A New
Plan of
Government
U.S. History
The Constitutional Debate
• 9 states have to approve Constitution
before it goes into effect
– State legislatures set up
ratifying conventions
– 1787: Conventions meet
• Rhode Island opposes Constitution
– Never calls together a convention to approve it
• Arguments for and against the
adoption of the Constitution
• Newspapers, Public Meetings, Cartoons,
Conversations
TO DO #1:
Draw a Venn Diagram to compare the
Federalists and the Anti-Federalists
Federalists
Anti-Federalists
Federalists
• Supporters of the Constitution
– George Washington, Ben Franklin,
Alex Hamilton, John Jay, James Madison
• More organized than their opponents
• The Federalist Papers
–
–
–
–
–
Series of essays explaining and defending the Constitution
Written by Madison, Hamilton, and Jay
Appears in newspapers around the country
Widely read
Later published as a book and sent to the delegates at
conventions
Anti-Federalists
• Opposed the Constitution (Against it)
• Not well organized
•Anti-federalist Papers
•Response to The Federalist Papers
•Essays explaining how the
Constitution would take away liberties
•Americans fought a war to win these
liberties from the British
Constitution would create a strong
national government
-Ignore will of the people and states
-Wealthy would be favored over common
people
-Small group of educated people would
rule
Prefer local governments that are close to
the people
Fears of New Government
• Federalists
– Fear disorder without a strong
central government
• Need it to keep things in
order
– More rebellions and riots
– Constitution needs to create
a national government to deal with problems
• Anti-Federalists
– Fear oppression more than disorder
– Worry about the concentration of power in a
central government
• Too powerful
Protecting
Rights
• Missing a Bill of Rights to protect individual
freedoms
• No government could be trusted to protect our
freedoms
• States take a stand and decide they won’t ratify the
Constitution without the addition of a Bill of Rights
• Mercy Otis Warren (Massachusetts)
– Saw the need for a strong government, but she was
afraid of it
TO DO #2:
Part A: Write down reasons why it
would be important to add a Bill
of Rights to the Constitution
Part B: List as many of our rights
that you can that are listed in the
Bill of Rights
Adopting the Constitution
• December 7, 1787
– Delaware becomes the
first state to approve the
Constitution
• June 21, 1788
– New Hampshire is the 9th
state to approve
– New Government is able
to go into effect
• In theory, only needed
9 states to ratify or
adopt the
Constitution
Two States Still Oppose Constitution
• Two of the Largest States against
Ratification
– New York and Virginia unsupportive
– Strong Anti-Federalist groups
• Patrick Henry (VA)
– Fiery speeches against the Constitution
» Didn’t sufficiently limit the power of the federal government
• June 1788: Virginia ratifies the Constitution
– Assures that it would include a Bill of Rights
Amendment
• Amendment: Something added to a document
TO DO #3:
List the reasons why
some states did not
want to sign the
Constitution?
Three States Left to Ratify
New York, North Carolina, and Rhode
Island
• July 1788: New York Ratifies by a small
margin
• November 1789: North Carolina Ratifies
• May 1790: Rhode Island Ratifies
A New Constitution
• All 13 states ratify by 1790
– Large celebrations
• Parades, Ringing of
Church bells,
Cannon Salutes, Parties
• 1791: Bill of Rights Added to the Constitution
– New government takes office
– Need to elect leaders and begin the work of the
government
Electoral College
• Each state elects representatives (Electors)
• SENATORS:
– Each state gets 2 Senators
• HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
– Number of Representatives a state gets depends on
the state’s population
– States with more
people, get more
votes
• 4 year terms
• Maximum: 2 terms
Electors
• Electoral College elects President and Vice President
– Presidential electors elected by state’s voters
– Indirect Election:
• Each state has as many votes as it has members of Congress
• Cast votes for the state
– Each elector given one vote for president and one vote for vice
president (Twelfth Amendment)
• Whatever candidate
has the most votes,
wins all of the votes for
that state
- “Winner Takes All”
> Except in the case
of Maine and
Nebraska
Securing the Presidency
• 538 Total Electors
• Winner Takes All v. Congressional District Method
• Candidate needs to win 270 Electoral Votes to
become President
– Win half of the electoral vote (269) + 1
• Candidate can win popular vote,
and not become president
Writing Blitz
• Explain how the Electoral College Works
–Write a half page that explains how the
Electoral College works.
–Suggested Guiding Questions:
• What is the Electoral College? How does it
work?
• Who makes up the Electoral College?
• How does a candidate become president?
• Why is the Electoral College Important?
6 Traits Writing Blitz: ORGANIZATION
• Your essay should include an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
• LENGTH: At least 3 paragraphs (Paragraph: 4-6 Sentences Each)
– Introduction:
» What are you writing about?
