AP Gov \\ Chapter 2: The Constitution

What is the Constitution?

a document that out the fundamental principles of governance and establishes the institution of government

What is a Republic?

a government ruled by the representatives of the people

What does Unicaramel refer to?

one chamber of government

What does is the Articles of Confederation?

a governing document created a union between all 13 states in which the states, not the national government, held supreme power.

What is Shays Rebellion?

a popular uprising against the government of Massachusetts.

Who is the principle architect of the Constitution?

James Madison

What was ratified in 1781?

The Articles of the Confederation

What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

1) National Government couldn’t tax the country
2) Supreme Power given to the States
3) States held the power to issue tariffs and regulate trade
4) Judicial Branch had no enforcement powers

What happened in the Annapolis Convention?

Convention for addressing trade and tariffs between different states. Only 5 of the 13 states actually attended. Many came with the thoughts of reforming the government.

Why didn’t people want to reform the Articles of the Confederation despite it’s weaknesses

Southerners were worried that a new governing document would limit slavery in the south. Others worried that a new Constitution would be worse than the current situation.

Why did Shay’s Rebellion start?

Economic crisis that happened in Massachusetts, there was a significant lack of hard cash such as silver and gold coins. This crisis was further exacerbated by further taxes causing widespread foreclosures.

What did Shay’s Rebellion hope to do?

Shay’s Rebellion hoped to stall the foreclosure procedures by targeting courts.

Why was Shay’s Rebellion considered the nail in the coffin for the Articles of the Confederation?

The rebellion highlighted the weakness with a lack of a national government as the rebellion couldn’t be putted down by state militia nor by a non-existent national military. It wasn’t until some wealthy Bostoners that donated some funds were they then able to put down the rebellion.

What was the RIOT Act of 1786, Massachusetts.

An act in Massachusetts that acquits any sheriffs or government officials that kills rioters. This act further exacerbated the events in Shay’s Rebellion.

How many states had to ratify the Constitution and the Articles of the Confederation?

13 States

Who were the leading figures of the Constitutional Convention?

James Madison, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Ben Franklin

Who is known as the father of the Constitution?

James Madison, for his efforts in leading to the ratification of the Constitution as well as documenting and scribing the details of the convention.

Who was the President of the Constitutional Convention?

George Washington

Under Article ___, Section ___, the suspension of habeas corpus is forbidden unless in a state of rebellion or invasion. What is habeas corpus?

Article 1, Section 9. Habeas Corpus: the right of the people detained by the government to know the charges they are being accused of.

Under Article ___, Section ___, Congress and the states are forbidden from passing bills of attainder. What are the bills of attainder?

Article 1, Section 9. Bills of Attainder are the bills that allow legislation to declare an individual as guilty without trial.

What are ex post facto laws?

Laws that have the ability to charge people for acts that were not considered a crime at the time of those acts.

What is in Article 3, Section 2?

Right to a trial by jury.

What was the Virginia Plan and who was it devised by?

James Madison a slave owner, devised the Virginia Plan. It proposed for a 3 branch of government with a bicameral legislature consisting of an upper and lower house.

Upper house being elected by state legislature and lower house while the lower house was directly voted in by the population. Notably and most controversially, seats were given based on State Population.

Additionally, the power to veto was also given to the Legislature here.

What was the New Jersey Plan?

The New Jersey Plan followed the footprints of the Articles of Confederation with more economic power given to the Congress. It proposed a unicameral legislature that provided 1 seat to every state.

Who devised the Great Compromise and what was the Great Compromise?

The Great Compromise was devised by a committee within the Constitutional Convention known as the Grand Committee, a council with 9 seats. They were contrived to delegate a solution to the two different representative plans. Together they formed the Great Compromise.

The Great Compromise proposed a bicameral legislature, the Senate, which every state will have 2 seats of, and the Representatives, where the state’s population decides the amount of seat per state.

This is officially in Article 1, Section 1.

Why was slavery such a conflicted topic in the convention?

Slavery had the opportunity to divide the convention, Southerners were threatening to leave the Convention if slavery would have been abolished.

The Committee of Detail, understanding the dilemma, appeased the Southerners to ensure that the Constitution would be ratified, all be it, providing alot of power to the Southerners and Slavery.

What was the 3/5th Compromise?

Considered every slave as 3/5th of a person when accounting a state’s population to provide seats in the House of Representatives.

What was the Compromise on Importation?

No restrictions on slavery can be passed until 1808.

What did James Madison think of slavery?

Madison was a slave owner but also acknowledged the deep contradictions the Declaration of Independence had for slavery. He would never free his slaves but he had drafted letters suggesting to move slaves into the western lands or into Africa.

The idea of separation of powers was inspired by which enlightenment thinker?

baron de montesquieu

Which chamber of Congress issues the articles of impeachment and which chambers hosts the trial of impeachment?

House of Rep → Articles of Impeachment

Senators → Trial of Impeachment

What is federalism?

The sharing of power between national government and the states

What is the difference between term limits for the House of Representatives and the Senators?

Senators → 6 Years

House of Rep → 2 Years

What are expressed or enumerated powers in the Constitution?

The idea that authority is explicitly given to a branch of government in the Constitution. ie Congress has powers to tax since it’s directly stated in the Constitution.

What does the necessary and proper or elastic clause do in the Constitution?

Grants Congress power to carry out laws with some flexibility basically.

What does implied powers mean?

Powers of the Government that go beyond those that are enumerated.

Which parts in the Constitution makes it so that the Supreme Court’s decision become the supreme law of the land?

Supremacy Clause and Judicial Review

How many lasting changes via amendments are there in the Constitution?

15

What are the two different paths to propose an amendment?

1) Two/Third House Congress Vote

2) Two/Third Convention from the States

What are the two different paths to ratify an amendment?

1) ¾ of all 50 state legislature approve and ratify

2) ¾ of state conventions via constitutional conventions approve and ratify.