The United The United States States

ConstitutionConstitution

Was it a revolution, progress or conservative backlash?

Post-revolutionary conditions

• Economic difficulties• Political / social

mobilization• Social unrest

– Shays' Rebellion, winter, 1786

Constitution ConventionConstitution Convention

• Main Players?• Purpose?• Nationalism• Republicanism• Conservatism• Central

Authority• Scrap the

A of C.

The Federal Constitution (1787): A bundle of compromises

VA Plan – Large state plan

NJ Plan – Small state plan

The Great (Connecticut) Compromise

Slavery Compromises:

•3/5 Compromise

•Preservation of the slave trade for 20 years – 1807

•Fugitive Slave Law

“Mobocracy” Compromises:

•Electoral college

•Indirect election of senators

•Federal judges appointed for life

Key principles of the Constitution

• Separation of powers - assignment of law making, law interpreting and law executing functions to different branches of government

• Checks and balances - the power of scrutiny and control of each branch over the other two branches of government

• Republicanism - not classical democracy, but based on representation, calibrated popular input

• Federalism - two levels of government, with central government supreme

Separation of Powers • "Ambition should be matched with

ambition" (Madison)– Prevents power accumulation in one branch

The Structure of

the US Constitution

What is the responsibility of What is the responsibility of the US Government?the US Government?

Preamble of the US ConstitutionPreamble of the US Constitution

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.

Article I – The Legislative Branch

•The delegated / enumerated powers (Section 8, Clauses1-17)

•The elastic clause (Section 8, Clause 18)

Article II – The Executive Branch

•Electoral college (Section 2, Clauses 2-3)

Article III – The Judiciary

•“…one supreme court and… such inferior courts as Congress may from time to time… establish” (Section 1)

Article IV – Relations of the states to one another

•The Fugitive Slave Clause (Section 2, Clause 3)

Article V – The Amendment process

•2/3 of Congress & 3/4 of the states

Article VI – General Provisions

•Supreme law of the land (Clause 2)

Article VII – Ratification

•9 states required

Ratification of the Ratification of the ConstitutionConstitution

• Federalists • Anti-Federalists