Chapter 2
The Constitution
The Colonial Background
? Jamestown – representative assembly
? Plymouth – social contract with consent of
the governed
Selected Milestones in the
Colonial/ Early American Era
? the Stamp Act
? the First Continental Congress
? the Second Continental Congress
? the Revolutionary War
? the Declaration of Independence
? the ratification of the Articles of Confederation
? Shays’ Rebellion
? the Constitutional Convention
? the ratification of the U.S,Constitution
? the Ratification of the Bill of Rights
Important Concepts in the
Declaration of Independence
o Natural Rights – the idea that individuals hold certain
rights because they are human; governments cannot take
away these,inalienable” (can’t be transferred) rights
– Locke describes these rights as,life,liberty and property”
– Jefferson describes these rights as,life liberty and the pursuit of
happiness”
o Social contract -- a general agreement between the people
and the government,where the people agree to give up
some of their liberties,so that the remainder are protected,
The Articles of Confederation
Table 2-1,Powers of the Congress of the Confederation
CONGRESS HAD POWER TO,CONGRESS LACKED POWER TO,
? Declare war and make peace,
? Enter into treaties and alliances,
? Establish and control armed forces,
? Requisition men and money from states,
? Regulate coinage,
? Borrow money and issue bills of credit,
? Fix uniform standards of weight and
measurement,
? Create admiralty courts,
? Create a postal system,
? Regulate Indian affairs,
? Guarantee citizens of each state the rights and
privileges of citizens in the several states when
in another state,
? Adjudicate disputes between states on state
petition,
? Provide for effective treaty-making power and
control foreign relations; it could not compel
states to respect treaties,
? Compel states to meet military quotas; it
could not draft soldiers,
? Regulate interstate and foreign commerce; it
left each state free to set up its own tariff
system,
? Collect taxes directly from the people; it had
to rely on states to collect and forward taxes,
? Compel states to pay their share of
government costs,
? Provide and maintain a sound monetary
system or issue paper money; this was left up to
the states,and monies in circulation differed
tremendously in value,
Compromises in the Drafting of
the U.S,Constitution
? the Great Compromise – resulted in a bicameral
legislature,with one house based on equal
representation,the other on population,
? the Three-Fifths Compromise – resulted in slaves
being counted as,3/5” of a person for the purpose
of determining population for representation in the
U.S,House of Representatives,
Separation of Powers – dividing
governmental powers
? legislative branch – is granted the power to
make laws
? judicial branch – is granted the power to
judge laws
? executive branch – is granted the power to
administer laws,some delegates favored a
plural executive,but a single chief
executive was decided upon,
Separation of Powers
Branch,Legislative Congress Executive Presidency Judicial Federal Courts
House Senate President Judges
Officials
chosen by,People
People
(originally,
state
legislatures)
Electoral College,
whose members
are chosen by the
people (originally,
by state
legislature)
President,with
advice and consent
of Senate
For term of,2 years 6 years 4 years Life
To
represent
primarily,
Common
people
Large states
Wealthy
people
Small states
All people Constitution
Ratification of the U.S,
Constitution,
? was supported by Federalists,who argued in favor
of the ratification and supported a strong central
government,
? was opposed by the Anti-Federalists,who opposed
a strong central government and argued for a Bill
of Rights
The Bill of Rights
? the first 10 amendments to the Constitution
? were adopted in 1791
? were designed to protect individuals from a
too powerful national government
Figure 2-2,The Formal
Constitutional Amending Procedure
Hot Links to Selected Internet Resources,
? Book’s Companion Site,
http://politicalscience.wadsworth.com/schmidtbrie
f2004
? Wadsworth’s Political Science Site,
http://politicalscience.wadsworth.com
? Emory University,School of Law,Constitution of
the United States,
http://www.law.emory.edu/erd/docs/usconst.html
? National Constitution Center,
http://www.constitutioncenter.org
? Web Guide to the Constitution of the United
States,http://tcnbp.tripod.com/webguid.htm
