We the People 5th edition by Benjamin Ginsberg, Theodore J. Lowi and Margaret Weir

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We the People 5th edition by Benjamin Ginsberg,
Theodore J. Lowi and Margaret Weir

• Chapter 2. The Founding and the Constitution

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The First Founding Interests and Conflicts

• The American Revolution and the American
  Constitution were outgrowths and expressions of a
  struggle among economic and political forces
  within the colonies.

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Colonial Interests

• COLONIAL INTERESTS
• New England merchants
• Southern planters
• Royalists (Tories)
• Shopkeepers, artisans,
• and laborers
• Small farmers

• Colonial American society can be broken down
  into five distinct elements, each having its own
  interests and ideas regarding independence.

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Tories

• Those Americans who owed their social positions
  or wealth to royal appointments or other
  relationships with the British tended to be
  TORIES.
• Many of the other groups of colonial society
  would become radicalized as a result of British
  actions and policies.

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Stamp and Sugar Act

• British tax policies to raise revenue in the
  colonies, like the Stamp Act and the Sugar Act,
  adversely affected the interests of New England
  merchants and southern planters.
• These groups, of vastly different interests,
  were increasingly unified in their opposition to
  these policies.

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The Declaration of Independence

• A committee of the Second Continental Congress
  drafted the Declaration.
• In the Declaration, Thomas Jefferson asserted
  the self evident and unalienable rights to
  life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
• Politically, the Declaration sought to unify the
  disparate interests of colonial society around
  core principles and in opposition to the British
  crown.

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The Articles of Confederation

• The Articles
• Weak central government
• Legislative dominance/No executive branch
• Execution of laws left to individual states.

• Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union.
• Adopted 1777
• Ratified 1781
• Americas governing document until 1789.

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WHAT DO YOU THINK?

• What role did British policies play in
  galvanizing American interests?
• What do you think happened to Americas different
  interests when they were no longer united in
  opposition to the British?
• Was the Articles of Confederation a strong enough
  government to bridge these different viewpoints?

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The Second Founding From Compromise to
Constitution

• The Articles of Confederations fundamental
  weaknesses left the central government
  ill-equipped to address the problems of the
  critical period.
• Problems of the critical period
• Americas weak international standing
• Internal unrest like Shays Rebellion.
• http//www.calliope.org/shays/shays2.html

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The Constitutional Convention

• The Constitution increased the power of the
  central government.
• It established a strong executive branch.
• The central government was given coercive power
  over the states.

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The Great Compromise

• The Virginia Plan
• Seats in national legislature to be apportioned
  on the basis of population.
• Supported by large states.

• The New Jersey Plan
• Each state to have equal representation in the
  national legislature.
• Supported by small states.

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The Great Compromise

• House of Representatives seats to be apportioned
  by population as large states preferred.
• Senate representation to be equal for each state
  as small states preferred.

• The Great Compromise bridged the competing
  interests of large states and small states.

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The Three-Fifths Compromise

• It seemed now to be pretty well understood that
  the real difference of interests lay, not between
  the large and small but between the northern and
  southern states. The institution of slavery and
  its consequences formed the line of
  discrimination.
• -- James Madison
• Southern states wanted slaves counted for the
  purposes of apportioning House seats.
• Northern states argued that this was merely a
  representational bonus to southern slaveholders.

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The Three-Fifths Compromise

• The Three-Fifths Compromise held that three of
  every five slaves would be counted for the
  purpose of apportioning seats in the House of
  Representatives.

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The Constitution

• Compared to the Articles of Confederation, the
  Constitution
• Increased the power of the central government
• Commerce and finance
• National judicial supremacy
• Stronger executive branch

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The Constitution

• Sought to curb excessive democracy
• Checks and balances
• Electoral College
• Limited the potential for government abuse
• Bill of Rights
• Separation of powers
• Federalism

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The Seven Articles of the Constitution

• Article I sets forth the powers and structure of
  the Legislative Branch
• Bicameralism (House and Senate)
• Expressed powers of government
• Necessary and proper clause provides for the
  potential expansion of congressional and national
  government power.

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• Article II sought to provide a strong and
  energetic executive branch.
• The President was to be independent of the
  legislative branch
• The President was to be the countrys Commander
  in Chief and its chief diplomat
• Other powers include appointment of executive and
  judicial officials and the veto of congressional
  acts.

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• Article III deals with the selection and powers
  of the federal judiciary.
• Justices and judges to be appointed by the
  President and confirmed by the Senate.
• Lifetime terms.
• Established judicial supremacy.

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Articles IV VI

• Key elements of Article IV promote national
  unity and power.
• Reciprocity among states that must give full
  faith and credit to acts of other states
• Guarantees citizens of any state the privileges
  and immunities of every other state.
• Article VIs supremacy clause states that laws
  of the national government and treaties are the
  supreme law of the land.

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Article V

• Article V sets forth the procedures for amending
  the Constitution.
• Proposing Amendments
• Constitutional Amendments can be proposed
  either
• (a) by passage in the House and Senate by 2/3
  vote or
• (b) by passage in a national convention called
  by Congress in response to petitions by 2/3 of
  the states.

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Ratifying Amendments

• Ratifying Amendments
• Constitutional Amendments can be ratified either
• (a) by acceptance by majority vote in the
  legislatures of three-fourths of the states
• (b) by acceptance by conventions called for the
  purpose in three-fourths of the states.

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The Fight for Ratification

• Federalists
• Property owners, creditors, merchants
• Favored stronger central government
• Feared excessive democracy and promotion of
  political elites

• Anti-Federalists
• Small farmers, debtors, shopkeepers
• Favored retaining power in state governments
• Generally, more democratic

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WHAT DO YOU THINK?

• In what ways did the Constitution improve upon
  the Articles in its ability to bridge the diverse
  viewpoints in America?
• Do you think it is good that the Constitution is
  so difficult to change?
• What ideas and interests informed the Federalists
  and the Anti-Federalists respectively? What
  lasting effects did the Anti-Federalists have on
  American politics?

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Student Website

• http//www.wwnorton.com/wtp5e
• Study smarter with chapter reviews, quizzes,
  vocabulary flashcards, Interactive Politics
  simulations and You Decide critical thinking
  exercises.

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