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UnitedStatesConstitution101Constitution 101:AnIntroduction&OverviewtotheUSConstitution
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WhatistheUSConstitution?
• ThesupremelawoftheUnitedStates.
• ItisthefoundationandsourceofthelegalauthorityunderlyingtheexistenceoftheUnitedStatesofAmericaandtheFederalGovernment oftheUnitedStates.
• ItprovidestheframeworkfortheorganizationoftheUnitedStatesGovernment.
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WhatarethebasicprinciplesoftheConstitution?
• PopularSovereignty– Governmentpowerresidesin
thepeople• Limitedgovernment
– Governmentisnotallpowerful,canonlydowhatthepeopleletit.
• SeparationofPowers– Helpspreventonebranchfrom
becomingtoopowerful– ChecksandBalances
• Federalism– Divisionofpoweramong
nationalandstategovernments
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WhataretheChecksandBalances?
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WhoWroteIt?
• JamesMadisonisconsidered“thefatheroftheConstitution.”
• Hisimportantcontributions:– TheVirginiaPlan– SeparationofPowers– BillofRights
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Whywasitwritten?
• AftertheRevolutionaryWar,theArticlesofConfederation setupthestructureoftheUSGovernment.
• Thefederalgovernmentwasextremelyweakandthiscreatedmanyproblemssuchas:1. Noseparationofpowers– onlyunicameral
legislature.2. Weakcentralgovernment– stateshadmostpower.3. Congressdidnothavethepowertotax– thismeans
theycouldnotgettheirfinancesinorder.
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Whywasitwritten?
• MoreproblemswiththeArticlesofConfederation:4. InordertochangetheArticles,allthirteenstateshadto
approveofthechanges.Thismadeitessentiallyimpossibletomakeanychanges.
5. Foranymajorlawstopasstheyhadtobeapprovedby9orthe13stateswhichwasdifficult.
6. Congressdidnothavethepowertoregulatecommercewhichcausedcompetitionbetweenstates.Italsocauseddiplomaticissueswhenstatesrefusedtopayforgoodstheirreceivedfromothernations.
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Whywasitwritten?
• Shays’Rebellion:– AnuprisingoffarmersinMassachusetts– ledbyDanielShays.
– Helpedconvinceleadersthatastrongcentralgovernmentwasneeded.
"AsceneatSpringfield,duringShay'sRebellion,whenthemobattemptedtopreventtheholdingoftheCourtsof
Justice."—E.BenjaminAndrews,1895
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Whenwasitwritten?
• May25th toSeptember17th,1787• Philadelphia• IntentionwastoreviseArticlesofConfederation• EndedupreplacingtheArticles andcreatinganewgovernment
• Calledthe“ConstitutionalConvention.”
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WhatweretheimportantoutcomesoftheConstitutionalConvention
• VirginiaPlan:– Separationofpowers– Bicamerallegislaturebasedonpopulation
– Federalgovernmenthadincreasedpowers
• NewJerseyPlan:– Unicamerallegislaturewhereeverystatereceivedequalrepresentation.
• GreatCompromise:– HybridofVAandNJPlans:• Bicamerallegislature:
– HouseofRepsbasedonpopulation
– Senatebaseduponequalrepresentation
– Three-Fifth’sClause:• Slavescountas3/5’sofapersonforrepresentationpurposes.
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RatificationDebate
• Needed9of13statestoratifyorofficialapproveoftheConstitutionbeforeitwentintoeffect.
• Ahugedebateemergedbetweentwosides:– Federalists– Anti-Federalists
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Federalistsv.Anti-Federalists• Federalists:– SupportedtheConstitutionandastrongcentralgovernment
– AlexanderHamilton,JamesMadison,JohnJay
– FederalistPapers–seriesofarticleswrittenindefenseoftheConstitution
• Anti-Federalists:– Supportedaweakercentralgovernment–felttoomuchpowerwastakenawayfromthestates
– OpposedtheConstitution
– WantedaBillofRightsincluded
– SamuelAdams,PatrickHenry
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Ratification
• OfficiallyadoptedafterratifiedbyNewHampshire.
• Oncethenewgovernmentconvened,theyaddedaBillofRightstotheConstitution.
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StructureoftheConstitution• Preamble:
– Statementofpurpose• Articles:
– I:LegislativeBranch– II:ExecutiveBranch– III:JudicialBranch– IV:RelationsAmongthe
States– V:AmendmentProcess– VI:FederalPower– VII:Ratification
• Amendments:– 27Total– 1st tenaretheBillofRights
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ArticleI:LegislativeBranch
• Bicameral:– Senate
• 2Senatorsforeachstate
– HouseofRepresentatives• Basedonpopulation
• Repsservefor2yearterms
• Senatorsservefor6yearterms
• ImportantPowers:– Makelaws– Settaxes– Declarewar– OverrideVetoes– Borrowmoney– Regulateinternationalandnationaltrade
– Printmoney
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ArticleII:ExecutiveBranch
• PresidentandVicePresidentareelectedto4yearterms
• Qualifications:– Atleast35yearsold– 14yearresidentoftheUS
– Naturalborncitizen
• ElectedbytheElectoralCollege
• Importantpowers:– Commander-in-Chief– Grantpardons– Maketreaties– Appointfederalofficers– Ensurelawsareexecuted
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ArticleIII:JudicialBranch
• SupremeCourtjudgesserveforlifeunlessimpeached.
• JudicialpowerrestswithUSSupremeCourtandothercourtscreatedbyCongress
• ImportantPowers:– DecidescasesofConstitutionallawandfederallaw
– CasesinvolvingambassadorsgostraighttoSupremeCourt
– JudicialReviewcomeslater(1803–Marburyv.Madison)
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OtherImportantArticles:
• ArticleV:Amendments:– Amendmentsareproposed
when2/3ofHouseandSenatedeemitnecessary
– Amendmentsareproposedwhen2/3ofstatesdeemitnecessary
– Amendmentsmustberatifiedby¾ofstatelegislaturesorbyconventionsin¾ofstates
• ArticleVI:FederalPower– SupremacyClause:Federal
lawissupremetostatelaw– Noreligioustestsforpublic
office
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ImportantAmendments:BillofRights
1. Freedomofreligion,ofspeech,ofthepress,toassemble,andtopetition
2. Righttobeararms3. Noquarteringofsoldiers4. Nounreasonablesearchand
seizure5. Indictments;Dueprocess;
Self-incrimination;Doublejeopardy,andrulesforEminentDomain.
6. Righttoafairandspeedypublictrial,Noticeofaccusations,Confrontingone'saccuser,Subpoenas,Righttocounsel
7. Righttotrialbyjuryincivilcases
8. Noexcessivebail&finesorcruel&unusualpunishment
9. ThereareotherrightsnotwrittenintheConstitution
10. AllrightsnotgiventoFederalGovernmentbelongtostatesandpeople.
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OtherImportantAmendments:ReconstructionAmendments
• 13th Amendment– abolishedslavery
• 14th Amendment– Dueprocessandequalprotectionunderthelaw– AllpersonsborninUSarecitizens
• 15th Amendment– Righttovoteregardlessofrace,color,orpreviousservitude
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OtherImportantAmendments:• 18thAmendment
– Prohibitionofalcohol• 19th Amendment:
– Women’ssuffrage• 21st Amendment:
– Repealsprohibition• 22nd Amendment:
– Presidentialtermlimits• 24th Amendment:
– Prohibitspolltaxesforvoting• 26th Amendment:
– lowersvotingageto18