The Constitution
The Colonial Background
? Jamestown – representative assembly
? Plymouth – social contract with consent of
the governed
Selected Milestones in the
Colonial/ Early American Era
? the Stamp Act
? the First Continental Congress
? the Second Continental Congress
? the Revolutionary War
? the Declaration of Independence
? the ratification of the Articles of Confederation
? Shays’ Rebellion
? the Constitutional Convention
? the ratification of the U.S,Constitution
? the Ratification of the Bill of Rights
Important Concepts in the
Declaration of Independence
o Natural Rights – the idea that individuals hold certain
rights because they are human; governments cannot take
away these,inalienable” (can’t be transferred) rights
– Locke describes these rights as,life,liberty and property”
– Jefferson describes these rights as,life liberty and the pursuit of
happiness”
o Social contract -- a general agreement between the people
and the government,where the people agree to give up
some of their liberties,so that the remainder are protected,
The Articles of Confederation
Table 2-1,Powers of the Congress of the Confederation
CONGRESS HAD POWER TO,CONGRESS LACKED POWER TO,
? Declare war and make peace,
? Enter into treaties and alliances,
? Establish and control armed forces,
? Requisition men and money from states,
? Regulate coinage,
? Borrow money and issue bills of credit,
? Fix uniform standards of weight and
measurement,
? Create admiralty courts,
? Create a postal system,
? Regulate Indian affairs,
? Guarantee citizens of each state the rights and
privileges of citizens in the several states when
in another state,
? Adjudicate disputes between states on state
petition,
? Provide for effective treaty-making power and
control foreign relations; it could not compel
states to respect treaties,
? Compel states to meet military quotas; it
could not draft soldiers,
? Regulate interstate and foreign commerce; it
left each state free to set up its own tariff
system,
? Collect taxes directly from the people; it had
to rely on states to collect and forward taxes,
? Compel states to pay their share of
government costs,
? Provide and maintain a sound monetary
system or issue paper money; this was left up to
the states,and monies in circulation differed
tremendously in value,
Compromises in the Drafting of
the U.S,Constitution
? the Great Compromise – resulted in a bicameral
legislature,with one house based on equal
representation,the other on population,
? the Three-Fifths Compromise – resulted in slaves
being counted as,3/5” of a person for the purpose
of determining population for representation in the
U.S,House of Representatives,
Separation of Powers – dividing
governmental powers
? legislative branch – is granted the power to
make laws
? judicial branch – is granted the power to
judge laws
? executive branch – is granted the power to
administer laws,some delegates favored a
plural executive,but a single chief
executive was decided upon,
Separation of Powers
Branch,Legislative Congress Executive Presidency Judicial Federal Courts
House Senate President Judges
Officials
chosen by,People
People
(originally,
state
legislatures)
Electoral College,
whose members
are chosen by the
people (originally,
by state
legislature)
President,with
advice and consent
of Senate
For term of,2 years 6 years 4 years Life
To
represent
primarily,
Common
people
Large states
Wealthy
people
Small states
All people Constitution
Ratification of the U.S,
Constitution,
? was supported by Federalists,who argued in favor
of the ratification and supported a strong central
government,
? was opposed by the Anti-Federalists,who opposed
a strong central government and argued for a Bill
of Rights
The Bill of Rights
? the first 10 amendments to the Constitution
? were adopted in 1791
? were designed to protect individuals from a
too powerful national government
Figure 2-2,The Formal
Constitutional Amending Procedure
Hot Links to Selected Internet Resources,
? Book’s Companion Site,
http://politicalscience.wadsworth.com/schmidtbrie
f2004
? Wadsworth’s Political Science Site,
http://politicalscience.wadsworth.com
? Emory University,School of Law,Constitution of
the United States,
http://www.law.emory.edu/erd/docs/usconst.html
? National Constitution Center,
http://www.constitutioncenter.org
? Web Guide to the Constitution of the United
States,http://tcnbp.tripod.com/webguid.htm
