overview + origins Flashcards
when did the constitution come about?
1787, effective from 1789
what type of constitution does the US have?
codified - all written in one place
does the US have separation of powers or fusion of powers?
separation
when did the original states declare independence from GB?
1776
what event caused the US constitution to be created?
after war of independence with Britain
how many states were there originally?
13 on the east
what were the articles of federation?
a confederacy (loose association of states in which all almost all political power resides with the individual states)
why didn’t the articles of federation work?
because of weak central government, congress had no power
what was the Philadelphia convention?
-all 13 states apart from rhode island attended
-aim was to revise the articles of confederation, which they then decided to scrap and so created a new constitution
who were the key founding fathers?
-benjamin franklin
-george washington
-john adams
-thomas jefferson
-john jay
-james maddison
-alexander hamilton
what does the constitution emphasise?
representative government, not democracy