Constitution/Articles of Confederation

James Madison

Proposed Virginia plan

John Locke

• Philosopher

• Social contract

• Many of his ideas are used in the Declaration of Independence

Alexander Hamilton

• Responsible for organizing the Annapolis Convention

• Helped call for change of the Articles

• Helped organize the Constitutional Convention

Thomas Jefferson

• President from 1800-1808

• Approved Lousiana Purchase

• Slave owner

• Committed to U.S democracy

• Founding Father

Federalism

Split power between the federal government and state governments

Social Contract

• Idea of John Locke

• Used in the Declaration of Independence

• The idea that the government is responsible for protecting the rights of the people, the people are responsible for following laws in place

Concurrent (Shared) Powers

Powers that both states and the federal government have

Delegated Powers

Powers of the federal government

Reserved Powers

Powers of the states

Declaration of Independence

• Inspired by the ideas of John Locke

• Uses the idea of social contract 

• “Break up letter” from Britan

• Declares U.S independence from England

Power to Declare War

A power held by the federal government

Bi-cameral

Legislative has 2 parts

Pocket Veto

• The president can choose not to sign a bill passed by congress

• President does not take action to sign the bill

Filibuster

• Used in the senate to stall before a vote

• Senators are allowed to talk until time runs out, stalling the vote

Cloture

A vote to end the fillibuster

Gerrymandering

• Controversial form of re-drawing boundaries for a congressional district

• Gives specific candidate or party an advantage

Federalist Papers

• 85 essays written by Hamilton, Madison and John Jay

• They argued for the ratification of the constitution

• They wanted the federalist paper to help build public support for the constitution

• The Federalist papers helped explain more about the ideas of the constitution

Electoral College

• Electors who represent the population of individual states

• Each state gets a certain amount of electoral votes based on population size

• Used in presidential elections

Republic

The people have power through representatives

Republicanism

• Citizens can vote for their representatives

• Elections

Democracy

Government by the people

Great Compromise

• Large states vs. small states

• Also known as the Connecticut compromise

• Large pop states: wanted legislature determined by the population of the states

• Small pop states: wanted every state to have an equal number of reps

• How it was resolved: a 2-house system (bi-cameral) was created

• One house was to be chosen by state population, and the other would be the same for every state

• A combination of both the VA and NJ plan

3/5ths Compromise

• Southern vs Northern states

• South wanted slaves to count towards the state population to give them more members in Congress

• Northern states didn’t want slaves counted toward votes in Congress, arguing they should be considered property 

• Solution: every slave counted as 3/5ths of a person toward the population

Slave Trade Compromise

• Slave states (Southern) wanted to import as many slaves as possible

• Non-slave states (Northern) wanted the slave trade to end right away

• Northern states believed it was cruel and wrong

• Solution: the states agreed to end the slave trade in 20 years

Commerce Compromise

• Agricultural states vs Manufacturing states

• Agricultural states (south) wanted Congress to deny the ability to tax imports

• Manufacturing states wanted Congress to tax imports to help protect their businesses

• Solution: It was agreed that Congress can tax the imports but not the exports

Checks and balances of the Judicial branch

Checks Legislative by: Declaring laws unconstitutional

Checks Executive by: Declaring laws unconstitutional, the chief justice of the Supreme Court will be the judge of an impeachment trial

Checks and balances of the Legislative branch

Checks Judicial by: Approving all judges, can amend the constitution

Checks Executive by: Can reject their nominees, can override a presidential veto with a ⅔ vote, ratified the treaties made by president

Checks and balances of the Executive branch

Checks Legislative by: Vetoing laws, executive orders, pardons, VP vote breaks ties in the senate

Checks Judicial by: Appointing judges

Separation of Powers

• 3 separate branches of government

• All the branches check each other

• Checks and balances

• No branch has more power than the others

Executive Order

A way for presidents to take action without needed approval from Congress

Pardons

A power held by the president to free someone from charges of a crime

British Plan

• Proposed by Hamilton

• House of Lords, house of Commons

• House of commons representatives are to be elected by “qualified citizens”

• Executive: elected for life

• Very similar to British government system 

Virginia Plan

• Proposed by James Madison and Edmund Randolf

• Senate and House reps determined by state population

New Jersey Plan

• Supported by many small states

• Legislative: (one house) reps elected by state legislatures

• 1 state gets 1 vote

• Elect an executive board

• Executive: board of many presidents

• Carries out laws

• Can be removed by congress

Powers of Congress, President and Supreme Court

• Can coin money

• Right to declare war

• Right to maintain an army/navy

• Rightr to regulate interstate commerce

Powers reserved for the states

• Marriage laws

• Election laws

• Public school

Powers shared by Federal gov’t and states

• Taxing

• Speed Limits

How is the Constitution amended?

• Through proposal and ratification

• ⅔ majority vote in congress needed

• Once the idea is proposed it must be ratified by ¾ of states

How does the electoral college system work?

• Winner of popular vote gets electoral vote for each state

• Electors

• Winner takes all

The checks and balances system

System that makes sure one branch of government isnt more powerful than the others

Executive Branch

President:

• Qualifications- must be 35 years old, have to be a citizen for 14 years

• Length of Term- 4 years

• How elected?- By the population, electoral collage

• Powers?- Commander in chief, signs laws, can veto laws, nominates judges and exec dept leaders, can issue pardons

Legislative Branch

House of Representatives:

• Qualifications- have to be over 25 yrs old

• Length of term- 2 years

• How elected?- by the people

• Powers?- proposes all money bills, brings impeachment to vote, votes on declaration of war, 

  Senate:

  • Qualifications- have to be over 30 yrs old

  • Length of Term- 6 years

  • How elected?- by the people

  Powers?- filibuster, approves all executive appointments, votes on dec of war

Judicial Branch

• Supreme Court

• Powers?- Declares laws unconstitutional, tries federal cases,

• Judges appointed by the president

Bill of Rights

• the first 10 amendments in the constitution

• it lists the important rights and freedoms of the American people

• Some states were concerned that the government would abuse their power without the Bill of Rights

• Many states argued for individual-protected rights