Lesson 1: What Did the Founders Think about Constitutional Government?

Lesson Objectives

When you have finished this lesson, you should be able to

• describe the diverse features of the early American colonies and states and their populations,
• explain what the Founders learned about government from history and their firsthand experiences of government and how this knowledge shaped their thinking,
• explain the meanings of the terms constitution and constitutional government and describe Aristotle's ideas about forms of government, and
• evaluate, take, and defend positions on how constitutional
governments should be organized to prevent abuses of power by people in government.