Constitution Flashcards
The first National constitution
The articles of confederation
Articles of confederation
Created in 1781, government based around Congress
Articles of
Congress powers
Declare war, make peace, make treaties, borrow money, create post offices, admit new states, make army and navy
Powers Congress didn’t have
Could not tax, or control and interfere state trades
Why wasn’t there one head of the government?
They feared their country to be like Britain and prevented tyranny
Why the articles of confederation were a problem
Without an executive, power to tax, and the ability to regulate trade, the Congress could not function effectively.
Annapolis Convention
5 states met in Annapolis, Maryland to study the trade problem. No big decisions made from lack of representation.
Who called the convention in Pennsylvania 1787?
Alexander Hamilton and James Madison
What did Congress agree on about the convention?
The convention would have the sole and express purpose of reviewing the articles of confederation… making it the constitutional convention.
Confederation
Alliance of states
Constitution
Framework of a government
Commerce
Trade
When was the constitutional convention
May 1787
What state didn’t show up at the constitutional convention
Rhode Island
President of the constitutional convention that made Madison furious
George
Washington
Two important leaders from the convention
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who were influential in the writing of the declaration were in Europe serving as ambassadors.
Oldest and Youngest constitutional convention attendee
Ben Franklin (81) and Johnathan Dayton(26).
The most serious task at the constitutional convention
How to achieve a balance between liberty and authority.
A combination of the best of the Virginia and New Jersey plans.
The Great Compormise
Bicameral
Having two houses, what the congress was made to be in the great compromise
What the large states supported
The number of congressmen was determined by the population of the state— the virginia plan
What the small states supported
Each state having equal representatives— the New Jersey plan
The great compromise called for what kind of congress?
A bicameral (two house) congress.
Which house had the representatives decided on population and which house had it equal?
The House of Representatives was based on population and the Senate was equal.
3/5 compromise
Every slave vote counted as 3/5ths of a normal vote.
How is the president elected?
An electoral college— each state had as many electors as they had representatives in congress.
Form a more perfect union
Establish a national government that would be able to more effectively run a newly instituted nation
Establish justice
Provide systems within the federal and state governments that would insure basic fairness to citizens
Insure domestic tranquility
Make arrangements for general health, welfare, and public peace of all communities
Provide for the common defense
Provide the means and methods to protect our nation from the threat of war or civil insurrection
Promote the general welfare
Insuring that citizens have control over their lives and can make decisions
And secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity
A new government, to be successful, must endure. For generations without end, the preamble and the constitution would stand as protections and reminders of what our nation would strive to achieve.
Popular sovereignty
People source the governments powers and help influence its decisions
Limited government
The constitution decides which powers the government can and cannot have, preventing a dictatorship.
Separation of powers
All three branches of government have their powers individually, but also control one another.
Checks and balances
Each branch has power of the other preventing any one from becoming too overpowered
Federalism
Government power is divided between the states and national government.
Republicanism
People have the right to vote.
Individual rights
Basic freedom and rights are granted to every US citizen guaranteed.
Three parts of the constitution
Preamble, body, amendments
