AP Gov’t AP Constitutional Readings M. Lynde

Name______Date______Pd_____

AP Government: Constitutional Readings: Beard, Roche, Hofstadter Essays

Each of these authors pose a different theory for the motivations of the Founding Fathers in their deliberations and the resulting document in the summer of 1787. After reading your assigned essay you should be able to discuss the following points with your group. You should also be able to explain your author’s point of view to those who read the other essays.

BEARD

1.  What does Beard see as the overall motivation of the writers of the Constitution?

2.  How does Beard describe the Constitutional Convention attendees?

3.  What did Beard say were the delegates feelings toward the excesses of democracy?

4.  Why does Beard say there were no property qualifications established in the Constitution?

5.  What parts of the Constitution does Beard offer as evidence that the underlying purpose of the Constitution was not the establishment of popular gov’t by means of parliamentary majorities?

ROCHE

1.  What does Roche mean when he describes the Convention as a nationalist reform caucus?

2.  How does Roche describe the “Constitutionalists?”

3.  What does Roche have to say about he development of federalism?

4.  What does Roche say was unusual about the reaction of the Convention to Madison’s model of an ideal national gov’t? Yet, what was the impetus behind the subsequent “change of mind,” according to Roche?

5.  Describe Roche’s explanation of how the Electoral College developed and slavery issues were resolved.

6.  Roche contends that the Constitution was not a “triumph of architectonic genius.” What did he mean?

HOFSTADTER

1.  What does Hofstadter say was the Founding Fathers’ definition of liberty?

2.  Why did the Founder’s not believe that liberty meant free access to the nation’s unappropriated wealth?

3.  What were the negative liberties the Founders hoped to attain?

4.  What did Hofstadter say unchecked democracy would bring and why were they afraid of that?

5.  Describe what Hofstadter says the Founders felt about the lasting qualities of democracy.

6.  Why were the Founders so wary of giving direct rights to those who were not property owners?

7.  How did the Founders balance their concept of man as a “creature of rapacious (greedy) self interest” with the writings of the Constitution?