Law and Politics

9/2/15
Office hours 10-11 Monday and Wednesday Hickman 411

What is law- set of rules made by government and enforced by government

4 Institutions that make Laws 1. Legislative Bodies (Ex. Congress, State Legislators, City council) Statutory Law 2. Courts/Judges- Set precedent by ruling: Common Law 3. Executive Branch: bureaucracy/administrative agency Administrative Law 4. Constitutional Law

9/4/15
Constitutional law-makes rules for govt
Has gone largely unchanged

Blueprint
Creates and limits govt
Fundamental law that sets up rules for how other kinds of laws can be made What isn’t in the Constitution?
Democracy
Separation of church and state
Right to privacy
Right to education
One-person one vote
Political parties
God

Articles of Confederation -1777
Loose association
States retain sovereignty
One house Congress
Every state one vote
Needed 9 to pass
Couldn’t tax
Problems
Congress little power
No taxes
State sovereignty
Own paper money
States could sign foreign treaties
No natl army
No executive
No national courts

Shays Rebellion
Final spark for constitutional convention

Constitutional Convention
Philly 1787
Signed in Sept 39 out of 55 delegates

Undemocratic Elements
Slavery: 3/5ths compromise, no ban on slave trade till 1808 Fugitive Slave clause article IV, fed govt helps slates put down insurrections
Senators chosen by state legislators
No right to suffrage. Qualifications left to states
President chosen by electors selected by state legislators
Representation in Senate

Ratification
9th State (NH) signed in 1788
Ri didn’t agree til 1790
Ny refused until bill of rights promised

9/9/15

Article I
Creates Congress
Makes laws
House of representative and Senate
17 specific powers
Elastic clause Art I Sec 8 Clause 18

Article II
Executive Branch