...The Federalists and Anti-Federalists argued whether or not to adopt the U.S. Constitution. The Federalists were in favor of it, while the Anti-Federalists were in opposition of the U.S. Constitution. The Federalists were fundamental to the ratification of the U.S. Constitution because they pointed out the problems in the Articles of Confederation and created a strong government with the U.S. Constitution. While the Anti-Federalists believed that the U.S. Constitution was too powerful. The Federalists were fundamental to the ratification of the U.S. Constitution because they pointed out the problems in the Articles of Confederation. “Government under the Articles of Confederation could not enforce a treaty or a law when made nor impose any taxes for any purpose” (Alchin). The Articles of Confederation didn’t allow the government to enforce laws and treaties or have the power to tax. This was a problem because there was no executive branch to enforce the laws and treaties, so the states didn’t have to follow any rules and could do anything they...
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...News Paper article: Anti-Federalist vs. Federalist In a monarchy, the people have no say in the government, and if anti-federalist we would be living in a monarchy. This would cause chaos and hostility amongst the citizens of the nation, and sway the congress of the United States to continue in its federalist ideals and views. The feud between federalist and anti-federalist prolonged for quite awhile. It’s good that we really went over the views of both sides before deciding which one would be incorporated in to running this country. The federalist, in many peoples opinion was more for the people. Federalist wanted to do business with England. The federalist wanted a strong central government. They wanted a central bank and a federal army. Federalist also was strongly against slavery and wanted to terminate it. “It is evident that each department should have a will of its own; and consequently should be so constituted that the members of each should have as little agency as possible in the appointment of the members of the others … But the great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department consists in giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachments of the others.” “In republican government, the legislative authority necessarily predominates.” “In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this:...
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...The Dueling Banjos (State vs. Federal) The United States Judicial System Dee Montano CJA/204 April 3, 2012 Sherre D. Corniel The Dueling Banjos (State vs. Federal) The United States Judicial System Frustration, confusion, and complexity; these three words can and are used regularly to describe the justice system within the United States. A better understanding of the history, principles, and role of the dual court system is necessary for a comprehensive understanding of the American justice system. FEDERALISM vs. ANTI-FEDERALISM The roots of the modern court system in the United States can be found in the principle of federalism. When the delegates met in Philadelphia for the Constitutional Convention among other issues that needed to be addressed was a national judicial system; the Articles of Confederation was woefully inadequate in providing for this. The dual judicial system that exists today was given life with the passage of Article III of the U.S. Constitution ("[t]he judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one Supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish.") Article III was a compromise between the Federalists, supporters of a strong central government, who thought that the federal judiciary should contain all of the courts (trial, appellate, and supreme). Whereas the Anti-Federalists, proponents of states’ rights, believed that an all-inclusive federal judiciary would minimize...
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...since they can’t pay taxes o Damages the economy even more since farm family is out of work • No sufficient national defense o Enemy 1 the British o French and the Spanish also potential threats o Native Indian tribes also potential threat • States are left largely on their own (13 separate states, no unity) D) Shay’s Rebellion 4 Key debates 1. Representation of the states (large population vs. small population) o States might be equal but not for individuals o Creates a Bicameral Legislation (2 houses) 1. Senate 2. House of reps (representation based on population) which is known as “the great compromise” o Defensive compromise; better at not getting stuff done than getting stuff done. 2. Slavery (north vs. south) • In the constitution, Slavery is OK • Importation of slaves is allowed for at least 20 years (1808) • Slaves counted as 3/5 of a person for state population – representation bonus for the south • Slaves counted as 3/5 of a person for state population – for taxes • Return of escaped slaves *South wins on the issue of slavery 3. Chief Executive (single vs. multiple)...
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...History of the United States I AMH 1010 CRN 10800, December 1, 2014 Wood, Gordon. The Radicalism of the American Revolution. Vintage Books, a Division of Random House, Inc., New York, 1991 Gordon Wood describes the American Revolution as a journey from paternal colonialism to an egalitarian democracy. His contention is that the American Revolution does not seem to have the same kinds of causes that Revolutions usually display. There were no big social wrongs, no class conflict, no severe poverty, or gross inequitable distribution of wealth. Wood claims our revolution was not about independence as most history books claim but about the radical transformation of the American society. Monarchy In this section the author describes the structure of colonial America in the 1750s and 1760s. In colonial society, authority and liberty flowed from the structure of personal relationships. Society was held together by networks of personal loyalties, obligations and dependencies. In this hierarchical society, the elite or aristocrats ruled. The aristocrats (also called gentlemen) used their wealth and their hereditary advantages to keep the common people as dependents. The aristocrats lived a life of leisure which meant that they were not expected to labor. Their income was supposed to come from their landed estates. They used these landed estates to control the issuance of government offices and created laws that would keep their estates in the family. Most estates were passed on to...
