A More Perfect Union Section 4

Ideas that Shaped the Constitution Many ideas from the Constitution were inspired from other sources. Here are some of the ideas that shaped the Constitution.

Ideas from America The Iroquois League - early American leaders were inspired by the Iroquois system of government. The League of the Iroquois was a model for unity. The Indian nations governed separately but joined in unity in their defense.

Ideas from Europe Ideas limiting the power of a ruler came from the Magna Carta in England. KING JOHN: MAGNA CARTA. King John of England signing the Magna Carta at Runnymede, 15 June 1215

Other sources: John Locke - In 1690, John Locke published Two treaties of Government. He stated in this work that all people had the natural rights to life, liberty and property. Locke believed government was a contract between ruler and the ruled. John Locke The real John Locke

Montesquieu In 1748 Baron de Montesquieu published The Spirit of the Laws. In it he said that the power of government should be divided among three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. This was designed to keep any person or group from gaining too much power. This idea became known as the separation of powers. Montesquieu also said that the powers of government should be clearly defined.

A Federal System Under the old Articles of Confederation, the states had more power than Congress. With the new Constitution, the states gave up some of their power to the national government. The division of power between the states and federal government is called Federalism.

Under the Federal system the following rules of power apply: The Constitution spells out the powers of the Federal Government: Declare war, issue money, regulate trade, and make treaties Under the Constitution, states have the power to regulate trade between their borders. Overlapping or shared powers include: The power to tax, to try criminals, and to build roads.

Three Branches of Government The legislative branch of the national government is called Congress. House of representatives and Senate The executive branch consists of the President, Vice President, and advisors. The judicial branch is made up of several courts, with the highest court being the Supreme Court.

Electoral College Instead of citizens directly electing the President, the electoral college votes. 2004 Election results George Bush Al Gore Popular Vote 50,456,002 50,999,897 Percentage 47.9% 48.4% Electoral Vote 271 266

Checks and Balances The framers of the Constitution established a system of checks and balances to prevent any branch government from getting too powerful.

Ratifying the Constitution At home in the town squares, Americans discussed the Constitution. Many people supported it. Many others did not. The convention was over. Now the states had to decide whether or not to ratify this new frame of government.

In order for the document to be ratified (or accepted) nine of the thirteen states had to agree with it. In every state there were debates over the Constitution. People that supported the Constitution were called Federalists. The people who opposed the Constitution were called Antifederalists. Federalists Federalist Papers

The Antifederalists were against the Constitution because it did not have a Bill of Rights. Those who favored the constitution promised to provide the Bill of Rights to spell out the basic freedoms (or rights) for all of the American people. The states then held a vote and one by one, the states voted to ratify the Constitution. In June 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution. Now the new government could go into affect.

The people celebrated in festive parades and parties The people celebrated in festive parades and parties. By 1790, the last state of Rhode Island approved the Constitution. Americans then voted in George Washington as the first President. John Adams was elected the first Vice-President. New York City became the nation’s first Capital. Federal Hall

Adding a Bill of Rights The first Congress quickly turned its attention to adding the Bill of Rights. They also set up a way to amend, or change the Constitution. They wanted the Constitution to change as the times changed. They called the changing of the Constitution the Amendment Process.