Instructor’s Manual: American Government: Political Development and Institutional Change (Chapters 1–21) by Cal Jillson – Focus Question Answers

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SOLUTIONV MANUALV FOR
AmericanVGovernmentVPoliticalVDevelopmentVandVInstitutionalVChangeVBy
VCalVJillson



V ChapterV1-21

ChapterV1
THEVORIGINSVOFVAMERICANVPOLITICALVPRINCIPLES

FOCUSVQUESTIONS

Q1 WhatVareVtheVbroadVpurposesVofVgovernment?

A1
TheVancientsVbelievedVtheVroleVofVgovernmentVandVpoliticsVwasVtoVfoster
VhumanVexcellence.VHowever,VitVisVimperativeVtoVrememberVthatVtheVGreeksV
andVRomansVbelievedVtheVvirtuousVshouldVruleVaccordingVtoVnaturalVlaw.VFur
thermore,VvaluesVofVequalityVandVorderVwouldVbeVservedVthroughVaVsocietyV
basedVuponVtheVruleVofVlawVtoVprovideVforVtheVcommonVgood.VInVtheVMiddl
eVAges,VgovernmentVwasVlargelyVusedVtoVfacilitateVreligionVandVmaintainedVt
heVneedVforVtheVindividualVtoVliveVaVproperVlifeVinVtheVserviceVofVGod.VTheVr
oleVofVgovernmentVchangedVinVtheVearlyVsixteenthVcenturyVbyVdownplayingVt
heVroleVofVreligionVwhileValternativelyVpromotingVtheVroleVofVlimitedVgovern
mentVtoVprotectVprivateVpropertyVandVindividualVrights.

Q2 HowVshouldVgovernmentVbeVdesignedVtoVachieveVitsVpurposes?

A2 AccordingVtoVPlatoVtheVphilosopher-
king’sVwisdomVandVintellectVwouldVpromoteVorder,VstabilityVandVjustice.VYet,V
AristotleVtakesVaVmoreVrealisticVviewVofVAthenianVsocietyVbyVadvocatingVtheV
bestVformVofVgovernmentVasVaVpolity,VwhichVcombinedVoligarchicVandVdemoc
raticVelementsVtoVproduceVpoliticalVstability.VTheVRomansVcombinedVmonarch
ical,Varistocratic,VandVdemocraticVprinciplesVasVaVmixedVgovernmentVwithinVr
epresentativeVbodiesVlikeVtheVSenateVandVtheVAssemblyVinVorderVtoVchampio
nVtheVcausesVofVbothVtheVrichVandVtheVpoor.VGovernmentVinVtheVMiddleVAge
sVwasVdeterminedVthroughVdivineVright,VwherebyVaVmonarchVorVPopeVwasVor
dainedVbyVGodVtoVrule.VHence,VwisdomVandVvirtueVrestedVwithinVtheseVfewVi
ndividualsVwhoVgovernedVtoVpromoteVreligiousVlifeVandVprotectVtheVreligiousV
establishment.VTheVRenaissance,VProtestantVReformation,VandVEnlightenment
VPeriodsVshiftedVtheVroleVofVgovernmentVfromVupholdingVreligiousVdoctrineVt
oVsecularVconcerns,VsuchVasVprotectingVinalienableVrights,VincludingVprivateVp
roperty,VandVpromotingVcommerce.VInVturn,VEnlightenmentVpolitical

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philosophersVlargelyVappealedVtoVindividualismVandVnotVreligiousVhierarchyVas
VaVmeansVtoVprovideVorderVandVstabilityVinVwhichVindividualsVcouldVflourish.


Q3
WhatVlessonsVaboutVgovernmentVdidVcolonialVAmericansVdrawVfromVtheVhi
storyVofVancientVGreeceVandVRome?

A3
PlatoVwasVsuspiciousVofVdemocracy’sVruleVofVtheVmanyVbecauseVgoodVgove
rnmentVwouldVdecayVintoVmobVrule.VHence,VtheVpassionsVofVtheVmassesVneed
edVtoVbeVquelledVbyVmoreVaristocraticVelements.VWithVthisVproblemVinVmind,Vt
heVFramersVofVtheVU.S.VConstitutionVreferencedVtheVinstitutionalVdesignVofVthe
VRomanVrepublicVadheredVtoVtheVtraditionVofVmixedVgovernmentVinitiallyVexpo
undedVbyVAristotleVandVtheVRomans.VThisVwasVmaintainedVinVtheVindirectVsele
ctionVofVbothVtheVSenateVandVtheVpresidencyVwithinVtheVConstitution.VAristotl
eValsoVadvocatedVmixingVaristocraticVandVdemocraticVelementsVinVaVgoverningV
structureVcalledVaVpolity.VInVeffect,VthisVgovernmentalVdesignVallowedVtheVfewV
andVtheVmanyVtoVparticipateVinVtheVpoliticsVprovidingVanVorderlyVsocietyVwher
eVtheVpoorVshouldVbeVableVtoVselectVgovernmentVofficialsVwhoVwereVheldVacco
untable.VThisVwasValsoVmadeVmanifestVinVtheVConstitutionVwithVitsVaristocratic-
likeVSenateVandVtheVmoreVdemocraticVHouseVofVRepresentatives.VThusVtheVAm
ericanVrepublic’sVConstitutionVestablishedVinstitutionalVpowersVtoVgovernVaccor
dingVtoVtheVruleVofVlaw.VWhileVtheVFramersVrejectedVtheVreligiousVhierarchyVof
VtheVMiddleVAges,VtheyVappealedVtoVinalienableVrightsVendowedVuponVeveryVi
ndividualVbyVGod,VperVtheVwritingsVofVJohnVLocke,VinVwhichVaVjustVgovernment
VandVsocietyVcouldVnotVbeVimpeded.


