Myth or Fact: Great Depression

The Great Depression was mostly caused by the government. The government became too involved with the market by causing restrictions on businesses and by increasing the money supply.  He instituted the New Deal, which both helped and hurt the economy.

                FDR did not want to have “unfair competition or monopolies,” so he made some regulations that would slow down some businesses.  He revolutionized labor unions with the Wagner Act, which in my opinion was unfair to the employers.  I believe that there could have been some sort of happy medium reached.

                Under the New Deal there were banking laws that prohibited banks from opening more branches. Under this law thousands of American banks failed. Canada, however, did not have a single failure among its banks.  It was going through the same recession but they didn’t have the same kind of government intervention specifically the banking laws.

I believe that it is a myth that the Great Depression was caused by a failure of the free market and was resolved by government intervention.  We found out later through Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher the benefits of less government involvement.  The best thing to do is to decrease government spending when times are good and too increase government spending during a recession.

Charter City Essay

Clint Urick
American Foundations
Blog Essay 7: Charter city

    If I were to create a new city it would be heavily based on American and religious values. I would not have a national religion, but I would make it clear that God is a part of this city. There will be no awards or punishments for belief or unbelief, but there will be respect for all. I would definitely establish a constitution like in America that would secure the natural rights of the people, particularly that of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. .

    This would be essential in creating a free market society. This means that the government would not regulate trade or decide prices on goods and services. All of these things would be up to the people. This way supply and demand governs the market, instead of governments deciding on increases/decreases in prices.

    The government would be involved just to enforce the laws and rules. It would make sure that people's rights and properties are protected, and it would make sure that people honor contracts they sign.
    Education would be very important so that the people can improve society through their occupations and services. Everyone would be able to get a high school education, but they would have to work harder after that to get a college degree like it is in America. It would also be important for people to know that wealth is something created, and that anyone can achieve wealth if they work for it.
    Equally important would be knowing that serving others serves yourself, directly or indirectly. The many different jobs around the city are what make it alive. The constant flow of money between people and businesses is healthy for an economy and that knowledge would be taught to everyone.
    One thing that is detrimental to a society is wastefulness or selfishness. In my city we would try to avoid both of these things. To put an end to wastefulness I would try to have laws against unnecessary waste. Unnecessary waste being the throwing away of perfectly good products. Selfishness is not something that can be avoided without taking away people's rights, so I would just try to promote being good citizens who care about each other.

Federalist 51

“If men were angels, no government would be necessary.” James Madison wrote these words in one of his many Federalist Papers, this one being the 51^st. However he knew that men were not angels and that a government was necessary for the liberty and freedom of the American people, but what kind of government would best meet the needs of the people.

The founding fathers had experienced hardships due to their last government, and they wanted to avoid these hardships by establishing a more perfect government. But how were imperfect men supposed to establish and administer a government?  When one man gets too much power he may begin to think more for himself instead of for his people. This was something they wanted to avoid and so they established a government that would not give one man all the power.

            That is why James Madison proposed a government with a separation of powers.   That is why they established a government with three branches.  So that they could have a separation of powers and no one man could have too much power.  Madison states that “each department should have a will of its own.” Each branch of government does have a will of its own but they also support each other.

            Madison continues with the reason for having these separate departments: “This policy of supplying, by opposite and rival interests, the defect of better motives, might be traced through the whole system of human affairs, private as well as public. We see it particularly displayed in all the subordinate distributions of power, where the constant aim is to divide and arrange the several offices in such a manner as that each may be a check on the other -- that the private interest of every individual may be a sentinel over the public rights. These inventions of prudence cannot be less requisite in the distribution of the supreme powers of the State.”

            The three separate branches allow each other to check the work of the other.  The Judicial branch can check on the Legislative branch.  The Legislative branch can check on the Executive branch.  This action promotes honesty and integrity in each of the branches.  This way the power is divided and is also in check by others so that one man cannot take all the power and make selfish decisions.

Inspiration and the Constitution

                The Constitution of the United States of America is often grouped with the Declaration of Independence.  These documents outline our rights as Americans.

                “WE hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” wrote the framers of the Declaration of Independence. It is clear to see that God played a part in the lives of the founding fathers; otherwise the above mentioned truths would not be self-evident.  I believe that He did inspire these men in writing the Declaration and the Constitution.

In D&C 101:77 He states that He established the Constitution and that we should maintain it “for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles.”  By stating that it is to protect the rights of “all flesh” we can see that God was looking after all of His children, and today we can see the far reaching effects of the American Constitution.  Many nations have adopted it or used it as an example for their own constitution to protect their rights.

We are supposed to maintain the constitution “according to just and holy principles.”  Anything just or holy can be considered truth, and God is the Father of all truth.  So I believe that God inspired our forefathers to create a constitution built upon the principle of truth.

                Another thing about the Constitution that proves to me that it was inspired is that it is a government ran by the people. The scriptures say it is not expedient that we should have a king, and I believe God inspired the founding fathers to establish a government for the people and by the people.

In the Book of Mormon it says that this land will be “a land of liberty,” a land where “every man may enjoy his rights and privileges alike,” (2 Nephi 10:11 and Mosiah 29:32).  These are ancient prophesies that have been fulfilled through the Constitution.  The Constitution is what guarantees our liberties and rights.

