Government Unit 2

New Jersey Plan

Favored the small states. Each state received equal representation

Virginia Plan

Favored the large states. Representation based on populaiton

Connecticut Compromise

An agreement that Congress should be composed of a Senate (equal rep) and a House of Representatives (based on population)

Constitutional Convention

A meeting to revise the Articles of Confederation

Six Purposes of Government

1. To form a more perfect union

2. To establish justice

3. To insure domestic tranquility

4. To provide for the common defense

5. To promote general welfare

6. To secure the blessings of liberty

Magna Carta

• 1215

• Written by British nobles

• Limited the power of the king and gave Parliament more power

• Limited government, Rights, Rule of law, Due process

• Earliest of the founding documents and heavily influenced the inclusion of limited government

English Bill of Rights

• 1689

• Written by English Parliament

• Limited the power of the king even more and gave even more power to the people and Parliament

• Limited government, Rights, Rule of law, Due process

• Built on the ideas of the Magna Carta and fed even more into those ideas being used in the US government

Articles of Confederation Weaknesses

• No chief executive

• No national power to settle disputes between states

• Congress did not have the power to tax

• Congress could not create a national court

• Approval of all the states was needed to amend the Constitution

• Laws needed to be approved by 9/13 states

Articles of Confederation Strengths

• They created a system of weights and balances

• They created a postal service

Articles of Confederation Fixes

• Article I: Power to tax, bicameral legislature, majority rule for passing laws

• Articles II: Presidential power

• Article III: National courts

• Article V: 2/3 and ¾ needed to amend

• Article VI: Constitution and federal government are supreme

Constitution

• Senators serve for 6 years

• House representatives serve for 2 years

• Articles

  • I-III: Created three branches

  • IV: Discusses state relations

  • V: Tells how to amend the Constitution

  • VI: Constitution and federal government are supreme

  • VII: How to ratify the Constitution

Proposing Amendments

2/3 of both houses propose the amendment

OR

2/3 of state legislatures ask for a national convention to propose an amendment

Passing Amendments

¾ of state legislatures ratify the amendment

OR

¾ of special state conventions ratify the amendment

Inherent Powers

Powers that the government has simply because it is a government

Implied Powers

Powers that the government has that are not explicitly outlined, but are given to them because they are needed in order to carry out other duties and power that A