Selected Slides for the
Constitution Unit
Lord of the Flies

Does the State of Nature have to be a state
of war?
The US: the early Years
The American Revolution

What’s so Revolutionary about the
Revolutionary War

Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence

Roots in John Locke’s theory of revolution
The Declaration of Independence

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are
created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with
certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life,
Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure
these rights, Governments are instituted among Men,
deriving their just powers from the consent of the
governed, --That whenever any Form of Government
becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the
People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new
Government, laying its foundation on such principles and
organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem
most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
The Flow of Power in Three Systems of
Government
UNITARY
CONFEDERAL
FEDERAL
Central Government
Central Government
Central Government
LOCAL/STATE LOCAL/STATE LOCAL/STATE
LOCAL/STATE
LOCAL/STATE
LOCAL/STATE LOCAL/STATE LOCAL/STATE
The Articles of Confederation: The First
Constitution

Established by the Second Continental Congress in 1777 and ratified by the
last state in 1781

Congress of the Confederation met to manage the government.

Had the power to Manage foreign affairs and borrow money

Lacked the ability to tax directly or compel states to pay costs
The Weakness of the Articles of Confederation
Unicameral Congress: one
state, one vote
most bills require nine out
13 votes
Answerable to the States
Committee of the States:
authorized to act when
Congress not in session
Officers of Congress:
Limited executive power
Congress was
Weak
Shays’ Rebellion

Rebellion (1786-87) in
Massachusetts against Courts
to prevent trial and
imprisonment of debtors.

Led by Daniel Shays,
revolutionary war hero.
The Philadelphia Convention

1787

Met to revise the Articles of Confederation

Key Figures: James Madison, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton
James Madison
George Washington
Separation of Powers creates Checks and Balances
Consequence: A System of “Shared Powers”
How democratic is the U.S.
Constitution?

Consider the organization of the
U.S. government.

If democracy means that the
people rule, then….
What do you think?
Figure 2.1 Separation of Powers
Separation of powers, as envisioned by the Founders, means
not only that government functions are to be performed by
different branches but also that officials of these branches are to
be chosen by different people, for different terms, and to
represent different constituencies.
Five Key Principles of the Constitution

Republicanism

Federalism

Separation of Powers

Checks and Balances

Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
Ratification debates

Federalists (e.g., Madison, and Hamilton)


Anti-Federalists (e.g., Patrick Henry and Samuel Adams)


The Federalist Papers were designed to persuade states to favor the Constitution
The Anti-Federalist Papers were designed to persuade states to oppose the
Constitution
The Bill of Rights: reduced fears that the central government was too
powerful
The Formal Constitutional Amending
Procedure
The Anti-Federalist Argument

Scope of politics should be small. Representatives familiar with their
constituents

Legislature should predominate: no strong executive or strong courts

No standing armies. Standing army in times of peace undermines democracy

Confederacy better secures liberty than federalism
Constitutional Change

Formal Amendments

Judicial Review

New Precedents set by Congress or by the President
Steps to become President

(Step 1): Get Party Nomination

Win the most number of delegates from state party primaries and caucuses

Win Primaries and Caucuses: Primaries are elections between candidates of the
same party. Gain delegates who are pledged to vote for their candidates

Delegates vote at National Party Convention in the summer
Election2000: Popular Vote/Electoral Vote
Step 2: Must Get a Majority of the Electoral College Vote: 270/538

Gore


Bush


50,996,116 48 % 266
50,456,169
48 % 271
How the Electoral College System works

Each state governments appoints a group of Democratic and
Republican electors to vote in the electoral college. The number is
calculated by adding the number of representatives and the number
of senators that a state representing it in Congress.

In almost all states, the candidate with the plurality of votes gets all
of the electoral college votes for that state (Maine and Nebraska,
exceptions)

The electors then meet in December and vote as the plurality in their
states have voted

The President must receive a majority of the electoral college vote,
270/538 votes
Electoral College Process
Charles Beard: An Economic
Interpretation of the Constitution

Question: What motivated the framers?
Evaluating Beard’s thesis

Does the evidence support his thesis?

Is his thesis a sufficient explanation of the Constitution? What are the
alternative explanations for the Constitution?

What is the relative weight of ideas versus interests to explain the
Constittion?