Assignment:
Part 1 (Beeman, Declaration of Independence and Constitution)
Q1. As American independence approached in 1776, Thomas Paine uttered, "We have it in our power to begin the world over again." What did he mean by this comment and how is it reflected in the Declaration of Independence?
Q2. To what extent is the Declaration of Independence revolutionary? Be specific in referring to the Beeman text
Q3. To what extent is the Declaration of Independence a Lockean document? Be specific in making your point
Q4. In class we looked at Federalist #10, #51 and #78. Each of these was aimed at delegates at the ratifying conventions in the states voting on adoption of the proposed federal Constitution. What are the major arguments each of these papers makes as to why the Constitution should be adopted?
Q5. What does Beeman identify in his book as the major issue at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and how was it resolved?
Part 2
Q1. The McCulloch v. Maryland decision (1819), written by John Marshall, involves nation-state relations. Discuss the issues involved in the case and their significance.
Q2. Outline the major theoretical ideas of John Locke that Thomas Jefferson inserted into the Declaration of Independence of 1776.
Q3. Identify five weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation (1781-1789). Why did these failures lead to the writing of a new Constitution in 1787?
Q4. Briefly describe the fout theories concerning the role of political elites in a distribution of political power.