The 3 Branches of Government

StoryCorps

StoryCorps is an American non-profit organization whose mission is to record, preserve, and share the stories of Americans from all backgrounds and beliefs. StoryCorps grew out of Sound Portraits Productions as a project founded in 2003 by radio producer David Isay.  Its headquarters are located in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.

StoryCorps is modeled—in spirit and in scope—after the efforts of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) of the 1930s, through which oral history interviews across the United States were recorded. Another inspiration for the organization was oral historian Studs Terkel, who cut the ribbon at the opening of StoryCorps’ first recording booth in Grand Central Terminal.  To date, StoryCorps has recorded more than 30,000 interviews among more than 60,000 Americans in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and several American territories.


To listen to some of the stories click HERE!

3 Branches of Government

Writing Essentials

When writing a summary you need...

• A clear topic sentence (Setting, Subject, & Main Idea)
• Details about the topic (Proof that you learned new material)
• Supporting facts
• Quotes
• Examples
• Content vocabulary
• A conclusion statement that restates the topic and why it is important

When writing in an academic setting always...

• Use a formal style 
• Be sure to be clear & coherent
• Make sure your thoughts are organized and follow a logical order
• Be neat and legible
• Use transition words
• Refer to yourself in the third person 

Liberty's Kids & The U.S. Constitution

The Preamble to the 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 States of America."

The Preamble to the United States Constitution is a brief introductory statement of the Constitution's fundamental purposes and guiding principles. It states in general terms, and courts have referred to it as reliable evidence of, the Founding Fathers' intentions regarding the Constitution's meaning and what they hoped the Constitution would achieve.


The Preamble to the Constitution states the 6 goals of government...

1. form a more perfect union... make the best country possible

2. establish justice... create a fair system for our people
3. insure domestic tranquility... guarantee peace on our home land

4. provide for the common defense... provide protection for our citizens
5. promote the general welfare...  work together for the common good
6. secure the blessing of liberty... protect our citizens rights & freedoms

The Preamble to the Constitution

The Preamble to the Constitution in Licenses Plates 

The Social Contract

SOME EXTRAS FOR THE OVERACHIEVERS…

"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
John Locke, a 17th century English Philosopher, insisted that men “have a mind to unite for the mutual Preservation of their Lives, Liberties and Estates, which I call by the general Name, ‘Property.’”

Adam Smith, an 18th century Scottish philosopher and economist whom some have called the father of free trade with his treatise The Wealth of Nations, penned the phrase “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Property.”

Jefferson, according to historians, was a great follower of Adam Smith, and since he was well educated it’s very likely his inspiration for the phrase “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” was derived from Locke and Smith.

The Leviathan

A “leviathan” is literally a sea monster mentioned in the Bible.  It is also the title of a well known philosophy book written by Thomas Hobbs in 1651.  The focus of the book is the structure of society and legitimate government.  In the book, Hobbes argues for a "Social Contract," whereby by the people give up some of their absolute freedoms in exchange for governmental protection of human rights.  Hobbs felt that “The State of Nature,” which is total chaos pitting man against man, could only be averted by strong central government.

Of The Social Contract, Or Principles of Political Right, is a philosophy book written in 1762 by Jean-Jacques Rousseau.  In this book, Rousseau theorized about the best way in which to set up a political community in the face of the problems of commercial society which he had already identified in his “Discourse of Inequality.”

The Electoral College

The 3/5's Compromise

The Three-Fifths Compromise is found in Article 1, Section 2, Paragraph 3 of the United States Constitution:

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to the Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.

Wikipedia explains:

The Three-Fifths Compromise was a compromise between Southern and Northern States reached during the Philadelphia Convention of 1787 in which three-fifths of the population of slaves would be counted for enumeration purposes regarding both the distribution of taxes and the appointment of the members of the United States House of Representatives ... Delegates opposed to slavery generally wished to count only the free inhabitants of each state. Delegates supportive of slavery, on the other hand, generally wanted to count slaves in their actual numbers. Since slaves could not vote, slaveholders would thus have the benefit of increased representation in the House and the Electoral College; taxation was only a secondary issue. The final compromise of counting "all other persons" as only three-fifths of their actual numbers reduced the power of the slave states relative to the original southern proposals, but increased it over the northern position.

The Great Compromise

The Great Compromise...
James Madison and William Paterson discuss how to fix the United States Government.  Each have an idea but one favors small states and the other large states.  Roger Sherman then rescued the two by coming up with the Great Compromise.


The Constitutional Convention in 15 Minutes...
Mr. Hughes explains the compromises which were brokered at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Topics for discussion include the Connecticut Compromise (Great), the 3/5th's Compromise and the Anti-Feds demands for a Bill of Rights.  Thank you Mr. Hughes!

Totally Off Topic...
The following video features a song written by John Prine entitled, The Great Compromise.  Written in 1972, this protest song is a metaphor for Prine's disillusionment of his country during the Vietnam War.  In this instance the songwriter is using the word "compromise" to mean a dishonorable or shameful concession.  

It's The Constitutional Convention Charlie Brown