Lecture 1 - 1 Flashcards
Who was most famous for writing the constitution?
James Madison
Many people call him the father of the constitution and say he is the intellectual heavyweight behind the Constitution and our system of Federalism. Many dispute that and say it was Washington. ________ and Hamilton were themes brilliant in terms of intellectual.
James Madison
Who purported to flip Madison’s constitution?
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln purported to flip Madison’s constitution. Take a Constitution that is directed toward Federalism and flip it to one that is geared to protecting what?
individual rights from the states
In contrast to Madison, Hamilton saw that it was important to have a larger more powerful _______ ________ than states.
central government
Democratic likes a stronger _____ _______.
federal government
Democratic likes a stronger federal government. To be fair ________ is not a classic conservative either. He is a big government conservative if there was one.
Trump
- No true democracies
- Imperial France
- No United Germany -1861
- Hapsburg Empire
- Imperial Spain
- East India Company
- United Kingdom before First Reform Act
- Pre-Meiji Imperial Japan
What do these refer to?
The World in 1787
We won a revolutionary war in 1783. Resulted in the creation of ____ _______ ____ ________ and it was chaotic. In 1787 they wanted a new constitutional compact.
articles of confederation
Back to the time of our framers. We won a revolutionary war (really a civil war) it wasn’t just English and Americans it was a lot of Americans and Americans. Resulted in the _______ ______ _______ _______ with a _______ national government and it was chaotic.
the articles of confederation
weak
1787 ________ _________ so they can deal with perceived failings. At the time they sought to bring democracy.
constitutional compact
Obvious concerns with _________ we deal with them today – by what measure should somebody who reads encyclopedia amounts of knowledge have his vote or her vote balanced by someone who decides to show up at the polls and wildly swing away? That is strange.
democracy
U.S. Constitution (Enacted in _____ and ratified in _______).
1787
1788
U.S. Constitution (Enacted in 1787 and ratified in 1788)
- Less than 8,000 words can be read in less than half an hour.
- Proposed for ratification in Philadelphia in September 1787 and signed by 39 eminent men.
- U.S. had more democracy than the world ever saw.
- White Americans at this time had the highest material living standards of any population worldwide. – even at the time of the revolutionary war.
What does this refer to?
Constitutional Compromise. It can be read quickly. It’s effective
Why did the Framers require checks and balances via three separate branches of government?
Madison was trying to create was congressional government with an executive branch with some powers and a judicial branch to protect against abuse. By no means was he thinking of equal branches.
For a law or order to be effectively implemented, at least _____ branches must concur, i.e., Congress and the President or the President and the courts or Congress and the courts.
two
For a law or order to be effectively implemented, at least two branches must concur, i.e.,
1. ?
2.
3.
Congress and the President or
For a law or order to be effectively implemented, at least two branches must concur, i.e., Congress and the President or the President and the courts or Congress and the courts.
1.
2. ?
3.
- The President and the courts or
For a law or order to be effectively implemented, at least two branches must concur, i.e., Congress and the President or the President and the courts or Congress and the courts.
1.
2.
3. ?
- Congress and the courts
For a law or order to be effectively implemented, at least two branches must concur, i.e., Congress and the President or the President and the courts or Congress and the courts.
This reduces the likelihood of what?
tyranny by dispersing power
we don’t like to have ________ by having too much power being held by one person. We wouldn’t trade our passports for a Russian Federation Passport, right? We wouldn’t see living in Russia as better when it comes to individualized freedoms. On the flip side if you disperse power too much it can be problematic because no one is accountable. Framers created a system which maintained our current dislike of the system as well. The dislike of the system is built in the cookie. It’s baked in the cake. We look back assuming at one point it was perfect and it was always difficult.
tyranny
Article I refers to what?
Both houses of Congress
Both houses of Congress
Article 1
Article II refers to what?
the president
The president
Article II
Article III refers to what?
The U.S. Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court
Article III
Madison came up with _________ ________ We call congressional elections in the midterms a midterm election as though it’s a voluntary gig. Congressional elections are pretty important. Why in that order?
congressional government
What Article?
The Preamble refers to a “Constitution for the United States of America.”
What Article?
The _______ refers to a “Constitution for the United States of America.
Preamble
What Article?
All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States.
Article 1
The Preamble refers to a “Constitution for the United States of America.”
“All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States…”
It doesn’t say Constitution for the American people. It is about _________ _______ between the ______ and the newly created _______ ________.
apportioning powers
states
federal government
If I am purporting to do something and using a power, it better be found in this book. TN can tell you; you have to be 18 to get married and car insurance if you want to drive a car. The _______ ________ couldn’t do those things. It had to have a source of power here to pass a law.
federal government
Article I – Section 1
Article 1 refers to the Congress consisting of
two houses, i.e., House of Representatives and the Senate
It is important that we have two houses so that each can hold each other accountable..
accountable
In the US our two chambers are both very ___________.
powerful
What Article?
House term is 2 years and members are chosen by people of the several states according to the laws of each state based on qualifications for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislature.
Article 1 Section 2
House term is how long?
2 years
House term is 2 years and members are chosen by ________ of the _____ _______ according to the laws of each state based on qualifications for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislature.
people
several states
Voting rights are determined by your _____ of _______.
state of domicile
What are the requirements for each House member?
25 years of age
U.S. Citizen for at least 7 years and an
inhabitant of the state from which they are elected.
Each House member must be 25 years of age, a U.S. citizen for at least 7 years and an inhabitant of the state from which they are elected. Why was this? What were the property qualifications?
They were concerned with dynastic policies. You’re my son, and I want you to be next.
The founders liked Washington as a consensus president – he was sterile and that wasn’t a risk with dynastic politics choosing Washington.
What article?
Each House member must be 25 years of age, a U.S. citizen for at least 7 years and an inhabitant of the state from which they are elected.
Article 1 Section 2
What Article?
Representatives AND taxes are to be apportioned between the number of free Persons and three-fifths of all other Persons.
Article 1 Section 2
The 3/5th’s clause was about dealing with the fact that there are African American slaves who were obviously inhabitants of the state and effectively what that meant was states like Va. Wanted to have them be given full voting right not to allow the slaves to vote but to allow the white slave owner to vote on their behalf. Example: Thomas Jefferson would have cast 30 ballots because he would have had 30 slaves.
3/5’s there was no IRS. Initially each state had to remit payment to Washington to keep the system going. Like the UN big budget but each state had to cut a check to the UN.
True or False.
True
Claiborne County is named after him. Super young a chief justice of the state of TN.
First congressman was sworn in before 25. Allowed him to take the oath even though the constitution specifically said you had to be 25. Which shows they didn’t always take it serious.
William Charles Cole Claiborne (n.1774)
What Article?
Each state has at least one representative and the number of representatives cannot exceed 1 per 30,000 inhabitants.
Article 1 Section 2
Each state has at least _____ representative and the number of representatives cannot exceed ____ per 30,000 inhabitants.
1
1