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Unit 1 The American Way of Government
Chapter 1
Roots of American Government
Chapter 2
Democracy in the Colonies
Chapter 3
The Writing of the U.S. Constitution
Chapter 4
A Close Look at the Constitution
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Chapter 1 Roots of American Government
Learning Objectives
-Explain how the ancient Greeks practiced democracy.
-Explain how the ancient Romans practiced representative democracy.
-Identify the three English ideas of government that became part of the American
system of government.
Both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were adopted in
Philadelphia’s Independence Hall.
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Words to Know
government the control or organization of a country and its people
constitution
a written set of laws, the rules of a government
democracy
government of a country by its people
republic
a government by which power is held by representatives elected by the
people
liberty
freedom elect to choose by voting
dictator person who has complete power to rule over others
representative
a person who is chosen to act or speak for others
veto
the power to forbid or stop an act of government
laws the body of official rules of a country that must be obeyed
colony land owned and governed by another country
The Ideas Behind Our Way of Government
Suppose you were asked to describe the American way of government in only one
word. You might very well use one of the following words: constitution,
democracy, republic, liberty or freedom.
You have heard the words liberty and republic in the salute to the American flag. You
may have some ideas about what these words mean. However, do you know
why they are important to us? Do you know where these ideas for our
government came from?
To find out, we must go back in time. The ideas
of democracy started in another land more than
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2,000 years ago. These ideas were carried on and have
been added to in the hundreds of years since then. Many of these ideas about
democracy were written into the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
In this chapter you will learn how the ideas of
democracy, republic, and liberty came about. Those
ideas started long before our country was born.
What Is a Democracy?
Can you remember the first time you voted on something? Perhaps it was at home.
Your family voted on whether to have eggs or pancakes or cold cereal for
breakfast. Or perhaps you helped elect the leaders of a club you belonged to.
HOW TO STUDY YOUR GOVERNMENT BOOK
You can get the most out of studying if you follow a plan.
1.
Look ahead at what you will read. Read the name of the chapter. Then read the
headings in blue print. Look at the pictures and their captions. At the beginning
of each chapter is a list of learning objectives. These are the most important
points to remember in the chapter. Study them and then look for them in the
chapter.
2.
Learn the Words to Know. Study the words before you begin to read. Ask for
help if you need it.
3.
Read and take notes. Look for the main ideas. The headings in blue print often
state them. Try turning the headings into questions. Then write the answers to
the questions as you read each section.
4.
Review. Before you write your answers to the review questions, try answering
the questions out loud. Work with a friend. Explain the answers to each other.
Review the Words to Know.
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Having a vote means having the power to choose. Democracy means “government by
the people.” In a democracy, the people have the power to choose. Democracy
is the most important idea behind the American form of government. The power
of our government rests with the people.
Democracy in Ancient Greece
Many ideas in our government have come from governments of the past. Ancient
Greece was the first country to practice democracy. The word democracy
comes from a Greek word. More than 2,500 years ago,
A woman representing the Spirit of Democracy holds up a voting token (close-up at
right) in a temple in Athens, Greece.
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the people of Greece lived in places called city-states. Each city-state had its own
government. The first city-states were ruled by kings. Later, they were ruled by
landowners. Some of the landowners became dictators. These were rulers with
a complete power over the people.
Some dictators ruled fairly and protected the people under their rule. However, others
ruled unfairly and selfishly. The people in many city-states wanted a say in their
government. To gain this, they removed the dictators from power. Some new
governments allowed citizens to vote on the laws. Every adult male could vote
on the laws of his city-state. Women, young men, and slaves had no vote.
Some of the Greek ideas are used in American government today. In the United
States, all adult men and women can vote.
The Greek city-states were fairly small. When questions of government came up,
anyone who had the right to vote could voice his opinion. The United States is
too big for that to take place. However, in some places in our country, the
people hold town meetings. At these town meetings, the citizens practice the
Greek way of democracy. Everyone who wants to speak gets a chance.
Check Your Understanding
1. Write one or two sentences describing the meaning of democracy.
2. Name one difference between the way democracy was practiced in ancient Greece
and the way it is practiced in the United States today.
History
Fact
Women in the United States did not always have the right to vote. In 1920, a law was
passed giving all adult women the same voting rights as men.
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Representative Democracy
in Ancient Rome
Like the Greeks, the Romans also practiced democracy. However, Rome was a very
large city-state. It was too big for everyone to have a direct say on all
government questions. So the Romans elected people to represent them in
government. This practice is called representative democracy. Another name
for this kind of government is a republic.
Not all citizens had equal rights. In Rome, as in Greece, only adult, free men could
vote. The Romans had two groups, or classes, of men. Rich landowners made
up the higher class. The lower class included the workers, farmers, and
merchants (sellers of goods).
Every year, the rich landowners elected two men to lead the country. These two
leaders could veto or forbid each other’s decisions. For the government to act,
both leaders had to agree. The Romans feared that one leader might try to
become a dictator. A dictator might easily forget the well-being of the people.
The Roman leaders shared power with two governing bodies. One was called the
Senate. It was made up of 300 of the most powerful men in the land. They were
chosen by the two leaders to advise them. Once a man became a Senator, he
kept that job for life. The other body was called the assembly. It was made up of
citizens who wrote rules that became Roman laws. Members of the assembly
also elected the government’s two main leaders.
