TEACHING GUIDE
Responsibilities of Republicanism
Student Activity Republicanism: the idea that people should rule and that government obtains its authority from the
citizens and is responsible to them.
1. What are some political traditions that helped the colonists formulate their ideas about what their
future government should be like?
2. How did the new principles of government affect other aspects of American life?
a. Role of the citizen in a Republic:
b. Rights of citizens in a Republic:
c. Role of government in a Republic:
d. Law making responsibilities in a Republic:
e. Executive Power in a Republic:
f. Deciding matters of justice and Constitutionality in a Republic:
Author: Jeff Matlock
Source: http://teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/ask-a-master-teacher/25360
TEACHINGHISTORY.ORG is funded by the U.S. Department of Education (ED-07-CO-0088).
TEACHING GUIDE
Responsibilities of Republicanism
Teacher Key
A. Role of the citizen in a Republic: In addition to each person's private and work life, there is the
"civic life" in which the person takes an interest in matters that concern self, family, others, the
society as a whole; this requires that institutions and structures be put into place to produce an
"educated citizenry" and that volunteerism becomes common—citizens donate some of their
time for the common good. These are characteristics of civic republicanism, which emerged
from the thinking and writing of Americans such as John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and George
Washington, with varying degrees of emphasis. These ideas have their roots in Enlightenment
ideas, English reforms, and, to some extent, the Roman Republic.
B. Rights of citizens in a Republic: Property rights, natural rights (the 'unalienable rights' we were
born with), civil liberties, equality under the law, free press, free speech, privacy rights, trial by
jury, free trade and markets, "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Human reasoning and
rationality will be applied to building a society around these ideas. These are characteristics of
classical liberal principles, which have roots in the Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights, and
the writings of John Locke, Montesquieu, David Hume, Voltaire, Rousseau, and Adam Smith.
C. Role of government in a Republic: Government's primary purpose is to secure and protect the
rights of the citizens of the new society. Written constitutions assure that government achieve
this stated purpose. Laws will no longer be made to please a king who stands above any law.
"Rule of law" exists above all people—weak and strong, powerful and powerless. Government
power will be separated into branches. There will be "checks and balances," so that no one
branch becomes too powerful.
D. Law making responsibilities in a Republic: The peoples' representatives will make the society's
laws. They will also determine how and to what extent the government will be financed through
taxation. Many British Parliamentary traditions appear in the new legislative bodies (town
councils, state legislatures, and the United States Congress.)
E. Executive Power in a Republic: The new government may be energetic and robust to complete
the peoples' business, but its powers will be limited to those stated in the Constitution. This will
apply to elected state governors and the United States president. (From characteristics of civic
republicanism.)
F. Deciding matters of justice and Constitutionality in a Republic: An independent judiciary,
featuring judicial impartiality and trial by a jury of peers are still more classical liberal
principles that illustrate the blend of ideas informing American government structures.
Author: Jeff Matlock
Source: http://teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/ask-a-master-teacher/25360
TEACHINGHISTORY.ORG is funded by the U.S. Department of Education (ED-07-CO-0088).