_Made up of the first ten amendments of the United States Constitution, the primary function of the Bill of Rights is to protect fundamental individual rights and prevent government interference with existing rights. In 1790, Congress submitted 12 amendments to be ratified by the states, 10 of which were adopted in 1791.

Assignment...
  • Pick two of the first ten amendments listed in the Bill of Rights (also on you study island lesson) and summarize what they are....Include what rights they give you.
 
The U.S. Constitution limits government by having a system of checks and balances. Each of the three branches of government has a way to stop another branch from becoming too powerful. One check against government power is a document called the Bill of Rights, which describes the basic rights United States citizens have

Assignment...Watch the brief video below (I know its a bit juvenile but its got good info) and read the Study Island passage to answer the following in the comment section of this blog...
  1. List the three branches of government.
  2. Provide one example for each branch of government showing how they can "check" against other branches of governments power. 
  3. Look up and identify Akron's Representative in the House of Representatives and Ohio's two US Senators. 
 
Every election year, you probably hear political advertisements explaining how a certain person or group thinks the country should be run. Disagreements over the role of government are not new. Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson had opposing views on the role of the national government. That opposition resulted in the creation of two political parties. The debate over the role of the national government has continued throughout United States history.

The Federalists (Led by Alexander Hamilton)
• Favored strong national government
• Favored limits on states’ powers
• Favored development of industry on a national scale
• Favored a national bank
• Strongly disagreed with the French Revolutionaries

Democratic Republicans (Led by Thomas Jefferson)
• Favored a weak national government
• Supported states’ powers
• Favored small business and farmers
• Opposed a national bank
• Favored the French in their revolution

Assignment...to be posted in the comment section
  1. View this link on Republicans vs. Democrats
  2. How do the two major political parties of today compare to those in our countries past?
  3. Make sure to include some examples in your answer.
  4. Feel free to use other sources for information.