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Constitutional Convention
When:
May-Sept. 1787
Where:
Philadelphia, PA
How many votes should each state get in the
new national government
(that is, Congress)?
Main Controversy #1:
How many votes should each state get in the new Congress?
Wanted vote based on population
Wanted each state to have one vote
Main Controversy #1:
Big states Virginia
PennsylvaniaMassachusetts
Small states DelawareGeorgia
Connecticut
Solution: Created a Congress with Two Parts (two “houses”)
Part #1: The House of Representatives
(based on population)
Part #2: The Senate (2 votes per state)
Senate House of Representatives
California
Alaska
2
2
53
1
Should slavery be legal under the new government?
Wanted to end slavery Wanted to allow thecontinuation of slavery
Main Controversy #2:
Northern states Southern states
“Solution”: Allowed Slavery to Continue Unchanged
• Regarding representation in
Congress, a slave would count as 3/5
of a person
Why did the northern states cave?
To keep the new nation together
Okay, so in its simplest form, the Constitution boils
down to this…..
The Preamble:
We the people of the United States of America,
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
• Article I: The Legislative Branch
• Creates bicameral Congress:
--House of Representatives (based on
population)
--U.S. Senate (2 per state)
Article II
• Article II : The Executive Branch
• Creates a strong president
• Election through the Electoral College
What is the Electoral College?
• Method spelled out in the Constitution for how we elect the president
• “Popular vote” is indirectly, not directly used
Electoral College Game
• Each state has a “point” value (# of U.S. Representatives from that state + # of U.S. Senators from that state)
• Example:
California
Alabama
53 Representatives + 2 Senators = 55 Electoral Votes
7 Representatives + 2 Senators = 9 Electoral Votes
Electoral College Game continued
Whichever candidate gets more popular votes in a state gets ALL that state’s electoral votes (points)
Whichever candidate gets 270 electoral votes (points) WINS!
2004 Electoral College MapKerry (Blue)--251 Bush (Red)--286
Why did the Founding Fathers set it up this way?
• Poor Communication• Mistrust of the people
Article III
• Article III: The Judicial Branch
• Creates Supreme Court and other federal courts
2 Ways the Constitution Divides Up Power
•Checks & Balances
•Federalism
“Checks & Balances” Triangle
“Checks & balances”
Federalism—Dividing Power Between National Govt and State Governments
Anti-Federalists Arguments Against the Constitution
1. Gives WAY too much power to national government
2.Too much emphasis on property rights, not enough on individual rights
3.Won’t work in such a large nation
4. It’s a dangerous experiment/never been tried
5. Power in the hands of a very few people
Ratification
Federalists – James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay
Federalists Arguments in Favor of Constitution
1.Stronger central government needed to maintain order, stability
2.Built in checks and balances will prevent abuse of power
3.This plan of government will actually work better in a big country by not allowing one
“faction” to take control
A “Bundle of Compromises”
Ex. #1 - The “Great” Compromise