Advanced Placement Government
Chapter Two: The Constitution
Summary:
The Framers, the men who wrote the Constitution, sought to create a government capable of
protecting liberty and preserving order. The solution they chose—one without precedent at that
time—was a government based on a written constitution which combined the principles of
popular consent, separation of powers, and federalism.
Popular consent was most evident in the procedure for choosing members of the House of
Representatives. However, popular consent (direct choice by the people) was limited by the
requirements that senators be elected by their state legislatures and presidents by the Electoral
College. Powers were separated among branches that then had to cooperate to effect or bring
about change. Thus, separation of powers was joined with a system of checks and balances.
This, it was hoped, would control power and prevent tyranny, even by a popular majority.
Federalism came to mean a system in which both the national and state governments had
independent authority. Allocating powers between these two levels of government and devising
means to ensure that neither large nor small states would dominate the national government
required the most delicate compromises at the Philadelphia convention. The Framers’ decision
to protect the institution of slavery, a morally outrageous action, was another compromise—
which presumably helped to ensure the Constitution’s ratification by states engaged in the slave
trade.
In the drafting of the Constitution and the struggle for its ratification, the positions people took
were determined by a variety of factors. In addition to their economic interests, these included
profound differences of opinion over whether the state governments or the national government
would be the best protector of personal liberty. This controversy continues even today.
One must always remember that “we the people” in reality was only a small group of white
landowning males. However, and this point must be emphasized, the Declaration and
Constitution provided a theoretical and practical foundation for extending political rights to
more and more people. No other nation at the time had such documents.
Objectives:
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce students to the historical context within which the
United States Constitution was written. After reading and reviewing the material in this chapter
you should be able to do each of the following:
1. Explain the notion of “higher law” or natural law as discussed by John Locke, by which the
colonists felt they were entitled to certain “natural rights.” List these rights.
2. List and discuss the shortcomings of government under the Articles of Confederation.
3. Compare and contrast the Virginia and New Jersey plans, and show how they led to the
“Great Compromise.”
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4. Know the important constitutional principles of:
a. Checks and balances
b. separation of power
c. limited government
d. popular sovereignty
e. federalism
f. judicial review
5. Explain why a bill of rights was not initially included in the Constitution and why it was
added.
Selected Vocabulary—for these vocabulary terms know how and why they are important. For example:
Know what Shays’ Rebellion was but more importantly, know what action it led to on the part of the political
elites. Another example: Extended Republic—know the book definition, but also what Madison’s purpose was/is
proposing such a governmental arrangement. These terms are in no specific order so you will need to pay
attention when you read and when we take notes in class. Look up any you cannot find in the book or ask me
for help.
1. Unalienable rights and the Declaration of Independence—who wrote it, why, what does it
“declare”
2. Articles of Confederation
22. Amendment (as amendment to the
3. Shays' Rebellion
Constitution)
4. Constitutional Convention
23. Line item veto (please note the President only
had this power for a short time. The important aspects
5. The Virginia Plan
of this term are (a)what power did it give the President
6. The New Jersey Plan
(b)why did the Court declare it unconstitutional?)
7. Great Compromise
24. Extended Republic
8. Separation of powers*
25. Limited government*
9. Checks and Balances*
26. The Constitution
10. Judicial Review*
27. Federalist #10—what was the main topic
11. Republic
of this essay
12. Federalism*
28. Federalist #51—what was the main topic
13. Faction
of this essay
14. The Federalists Papers
29. John Locke
15. The Federalists (the political group)
30. Thomas Hobbes
16. Anti-federalists (the political group)
31. Enumerated powers/delegated powers
17. Coalition
32. Reserved powers
18. Writ of habeas corpus
33. Concurrent powers
19. Bill of attainder
34. Popular sovereignty*
20. Ex post facto law
21. Bill of Rights
*Denotes important Constitutional principle
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