...The Bill of Rights and Amendments Throughout history the United of States experiences several of events. These events made an impact on our nation which left a mark. The impact of the events led to the changes of the constitution which are referred to as amendments. The original ten amendments made to the United States Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights, these were created by our forefathers. This essay will discuss, the understanding of why did our amendments became a part of the constitution, and what issues of the original documents motivated the adoption of the Bill of rights. People and the government are constantly making changes which could affect their lives as well as others. Therefore, there were many effects because the Bill of Rights. This essay will further discuss the problems with the original document, the changes in society, which led to later amendments, and the effect of those amendments. How and why the amendments become part of the Constitution In order to adjust to society constantly changing, there are changes made to the constitution. It is mention within an article that changes could be made to the constitution. Making changes involves proposing an amendment following ratification, through this process the amendment become a part of the constitution. This process consist of The Constitution provides that an amendment may be proposed either by the Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate...
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...strong, central government. The Federalists consisted of Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison. On the other side, there were opponents of the Constitution (the Anti-Federalists). The Anti-Federalists thought the Constitution would give the government too much power and control; there was no Bill of Rights to protect the people and their rights from...
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...what lead us to the government we have now. The different compromises are what lead to the methods that were used and still being used nowadays The Constitutional Convention was a meeting that took place in Philadelphia in 1787. The purpose of that meeting was to rewrite the Articles of Confederation. There were fifty five men who were delegates, their purpose was to have the federal government strengthen. The delegates did not think that rewriting the Articles of Confederation would actually work out. Eventually they wrote the U.S. Constitution. George Washington was chosen to lead the convention. All of the delegates had to agree that every state would get one vote. They did not want anyone to know about what was going on during the convention meetings. The delegates made sure to keep everything a secret, anyone who was not a delegate were not allowed to attend any meetings. We have no written documents because they kept everything a secret of what had occurred during the meetings. The only details we have today is from a notebook that belonged to James Madison. However, James Madison is known as the “Father of the Constitution.” He had also helped write the federalist papers. At the Constitutional Convention James Madison had done a very good job. When the delegates had to decided to write the “Bill of Rights” he was against it. James Madison was afraid that the future people would just go by those ten amendments that were listed in the “Bill of Rights”. James Madison...
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...University of Phoenix Material Foundations of the U.S. Federal Government Worksheet Complete the chart below by identifying the three branches of government and their entities. U.S. Constitution 1. Legislative 2. Legislative 3. Judicial 3. Judicial 2. Executive 2. Executive | 6. Supreme Court 6. Supreme Court 5. President 5. President 4. Congress 4. Congress | 9. Vice President 9. Vice President | House of Representatives House of Representatives 8. Senate 8. Senate | True or False 1. The Tenth Amendment limits the power of states. FALSE 2. The Constitution signed in 1787 contained the Bill of Rights. FALSE 3. The Constitution created a system of dual sovereignty, meaning the federal government has exclusive power in interstate commerce. True 4. The president and vice president are part of the legislative branch. FALSE 5. Congress can impose federal mandates, which require the state government to comply with its orders. True or False Multiple Choice 6. The concept of dual federalism D: viewed federal and state power as fixed d. The Bill of Rights is C: the first 10 amendments to the Constitution e. The legislative branch is composed of which of the following: ...
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...Andrew Jackson Essay Dr. Clark President Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson was a self-made man. Jackson was the only president to symbolize another great generation. Andrew Jackson has his own age known as he “Jacksonian age. No other president could stand for their own age. President Jackson had enhanced many presidential powers through his tough personality, and how he was able to take on many challenges. He has strengthened the Democracy by vetoing countless bills, and paid the national debt. Jackson had also taken a huge role on the Indian removal act. The challenges “old hickory” faced were not easy and he was the one to be believed the strongest president. Andrew Jackson had strengthened the democracy in a few ways. One way he had strengthened the democracy is that Jackson believed “the president was the servant of the people” (page 114-115).This meant that he believed the people being served was to give them what they really desired and to keep them satisfied with his presidency. At first, Jackson didn’t believe he was fit to be president. He knew his ability could control a group of fighting men for battle, but Jackson never believed in his ability that he could take on and control an entire country. Although, he strongly believed the people of the country had the right to choose, so he encouraged voting rights. In the book “when people called it, it was the leaders duty to act upon the service” (67). Jackson had took the idea of becoming president into further thought...
