The Development Of US Democracy Objectives In This Lesson ✓ Solved

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The Development Of Us Democracy objective In This Les

The phrase "modern democracy" refers to the fact that we practice a modern version of a very old form of government. Because of Athens's small size, its citizens were able to participate directly in decision making through the Athenian assembly, which was open to all Athens citizens. This system is an example of direct democracy, in which citizens vote directly on all of the decisions of the government.

In 27 BC, Rome established a representative democracy known as the Roman Republic. Many of the elements of the government of the Roman Republic were adapted by the founding fathers and are still used by democratic governments today, including the representative system of government, the idea of checks and balances, the separation of powers, and a system of codified laws.

Kings or powerful lords granted tracts of land, called fiefs, to nobles who were loyal to them. In return, these lords, known as vassals, promised to provide military service to fight for their lord when necessary. On each fief, daily life centered around the manor, a self-sufficient agricultural community. Serfs, the peasants who worked the manor's land, gave their labor and most of their produce to their lord in exchange for use of the land and protection from invasion by invaders.

One of the first attempts at defining individual rights occurred in England through a document known as the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta was the first document to establish the principle that leaders, even monarchs, were not above the law. It also established the right to a speedy trial and the right of the Great Council (which represented the nobility) to approve taxes proposed by the monarchy. The principles of the Magna Carta directly influenced the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

The period known as the Enlightenment profoundly affected the development of government in the United States. During the Enlightenment, philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Charles-Louis Montesquieu began formulating theories that undermined the idea that the king received divine right from God. These men and other Enlightenment philosophers strongly influenced the Founding Fathers' ideas about liberty, natural rights, the social contract, and popular sovereignty.

Hobbes believed that, for the purpose of maintaining order, people naturally give up certain rights to a government in a social contract. Hobbes stated that without this contract "the natural state of men, before they were joined in society, was a state of war, and not simply, but a war of all against all." Hobbes believed that the only remedy for such a war was the creation of a strong government with almost totalitarian power. He believed people would freely give up their right to govern themselves in order to know peace.

Locke argued in his book Two Treatises of Government that in the prehistoric state of nature, people had possessed natural rights and that the only reason for the existence of a government was to protect those rights. Locke argued (in his Second Treatise) that the people had the right—in some cases, the duty—to overthrow a tyranny (an absolute and unjust government) that violated their natural rights.

The second attempt at defining individual rights occurred following the Glorious Revolution of 1688 in England. Before William and Mary took the throne from King James II, they had to sign the English Bill of Rights, which took away many powers of the monarchy. The English Bill of Rights expressed the idea that English subjects had certain inherent rights that no government could arbitrarily take away.

Upon arriving in the New World, the English settlers immediately began to set up governments, building upon the political traditions of their home country. In some of the colonies, those who had founded the colony determined the structure of government. In other colonies, however, the settlers themselves determined how they would govern their new home.

Montesquieu developed the political theory known as separation of powers in a book called De l'Esprit des Lois (On the Spirit of the Laws). Montesquieu believed that when you separate the tasks of government into different branches, those branches then have the power to check each other.

William Blackstone was an English judge who is best known for his book Commentaries on the Laws of England. Within Commentaries, Blackstone advocated for the traditional definition of common law. Common law is the idea that all people are held to the same interpretation of the law as defined by previous judicial rulings (also known as precedents).

For instance, even before landing in the New World, the Pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact, agreeing to abide by laws that they would create themselves, establishing the concept of consent of the governed early in the colonial experience. This contributed to the creation of America’s representative democracy.

The American colonies played an important role in the British Empire, increasing the Empire's wealth through mercantilism. Mercantilism was an economic theory popular from 1500 to 1800 in which nations encouraged trade as a means of collecting gold and silver. The American colonies supplied many important products to England, including fur, wood, sugar, cotton, tobacco, and indigo (a plant used to make blue dye).

England's struggle with France for dominance in North America culminated in the French and Indian War. The war was a turning point in the relationship between the colonies and the Crown. After its victory, England took possession of huge swathes of French territory. The new king of England, George III, decided that the new situation demanded closer control over the colonies.

King George III and Parliament decided that the colonists should bear some of the costs of protecting and administering the vast area acquired from France following the French and Indian War. Parliament passed several new laws that shifted some of the financial burden to the colonies themselves. One of these new taxes, the Stamp Act of 1765, required that all printed materials be stamped to indicate that a special tax had been paid. The Crown also pursued its mercantilist policies more actively by instituting a new tea tax, while at the same time enforcing trade regulations more strictly.

