Lecture_Three 英美国家概况 教学课件.ppt

Homework Illustrate the following summary of the Constitutional system of checks and balances. John Adams, the second president of the United States, described with great care the complex relationships of shared and balanced powers and independent departments of the government. As he put it: 1. the states are balanced against the national government 2. the House of Representatives is balanced against the Senate 3. the Executive is balanced against the Legislature 4. the Judiciary is balanced against the Executive and the Legislature 5. the Judiciary is balanced against the states 6. the Senate is balanced against the President 7. the people are balanced against the government. 09/2010 YE Rufan Lecture Three: US Government The Constitution Philadelphia, May 25, 1787 Concerns of the Framers Tyranny Democracy An all-powerful central government Fear of Tyranny On human nature “ The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse.” “If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In faming a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: You must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.” – James Madison A two-fold problem facing Founding Fathers: How could they create government to govern the people? How could they devise a mechanism to prevent the government from becoming abusive? Fear of Democracy Paradox for Founding Fathers: The government drew its authority from the governed. “…That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” -The Declaration of Independence Common people were incapable of running the country directly. On common people It is an unquestionable trut