Exploring the Fundamental Principles of the American Government

by Briana Blyther

The United States government was built on principles that were carefully considered and deliberated. The foundations are the blueprints for how society is organized and governed. These foundations set the stage for the modern day government.

The British settled America in 1606, establishing colonies with their own governments controlled by the king. Before the 1760s, Britain followed a “salutary neglect” policy, largely ignoring colonists rule breaking, such as trading with other nations, as long as the colonies stayed loyal and profitable. This allowed the colonies to develop traditions of self-government. After the French and Indian War, however, colonists felt the British Parliament violated their rights, sparking a revolution that set the stage for today’s government.

After the French and Indian war, Britain had to pay for the cost and began enforcing laws and introducing new taxes, like the Sugar Act of 1764, and the Stamp Act of 1765. This sparked colonial anger over “taxation without representation.” In response, colonists boycotted British goods. When Parliament passed the Townshend Act of 1767, taxing everyday items, tensions grew, leading to the Boston Massacre, where five colonists were killed. Parliament repealed the Townshend Act with the exception of the Tea Tax. The Tea Act

Drawing depicting the Boston Tea Party

of 1773 provoked the Boston Tea Party where colonists dumped 15lbs of tea into the Boston Harbor. In retaliation, the king imposed the Intolerable Acts of 1774.

The enlightenment in 18th century Europe emphasized reason over religion in regards to politics, philosophy, and science, influencing American colonists. Enlightenment ideas like ordered liberty, and separation of church and state theories took over in the colonies. Three main government theories formed: the Force Theory (the idea of conquest), Divine Right Theory (royals given divine right by God), and Social Contract Theory (the government serves the people who can demand change if it fails). Montesquieu’s ideas on separation of powers inspired the division of government into Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches to balance power.

There have been numerous foundational documents that set the stage for our current constitution. The 1776 Declaration of Independence, written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, declared the colonies independence from Britain; it included a Preamble, a Declaration of Rights, Grievances, and a Resolution. This document was influenced by John Locke's Natural Rights and Thomas Paine's Common Sense. The Articles of Confederation was the first national government, but it was weak with significant limitations: no power to tax, regulate trade, or establish a common currency. Furthermore, the people were not properly represented as each state had only one vote regardless of population, and there was only a legislative branch. The 1787 Constitutional Convention was originally held with the purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation but the representatives decided to scrap the articles and start over.

James Madison, known as “the Father of the Constitution” led key debates and authored a majority of the Bill of Rights. The Constitution established federal law as the supreme law. The Great Compromise resolved the debate over representation by creating a two house

Official portrait of the fourth President of the United States, James Madison.

Congress: one based on equal representation and the other on population. The Constitution limited federal power without weakening it. Federalists supported it for a strong central government, while Anti-Federalists opposed it, fearing too much government power. Nine states ratified the constitution after Federalists agreed to add a Bill of Rights authored by James Madison , guaranteeing individual freedoms. These foundations are especially important now because they provide stability for navigating modern challenges. As the world changes the core principles of the government like individual rights and accountability serve as a guide to address new issues without losing the fundamental goals.