Remember
Where have you heard the words Senate and assembly? Do you know the names of
your state’s governing bodies?
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Rome’s Written Laws
Rome became so big that its laws and rules were written into codes. A code is a
collection of rules concerning one subject. The codes had rules to settle fights
between citizens. The codes also had rules for carrying out trade. The Romans
were not the first people to have written codes. However, their codes became a
very large set of laws.
Here are a few ancient Roman laws.
-You can cut down your neighbor’s tree if the wind bends it over your land.
-If you hurt you neighbor’s arm, you must pay the doctor bill or have your arm cut off.
-You must fix the road in front of your own land. If it is not kept up, then anyone may
drive animals and carts across your land.
Check Your Understanding
Were all citizens given the same rights in ancient
Rome? Explain your answer.
Today in the United States, we practice many of the Roman ideas of government. We
practice a representative democracy by electing our leaders. The leaders make
the laws and carry out the work of government.
The Roman idea of veto is a power held by the U.S. President. The President can veto
new laws. We also carry on the idea of written laws. The U.S. Constitution is a
set of written laws.
The idea of a Senate is also used in our government. We call the U.S. Senate the
“upper” house of our elected lawmakers. Like the Romans, we have an “upper”
and a “lower” group of lawmakers.
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English Law From the Mother Country
The United States became an independent nation in 1776. Before that, our land was a
group of English colonies. Many English ideas of law and government became
part of the American system of government.
This is not surprising. The colonies were under English law for more than 150 years.
Three English ideas of government were kept alive
as important parts of an American government.
1. Law and order The English had a government for the whole land. They also had
town and city governments. They had sheriffs and justices of the peace. Many
cities in the United States today still have offices with these same names.
The Senate ot ancient Rome advised the leaders who ruled the country.
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2.
3.
Limits on government The English believed that the government should not
have too much power. They believed that all people have certain rights. Those
rights cannot be taken away by governments, dictators, or kings. An old English
document called the Magna Carta was based on these ideas. Hundreds of
years later, the Bill of Rights was based on these ideas, too.
Representative democracy The people of England elected representatives to
speak for them in the government. The English, too, used the ideas of the
Greeks and Romans. They believed that government should serve the people.
The system of government in the United States today is not the same as England’s.
Many important changes have been made since the U.S. Constitution was
written in 1787. However, the United States has kept the same form of
government for more than 200 years.
King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215.
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LANDMARK CHANGES IN THE LAW
King John Signs the Magna Carta
In the year 1199, a man named John Lackland became king of England. For the next
15 years, John’s rule made England’s nobles very angry. He treated members
of their class very differently than had earlier kings. John forced more of them
into military service. He increased their taxes unfairly. His courts decided cases
according to his wishes, not according to law.
By the year 1215, the nobles were fed up. They drew up a list of rights they wanted the
king to grant them. They knew King John needed their money and service to
the country to run his kingdom. However, John refused twice to grant these
rights. The nobles then raised an army and forced the king to give in.
In June 1215, King John signed an agreement granting the nobles certain rights. It
was called the Magna Carta, or Great Charter. The Magna Carta said that no
king could raise taxes without the people’s consent. It also promised rights to
people charged with breaking the law. It said that people should be “judged by
their peers,” or equals, and by the law of the land.
At the time, the Magna Carta only granted these rights to England’s nobles. However,
over a period of time, these rights became part of English law for all the people.
More than 500 years later, these ideas became the foundation of the U.S.
Constitution and U.S. law.
You Decide
Were the nobles right or wrong to force King John to agree to the Magna Carla? Give
at least one reason for your answer.
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Chapter 1 Review
Summary
The United States has a democratic form of government. American democracy has its
roots in the governments of ancient Greece and ancient Rome.
The city-states of ancient Greece practiced democracy. Every adult free male could
vote directly on all government matters. Rome was the first land to become a
republic. The Romans elected representatives to help govern them. Rome had
two governing bodies that shared power with the two men elected as leaders.
The American colonies took many of their ideas for a government from old English
law. The three most important ideas were (1) law and order, (2) limits on
government, and (3) representative democracy.
In England, the Magna Carta limited the power of the king. Many of the rights it
granted in 1215 became part of the U.S. Constitution more than 500 years later.
elect
constitution
liberty
dictator
democracy
Vocabulary Review
Complete each sentence with a term from the list.
1. In the United States, the citizens _____
the President.
2. A ____ has complete power over others.
3. In a ____, the citizens elect their leaders.
4. A ____ lists the rules of a government of a country.
5. To make their own choices, people must have _____.
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Chapter Quiz
Write your answers in complete sentences.
1. In which country was democracy in government first practiced?
2. Which people were the first to practice representative government?
3. What was one of the two governing bodies in ancient Rome?
4. Which groups did not have the right to vote in ancient Greece?
5. What is the name of the document that limited the power of the English king?
6. Critical Thinking Name at least two ways in which the United States today practices
the ideas of government of ancient Rome.
7. Critical Thinking Would any of the ancient Roman laws be helpful today? Explain
your answer.
Write About Government
Complete the following activities.
1.
Make a list of the ideas of government the United States borrowed from ancient
Greece and ancient Rome.
2.
List the three main ideas of government and law the United States used from
English law. Describe each idea.
3.
In your own words, describe what the Magna Carta promised. Why is it
important to the United States?
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