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