essay

AMERICAN POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT

Check ‘Foundations of the American Government’ and ‘Federalism & Civil Liberties and Civil Rights’ in the electronic textbook (Weeks 1-3).

KEY ERAS THE ORIGINS: WHAT THE FRAMERS DID.

THE JACKSONIAN DEMOCRACY

THE AFTERMATH OF THE CIVIL WAR

THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT (1890-1920)

THE NEW DEAL

THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND ITS AFTERMATH

THE ORIGINS: WHAT THE FRAMERS DID ?

-WHO WERE THE FOUNDING FATHERS?

THE ORIGINS: THE era of the FRAMERS

- THE CONTROVERSY/CLASH WITH GREAT BRITAIN AND THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE (1776).

- THE FOUNDING FATHERS: LANDOWNERS, EDUCATED MEN, REVOLUTIONARIES, AND CERTAINLY STATESMEN.

-THE CONFEDERATION (LOOSE UNION OF THE 13 STATES, ratified in 1781). SOME OF THE REASONS FOR THE FAILURE WERE: WEAK GOVERNMENT,FINANCIAL PROBLEMS, REBELLIONS (SHAYS REBELLION), AND INEFFECTIVE FOREIGN POLICY (Check Textbook for Madison’s critique and new ideas).

THE ORIGINS: THE era of the FRAMERS

- THE LONG ROAD TO THE CONSTITUTION

(i) The thinkers who inspired the Constitution (Check Textbook, especially the role of Locke and Montesquieu)

(ii) The importance of THE FEDERALIST PAPERS and the

ideas of James Madison.

THE ORIGINS: The era of the FRAMERS

THUS, A NEW POLITICAL SYSTEM (INCLUDED A CONSTITUTION) NEEDED TO BE IN PLACE: THE GREAT NEGOTIATIONS.

(i)FEDERALiSM/bifurcated government system (Check the textbook)

(ii) SEPARATION OF POWERS (CHECK TEXTBOOK FOR DETAILS)

(iii) SLAVERY

(iv) ELECTORAL COLLEGE

(v) THE BILL OF RIGHTS

THE JACKSONIAN DEMOCRACY- LATE 1820s

- A NEW GENERATION IN POWER - THE EXPANSION OF THE FRONTIER AND THE VIOLENCE- THE INDIAN

PROBLEM. - THE FOUNDATION OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY - CHANGES IN THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE (CITIZENS SELECT DELEGATES) - EXPANSION IN NUMBER OF VOTERS ( NO PREREQUISITE OF

PROPERTY. - MORE POWER TO THE PRESIDENCY (USE OF VETO POWER, KITCHEN

CABINET). - THE SPOILS SYSTEM.

The Era of Jackson

THE AFTERMATH OF THE CIVIL WAR

-THE HERITAGE OF LINCOLN (1861-1865): MORE POWER TO THE PRESIDENT: THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION, THE FOUNDATION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

-“Civil War Amendments” : AMENDMENTS 13th, 14th AND 15th. CHECK THE TEXTBOOK FOR MORE DETAILS.

-NEW ROLE FOR WOMEN IN POLITICS

- PARTY REALIGNMENT

THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT (1890-1920)

A MYRIAD OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS:

(I) PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY: ADOPTION OF STATE AND LOCAL INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM PROCEDURES

(II) IN FAVOR OF MORE OPEN AND EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT

(III) ANTI-MONOPOLIES AND IN FAVOR OF LABOR RIGHTS.

(IV) ANTI CORRUPTION (SPOILS SYSTEM)

(V) PRO-WOMEN’S RIGHTS

Children at work

Women’s Rights

THE NEW DEAL

-THE RESPONSE TO THE GREAT DEPRESSION: THE GOVERNMENT NEEDED TO “STEP IN” IN A VARIETY OF AREAS. FOR EXAMPLE: A WIDE ARRAY OF PROGRAMS WERE ESTABLISHED REGARDING TO AGRICULTURE, UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, SOCIAL SECURITY, AID FOR FAMILIES.

-THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT WAS CREATED.

-PARTY REALIGNMENT (DEMOCRATIC PARTY)

-PRESIDENT F.D. ROOSEVELT CULTIVATED THE PUBLIC OPINION: FIRESIDE CHATS. THE ORIGINS OF THE “POWER OF PERSUASION.”

Social Security

CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT I

HOW can a social movement start?

--grievances, e.g. segregation

-leadership, e.g. Martin Luther King

--catalyst (s), Brown v.the Board of Education

CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT I

ITS MANY AGENDAS AND LEADERSHIP

-DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING AND HIS MOVEMENT

-THE LEADERS OF THE CHICANO MOVEMENT: CESAR CHAVEZ, REIES LOPEZ TIJERINA

-WOMEN’S MOVEMENT

-ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT

THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND ITS AFTERMATH

KEY RESPONSES:

-USE OF VIOLENCE, ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTH (MISSISSIPPI BURNING, SELMA)

- NEW ACTIONS (TAKEN BY PRESIDENT JOHNSON AND THE CONGRESS), such as the GREAT SOCIETY PROGRAMS; CIVIL RIGHTS ACT (1964) AND VOTING RIGHTS ACT (1965), and the SUPPORT TO CESAR CHAVEZ’s Movement.

THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND ITS AFTERMATH

CIVIL RIGHTS ACT (1964). End of segregation in public places.

VOTING RIGHTS ACT (1965). Removing of “invisible barriers” (and a surge

in the number of Blacks and other minorities that participated in elections).

THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND ITS AFTERMATH

THUS, THIS WAS AN ERA OF MAJOR TRANSFORMATION IN AMERICAN POLITICS: end of segregation, MORE POLITICAL participation of women and minorities,enhancement of human rights and liberties, creation of new organizations, etc.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt6zM9s1cjw

Group EXERCISES EXPLORING POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION

-EACH MEMBER OF THE GROUP SHOULD RESPOND TO ALL THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: (1) THINKING BACK, WHEN WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU LEARNED SOMETHING ABOUT POLITICS? (2) AT WHICH AGE? (3) WHERE? (The answers should be compile in a single page).

Note: IF YOU GREW UP IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY, PARTICIPATE IN THE EXERCISE USING EXAMPLES RELATED TO YOUR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN.

Group EXERCISES II. IN ORDER TO DO THIS EXERCISE, IMAGINE THAT YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN A GROUP OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THREE KEY TOPICS RELATED TO AMERICAN POLITICS (IN ONE PARAGRAPH PER TOPIC). YOUR only SOURCE OF INFORMATION SHOULD BE OUR TEXTBOOK (MATERIAL FROM WEEK 1 AND 3). THE TOPICS THAT YOU CAN SELECT ARE:

-CONFEDERATION -SEPARATION OF POWERS

-FEDERALIST PAPERS -MADISON’S CONTRIBUTIONS.

-FEDERALISM