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...of politics’ -People are supreme via Constitution The politics of a written text ‘Scarcely any political question arises in the United States that is not resolved, sooner or later, into a judicial question.’ Alexis de Tocqueville (1840) Democracy in America, Book I, ch.16 -slavery -civil rights -abortion -healthcare Constitution Problematic Bill of Rights (1791) The first 10 amendments to the Constitution -1,2,3: limits of Congress 4, 5, 6: limits on executive 7, 8: limits on both (via judiciary) 9, 10: federalism (limits on national power) All posit limits on the institutions in the Constitution. Two parts of the doc, the first iteration is not sufficient to cool the fears of the anti-federalism. Madison creates these posited limits. The Separation of Powers The basic problem of government. How one separates power. There are 3 key obstacles to power in the USA. SoP – obliges competition across departments. Federalism is the primary barrier states have against the federal...
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...The Articles of Confederation vs. the Constitution DeVry University The Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution are the historical documents that have been the building blocks of democracy that America is known for today. The Articles of Confederation are in many way an extension of what makes up the United States Constitution. In 1777, there wear a combination of thirteen states that came together to mold a type of government document that the United States could determine as “central” style of government. These states included New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. By late 1787, the Articles of Confederation were replaced by a more complete United States Constitution. There are several differences and similarities that lead to this American government transformation. The origination of the Articles of Confederation were a dynamic that was set into place in order to safeguard the union of states from any foreign control. It was a time in which the newly born states were yearning to be a set of sovereign states but stay independent from British colony control. Thus, the Articles of Confederation were originated. There were several important aspects of the Articles of Confederation that helped the United States reach a somewhat government goal. In the articles, states were allowed to collect taxes from its citizens...
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...gave no power to the people, and the Articles of Confederation, which gave too much power to the people. Many principles of the Constitution were included because of negative past experiences with Britain and the Articles of Confederation. For example, the policy of Federalism was incorporated into the Constitution to balance the power between the central government and the states; Judicial Review was added to accommodate changing times as the Articles hadn’t allowed; The Bill of Rights was included to protect and ensure basic rights as Britain hadn’t....
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...Republican motherhood Raise virtuous, well-educated sons That is what is necessary in a republic E.g. Abigail Adams Question How successful were the Articles of Confederation as a constitution? Evidence Congress didn’t have the power to collect taxes or to regulate commerce Written notes… Constitution Written notes… Article II Presidential (executive branch) powers Commander in chief Enormous power that is used regularly Undeclared wars are now commonplace – the president orders military action (criticism of an imperial presidency – perhaps president should ask Congress regardless) Negotiate treaties Senate has to approve by 2/3 majority, however Veto Negotiated legislation President sets the budget and sets agenda Can be overridden by a 2/3 majority of Congress Andrew Johnson had numerous vetoes overridden (also Truman) Obama has vetoed the fewest bills since James Garfield Divided congress with great difficulty passing bills Primary reason: president is an integral part of the legislative process Appoint federal justices and government employees (e.g. heads of CIA and Federal Reserve) Enforce laws executive orders Order of the president without Congressional approval that has the force of law Only operates within the framework of an existing piece of legislation or constitutional power Order based on a certain interpretation Example: Harry Truman integrates the armed forces Ends segregation of blacks and whites in the army Issue pardons Electoral...
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... I totally disagree with this claim for a couple of reasons. One, checks and balances are not necessarily fail-proof. For instance, the check on the Legislative Branch is the Presidential veto, but the Legislature can still override this veto with a 2/3 vote. If the Legislature is completely corrupt and without virtue then, it might override vetoes and pass legislation that are evil or in some way detrimental to society. Secondly, civic virtue is the motivation behind good government. Good government is supposed to serve and protect its people, two aspects of virtue. If the people running the Government are not virtuous then it is impossible for the Government to perform its duties and fulfill its purpose. Both the Federalists and Anti-Federalists agreed that civic virtue is necessary for a republic, such as the United States, to exist. 2. As you are reading the debates at the Constitutional Convention, make a list for yourself of the various conflicting interests that delegates had to compromise (for instance, between the interests of states with large populations and the interests of states with small populations). a. Which of the Constitution’s features seem to result directly from ideas in the Framers’ English and European heritage? The due process clauses can be traced back to the common law of the Magna Carta. The Bill of Rights was inspired by the English Bill...
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...Chapter 03 - Federalism 1. Governmental Structure 1. The single most persistent source of conflict in U.S. politics since the adoption of the Constitution has been the relations between the national and state governments. 2. Today, an effort is underway to reduce national gov’t powers, giving more strength to the states; this effort is known as devolution. 1. Some proposals give states block grants in which states get money that they can spend in any way they want—as long as it is within broad guidelines set by Congress. 3. Federalism is the political system in which local units of government and a national government make final decisions with respect to at least some governmental activities and whose existence is specially protected; both local and national forms of government have their own sovereign powers and some powers that overlap, thus making the two share authority. 1. The United States, Canada, Australia, India, Germany, and Switzerland have federal systems. 2. France, Great Britain, Italy, and Sweden have unitary systems in which the national government can abolish local governments at will and have the final say in all important gov’t matters. 3. Federalism works in practice due to the people; the USSR technically had a “federalist” gov’t, but in reality, the Kremlin controlled the “states.” 1. It takes the commitment of the people to support a slightly...
