Unit 3 US Constitution Set Maxwell
Articles of Confederation
Americas first government that failed to effectively govern the states.
Federalism
Created to limit the possibility of governmental abuses of power; divides power between the state and federal government, If we try the Constitution . . . we find it neither wholly NATIONAL nor wholly FEDERAL. Were it wholly national, the supreme and ultimate authority would reside in the MAJORITY of the people of the Union. . . . Were it wholly federal, on the other hand, the concurrence of each State in the Union would be essential to every alteration that would be binding on all. . . . —Federalist 39, James Madison, 1788
Third Amendment
No quartering of soldiers
Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
no power to tax, no money to buy ships or pay soldiers, the government had no control over the states, couldn't raise an army, there was too much strength in the states and not enough in the central, no judicial or executive branch
A Representatives term of office is
2 years
First Amendment
5 freedoms: speech, press, religion, assembly, petition
Fifth Amendment
A constitutional amendment designed to protect the rights of persons accused of crimes, including protection against double jeopardy, self-incrimination, and punishment without due process of law.
Federalists
A group of people who were in favor of creating a supreme national government
Republic
A place where the people are represented by officers elected by the people
James Madison
Author of the Virginia Plan
Amendments
Changes to the Constitution
Legislative Branch
Creating and passing laws, power to declare war, create taxes
2
Each state has ______ Senators
Bill of Rights
First 10 amendments to the constitution
The entire legislature can perform no judiciary act, though by the joint act of two of its branches the judges may be removed from their offices . . . The entire legislature, again, can exercise no executive prerogative, though one of its branches . . . can try and condemn all the subordinate officers in the executive department. —James Madison, Federalist No. 47, 1788
Government powers are separated and balanced.
Foundations of our government
Greeks, Romans and English Philosophers; John Locke
Executive Branch
Headed by the office of the President of the United States, "Of all the cares or concerns of government, the direction of war most peculiarly demands those qualities which distinguish the exercise of power by a single hand. The direction of war implies the direction of the common strength; and the power of directing and employing the common strength, forms a usual and essential part in the definition of the executive authority." —The Federalist No. 74, Alexander Hamilton, 1788
Judicial Branch
Interprets laws created by congress to be Constitutional or not
Checks and Balances
It was presumed that a sense of their [framers of the Articles of Confederation] true interests, and a regard to the dictates of good faith, would be found sufficient pledges for the punctual performance of the duty of the members to the federal head. The experiment has, however, demonstrated that this expectation was ill-founded and illusory [misleading]. . . . Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 23, 1787, prevent the abuse of power between the branches of government
Population
Membership in the House of Representatives is determined by a states _____________
Veto
Power of the President to check laws created by the Congress
Three Branch Government/Separation of Powers
Prevents all groups within our government system to become too powerful, Montesquieu's ideas about separate branches
Fourth Amendment
Protects against unreasonable search and seizure
Anti-Federalists
Refused to ratify the Constitution unless it contained a written Bill of Rights, argued that To protect individual liberties, limits must be placed on the power of the federal government.
Second Amendment
Right to keep and bear arms
The US Constituion
The Supreme Law of the land
Impeach
The act of removing a President or other elected official from office for crimes
Preamble
The first part of the Constitution, We the People... Form a more perfect union, Establish Justice, Ensure Domestic Tranquility, Provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessing s of liberty
The Great Compromise
The plan that created the 3 branch government we know of today. Plan was suggested by Roger Sherman, from Connecticut, representation and voting in the House of Representatives would be based on population, It addressed the concerns of larger states about equal representation in the Senate.
Federalist Papers
Written by Hamilton, Jay, & Madison to support ratification of the U.S. Constitution, These essays supporting ratification of the Constitution were written anonymously under the name Publius
Presidents single term of office
is 4 years
Senators single term of office
is 6 years
Judges term of office
is life or good behavior
Commander in Chief of the military
is the President of the United States
The Presidents responsibility
to enforce/execute and carryout laws, can check the Judicial Branch by nominating a candidate for the Supreme Court
compromise
to meet in the middle on a issue that separates two people