Chapter 2 Outline
Logan Towers
Period 4
9/20/22
Origins of the Constitution- ( Describe the ideas behind the American Revolution and
their role in shaping the constitution.)
Ideas behind the American Revolution: One of the major ideas that spread was the thought of
independence. This idea later brought along the all known Declaration of Independence.
Another idea was natural rights which was invented by John Locke. This led to a big part of
freedom that is referenced in the Constitution.
The Government That Failed: 1776-1787- ( Analyze how the weaknesses of the
Articles of Confederation led to its failure.)
One of the weaknesses that really stands out from the rest is that it was literally made to be weak.
The founding fathers presumed that if they made it too strong that the government would be able
to take over the people.
Making a Constitution: The Philadelphia Convention- (Describe the
delegates to the Constitutional Convention and the core ideas they shared.)
The delegates were made up of 55 men with independent wealth, most were college graduates.
They all rightfully share the same idea in “revising the Articles of Confederation”. This “rewrite”
later came to be known as the U.S Constitution.
Critical Issues at the Convention- (Categorize the issues at the constitutional
Convention and outline the resolutions reached on each type of issue.)
Issue#1: Equality- The Constitution does not say much on equality which meant people thought
unequal rights, such as slavery, is alright which was a problem. A couple ways they tried to fix
this was the New Jersey Plan and the Virginia Plan. Both in all called for equal representation in
congress. Another way was the three-fifths compromise, where ⅗ of slaves should be countd on
to vote and have an opinion (which is still not fair).
Issue#2 Economy- Inflation in its prime paper money was pretty much worthless. So what does
the government do? taxes? Well… not exactly seeing the government could not charge taxes
because no one would have been able to pay them. They instead paid off their national debt which
flowed right back into the economy.
================================================================================
The Madisonian System- (Analyze how the components of the madisonian system
addressed the dilemma of reconciling majority rule with the protection of minority rights.)
The Madisonian system helps balance out powers. What is balanced is an agreed upon level of
rights for all people, to prevent tyranny of the majority. If there is no minimum protection of rights
for the minority, the majority would be able to overtake them.
Ratifying the Constitution- (Compare and contrast the federalists and anti-federalists
in terms of their backgrounds and their positions regarding government.)
The background of Federalists is that they were highly educated and very wealthy. On the other
hand, Anti-Federalists were highly uneducated and usually poor farmers. Federalists supported
the constitution while Anti-Federalist did not.
Changing the Constitution- (Explain how the constitution can be formally amended
and how it changes informally.)
The constitution changes over time as the people change just like a lot of other things in the
world. The constitution can be Formwhenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary,
shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds
of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments
Understanding the Constitution- (Assess whether the constitution establishes a
majoritarian democracy and how it limits the scope of the government.)
The constitution did not establish a majoritarian democracy, they established a republic.
Problems with a majoritarian democracy is that it's based on the majority rule , which states that
even if a candidate is wrong or not fit for their position, if they get the majority of the vote they will
be elected.