Q4 WhatVcircumstancesVledVEuropeansVtoVleaveVtheirVhomelandsVtoVsettleVinVAmerica?

A4
IndividualsVimmigratedVtoVtheVcoloniesVtoVescapeVreligiousVpersecutionVan
dVcivilVunrestVafterVtheVEnglishVCivilVWarVandVtoVpursueVsocialVandVeconomicV
opportunities.VColonistsVenjoyedVaVvastVarrayVofVnaturalVresourcesVandVaVlarg
eVgeographicalVareaVwhereVfreedomVofVreligionVandVeconomicVopportunityVflo
urished.VAlso,VtheirVheterogeneousVsocialVcompositionVasVwellVasVcontinualVpr
omotionVofVideals,VsuchVasVequalityVandVtolerance,VtendedVtoVpromoteVpolitic
alVfreedomVatVtheVsameVtimeVthatVsocialVexpansionVofVtheVpopulationVwasVoc
curring.

Q5 WhatVdidVdemocracyVmeanVtoVourVcolonialVancestors,VandVdidVtheyVapproveVit?

A5
TheVcolonistsVwereVskepticalVofVdemocracyVandVviewedVthisVtypeVofVgove
rningVauthorityVasVmobVrule.VSocietyVwasVlargelyVseenVasVsegmentedVintoVth
oseVwhoVshouldVruleVandVthoseVwhoVshouldVnot.VInVfact,VtheVFoundersVbelie

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vedVthatVtheVeliteV(well-
educated,VlandVowners)VshouldVoccupyVpositionsVofVleadership.VThus,VanVaris
tocraticVelementVwithinVgovernmentVwasVnecessaryVtoVprotectVagainstVtheVth
reatVofVmobVruleVhistoricallyVassociatedVwithVdemocracy.VFundamentally,Vthe
VideaVofVrepublicanismVwasVpromotedVasVanVidealVatVaVhigherVlevelVthanVde
mocracy.VThisVwasVmadeVmostVmanifestVinVtheVtendencyVtoVpreferVmixed




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constitutionalVschemesVoverVsingle-
bodyVregimes,VsuchVasVmonarchies,Varistocracies,VandVdemocracies.VItVwasVin
VthisVrespectVthatVourVcolonialVancestorsVwereVbothVinnovativeVandVcriticalVo
fVextantVgovernmentalVformsVyetVsimultaneouslyVweddedVtoVtheVpast,Vespeci
allyVtheVGreco-RomanVAncients.

CHAPTERVOUTLINE

I. AVTraditionVtoVDrawVFrom
HistoryVandVexperienceVprovidedVlessonsVuponVwhichVtheVFoundersVreferencedVinVd
esigningVAmericanVpoliticalVinstitutions.
A. TheVAncients:VWhoVRulesVandVforVWhatVPurpose?
TheVphilosophyVofVPlatoVandVAristotleVwasVconcernedVwithVstructuringVaV
society,VknownVasVaVcity-
state,VandVbasedVuponVhumanVnature:VSpeechVandVreasonVasVtheVfunda
mentalVcharacteristicsVofVhumans.VThus,VtheVpoliticalVcommunityVorVpolis
VisVdesignedVaccordingVtoVtheVvirtuesVandVabilitiesVofVitsVinhabitants.
1. TheVGreeks:VMonarchy,VAristocracy,VDemocracy
a. AccordingVtoVAristotle,VtheVpurposeVofVpoliticsVisVtoVcreateVanVo
rderVthatVfostersVhumanVexcellence.VPlato’sVleaderVwasVtheVphil
osopherVking.VSinceVPlatoVdoubtedVtheVrealityVofVthisVking,VheVc
oncludedVthatVgoodVgovernmentVwouldVbeVuncommonVandVsho
rtVlived.V PlatoVandVparticularlyVAristotleVidentifiedVthreeVformsV
ofVgovernment:
1) Monarchy—ruleVbyVoneVleader
2) Aristocracy—ruleVbyVaVfewVgoodVmen
3) Democracy—ruleVbyVtheVmany
b. AristotleValsoVtheorizedVthatVgovernmentsVwouldVdecay.VThus,V
monarchyVdecaysVintoVtyrannyVthroughVdespoticVactionsVofVaVsin
gleVruler.VSecond,VaristocracyVdecaysVintoVoligarchyVwherebyVth
eVfewVruleVtoVadvanceVtheirVself-
interestsVcontraryVtoVtheVcommonVgood.VFinally,VdemocracyVde
caysVintoVmobVruleVasVtheVmassesVruleVaccordingVtoVtheirVpassi
ons.
c. Aristotle’sVadditionalVcontribution:VPoliticalVorderVbasedVonVreality
1) Aristotle’sVcontributionVwasVpragmaticVbyVaddressingVt
heVneedsVofVtheVwealthyVandVtheVmassesVwithinVaVsoc
ietyVtoVformVaVmixedVgovernment.
2) HeVbelievedVthatVoligarchyVandVdemocracyVareVtheVmo
stVcommonVregimes.VTherefore,VtheVbestVelementsVofV
eachVmightVbeVcombinedVandVmadeVintoVaVgood,Vwork
able,VandVstableVgovernment.VHeVcalledVthisVformV“poli
ty.”
2. TheVRomans:VRepublicanismVandVMixedVGovernment
a. TheVRomans,VnotablyVPolybiusVandVCicero,VbelievedVthatVgove

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