Putting the Constitution into Effect

The Constitution was put into effect with the beginning of George Washington’s presidency in 1789 This first administration needed to do many things Create a good financial footing for the country Set up a stable political system Establish foreign policies to insure national security

How the government ended up functioning at first did not come directly from the Constitution The first leaders developed an “unwritten constitution” that adapted to changes in the country and what was needed for the government to function correctly This “unwritten constitution” came about for various reasons Executive interpretations and actions Congressional interpretations and actions Court decisions, especially judicial review Customs and traditions Actions of political parties

With Washington being the first president he had the unique opportunity to establish many traditions and customs These are known as PRECEDENTS When making policy, Washington wanted advice from people with expertise and certain areas So he sought the advice of the heads of various executive departments This group of advisors became known as the President’s cabinet The president appoints cabinet members with Senate approval but can fire them without approval The cabinet is an important part of the unwritten Constitution that still exists today Washington also consulted with leaders in Congress when developing policy These “advise and consent” interactions also became part of the unwritten constitution

Alexander Hamilton was Washington’s secretary of the treasury (cabinet member) His job was to get the country on good economic footing and he developed a 4 part plan to do it Assumption Wanted the federal gov’t to pay off the Revolutionary War debts of both the Continental Congress and the states Hoped that assuming these debts would establish good credit for the country National Bank – chartered in 1791 Wanted Congress to create a national bank hoping that it would get businesses to support the government It would also help the government with its financial dealings

Hamilton wanted a protective tariff to help shield the country’s new businesses from competition from foreign businesses A tariff is a tax on goods brought into a country which are called imports By putting a tax on foreign goods it drives up the price With higher prices on foreign products, Americans will be more likely to buy American goods, which the tariff won’t apply to and therefore should be cheaper This allows American businesses to make more money and do better Hamilton’s proposed protective tariff was not passed by Congress They did pass other tariffs to raise money for the government

Hamilton proposed that the government raise money through an excise tax on whiskey An excise tax is a tax on the production, transportation, sale, or consumption of a good However, in 1794, farmers in Western Pennsylvania protested this tax and refused to pay it They made whiskey from extra grain they grew Washington called out the state militias and quickly put down this “rebellion” Washington’s quick actions showed that the new government (and Constitution) would not hesitate to enforce federal law