CONSTITUTION
VOCABULARY
1. Constitution
2. Bicameral
3. Confederation
4. Ratify
5. Great Compromise
6. Three-Fifths Compromise
7. Electoral College
8. Federalisms
9. Federalism
10. Anti-Federalists
11. Preamble
12. Legislative Branch
13. Executive Branch
14. Judicial Branch
15. Amendment
16. Popular sovereignty
17. Separation of Powers
18. Checks and Balances
19. Expressed Powers
20. Reserved Powers
21. Concurrent Powers
ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
Unicameral legislature where each state had one vote.
 Could
Could not
 Make laws
- Tax
 Control military
- Enforce laws
 Organize treaties
- Regulate trade
Establish national
courts
- Control money supply
Federal system: Power is divided between national and
state governments.

AOC’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Ordinance of 1785
 Divided
the land into townships and allowed
Congress to raise money by selling the land to
settlers.

Northwest Ordinance
 Laid
the basis for the organization of new territorial
governments and set a precedent for the method of
admitting new states to the Union. Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin
THE END OF THE AOC
The Articles proved to be too weak for the
country.
 Shay’s rebellion: A group of farmers in
Massachusetts were in debt because of heavy
state taxes. 1200 rebelled but were defeated.

 Showed
the founders of our government that a
stronger central government was needed.
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

May 25, 1787 55 delegates from 12 states met in
Philadelphia.

The purpose of the meeting was to revise the Articles of
Confederation.

The delegates agreed on four things:
1. Throw out the articles.
2. Each state had one vote regardless of the amount
of delegates.
3. Keep it secret for 25 years.
4. George Washington would be in charge.
PLANS OF GOVERNMENT
Virginia
James
Madison
1. Bicameral legislature based on
population.
2. Strong Executive Branch
3. National Court System
New Jersey
William
Patterson
1. Unicameral legislature with
equal representation.
2. Strong Executive Branch
3. National Court system
Connecticut
Roger
Sherman
1. Bicameral legislature: Upper
house equal and lower house
based on population.
2. Strong Executive Branch
3. National Court system
CONSTITUTIONAL COMPROMISES
Compromise Details
Great
Compromise
Bicameral legislature
Upper: Equal (Senate)
Lower: Based on population (House of Rep)
Three-Fifths
One slave equals three-fifths of a person for
the purposes of taxation and representation.
Slave trade
and
commerce
Congress can control all aspects of foreign
and interstate trade, but they can not stop the
slave trade until it is re-addressed in twenty
years.
Executive
The Executive branch will be lead by one
individual called “President” and will be
elected every four years by the Electoral
College (that is their sole purpose)
RATIFICATION





Nine out of 13 states had to ratify the Constitution.
It was signed by the delegates on September 17, 1787.
Federalists supported the Constitution. They wrote a
series of essays called the Federalist papers that were
published in newspapers across the country. James
Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay were the
writers defending the Constitution.
Anti-federalists were those that opposed the
Constitution. They felt that too much power was given to
the National government. They wanted a bill of rights.
June 21, 1788 New Hampshire became the ninth state
to ratify the Constitution. Rhode Island was the 13th
state to ratify it in 1790.
CONSTITUTION

Supreme law of the land.

Provides the framework for government in the
United States.

All powers of each branch of government are in
the Constitution.
Constitution
Preamble – an introduction that states the goals and
purposes of the government.
“
We the people of the United States , in Order to form a more
perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility,
provide for the common defense, promote the general
Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and
our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the
United States of America.”
6 Purposes
1. To unite
2. To create equality
3. To maintain peace
4. To provide defense
5. To promote healthy and happy life
6. To guarantee basic rights of all citizens (present and
future)
CONSTITUTION BREAKDOWN
1. Preamble
2. Seven Articles:
I. Legislative Branch
II. Executive Branch
III. Judicial Branch
IV. Relations among states
V. Amending process
VI. National Supremacy
VII. Ratification process
3. Twenty-seven amendments
CHECKS AND BALANCES
The powers of the government are divided into
three branches: (Rock Paper Scissors)
 Legislative: Congress-Make laws (House of
Reps. And Senate)
 Executive: President. Enforce laws.
 Judicial: Supreme Court. Interpret laws.
 The system of checks and balances keeps one
branch of government from becoming too
powerful.

FOUR BASIC PRINCIPLES

The Constitution was designed on four basic
principles:
 Popular
Sovereignty
 Limited Government
 Federalism
 Separation of powers
POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY

The right of the people to rule themselves
(vote).

Voters elect representatives and through the
Electoral College, they elect a president.

The president and representatives are there to
serve the people.
LIMITED GOVERNMENT

A danger is that the majority may deny rights to
the minority.

The Constitution protects the rights of all
Americans.

The Bill of Rights was added later to secure the
rights of the people.
SEPARATION OF POWERS

Montesquieu believed that executive,
legislative, and judicial powers should be
separated.

The constitution separates powers and
incorporates a system of checks and balances.
FEDERALISM

National government shares power with the
states.

This gives Americans freedom to provide for
their own needs.

The main reason is sectional differences.
FEDERALISM CONTINUED

Types of Power:
 Enumerated:
Powers given to the national
government. Can be expressed or implied (Elastic
clause).
 Reserved:
Powers given to the state governments.
 Concurrent:
state.
Powers shared between national and
AMENDING PROCESS

Process to formally change the Constitution.

An amendment must be proposed and ratified.

An amendment can be proposed by a 2/3 vote from
both houses of Congress or by a national convention
called by 2/3 of the state legislatures. The national
convention has never occurred.

An amendment can be ratified by the approval of ¾ of
the state legislatures or by special ratifying conventions
that pass in ¾ of the states. The ratifying convention
has occurred only once.
INTERPRETATION

Loose interpretation: Congress can make any
law that the constitution does not specifically
forbid

Strict interpretation: Congress can only make
laws that the constitution gives them direct
authority over.

The Supreme Court interprets the constitution
and can declare laws unconstitutional.

Writing Prompt
 What
was the biggest obstacle the delegates faced
when getting the Constitution approved? How did
Federalists and Anti-Federalists view the role of the
federal government differently, and how did they
feel about the Constitution as a result?
 Please
write legibly. There are several detailed questions
in the prompt, all must be addressed. 
WARM UP

Writing Prompt:
 In
your own words answer the following: What does
it mean to say that governments derive their power
from the “consent of the governed,” and how did
belief in this principle help justify the American
Revolution and our independence?
 Please
write legibly. There are several detailed questions
in the prompt, all must be addressed. 