, The Struggle for Democracy (Longman Pearson, 2009) - Adapted from Sarah Song, “American Political Thought,” MIT opencourseware (2004). https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/political-science/17-037-american-political-thought-spring-2004/ MOHAMED KHIDER UNIVERSITY OF BISKRA FACULTY OF LETTERS AND LANGUAGES ENGLISH LANGUAGE DIVISION MASTER 1: Instructor: AMERICAN CIVILIZATION KERBOUA Salim Semester 1: Understanding American Politics Lecture 2: The American Revolution and the Origins of the US System of Government Introduction The thirteen English colonies of Northern America were under the political authority of the British crown. Though most of American colonists were of British descent, the environment they lived in and the geographical remoteness of colonies from Britain made them develop their own way of life and a new “American” identity emerged. More than 150 years of quasiautonomy far from direct authority of the British rule, together with an adaptation to a new land, made colonists conceive themselves not entirely as British subjects but more as “Americans.” Colonists started to complain that their individual rights and liberties were being violated by the English Empire, thought these rights were supposed to be guaranteed by English Constitution. Very quickly, American colonists viewed the British monarchy as some kind of despotism and tyranny. Protest & Rebellion against British Rule Colonists protested against trade regulations, new taxes, stamps, and quartering of British troops without compensation. They convened to begin legitimating rebellion, and their arguments were based on: - The ideals put forwards by Enlightenment thinkers Civic republicanism Religious, ethnic, and racial claims During the fight for independence (1776-1783), and during the early years of the American Republic (1780s-1790s), revolutionary leaders, political activists, and thinkers debated the true meaning of democracy. On the eve of the American Revolution, Thomas Paine published a pamphlet, Common Sense. That pamphlet was the first writing to denounce British constitution and monarchy. Paine denounced the idea that the King represented order and power or that he had any prerogative or power to rule. He also criticized the privileges of inherited wealth and political power owned by the British aristocracy. To Paine, the English Constitution was too complex and promoted tyranny. Paine’s pamphlet called for unmediated, direct democracy, i.e. representatives of the people, in a unicameral body, elected by all citizens. John Locke was the most influential thinker underpinning American Revolution. Locke was a contemporary of the English Civil War (1640-1649) and witnessed the rise of Absolutism in England and the Parliament’s resistance to it. Locke argues that men have natural rights and that these rights are independent and prior to any form of government. He emphasized - Property rights, life right, and security rights. People’s consent to follow laws under conditions; express and tacit consent Government as a trust. Thus people can withdraw their consent when rights are violated; they have right to protest and rebel against the ruler who fails to guarantee and protect their rights. To Locke, even after successful rebellion, society or community of people still exists. The Republican Option Some revolutionary leaders and founding fathers of the American nation (such as John Adams) criticized direct democracy in the form of country-wide election. Adams (1735-1826) argued that democracy needed mediation, and thus, republicanism. To him, the functions of government should be divided. Additionally, most founding fathers argued that government should be majoritarian. They thought that the Republican state cannot be too big (from Montesquieu) and that homogeneity (i.e., a common sentiment) was necessary. They rejected monarchy and viewed that the state should be based on republicanism with knowledgeable and civic-minded citizens. The debate over the true motivations behind the American Revolution involved whether the latter was primarily about liberal ideals (Locke, Paine, Rousseau…) or about republicanism. Principle of republicanism was central to most American revolutionaries. Another important theme behind the American Revolution was the rejection of the abuse of power. To the founding fathers, concentrated power leads to abuse, corruption, and the demise of the common good. Terms and concepts to be identified: - Enlightenment Despotism Absolutism Unicameral/ bicameral body References: - Edward S Greenberg and Benjamin Page, The Struggle for Democracy (Longman Pearson, 2009) - Adapted from Sarah Song, “American Political Thought,” MIT opencourseware (2004). https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/political-science/17-037-american-political-thought-spring-2004/ MOHAMED KHIDER UNIVERSITY OF BISKRA FACULTY OF LETTERS AND LANGUAGES ENGLISH LANGUAGE DIVISION MASTER 1: Instructor: AMERICAN CIVILIZATION KERBOUA Salim Semester 1: Understanding American Politics Lecture 3: First Democratic Attempt: The Articles of Confederation The founding fathers produced the Articles of Confederation in 1781. That was the chief constitutional document of the United States from its adoption in 1781 until 1789, when it was replaced by the U.S. Constitution that still exists nowadays. The founding fathers wrote up the Articles in order to avoid what American colonists experienced under British rule. They viewed the British monarchy as a tyranny and the King as a despot. The founding fathers’ fear from despotism and the abuse of concentered political power urged them to design a central (i.e. national) government that had very limited powers. They believed the government should not become so strong that it would abuse its power as the English King had done. The Articles of Confederation provided for the creation of a confederacy. The United States of America was thus in its early days a league of independent states. Each of the thirteen states had a single vote. There was a unicameral legislature (a congress) which had little power. All states were equal, regardless of their size or population. The central government was embodied in the Congress. It was made up of delegates chosen by the states. The Congress had the power to conduct foreign relations. It could declare war, make treaties, and create an army and a navy. It could also coin money. Under the Articles of Confederation, the United States was thus a confederacy. Among the measures and important achievements of the period under the Articles, one can note the negotiation of the Treaty of Paris (1783) which ended the War of Independence, and the passing of the Northwest Ordinance (1787), which provided for the integration of states to the Union. The government was constituted of a unicameral legislative body, meaning it had only one house. Each State had one vote. There was no President. It was among the many prerogatives of the states to execute laws. There was also no national judicial branch. Each state had its own judicial system. Laws passed by Congress, however, required the approval of 9 of the 13 states. The national government was severely limited in its powers. - - It could not raise money by collecting taxes. This was a prerogative of the states. It had no control over foreign commerce. States were free to trade It could not regulate trade between the states. The latter were free to tax each other. It could pass laws but could not force the states to comply with them. Thus, the government was dependent on the willingness of the various states to carry out its measures, and often the states did not execute the laws passed by the national congress. It could not draft soldiers. That was a prerogative of the states. These defects provided an insurmountable barrier to effective constitutional government. The United States could not impose a uniform and consistent economic policy to pay off the debt from the war collectively. It thus appeared as an incoherent country in international scene, as a group of independent nations. This weakened its international status and it could not borrow money. Additionally, there were commercial quarrels among states and they began taxing each other. The Founding Fathers realized that a stronger central administration was needed if the United States was to survive. In 1787 the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia to draw up a constitution, which was adopted in 1789. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------