UNIT 2
Constitution
II. Articles of
Confederation
A. What it created and why
1. Confederation – loose association of
states
2. Federal gov’t had no real power over the
states
3. People feared a strong gov’t that might
take away rights & freedoms
B. Weaknesses of A.O.C.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
No president
No court system
Congress had no power to tax
9 of 13 states had to approve new laws
Congress answered to state legislature
not the people
6. Congress couldn’t regulate trade
7. Congress
couldn’t coin &
print money
8. Congress
couldn’t
establish armed
forces each
state kept its
own troops
III. Constitutional
Convention
A. Secret meeting
1. Constitution written
2. Corrected all the weaknesses of A.O.C.
3. Great Compromise
B. Ratification (Passage)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Federalists – in favor of strong gov’t
Anti-federalists – opposed to strong gov’t
Bill of Rights added before Anti’s would ratify it
Federalist papers
IV. Constitution
Constitution – written plan of gov’t
A. Federal system – power shared by
federal & state
1. Federal powers - delegated
2. Concurrent powers – shared power
3. Reserved powers – state power
B. Separation of powers
1. Legislative – Congress – make laws –
article 1
2. Executive – President – carry out law –
article 2
3. Judicial – Supreme Court – judge law –
article 3
C. Checks & Balances
1. Powers each branch has over the other
2, so that one branch doesn’t become too
powerful
2. Watergate (Nixon resigned)
D. Changing the Constitution
1. Amendment – written change
2. Interpretation
3. Customs
http://www.archives.gov/nationalarchivesexperience/charters/constitution.html
V. Rights & freedoms
A. Bill of Rights
1. First 10 amendments to the Constitution
B. Civil rights amendments
1. 13th – outlaw slavery
2. 14th – gave blacks citizenship
http://www.archives.gov/historicaldocs/document.html?doc=4
C. Suffrage rights (Voting)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
15th
17th
19th
23rd
24th
26th
– blacks
– voters to elect state legislatures
– women
– D.C.
– forbade poll tax
– age 18
D. First Amendment Religion clause