» What are you trying to explain to other people?
– Body:
» Explanation:
• How does the Electoral College Work?
• What is the Electoral College?
• Who is part of the Electoral College?
• What is the Electoral College in charge of?
– Conclusion:
» Summary of what you’ve written
• The importance of the Electoral College
» Your Voice: Do you think the Electoral College is Fair or Unfair? Why?
Main Ideas
• After the Revolutionary War, a new Constitution is
adopted
• The U.S. government rests on the Constitution
• The Constitution is designed to limit the power of
government
– Power is split between the federal government and the
states
• The U.S. government is
broken up into 3 branches:
- Legislative
- Executive
- Judicial
Roots of the Constitution
• Provides for a strong
central government
• American Document
with influence from
many civilizations
– Studied the history of political development
• British, Greece, Romans
– European political institutions and political writers, ideas
– Want to avoid mistakes of the past
• Framers: People who “framed” the Constitution
Framers
•
•
•
•
Shaped the Constitution
Familiar with parliamentary system (Britain)
Participate in colonial/state assemblies
Value Individual
rights guaranteed
by British
judicial system
• Respect British
traditions
Ideas from the British
Government
• 1215: Magna Carta
– Limits the power of the
monarch (ruler)
– Parliament responsible to
give money to king for war
and to finance the royal
government
• Makes laws
• 1689: English Bill of Rights
– Rights given to the people
– Protections
The Enlightenment’s Impact on the
Constitution
• John Locke
– All people have natural rights
• Liberty, life, property
– Government is based on an agreement (contract)
between the people and the ruler
• Baron de Montesquieu The Spirit of Laws (1748)
– Powers of government should be separated and
balanced against each other
– Powers of government should be clearly defined and
limited to prevent abuse
Framers End Product
• View Constitution as a contract between Americans and their
government
• Protect people’s rights by limiting the government’s power
• Carefully specify and divide powers of government
– Federal and State Powers
The Federal System
• Divided powers between
the national government
and the states
– States give up some of
their powers
- Kept under Articles of
Confederation
– Federal government gains powers
• Shared Powers: Federalism
– Distinctive feature of U.S. government
Division in Powers
State Powers
Federal Powers
Pass and Enforce Laws (State
Laws)
Regulate trade within their
borders
Establish local governments,
schools, institutions for welfare of
citizens
Tax
Build Roads
Tax
Regulate Trade
Control the Currency
Raise an Army
Declare War
Build Roads
Pass “Necessary and Proper” Laws
Constitution Becomes Law
of the Land
• No state can make laws or take
actions against the
Constitution
• Federal courts settle any
disputes between federal
government and the states
• Constitution is the final and
supreme authority
Organization of Government
• Three Branches of Government:
– Legislative
– Executive
– Judicial
• First three articles of the
Constitution describe the
powers and responsibilities
of each branch
Article I: Legislative Branch
• Makes Laws
• Congress
–Composed of the House of Representatives
and the Senate
–House of Reps: Depends on state’s population
–Senate: 2 for each state
–Power to Declare War and Raise an Army
• Collect Taxes
• Coins Money
• Regulates Trade
Article II: Executive Branch
• Strong executive leader
– Serve as a check, or limit on
Congress
• Headed by President
– Commander in Chief of
Armed Forces
– Conducts relations with
foreign nations
• Carries out nation’s
laws and policies
Article III: Judicial Branch
• Court System of U.S.
– Supreme Court
• Nation’s judicial power
• One Supreme Court
– Lower Federal Courts
• Hear cases involving the Constitution, laws
passed by Congress, Disputes between states
Checks and Balances
• Separation of Powers: Divided
between the 3 branches
• System of Checks and
Balances keep other branches
from becoming too powerful
• Branches have roles that
check (limit) the others so
that no single branch
dominates the government
• Limits the abuses of power
More Checks on Power
• Both House and Senate must
pass a bill for it to become a law
– President can Veto, or reject the bill
• Can check Congress
– Congress can check the President
• Override the veto: Voting down the Veto
– 2/3 of members from both houses must vote for the bill
• Supreme Court checks Congress and President
– President appoints Supreme Court Justices
• Senate must approve the appointments
– Rules on the Constitutionality of laws and presidential
acts
TO DO #4:
On a separate sheet of paper,
draw a picture that represents
how the different parts of
government can check each
other’s power
National Citizens
• Creates citizens of the U.S.
• People choose their officials
–Directly or Indirectly
• Officials answer to the people, not the states
• Government protects personal freedoms of
people
• Change government through discussion
and choice, not war, chaos, violence