THE CONSTITUTION Wilson Chapter 2A

KEY QUESTIONS Who Governs?To What Ends?  Difference between democracy and republic  Branch with the greatest power  Goals the government should serve  Freedoms protected

TRADITIONAL LIBERTIES  Independent judges  Free from quartering  Free trade  No taxation without representation  Limited government

COLONIAL MIND  Men are ambitious, greedy, corrupted  Higher law to preserve natural rights  Life  Liberty  Property (pursuit of happiness)  Ideology Ideology  Specific violations of the English government

DECLARATION  Open letter to the world  Explains Social Contract  Blames English government  Asks for independence

REVOLUTION  Legitimate authority  Secure liberties  Consent of the governed  Written constitution  Superior legislative, accountable to the people

ARTICLES  Loose union of independent states  Named “The United States of America”  Single legislature of very limited power  Addition of the Northwest Territories  Northwest Ordinance  Rules for admitting new states  XI - Canada  Abolition of slavery  Mail/trade with countries/indians  Freedom of speech/Rights of accused  Limits: military/titles of nobility  Pay war debts/borrowing money

FAILURE OF ARTICLES  One vote for each state (2-7 delegates)  Dependent on states for tax collection  Powerless to regulate interstate trade  Problems with coining money  Needed state militias  Territorial disputes  States enforced laws  States pick and pay for legislature  No national court system  Amendments required unanimous approval  9/13 vote required to pass laws  “firm league of friendship”

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION  No accepted political theory  State models  PA – too democratic  MA – too elitist  Madison  Confederacies were too weak to govern  Other governments trampled liberty  Shay’s Rebellion  Veteran rebellion over taxation and foreclosures  Private army, fear of anarchy, debate

FRAMERS  Sent to revise Articles  Concerned about defense of liberty  Feared tyranny of majority  Needed to preserve order  Practical men  Veterans  Confederate Congress  Not the leaders of the Revolution

NEW PLAN VirginiaNew Jersey  Comprehensive  Strong national government  Direct election  Parliamentarian  3 branches 3 branches  Amend not replace  Feared under-representation  Equality among states  State authority

GREAT COMPROMISE  Connecticut  Settled on new national government  Focus on representation  Divide into 2 houses  House directly elected based on population  Senate indirectly elected equal among states  Electoral College Electoral College

CONSTITUTION OUTLINE  Preamble Preamble  Articles  I – Legislative  II – Executive  III – Judicial  IV – Relation Among States  V – Amending Process  VI – National Supremacy  VII – Ratification  Amendments

READINGS  Woll pages  Limitations of Governmental Power and of Majority rule  Federalist 47, 48, 51