I believe God played a part in the lives of all the men who played a part in developing the Constitution.  They were raised as a God fearing people.  They prayed, they went to church, and they read the Bible.  I believe they sought God’s help in the things they did. I believe He did inspire them.

All the experiences and trials they went through helped them to create a “more perfect union.”  The freedoms and liberties we enjoy now come in part because of the hardships and injustices that colonists faced more than 200 years ago.  I am grateful that God inspired these wise men to write the Constitution and establish this great country.

American Foundations Blog Essay

Clint Urick

American Foundations

Blog Quiz Lesson 2

                American colonists left their motherland, England, so they could have more freedom. They left Great Britain to come to America, which was still under British rule. They had no reason to separate themselves from British Parliament if they continued to enjoy the same rights as every other British citizen.

                For the most part America was just an appendage of Great Britain throughout the 18^th century. Colonists still considered themselves Englishmen, and were loyal to the crown. They openly traded with their homeland and enjoyed the relationship they had together. They did not wake up one day and decide to start a revolution. There were many happenings and events that took place over a long period of time that eventually led to the Revolutionary War and Independence.

                As colonists enjoyed the new liberties they had in America the new king of Britain, King George III, wanted to make a name for himself and was sure to have loyalty and respect from all people under the crown’s jurisdiction. And so he made the Proclamation of 1763, which prohibited colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. This seemed to be a fairly small thing at the time, but was the beginning of many changes to come.

                One of the main reasons that Americans eventually sought after independence was due to unfair taxes placed upon the backs of the colonists. Following the Seven Years’ War Britain was in debt, and was in need of raising its revenue. King George III looked across the Atlantic to obtain that money. Parliament established the Sugar Act in 1764, a tax on sugar coming into America.

This was the first of a long string of taxes that the British government would impose on the American colonies as a way to raise its revenue.              These taxes were unconstitutional in the minds of Americans because laws were being passed concerning them while they did not have a representative in the British Parliament. The term “taxation without representation” became a common phrase in American newspapers opposing the acts.

Other acts that affected colonists were the Currency Act of 1764 and the Quartering Act of 1765. The Currency Act prohibited colonies south of New England to produce money. The Quartering Act forced American citizens to quarter, or house, British soldiers. It infringed upon rights as Englishmen, furthering the cause for independence, however there were only few colonists who wanted to separate from Great Britain at this time. Samuel Adams was one of the only Americans who dreamed of an independent country.

The Stamp Act of 1765 was the next tax colonists had to deal with. This act taxed all paper goods. Newspapers, legal documents, and many other items were to be taxed by this act, which was another example of taxation without representation. Americans protested this and the tax was never effectively collected.

Nearly all of these acts would be short lived and repealed by Parliament. Since colonists protested the Stamp Act so effectively British Parliament repealed it but followed up with the Declatory Act in 1766. This “declared” that Great Britain can regulate and tax colonists anyway they feel necessary just like every other English province. It was basically a way to say we (Great Britain) are still in charge.

Following the Declatory Act was the Townshend Acts. The Townshend Act was a series of laws that eventually led to the Boston Massacre. Samuel Adams spearheaded the resistance of the Townshend Acts by writing a letter to the Massachusetts state legislature. Then they passed it onto other legislative bodies and all the state governments were able to see and discuss why these acts were unconstitutional. The colonies were united in protesting the Townshend Acts. Most of the Townshend Acts were repealed but it still pushed Americans even closer to desire independence.

After repealing the Townshend Acts Parliament passed the Tea Act. The Tea Act allowed merchants of the East India Co. to sell tea directly to America at cheaper prices than normal. This tea did not have to go to England first, as it used to, but could go straight to America. If the colonies bought this tea they would be accepting the fact that Parliament can still tax them, because the Townshend Acts still taxed tea in America.

Rather than sell their rights for tea, Americans united together and would not allow the tea in the colonies. Some ports would not allow ships to unload their shipments of tea, while others just let it rot on the docks. The most famous of these acts of resistance was the Boston Tea Party, where they threw the tea into the harbor in protest of the Tea Act.

In consequence to the Boston Tea Party the Coercive Acts or Intolerable Acts, as Americans called them, were established to make an example of Massachusetts and put an end to colonial resistance. This only gave Americans a greater desire for freedom, liberty, and independence.

The natural rights of American colonists had been disregarded by Great Britain for a decade. The Declaration of Independence lists more than 25 failures of the British government to secure American citizen’s rights. They had been taxed on numerous occasions without their own consent or proper representation. They had been forced to quarter troops in “times of peace.” They cut off trade with the rest of the world. King George III appointed judges of his own free will not by the vote of the people.

These are just of the few unconstitutional acts forced upon colonists by British Parliament. If the government they trusted and were loyal to failed to secure their natural rights why would the colonies continue to support them? The very reason for coming to America was to have liberty and freedom. The failure of the crown to secure these liberties and freedoms was the very reason America called for independence. That is why they were justified in seeking independence. They wanted a government that protected their God given rights, and that is why they started a revolution.