Constitutional Democracy Chapter Overview Politics and government matter—that is the single most important message of this book. By emphasizing the foundations of American politics, Magleby’s text helps students understand the complexity of contemporary U.S. government and politics. To that end, Chapter 1 establishes the foundation for the balance of the text by introducing questions fundamental to the study of politics and government. We begin by exploring the scope and nature of constitutional democracy in the United States. We then trace the historical development of constitutional democracy in the United States, identifying problems under the Articles of Confederation and how those problems were resolved in the Constitution. We conclude by evaluating arguments for and against the ratification of the Constitution. By the end of the chapter, students should have the foundation necessary to begin to explore some of the more complex questions in U.S. politics.