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...American & Wyo Government Dudley November 12, 2011 How Democratic is the American Constitution Summary Robert Dahl explains in the beginning of the book that he is not proposing changes in the American Constitution, but suggests changes in the way we think about our constitution. In this essay, I will explain the history of this American constitution, what Dahl suggests about the American Constitution, and my opinion about this book. In the history of the United States, there are two factors that mark its constitutional history. For one thing, the rights of citizens were organized through limits to power, linked to a libertarian conception of liberal viewpoint. For another, the original structure of the constitution is influenced by the fear of the "framers" to a popular majority government could oppress the rights acquired as Alexis de Tocqueville considered that the democratic government incorporated elements that endure to this undemocratic, preventing the formation of compromise. The result of this misunderstanding between democracy and fundamental rights did not allow equality. The author acknowledges the obstacles to achieving political equality are related to institutional distortion and sacred morals of citizenship to the constitutional system, which increase the distortion and hope, are two obstacles to any reform. The focus of their criticism revolves around the unequal representation in the Senate. The tension between the need and right to get over representation...
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...not yet begun to fight.” John Paul Jones What did George Washington do after war? Went back home at Mount Vernon How many states were needed to approve the Articles of Confederation? 13 The final authority in the Federal System is… Constitution/Judicial What are checks and balances? A system that limits power between the three branches of government What are Federalists? People who supported a strong central government therefore they were the ones who also favored the constitution. What was America’s first constitution? Articles of Confederation What happens in a depression? The economy goes down and most people are jobless. What were the Federalist Papers? An 85 page essay, trying to get New York to ratify the Constitution What is the most distinctive feature of the US Government? Separation of Powers The president can check congress through what? Veto What was the most important crop in Jamestown? Tabaco What is pacifist? A person who believes that violence and war is unjustifiable Why were separatists called pilgrims? They were the separatists in England and Pilgrims in the colonies. What type of relationship did the French have with the Native Americans? The strongest of anyone else How were the Indians paid for the island of Manhattan? $24 of beads and trinkets New England practiced what type of farming? Subsistence farming What is a militia? Non-Professional Army How did Pontiac view British settlers? He didn’t like them...
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...‘I not only use the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow’. Despite expansion during Woodrow Wilson’s first term as president, the federal government on the eve of World War I remained small. Although the federal government meddled in a few areas of economic life, it was for most citizens remote and unimportant. Throughout the essay I shall be examining how the Federal Government gained greater power through the First World War During the war the government built up the armed forces to strength of four million officers and men. Of those added to the armed forces after the U.S. declaration of war. Men alone, however, did not make an army. They required barracks and training facilities, transportation, food, clothing, and health care. They had to be equipped with modern arms and great stocks of ammunition. I believe that this strengthened the Federal Government because of the fact that they had such a big army due to the amount of conscription during the war, people would be afraid to go against the government in case the army would get involved, therefore giving the government more power over the people. Another way in which the Federal Government increased its power was through The Espionage Act, June 1917 and The Sedation Act, May 1918. The Espionage Act made it illegal to encourage disloyalty or obstruct military recruitment and could be punished by a big fine or imprisonment of up to 20 years. The first target of the Espionage Act was anti-war labour organisers against...
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...only the federal government; each of the states Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between a central government and several regional, or state, governments. 1. Population; the people who live within the boundaries of the state 2. Territory; land with known and recognized boundaries 3. Sovereignty; the supreme and absolute power within a state’s territory to decide its own foreign and domestic policies 4. Government; the institution through which society makes and enforces public policies 5. Force theory; the state was born of force, when one person or a small group gained control over people in an area and forced them to submit to that person’s or group’s rule. 6. Evolutionary theory; the state evolved from early families that united to form clans. Later, clans united to form tribes. As tribes settled into agricultural groups over time, they formed states. 7. Divine right theory; God created the state and gave a chosen few the right to rule. 8. Social contract theory; people voluntarily agreed to create a state and give to the government just enough power to promote the safety and well-being of all. Government exists to serve the will of the people, and the people are the sole source of political power. Chapter Outline 2 I. Section 1: Government and the State A. Definition of Government and the State 1. legislative, executive, judicial 2. state B. Political Ideas and the Purpose of Government 1. force 2. evolutionary ...
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...Unit 1 Essay “America will fall without a shot being fired, It will fall from within” (Nikita Khrushchev). America was formed on July 4, 1776 and has changed a lot throughout the years. We celebrate that date every year with fireworks, food, and family gathering, but the real reason we are celebrating that day is because we all gained american independence and most importantly freedom. We have come a long ways and earned many things, but it doesn't change the fact we could still lose as them as well. In order to keep what was set up long ago, Americans need to understand how they can keep them intact. Our most effective tools for establishing and preserving freedom is having our written documents and personal drive and as well as restrictions....
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...effectively use. Write an essay in which you discuss the limits to presidential power, the importance of the presidency’s informal powers. Explain whether you think the nature of presidential power makes the Presidency too weak, or too strong. In 1776 America declared independence from British Empire and became forming a national government. In 1777 Congress adopted The Article of Confederation. This attempt to structure an American government failed; The Article of Confederation was unsuccessfully because it restricted the national government; most power was concentrated on the states’ level. The states kept their autonomy. The national government was lack of authority, it was hard to collect taxes from each state; foreign trade was suffering because foreign counties which wanted to conduct business with the United States had to negotiate separate agreements with Congress and a state. In addition to all of these problems the Article of Confederation did not even include a president or any other executive leader because people were in their zeal to reject monarch; everybody was tried of British tyranny and they were worried if they used this model of government it would lead to the same results as they had during British colony’s time. However, in 1787 Constitutional Convention began in Philadelphia (Bianco & Canon, 2013, p.33). The framers of the Constitution understood that confederation did not work. So framers based the new American government on an entirely new theory:...
