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American Government
Chapter 3 – The U.S. Constitution
3-4 The Constitution And The Public Good
The Constitution And The Public Good
CA Standards:
12.1.4 Explain how the founding Fathers’ realistic view of human
nature led directly to the establishment of a constitutional system that
limited the power of the governors
Objectives:
• In what ways does the Constitution prevent factions from controlling
the government?
• How does the Constitution ensure that government makes laws that
promote the public good?
• Why do critics claim that the Constitution sometimes makes
government less effective?
Homework
Write definition of terms under Political
Dictionary found on pages 67 of textbook
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Expressed Power
Implied Power
Elastic Clause
Inherent Power
Reserved Power
Concurrent Power
Read pages 67 - 72
Holt American Government
Prepare for Open notebook Quiz
The Constitution And The
Public Good
Terms & Names
• Faction
pages 60
The Constitution And The
Public Good
Main Idea
James Madison, often called the father of the Constitution, worried
about whether popular government would be able to control the
interests of factions – groups of people usually motivated by selfinterest. A faction can consist of either a minority or a majority of
the population. He considered majority factions to be more
dangerous. A self-interested majority can threaten the public good
because a government that is run by such a group cannot be
easily defeated. He believed that the U.S. republic created by the
Constitution could resist control by such a faction. Was he right?
Preventing Control by
Factions
Madison argued that the Constitution prevents
control by factions in two ways. It takes
advantage of the large size of the United States
and it uses a system of checks and balances
Preventing Control by
Factions
Size
Madison believed that having many competing
interests in a large republic like the United
States was an advantage. The Constitution,
with the rights and freedom it promises,
ensures that all interests have an equal chance
to be represented. Competition would make it
difficult for one faction to completely dominate
government.
Preventing Control by
Factions
Checks and Balances
Madison also argued that the Constitution
prevents control by factions through a system
of checks and balances. The Constitution
provides each of the branches of government
with ways to check the powers of the other
branches.
Enacting Good Policies
According to Madison, the Constitution does more than
just keep factions from using government for selfish,
narrow interests. The republic will most likely have a
government that will pass laws for the common good.
He reasoned that policies serving only narrow, selfish
interests cannot win majority support in a large republic
with competing interests.
Effective Government
The fact that representative government in the United
States has thrived for more than two centuries is
evidence that the Constitution has worked well. It has
proved successful in protecting the individual rights of
U.S citizens.
Some critics, however, claim that the Constitution
sometimes makes it difficult for government to promote
the public good and function effectively.
Effective Government
Gridlock
Some people believe that the Constitution’s design
promotes gridlock, a term that usually refers to a traffic
jam. Political gridlock occurs when the legislative
process comes to a standstill because political
opponents block each other’s efforts.
Effective Government
Avoiding Responsibility
Other critics say that the Constitution makes it too easy
for government leaders to avoid responsibility for failed
policies and other problems. In a democracy, elected
officials should be held responsible for how effective
they have been during their term in office. In a system
of checks and balances, however, voters often cannot
decide whom to hold responsible.
Effective Government
In the end, it is the citizens in a democracy who must
decide whether the government they have chosen is
serving the public good and then take action
accordingly.
Be prepared for open
notebook quiz