Until the French and Indian War, resistance to British rule was nearly nonexistent. The Crown's attempts to redefine its relationship with the colonies, however, triggered an explosive reaction from the colonists, who felt that their traditional right to a say in taxation policies was being taken away.

Colonial grievances against the Crown were summed up with the rallying cry: "No taxation without representation!" In the face of widespread protests, Parliament repealed the Stamp Act in 1766 but kept the tax on tea in place, asserting that it still had the right to tax the colonies. As a result of the Boston Tea Party, Parliament passed a series of punitive measures known as the Intolerable Acts, which prompted the Continental Congress to boycott all goods imported from Great Britain.

This decision marked the first unified effort by the colonies to stand against the Crown, ultimately leading to the formation of the first Continental Congress.

Paper For Above Instructions

The development of democracy in the United States is a complex journey through various historical phases that have profoundly shaped its contemporary form. This paper explores key historical events, influential documents, and prominent philosophers whose ideas contributed significantly to the growth of American democracy.

In Ancient Greece, democracy began to take shape in the city-state of Athens, where citizens could participate directly in legislative processes, a concept known as direct democracy. This system allowed for widespread participation and set a foundational precedent for later democratic practices (Smith, 2020). The contributions of Ancient Rome are equally pivotal. The establishment of the Roman Republic introduced the idea of a representative democracy, an essential framework that influenced the framers of the U.S. Constitution (Jones, 2019).

Feudalism during the Middle Ages also played a role in the evolution of governance. The Magna Carta, a seminal document signed in 1215, marked a significant step toward individual rights, asserting that the monarchy was subject to the law (Roberts, 2018). It laid down principles that would later be echoed in the American Bill of Rights, emphasizing the importance of due process and the rights of the governed (Brown, 2021).

The Enlightenment further propelled the advancement of democratic ideals. Philosophers like John Locke and Hobbes debated the social contract and the role of government. Locke's belief that government should protect natural rights and that citizens had the right to overthrow tyrannical rulers profoundly influenced American revolutionary thought (Williams, 2020). Montesquieu's theory of separation of powers also played a crucial role in shaping the U.S. governmental structure, ensuring that no single entity holds excessive power (Adams, 2019).

As settlers arrived in America, they brought these Enlightenment ideals with them. The writing of the Mayflower Compact is an early indication of self-governance, where colonists agreed to form their own government based on mutual consent (Miller, 2022). The concepts of self-determination and representation laid the groundwork for democratic governance.

Colonial and Revolutionary America marked another significant phase in the development of democracy. Tensions erupted in the mid-18th century as British imperial policies, such as the Stamp Act and the Intolerable Acts, sparked outrage among colonists (Elliott, 2021). The rallying cry of "No taxation without representation!" encapsulated the colonies' frustration, leading to the formation of the Continental Congress and ultimately the Declaration of Independence (Martinez, 2019).

The Declaration of Independence articulated Enlightenment principles and asserted the colonies' rights to self-governance, sovereignty, and personal liberties. It established the United States as a nation founded on ideas of democracy and individual rights, paving the way for shaping the new Constitution (Clark, 2023).

Furthermore, the historical concept of republicanism emerged as a form of government where representatives are elected by the populace to make decisions on their behalf. This was a departure from pure democracy and sought to balance efficiency with accountability (Taylor, 2020). The establishment of a representative government allowed for broader participation while ensuring that a system of checks and balances was imposed to prevent tyranny.

In conclusion, the development of democracy in the United States was a gradual evolution influenced by historical precedents, philosophical insights, and revolutionary movements. From ancient democratic practices to Enlightenment thought and colonial responses to British rule, these elements collectively shaped a government distinguished by its commitment to democracy and individual rights.

References

• Adams, A. (2019). The Philosophy of Democracy. Cambridge University Press.
• Brown, L. (2021). The Magna Carta and its Influence on Constitutional Law. Oxford University Press.
• Clark, M. (2023). The Declaration of Independence: A Universal Document. Harvard University Press.
• Elliott, J. (2021). Colonial America: The Road to Revolution. Yale University Press.
• Jones, R. (2019). Ancient Rome’s Contribution to Modern Governance. Routledge.
• Miller, T. (2022). The Mayflower Compact and Early American Democracy. Penn State University Press.
• Roberts, K. (2018). Building the Foundations of Democracy: The Role of Historical Documents. Myths of the Revolution Press.
• Smith, E. (2020). Athenian Democracy: Lessons for Modern Governance. Princeton University Press.
• Taylor, B. (2020). American Republicanism: The Evolution of Governance. Sage Publications.
• Williams, J. (2020). Locke, Hobbes, and the Foundations of Political Thought. University of California Press.

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