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...organization is governed.[1] These rules together make up, i.e.constitute, what the entity is. When these principles are written down into a single document or set of legal documents, those documents may be said to embody a writtenconstitution; if they are written down in a single comprehensive document, it is said to embody a codified constitution. Constitutions concern different levels of organizations, from sovereign states to companies and unincorporated associations. A treaty which establishes an international organization is also its constitution, in that it would define how that organization is constituted. Within states, a constitution defines the principles upon which the state is based, the procedure in which laws are made and by whom. Some constitutions, especially codified constitutions, also act as limiters of state power, by establishing lines which a state's rulers cannot cross, such as fundamental rights. An example is the constitution of the United States of America. George Washington at Constitutional Conventionof 1787 signing of the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution of India is the longest written constitution of any sovereign country in the world,[2] containing 444 articles in 22 parts,[3][4] 12 schedules and 118 amendments, with 117,369 words in its English-language translation,[5] while the United States Constitution is the shortest written constitution, at 7 articles and 27 amendments.[6] Constitution of the Philippines From Wikipedia, the...
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...Federal Government Exam 1 Review: The first exam will consist of questions generated from the following review sheet. Make sure you understand each of these topics before proceeding to the test. The exam will be timed so you will not have the ability to peruse your notes or retake the exam. The exam itself will consist of 30 multiple choice questions and you will have 35 minutes to complete the exam. Federalism: The Basic elements of a Federal system of government (i.e. how is it structured/how power is shared) • Layers of gov • Equal power • Distinct powers Powers of the federal government: delegated powers, implied powers (necessary and proper clause), and concurrent powers. • Delegated Powers: (expressed/enumerated powers) powers given to the federal government directly by the constitution. Some most important delegated powers are: the authority to tax, regulated interstate commerce, authority to declare war, and grants the president role of commander and chief of the military • Implied Powers: Powers not expressed in the constitution, but that can be inferred. “Necessary and proper clause” • Concurrent powers: powers shared by both levels of government. Ex: Taxes, roads, elections, commerce, establishing courts and a judicial system • Reserved powers: powers not assigned by the constitution to the national government but left to the states or the people. Guaranteed by the 10th amendment. Include “police power”-health and public...
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...LIBERALISM QUESTIONS – A2 (UNIT 4) Short Answers 1. Why do liberals support constitutionalism and consent? (Jan 02) Constitutionalism is a belief in limited government brought about through external (usually legal) and internal (institutional) checks on the exercise of power. Consent is the idea that govt power should be based on the agreement of the governed, usually expressed through regular and competitive elections. Liberals support constitutionalism and consent because they fear that govt may become a tyranny against the individual, based on the assumption that power is inherently corrupting and concentrations of power will lead to absolute corruption. This assumption is rooted in the liberal view of human nature: as individualism implies self- interest, those with power over others are apt to abuse it for their benefit and at the expense of others. Liberal constitutionalism is expressed through support for various external and internal devices, such as codified constitutions, bills of rights, the separation of powers, federalism or devolution, and so on. Liberal support for consent is evident in support for electoral democracy in general and, more specifically, sympathy for referendums and proportional representation. 2. Distinguish between negative freedom and positive freedom, and explain the implications of each for the state. (Jun 02) Negative freedom is the absence of external constraints upon the individual, usually understood as non-interference...
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...were several major factors involved in the build up to the reform act which all led to the government having to enforce the reform act to keep the people happy. The voting system was extremely out of date, having not been altered since the 18th century and the government had not taken into consideration the demographic changes with had taken place since then. There were many rotten boroughs (Areas which had low vote to high representation ratio) and yet many fast growing cities like Leeds and Manchester had little or no representation at all which meant that no proportional voting was in place. The swing riots was an explosion in Britain at the time as it was such a huge movement of industrial workers, unhappy at low wages, high unemployment and new labour saving devices led the workers to attack machinery and burn barns which was affecting the amount of work in the country. This put pressure on the government to change, something they were not used to and caused panic in parliament as they were worried about a revolution which were rife at that time throughout Europe e.g. France. Another major turning point was the passing of the catholic emancipation act (1829) which caused outrage in parliament and led to the break up of the Tory party, many of them outraged at the passing of this act. All of these are main factors which led to an angry and dis-contented country, fighting for their rights and the enforcement of a reform act. Britain as a whole had not really moved forward with...
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