WANTED:
A “Just Right”
Government
Wanted: A government that…
• Has enough ________ to do its job
• Doesn’t give anyone too ______
power
much
say
• Considers the needs of all
_________
states
• Lets people have a ________
• Protects individual __________
power
rights
The First Attempt:
The Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation? What’s
a confederation??
group
A confederation is a _________
of
individuals _______
united together
for a _________.
purpose
The First Attempt:
The Articles of Confederation
independent
• Each state was _________________
and had its
government
own ________________.
representatives to the
• Each state would send _______________
“Congress of the Confederation.”
central
• The Congress was the only ____________
government. There was no ___________.
President
• In Congress, each state got _______
vote.
one
The First Attempt:
The Articles of Confederation
Hey, this sounds great!
Wait! Not so fast…
• States get to keep their
• Congress had no way to
power and independence
enforce
laws
______
____________ __________
its _______!
• No _____________
government telling
the states what to do
• Congress had no power to
taxes
collect _________
to pay
for the military!
• Congress had the power to
military to
create a _________
• The Articles could only be
protect
changed if ______
ALL the
________all
the states
_________
states agreed!
Under the Articles of
Confederation, a President
would lead the country.
 True
 False

States would be independent
under the Articles of
Confederation.
 True

 False
The Articles of Confederation
were easy to change.
 True
 False

The more people a state had,
the more votes it got in
Congress.
 True

False
Congress did not have the
power to collect taxes.
 True

 False
Congress could pass laws and
force states to follow them.
 True
 False

The Articles of Confederation
created the first American
government.
 True

 False
Congress is too weak to end the
conflicts between our states!
We need a
President!
Down with central
government!
Large states
should have
more say!
More help for
fishermen!
Up with central
government!
Small states
should have
more say!
Who needs a
President?
More help for
farmers!
States Had Different Needs
Some states depended on fishing ,
while others mostly grew crops .
States Had Different Sizes
Some states had many people,
while others had few .
People Had Different Opinions
Some people feared a central government.
Others thought a central government was necessary .
A central government will have too
much power! We’ll lose our freedom!
But we’ll never get anything
done if no one is in charge!!
Everybody thought the central
government should have more
power.
 True
 False

Some people were afraid states
might lose their independence.
 True

 False
Different states had different
needs for government to meet.
 True

 False
The states all got along with
each other.
 True
 False

The government created by
the Articles of Confederation
had everything under control
among the states.
 True

False
A New Idea!
Articles of
Confederation
1 Branch
Legislative—makes laws
New Idea
3 Branches
A New Idea!
Legislative:
Makes laws
How many votes
should each state get
in the legislature?
Each state gets to send representatives
to the legislature. Which states would
have the most power if…
• The more people a state had, the more
representatives it got?
Answer: The more people, the more
power!
Each state gets to send representatives
to the legislature. Which states would
have the most power if…
• Each state got one vote, no matter
how small?
Answer: People in the small states
would have more power.
Battle of the Plans
The Virginia Plan
The New Jersey Plan
2
• Legislative branch has ___
“chambers”
1
• Legislative branch has ___
“chamber”
• Number of votes for each
state depends on the
population
state’s ___________
• Each state gets ___
1 vote
Larger states would
• ________
have more power
Smaller states would
• ________
have more power
(Virginia was a large state, and New Jersey was a small state. Surprise!)
Is it more fair for every state to have the
same amount of power no matter how
few people live there, or should states
with more people have more power?
 All states should have the same power
 Larger states should have more power
WHY?
The Constitution
of the United
States of America
The Constitution Solution
Legislative:
Makes laws
Divide Congress Into Two Houses
Senate
Each state gets 2
votes.
House of
Representatives
The more people
the state has, the
more votes it gets!
And that’s not all…
Did the Articles of Confederation
require states to treat other
states the same as their own
citizens?
 Yes
 No

The Constitution Solution
The Constitution requires each
citizens of other
state to treat ________
states the ______
same as it treats its
own citizens.
How many states had to agree
in order for the Articles of
Confederation to be changed?
 All states

 A majority of states
The Constitution Solution
The Constitution can be changed if
________________
two-thirds (2/3) of the members
of Congress and ________________
three-fourths (3/4)
of the states agree.
Did the Articles of Confederation
require states to follow the laws
Congress passed?
 Yes

No
The Constitution Solution
The Constitution says that the
laws passed by Congress are
_________
superior to laws passed by
the _______.
states
Laws are made by the
_______ branch.
A
executive
B
legislative
Laws passed by Congress are
_____ to state laws.
A
superior
B
inferior
Congress has ______.
A
1 chamber
B
2 chambers
Each state gets two votes in
the __________.
A
House of
Representatives
B
Senate
In the House of Representatives,
the number of votes each states
gets is based on its ________.
A
population
B
taxes
A change to the Constitution
must be approved by
___________.
A
All states
B
¾ of states