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...The (un)Official United States History Cram Packet This is not intended as a substitute for regular study ……. But it is a powerful tool for review. 1494: Treaty of Tordesillas – divides world between Portugal and Spain 1497: John Cabot lands in North America. 1513: Ponce de Leon claims Florida for Spain. 1524: Verrazano explores North American Coast. 1539-1542: Hernando de Soto explores the Mississippi River Valley. 1540-1542: Coronado explores what will be the Southwestern United States. 1565: Spanish found the city of St. Augustine in Florida. 1579: Sir Francis Drake explores the coast of California. 1584 – 1587: Roanoke – the lost colony 1607: British establish Jamestown Colony – bad land, malaria, rich men, no gold - Headright System – land for population – people spread out 1608: French establish colony at Quebec. 1609: United Provinces establish claims in North America. 1614: Tobacco cultivation introduced in Virginia. – by Rolfe 1619: First African slaves brought to British America. 15. Virginia begins representative assembly – House of Burgesses 1620: Plymouth Colony is founded. - Mayflower Compact signed – agreed rule by majority • 1624 – New York founded by Dutch 1629: Mass. Bay founded – “City Upon a Hill” - Gov. Winthrop - Bi-cameral legislature, schools 1630: The Puritan Migration 1632: Maryland – for profit – proprietorship 1634 – Roger Williams banished from Mass. Bay Colony 1635:...
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...as possible with Federalists. One of these appointments was William Marbury as a federal justice of the peace. However, Thomas Jefferson took over as President before the appointment was officially given to Marbury. Jefferson, a Republican, instructed Secretary of State James Madison to not deliver the appointment. Marbury sued Madison to get the appointment he felt he deserved. He asked the Court to issue a writ of mandamus, requiring Madison to deliver the appointment. The Judiciary Act, passed by Congress in 1789, permitted the Supreme Court of the United States to issue such a writ iii) Supreme Court must decide constitutionality of Judiciary Act c) Decision: i) John Marshall declares Judiciary Act unconstitutional ii) The Supreme Court has the right of judiciary review d) Significance: i) Impact of Marshall Court ii) Strengthened the judiciary in relation to other branches of government iii) Allows Supreme Court to interpret the Constitution and declare laws unconstitutional II. McCulloch v. Maryland a) Issue: i) Supremacy v. State Rights ii) Elastic Clause iii) Whether the state of Maryland had the right to tax a federal agency b) Background: i) 1819 ii) Maryland attempts to tax the national bank of the United States iii) Supreme Court must decide whether the national bank is legitimate under the elastic clause and whether Maryland can tax it c) Decision: i) Federalism ii) National...
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...Houston Community College Homework 1-5 Presented To: Lloyd W. Gaddis By Yushana Ford Government 2305 8:00A.M- 9:30A.M Mon/Wed 09/20/2015 Chapter 1: The More Things Change…The More They Stay the Same 1. Analyze current problems and issues in American Government by applying Historical perspectives: -History Repeats Itself +A new Communication medium paves the way to Electoral Victory- Meaning the internet and social media have revolutionized American politics. Campaign advertising is the use of an advertising campaign through the media to influence political debate and ultimately voters. Political advertising has changed drastically over the last several decades. Harry S. Truman was proud of his accomplishment of shaking approximately 500,000 hands but his accomplishment was soon pale compared to the next presidential election with the advent of television, war hero and presidential candidate D.W Eisenhower created commercials to get votes and so on and it different with different elections and different decades. +The Power of Incumbency- It is usually used in reference to elections where races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbents. Incumbents have easier access to campaign finance and government resources that can be indirectly used to boost a campaign. Incumbency is any elected official who is already in office and seeking re-election. 2. Explain the Philosophical underpinnings of American Political System through...
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...HISTORICAL ESSAY #1 Confederation and Constitution The Articles of Confederation was agreed to by Congress on November 15, 1777 and was ratified and in force on March 1, 1781. By the year 1787, this new government had fallen short of the expectations of the people it was intended to govern. The weaknesses in The Articles of Confederation were numerous and had, in the thinking of many prominent men of that time, failed and would lead to a state of anarchy. There was such a sense of urgency to amend it that there seemed to be an atmosphere of panic among many of our Founding Fathers. John Dickenson and fellow members of the 2nd Continental Congress, weary of monarchy rule, had created the Articles of Confederation as a listing of twelve specific Powers given Congress by which to govern. Legislation required nine votes to pass. Each state had only one vote and this was problematic to the larger states, as their problems, more often than not, were based on a larger population and it was not unusual that the smaller states didn’t understand or want to pay for the solutions. Some lesser acts did not require nine votes to pass, but simply a majority of those present. Acts of Significant Consequence did require nine votes. The trouble with all of this was that even if nine votes could be achieved, there was no enforcement of law to be implemented by Congress. Congress could make law but not enforce it. It could charge states for their share of national...
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