Introduction to American Politics

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one power unique to the United States Senate and explain why the framers gave the Senate that power.

A bicameral legislature is a lawmaking body that is made up of two parts. The framers chose a bicameral legislature to support their idea of “checks and balances” and to allow each state to have equal representation. Small states were granted their equal representation in the Senate and large states their proportional representation in the House. The House of Representatives where to be elected directly by the people and the Senate consisted of two members from each state to be chosen by the legislatures of each state. With the two chambers the framers were able to prevent a majority rule and keep the balance between the larger and smaller states.

One power that is unique to the House of Representatives is the power of impeachment. This power was given to the House by the framers because the House was the only legislative body representative of the people, the idea of this power granted to the House was to reflect the power of the people. This also prevents the influence of politics on the decision to impeach a president.

This power that was granted to the United States Senate follows through with the House’s power to impeach a president. The Senate has the sole power to try all impeachments, the House indicts an officer and the Senate conducts the trial. The framers split the duties because The Senate members serve longer terms and will not be persuaded by the people or worry much about backlash from the people.

The framers of the Constitution created a political system based on limited government. The original Constitution and the Bill of Rights were intended to restrict the powers of the national government. Later constitutional developments also limited the powers of state governments.

(a) Explain how each of the following limits the powers of the national executive.

• Federalism

• Checks and balances

(b) Explain how each of the following two provisions in the Bill of Rights limits the powers of the national government.

• The Establishment clause

• the Guarantee of a public trial

(c) Choose one of the following and explain how it limits the power of state governments.

• Citizenship clause of the Fourteenth Amendment

• Selective incorporation

The national executive’s power is limited by federalism and a system of checks and balances. Federalism limits the power of the national executive, by creating a separation and balance between the national and state governments. It leaves the state with enough power to counteract abuses from any federal authority. Checks and balances also limit the power of the national executive, by ensuring the other branches of government, the legislature and judiciary, do not become more powerful than the other. Each branch “checks” the power of the others to make sure power remains balanced.

The Establishment Clause is a provision in the Bill of Rights that prevents the national government from creating a national religion and taking any action that would show better treatment for one religion over another. Another provision in the Bill of Rights is the guarantee of a public trial. This requires trials to be open to the public. Anyone can watch, which limits the government’s ability to violate the rights of citizens.

Selective incorporation is a constitutional doctrine that ensures states cannot enact laws that take away the constitutional rights of citizens that are laid down in the Bill of Rights. This important doctrine protects citizens from governmental abuse. For instance, Miranda rights were established by the interpretation of the 5th Amendment, which protects citizens from self- incrimination at the time of arrest.

In The Federalist paper number 10, James Madison expressed concern over the possibility that both majority and minority factions would have too much power over government, and he presented ways of minimizing that danger. The United States Constitution established a democratic government but also contained several provisions that limited majority rule. Throughout the next two centuries, the role of majority rule in the United States government and politics continued to change.

(a) Identify the part of the national government that was originally most closely tied to citizens and explain how it was tied to citizens.

(b) Explain two ways the United States Constitution limited majority rule.

(c) Choose two of the following twentieth-century developments and explain how each moved the United States from a less democratic system to a more democratic system.

• Primary elections

• The Seventeenth Amendment

• Expansion of suffrage

Our national government is made up of three parts; the Legislature branch, the Judicial branch, and the Executive branch. The Legislative branch is made up of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The members of the House of Representatives were created to be more directly tied to the citizens when the bicameral legislature was established. Each member must live in the state that they represent and are elected by their states people, typically House members represent relatively small districts. The elected house members serve a shorter term length in the house, which calls

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