Constitutional Convention & 3 Branches Review 2.4-3.1

Framers

The delegates who attended the Philadelphia Convention and created the Constitution.

Purpose of the Constitutional Convention

The delegates originally met to revise the Articles of Confederation but decided to create an entirely new system of government.

Virginia Plan

A proposal for a new government with three branches and a bicameral legislature in which representation would be based largely on population.

Who favored the Virginia Plan?

Larger and more populous states because representation would be based on population.

New Jersey Plan

A proposal that kept a unicameral Congress with equal representation for each state while giving the national government additional powers.

Who favored the New Jersey Plan?

Smaller states because each state would have equal representation in Congress.

Main disagreement between the Virginia and New Jersey Plans

Whether representation in Congress should be based on population or state equality.

Connecticut Compromise / Great Compromise

The agreement that created a two-house Congress with representation based on population in the House and equal representation in the Senate.

House of Representatives

Part of Congress in which each state's representation is based on population.

Senate

Part of Congress in which every state has equal representation.

Three-Fifths Compromise

For representation and direct taxation, three-fifths of the enslaved population would be counted.

Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise

Congress could regulate interstate and foreign commerce, but could not tax exports and could not prohibit the slave trade until 1808.

Why is the Constitution sometimes called a "bundle of compromises"?

Many disagreements at the Constitutional Convention were resolved through compromise between competing interests.

Federalists

People who supported ratification of the Constitution.

Anti-Federalists

People who opposed ratification of the Constitution or feared the new national government would become too powerful.

Main Federalist argument

The Articles of Confederation were too weak and the nation needed a stronger national government.

Main Anti-Federalist concern

The Constitution gave too much power to the national government and did not adequately protect individual rights.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution, added to protect individual liberties from government power.

Why was a Bill of Rights important to ratification?

Federalists promised to add protections for individual rights, helping win support for the Constitution.

The Federalist Papers

A series of essays supporting ratification of the Constitution, written primarily by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.

How many states were needed to ratify the Constitution?

Nine states.

Supreme Law of the Land

The Constitution is the highest form of law in the United States.

Seven Articles

The main divisions of the original Constitution that establish the structure and operation of the federal government.

Article I

Creates the legislative branch, Congress.

Article II

Creates the executive branch, headed by the President.

Article III

Creates the judicial branch, including the Supreme Court.

Popular sovereignty

The principle that political power ultimately belongs to the people and government operates with their consent.

Limited government

The principle that government is not all-powerful and may exercise only the powers given to it by the people and the Constitution.

Rule of law

The principle that government officials and citizens are subject to and must obey the law.

Separation of powers

The division of government power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

Checks and balances

The system in which each branch has powers that allow it to limit or restrain the actions of the other branches.

Example of checks and balances

Congress passes laws, the President may veto them, and Congress may override a veto with a two-thirds vote in each house.

Judicial review

The power of courts to determine whether government actions are constitutional.

Marbury v. Madison

The 1803 Supreme Court case that established the power of judicial review.

Federalism

The division of governmental power between the national government and state governments.

Why did the Framers divide government power?

They wanted an effective national government while preventing too much power from being concentrated in any one government or branch.

Six basic principles of the Constitution

Popular sovereignty, limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, judicial review, and federalism.