The US Constitution
Lesson Overview
Learning Objectives
1. Describe the powers of the national government under the Articles of Confederation and the
reasons for the Articles' ultimate failure.
2. Review the debates and consequences of the 1787 Constitutional Convention.
3. Summarize the basic structure and methods of amending the US Constitution.
4. List the major powers assigned to the national government.
5. Define separation of powers and give examples of checks and balances.
6. Appraise the democratic credentials of the original Constitution and discuss how they have
changed over time.
Introduction
The US Constitution is the founding document of our nation and the fundamental law of the
land. In theory, this means every law, order, regulation, and judgment, whether federal, state or
local, must be consistent with the Constitution's language and meaning. Constitutions are
written to achieve two separate but complimentary goals. First, they establish the basic powers
and responsibilities of government, describing the distribution of power in a political system.
Second, they place limits on that power by describing what governments cannot do.
Constitutions establish freedoms for citizens that government cannot take away. Although the
United States has existed under the same Constitution for well over two hundred years, the
document has evolved dramatically over the years due to constitutional amendments, judicial
interpretation, governmental practice, and war. This lesson will introduce you to the blueprint for
American government.
Study Questions
1. Describe the organization, distribution of power, and decision-making process of the
national government under the Articles of Confederation.
2. Discuss the main factors contributing to the Articles' failure with specific regard to:
a. Economic Policy
b. Foreign Policy
c. Domestic Order
3. What was the cause of Shay's Rebellion and what is its significance?
4. What was the original mission of the delegates arriving in Philadelphia for the Constitutional
Convention of 1787? How did the delegates exceed their charge?
5. Summarize the following plans on offer at Philadelphia:
a. Virginia Plan
b. New Jersey Plan
c. Great Compromise
6. How did the proposed Constitution deal with the difficult issue of slavery?
7. Outline the structure of the proposed national government under the Constitution of 1787. In
what chief respects does it differ from the Articles of Confederation?
8. Describe the three basic principles underlying the US Constitution:
a. Separation of Powers
b. Checks and Balances
c. Federalism
9. What is "bicameralism" and what are the reasons for its inclusion in the structure of US
government?
10. Give at least two examples of each of the following:
a. Executive checks over the Legislature
b. Legislative checks over the Executive
c. Executive checks over the Judiciary
d. Legislative checks over the Judiciary
e. Judicial checks over the Executive
f.
Judicial checks over the Legislature
11. What enumerated powers does Article I assign to the national government? How does it
limit the national government?
12. What are the major roles assigned to the US president in Article II?
13. Article III says relatively little about the Supreme Court and judicial branch. What kind of
jurisdiction does the Supreme Court possess?
14. Which main judicial power is conspicuously absent in Article III?
15. Identify four ways the Constitution can be amended under Article V. What is the most typical
method?
16. What was the ratification process for the proposed Constitution?
17. What was the difference between a Federalist and an Anti-Federalist?
18. What aspects of modern government are not found in the Constitution?
19. Discuss the evolution of the Constitution's representative and democratic character with
respect to:
a. The Bill of Rights
b. The Fourteenth Amendment
c. The Fifteenth Amendment
d. The Seventeenth Amendment
e. The Nineteenth Amendment