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Activity One -The Constitution 1. What is the meaning of the term American Exceptionalism? American Exceptionalism is a term used to describe the stability and longevity that America as a nation has enjoyed since the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. In contrast, most other nations of the world experience a revolution every 20 to 30 years. 2. What problems faced the American Constitutional Convention in 1787? The convention was attended by delegates from thirteen different states which each had differing ideas about how the country should be run. After four to five weeks of debate with no ideas of how to solve their differences the convention was ready to break up and the delegates were read to go home. 3. How did Benjamin Franklin …show more content…
suggest that those problems could be solved? Benjamin Franklin reminded the assembly of the value of the prayers that had been raised in that room when the country was facing the battles of the Revolutionary War, and he told the gentleman that it would be imprudent for them to believe that any of their goals could be accomplished without seeking the favor of God through daily prayers. 4. Does David Barton argue that the U.S. Constitution was divinely inspired similar to the Bible? Explain. David Barton says that the U.S. Constitution is not divinely inspired in the way that the Bible is divinely inspired. Instead, he said the Constitution and the men who wrote it were guided and directed and overseen by God and that it is a miracle as great as any in the Bible. 5.
List four principles found in the U.S. Constitution that have scriptural origins and cite the specific Bible verses upon which they are based. Four principles found in the U.S. Constitution that have scriptural origins are the separation of powers as found in Jeremiah 17:9, the three branches of government as found in Isaiah 33:22, the idea of tax exemptions for churches as found in Ezra 7:24 and the idea of capital punishment as described in Article 3 of the Constitution which comes from Deuteronomy 17:15. 6. Based on the Ten Commandments, what political issues receive God’s highest priority? The political issues that receive God’s highest priority are abortion, marriage protection, political religious acknowledgements and judicial appointments. 7. According to David Barton, what is the meaning of the commandment, “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13)? What is forbidden? What is permitted? The scriptures stating “Thou shalt not kill,” should actually be translated thou shalt not murder. The taking of innocent blood is not permitted as in the case of abortion. Killing someone in self-defense, in a justified war and as part of civil justice is okay. Therefore, taking of guilty blood as in capital punishment is permitted by the
scriptures. 8. According to the Bible, what is the proper way to meet the needs of the poor? According to the Bible the needs of the poor should be met by individuals and churches. The civil government was not set up to handle social justice issues. Individuals should pray and fast so that they will see the needs of the poor and respond as God would have them to do. Churches are better equipped to deal with issues of the heart than the civil government is.
When the American founding fathers etched the first words into the Constitution, they formulated the timeless document around three basic principles: logos, ethos, and pathos. Essentially, the Framers envisioned a society and country where free speech allows people to utilize these core fundamental principles as a symbol of American freedom following secession from the British. In fact, these core principles were first operated in a political scheme by the Athenians and Romans. But over many centuries, these principles finally gained recognition in a revolutionary setting when they were first employed by social theorists such as John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and Voltaire. Following the Humanist Revolution, these same principles
After the American Revolution, America had earned it’s freedom from Britain. In order to govern this new country the Articles of Confederation was created. This document was flawed by the colonists fear of putting too much power into a central government. Knowing the document needed to be fixed a constitutional convention was called. The document created at this convention has been our constitution ever since. But even the Constitution was meet with criticism. One major concern when writing the constitution was how to protect the citizens rights. The Constitution did this through the preamble, the legislative process, the limit of presidential terms, the judicial branch, and the bill of rights.
The United States Constitution is a national government that consist of citizen’s basic rights and fundamental laws. This document was signed on September 17, 1787 in Philadelphia by the majority of representatives. Today, the United States Constitution’s purpose is to supply a strong central government. However, before the United States Constitution was developed, many citizens did not support the constitution due to the fact that they found it contradicting and detached from the original goals of the Declaration of Independence. These citizens were known as anti-federalists. Fortunately, George Washington was a supporter of the constitution and had an enormous impact in the public support of the constitution. With a few adjustments, some
This task was easier said than done. The fear of creating a government with too much power was a fear that was very much alive throughout the states. Tyranny was a common factor in developing governments, the delegates were seeking to avoid this error. Two ground rules were put into place for the Convention. The first was that any and all deliberations were to remain secretive. The second was that no topic or decisions would be considered closed and could therefore be up for debate and revision at any time. Once these rules were agreed upon, business started. The two contenders were the Virginia Plan, which had the larger states rooting, and the New Jersey Plan, claiming the votes of the smaller states. Under the Virginia Plan, legislature would be two houses and would be represented based on population. Under the New Jersey Plan, legislature would be one house and each state would have equal representation regardless of population. An agreement could not be reached between these two plans, instead a compromise was made. The Great Compromise met each side with an upper and lower house. The upper house was the Senate and would provide equal representation that was elected by the lower house. The lower house was the House of Representatives and would be dispersed based on population of the states. This compromise satisfied the small and large states, giving a
The Articles of Confederation were approved by Congress on November 15, 1777 and ratified by the states on March 1, 1781. It was a modest attempt by a new country to unite itself and form a national government. The Articles set up a Confederation that gave most of the power to the states. Many problems arose and so a new Constitution was written in 1787 in Independence Hall. The new Constitution called for a much more unified government with a lot more power. Let us now examine the changes that were undertaken.
