Unit 3 – Establishing the New Nation

  • Weakness of the Articles of Confederation:

    • Weak central government with limited powers.

    • Lack of a national currency.

    • Inability to regulate interstate commerce.

    • No national court system.

    • Difficulty in passing laws (required 9 out of 13 states).

    • Unanimous consent required to amend the Articles.

    • No power to tax effectively.

  • Northwest Ordinance of 1787: Established a system for governing the Northwest Territory, including a process for admitting new states and prohibiting slavery in the territory.

  • Virginia Plan / New Jersey Plan / Great Compromise

    • Virginia Plan: Proposed a bicameral legislature with representation based on population. Favored large states.

    • New Jersey Plan: Proposed a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state. Favored small states.

    • Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise): Created a bicameral legislature with the House of Representatives based on population and the Senate with equal representation for each state (two senators per state).

  • Federalist v Anti-Federalist

    • Federalists: Supported the Constitution and a strong central government.

    • Anti-Federalists: Opposed the Constitution, fearing it gave too much power to the federal government. They advocated for a Bill of Rights to protect individual liberties.

  • 3/5th Compromise: An agreement to count enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for purposes of representation and taxation.

  • Constitution: The supreme law of the United States. Establishes the framework for the federal government.

  • Preamble: The introduction to the Constitution, stating the goals and purposes of the government ("We the People...").

  • Principles of Constitution:

    • Popular Sovereignty: The people hold the ultimate power.

    • Limited Government: The government's power is restricted by the Constitution.

    • Separation of Powers: Power is divided among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

    • Checks and Balances: Each branch of government can limit the power of the other branches.

    • Federalism: Power is divided between the federal and state governments.

    • Judicial Review: The power of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional.

  • Federalism: A system of government in which power is divided between a national (federal) government and state governments.

  • Bill of Rights: The first ten amendments to the Constitution, guaranteeing fundamental rights and freedoms (e.g., freedom of speech, religion, press, right to bear arms, protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, right to due process and a fair trial).

  • Loose vs. strict construction:

    • Loose construction: Interpreting the Constitution broadly, allowing the federal government to exercise powers not explicitly listed in the Constitution (implied powers).

    • Strict construction: Interpreting the Constitution narrowly, limiting the federal government to only the powers explicitly listed in the Constitution.