We+The+People

=We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect union,=

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What does one mean by the word “government?” What first comes to mind might be the United States Capitol in Washington D.C., your state capitol, or even your local city hall. Others may interpret government as being the elected officials (president, congressmen and congresswomen, state representatives, mayors, and council members) that represent it. Many others see law enforcement officers and the rules and regulations they enforce as being government. Finally, some may view government as being the closest authority over them—school officials and the rules they must enforce. =====

 Read the following statement and complete a second blog post analyzing the role of government. Remember to not just type the question and an answer. You must write your blog post in paragraph form.

**“TO BE FREE, ONE MUST BE CHAINED”**
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 * 1) =====What does this statement mean to you?=====
 * 2) =====Wouldn't it be possible for all Americans to live as they choose with total freedom and without a government establishing limits on our individual freedoms? Do we, as a society really need rules and regulations to enforce cooperation among individuals?=====
 * 3) =====What are the foundations of our American government? What beliefs do we hold on to or are important to us? Analyze the pros and cons of those beliefs.=====
 * 4) =====How do you play a role in the American government? What are your duties and responsibilities as a citizen of the US?=====
 * 5) =====Is there such thing as a perfect society, where everyone can get along in perfect union? Why or why not?=====

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Reading
After the Revolutionary War, the newly formed country was very anxious about establishing an over ruling federal government. They had great fears that a strong, centralized government could take over again, leading them into another war. They first wrote a rough draft, called the Articles of Confederation, but limited the power so much that it was not able to bring the country together and support its citizens. Seeing the limitations to the Articles of Confederation, a group met and drafted what exists today as our Constitution. All of these founding documents are now known as our Charters of Freedom. The following website is an interactive timeline that describes each of the documents. When you get to the website the timeline is located as buttons along the top of the page, please click on each link and read each page of the timeline. As you are reading the timeline, put yourself in that place in history, can you see how the Revolutionary War impacted their thoughts? How have these fears continued through the generations? Can you see any relation to our current time and issues with the government?

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Watching
The following video is a parody of the Timbaland song "Apologize," featuring One Republic. It is a very entertaining look at the Declaration of Independence and very informative. Watch the video and take notes from the lyrics. Did they capture the essence of the Declaration? media type="youtube" key="uZfRaWAtBVg" height="315" width="560"

Learning
//Now it is time for your blog post. As you are writing your blog, remember the guidelines you agreed to in our netiquette discussion. Also, do not just answer the questions that are listed below. Use these questions as a guide for your thinking, **do not** just type the question and answer yes or no and// //try to go more in depth.// //You will have to go back and put more depth into your blog if you just answer the questions with no extra thoughts.// //Remember this blog is not just for the eyes of your peers in the class, anyone in the world can access your blog and need to fully understand what you are talking about. This reflection is also how you show me that you completed your reading and watching assignments. Make connections to them in your blog and when you talk about them, create a hyperlink in your blog so your readers can see what you saw. Please see me if you need more guidance in posting a blog.//

After viewing both videos, complete a reflection in your blog using the questions below as a guide.


 * 1) Why do we need government?
 * 2) What purpose does it serve?
 * 3) What if we did not have a government?

Your task is to create a website, using www.weebly.com, about the foundations of United States government for other students. This is a free website creation program, make sure you click on the education link at the top of the page. You do not need to rely only on the information found in your reading, use your research skills to find more information. Remember to include pictures, links, etc. on your website. Create an account with a username, password, and email You must include the following topics:
 * drafting the Declaration of Independence
 * Revolutionary War
 * federalist and anti-federalist views when drafting the Constitution
 * the impact of the constitution