Constitutional Convention

Question 1

AOC Convention

Answer 1

• 1st Meetup: 1786, only five states sent delegates, needed all 13 states for revision
• 2nd Meetup: 1787, revision was still impossible, scrapped the AOC all together

Question 2

New Jersey Plan

Answer 2

• unicameral legislature, equal number of representatives from each state
• smaller and larger states would hold the same power
• each state had only one vote
• national gov can provide defense but cannot override state authority

Question 3

Federal Supremacy VS State Sovereignty

Answer 3

Biggest problem at the AOC Convention when writing the Constitution

Question 4

Federal Supremacy Proposal

Answer 4

WHY: necessary for an efficient/adaptable nation
- we need a standing army/navy to defend against others
- gov has no money to support defense, commerce, foreign affairs, etc.
- other countries will not loan money since the US cannot use taxes to repay foreign debts

FAVORED BY LARGER STATES(VIRGINIA PLAN)

Question 5

State Sovereignty Proposal

Answer 5

WHY: a strong national gov could suppress citizens and their rights/liberties
- states had all other powers and could understand their citizens better
- unicameral legislature
- TAKING AWAY LIBERTIES

FAVORED BY SMALLER STATES(NEW JERSEY PLAN)

Question 6

Points of Contention

Answer 6

• strengthening the national gov but also high state power
• continuing to permit slavery
• president?
• protecting power of small states from the power of populous states
• congressional veto that the states did; Presidential veto
• members of Congress: elected or appointed?

Question 7

Virginia Plan

Answer 7

• bicameral legislature, population based in each house
• lower house reps elected by popular vote
• higher house reps selected by lower house from list provided by state legislature
• national gov can legislate for states and veto state law

Question 8

The Great Compromise

Answer 8

• bicameral legislature
• Senate: representation based on equal number of reps from each state (NJ Plan)
• HOR: representation based on each state’s population (V Plan)

Question 9

Term Lengths; Great Compromise

Answer 9

HOR: 2 year terms by popular vote

Senate: state legislatures would elect members for 6 year terms

Question 10

3/5th Compromise

Answer 10

Southern states could include all their free population and 60% of their enslaved population when deteremining representation in the House of Representatives

Question 11

EFFECTS of 3/5th Compromise

Answer 11

SOUTH: increased number of members in HOR

NORTH: opposed the compromise

Question 12

Slavery Debates

Answer 12

NORTH: required the immediate or gradual abolition of slavery

SOUTH: wanted to retain slavery for agricultural economics and apportionment of taxes and representation

Question 13

Separation of Powers

Answer 13

dividing the national gov into 3 separate branches with different responsibilities

Question 14

Checks and Balances

Answer 14

each branch had the power to restrict the actions of others

Question 15

3 Branches

Answer 15

1. Legislative: US Congress
2. Executive: US President (HOS, HOG, commander in chief)
3. Judicial: Supreme Court and lower federal courts

Question 16

Enumerated Powers

Answer 16

powers explicitly granted to the federal government by the Constitution

Question 17

Reserved Powers

Answer 17

all powers not explicitly granted to the federal government are reserved for the states

Question 18

“How should Senator Elections occur?”

Answer 18

There were considerations on how senators should be selected during the convention, where they considered:

1. Should they be popularly voted (but we do not want common folk running things)
2. Should the President appoint Senators (but then the President would be like a monarch)

Question 19

“Should Foreigners Take Place in GOV?”

Answer 19

Considerations on how foreigners should act in government - if at all :
- strong mistrust towards foreigners - they could take over land and resources
- scrapped the idea of stopping them from partaking in government bc there were so many foreigners in the room/ had relationships with them
- What was a foreigner VS a citizen?
- Led to nationally born citizens only being able to run for President

Question 20

Loss of Washington’s Confidence

Answer 20

• GW was not a willing participant
• brother has passed away
• he himself was sick
• did not think the Constitutional Convention would succeed (he did not want to partake in failure)