Write an essay (500 words minimum) addressing the following two questions or topics:
The fundamental values that inform how our democratic government is legitimated and organized are enshrined on the Declaration of Independence and in the Constitution of the United States.
Identify and discuss the basic ideals and principles of American democracy (e.g., individualism).
Explain how the basic ideals and principles are applied in our republican form of government (e.g., federalism).
Those ideals and principles are discussed in the first four videos in the lecture series. You can also visit the following websites to read the original document in which these fundamental values were first stated and see how they were later incorporated in the American Constitution:
The Declaration of Independence: http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/Links to an external site.
The Constitution of the United States: https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript
Video Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxDfxXJtTLw
