Home › Courses › US Government & Politics › Foundations of American Democracy

US Government & Politics · Module 1 of 7

Foundations of American Democracy

The ideas behind the Constitution, why the Articles of Confederation failed, the Convention's compromises, and federalism.

In this module
  1. Democratic Ideals & the Declaration
  2. From the Articles to the Constitution
  3. Federalism
  4. Check yourself

Democratic Ideals & the Declaration

  • Enlightenment ideas shaped the founding: natural rights (Locke: life, liberty, property), the social contract, popular sovereignty (power comes from the people), and limited government.
  • The Declaration of Independence (1776) applies these ideas: governments get their "just powers from the consent of the governed," and people may alter or abolish a government that violates their rights.
  • Models of democracy: participatory (broad citizen participation), pluralist (competing groups), and elite (a small, educated group holds influence). All three show up in the U.S. system.
Worked example

Which Enlightenment idea does "consent of the governed" express?

Solution. Popular sovereignty and the social contract: a government is legitimate only because the people agree to it, and it exists to protect their natural rights.

From the Articles to the Constitution

  • The Articles of Confederation created a weak central government: no power to tax, no national executive or courts, and changes required unanimous consent. Shays' Rebellion (1786–87) exposed these weaknesses.
  • Compromises at the Constitutional Convention: the Great (Connecticut) Compromise created a bicameral Congress (House by population, Senate equal per state); the Three-Fifths Compromise counted enslaved people as three-fifths for representation; the Electoral College chose the president.
  • Amending the Constitution (Article V): proposed by two-thirds of both houses of Congress (or a national convention), then ratified by three-fourths of the states.
Worked example

Why did the Great Compromise create two chambers of Congress?

Solution. Large states wanted representation by population (Virginia Plan) and small states wanted equal representation (New Jersey Plan). A House based on population plus a Senate with two seats per state satisfied both.

Federalism

  • Federalism divides power between national and state governments. Powers are enumerated (listed for Congress), reserved (kept by the states under the 10th Amendment), or concurrent (shared, such as taxing).
  • McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) upheld Congress's implied powers under the Necessary and Proper Clause and the Supremacy Clause: a state could not tax the national bank.
  • United States v. Lopez (1995) limited the Commerce Clause: carrying a gun near a school was not economic activity Congress could regulate.
  • Fiscal federalism: categorical grants come with strict conditions, block grants give states more flexibility, and unfunded mandates impose requirements without money.
Worked example

Did McCulloch v. Maryland expand or limit national power? What about U.S. v. Lopez?

Solution. McCulloch expanded national power (implied powers and national supremacy). Lopez limited it, the first time in decades the Court said Congress had exceeded its Commerce Clause authority.

Check yourself

2 of this module's 5 quiz questions. Pick your answers, then check them in the app, with an explanation for every question.

1. Which was a major weakness of the Articles of Confederation?

2. The 10th Amendment reserves powers not delegated to the national government to:

Check my answers, free