The 1787 Constitutional Convention was paramount in unifying the states after the Revolutionary War. However, in order to do so, the convention had to compromise on many issues instead of addressing them with all due haste. This caused the convention to leave many issues unresolved. Most notably were the issues of slavery, race, secession, and states’ rights. Through the Civil War and the Reconstruction, these issues were resolved, and in the process the powers of the federal government were greatly expanded.
The Articles of Confederation was the first government of the United States. The Articles had created a very weak national government. At the time the Articles were approved, they had served the will of the people. Americans had just fought a war to get freedom from a great national authority--King George III (Patterson 34). But after this government was put to use, it was evident that it was not going to keep peace between the states. The conflicts got so frequent and malicious that George Washington wondered if the “United” States should be called a Union (Patterson 35). Shays’ Rebellion finally made it evident to the public that the government needed a change.
The United States government was founded on a written set of principles known as the Constitution. There have only been 17 amendments, or changes, since ratification. While the United States has evolved with time the role and function of the government, and the way the government guarantees civil rights and liberties, has also evolved. These changes have resulted from changing or broadening of the interpretation of the constitution. Although the core of the constitution has not changed, it has expanded and its interpretation has changed to keep up with societal demands.
The U.S. Constitution has a unique history. Facing drafts and ratifications it was finally created under the founding fathers in 1787. The constitution is the foundation for the government we have today and influences almost every decision that government officials make. However, before the constitution was influencing, it was influenced. The political, economic, and diplomatic crises of the 1780s not only helped shape America, but also the provisions found the constitution.
The supreme Law of the U.S. is the Constitution. The authors included a preamble that summarized the core values and purpose of this Constitution. “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United
On the first day of class, I wasn’t so sure what the term “American Exceptionalism” meant, but by the end I have figured it out. American Exceptionalism is the notion that America is uniquely different from the other nations. The reason America is “uniquely different” from the other nations is because, the world expects America to lead, have values, pursue freedom, be diverse and open, and also practice democracy. Being a democratic nation makes us the city upon the hill. America is like a big brother, other nations look to us for help, guidance, and prosperity. The values and beliefs about politics and the government shape our American culture. The stress on a distinct national identity is appropriate within an increasingly diverse nation state and ever globalizing world. I agree upon this statement, because America deserves to be known as the “it” nation. America is more accepting, we are like a melting pot of different cultures and ethnicities.
American exceptionalism is a term suggesting that America was the best or superior; it was a term saying that it was different than any other place. Winthrop talks about the city upon the hill, which suggests America being a model or setting an example for other countries. We were supposed to be a beacon of liberty and freedom. During the founding of America, America was different than any other place. At its founding America was exceptional because it was different in the way people interacted with each other, different in the way the government worked, and different in its aspirations.
Capital Punishment, commonly known as the death penalty, is one of the most controversial problems of our society today. There are many stands you can take with it: yes; no; maybe; only in this situation; only if this doesn’t happen. Even the Bible is undecided about what to do with people who commit such horrendous crimes.
American exceptionalism is a belief that the United States is different from other nations around the world and as such superior; the term was coined by Alexis de Tocqueville in 1831, yet the philosophy of American superiority can be traced all the way back to the days before the United States was even an idea. They saw their new culture as “A city upon a hill” and sought to achieve moral and spiritual perfection. With this moral superiority the colonists, later Americans, saw a duty presented upon them by God and nature to instill such superior values into other cultures and the world. One such example can be clearly seen in the work of St. John de Crèvecoeur in Letters from an American Farmer where the narrator “Farmer James” states his belief
Is the modern nation of America adhering to the first commandment of the Israelite’s covenantal relationship with God? On December 7, 1997, 96% of Americans said they believed in the words, “In God We Trust” (Schlessinger and Vogel 1). Yet, the Ten Commandments cannot be constitutionally