Foundations of American Government
The Preamble to the Constitution is a statement of principles and goals that the Founders thought Americans should live by and live up to…whether we have done so, and how we might better achieve these goals, are some of the things that I hope you keep in mind as we progress through this course on American government.
In the early days of the American republic, the only people allowed to participate in “democracy” were white, land-owning men over the age of 25 (the actual voting age depended upon the state in which they lived). Therefore, the term “We the People” has changed significantly in meaning since 1787. “People” now includes virtually the entire adult population regardless of race, gender, religion, or other socioeconomic indicators. This is an example of how our government and society have evolved and continue to evolve to “form a more perfect union.”
In order for us to understand where the country is going, we must first look at where we have been.
Lecture Notes
Chapter 1 – Foundations
Chapter 2 – Constitution