A New Plan of Government

Unpacking the Standards

Discuss the ideas and figures that shaped the Constitution.

Describe the system of checks and balances.

Explain how Americans reacted to the Constitution.

After reading the section, you will be able to:

What Ideas Influenced the Framers?

Shoulder partner

Why are the men who wrote the Constitution

called its “framers”?

the rigid supporting structure of an object such as a vehicle,

building, or piece of furniture.

A Frame

The Constitution is like an “instruction book” that

explains the basic structure of our government

A Plan of Government

Influences, Cont’d

Charles de Montesquie

u

Shoulder partner What do you

think “tripartite”

means?

Tripartite = 3 part

1 2 3

What Ideas Influenced the Framers?

English Billof Rights

• The monarch had to obey the law

• No taxation without representation

• The accused have the right to a trial by jury

•People had the right to a fair and speedy trial by jury•People had the right of petition

•Natural rights (life, liberty, and property)•Govts job to protect these rights•If gov’t interferes with these rights, people can overthrow the gov’t

Magna Carta

John Locke

SUMMARY:

governmental power must be limited by laws.

The Federal System

STATES

Federal Gov’tCentral Gov’t

National Gov’t

government for the entire nation

Shared Powers

Federalism

Federal Gov’ttaxregulate tradecontrol currencyraise an armydeclare war

State Gov’tpass/enforce lawsregulate tradeest. local govt’sestablish schools

The federal government and the state governments SHARE POWER

THIS IS CALLED FEDERALISM

The Constitution isThe Supreme Law of the Land

no state could make laws that went against

the Constitution

no state could take actions that went

against the Constitution

disputes between the federal gov’t and the

states would be settled in the federal courts on

the basis of the Constitution

The Constitution is the final and supreme

authority

SUPREME

Article I of the Constitution

articles =

parts

CONGRESS House of

Representatives

Senate

Membership 435 members (proportional)

100(2 from each state)

Term of Office

2 years 6 years

Qualifications

25 years oldcitizen for 7 yearsmust live in state

30 years oldcitizen for 9 yearsmust live in state

The Legislative Branch makes

laws

Bicameral

Powers of Congress

collecting taxes coining money regulating trade declare war make all laws needed to fulfill the

functions given to it as stated in the Constitution

Article II of the Constitution

The Executive Branch(enforces the nation’s laws)

Vice-Pres. Cabinet

commander in chief of the armed forces

conducts relations with

other countries

Article III of the Constitution

The Judicial Branch(interprets the nation’s laws)

Back row (left to right): Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen G. Breyer, Samuel A. Alito, and Elena Kagan. Front row (left to right): Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Anthony Kennedy, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Checks and Balances

Montesquieu

Separation of Power

To keep any one branch from gaining too much power.

limitTo “check” =

Shoulder partner What is the

word meaning “3 parts”?

The Debate Over Ratification(argument

)(approval)

U.S. Constitution

Federalists

Anti-Federalist

s

YES

NO

The Federalist Papers

John Jay, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton

a series of essays explaining and defending the

Constitution Mercy Otis Warren

Anti-Federalists would NOT support the Constitution without a . . .

Bill of Rights

Adopting the Constitution

out of states had to ratify the Constitution before it could

go into effect.1st State to Ratify = Delaware

9th State to Ratify = New Hampshire

BUT . . .Without the support of two critical states –

New York and Virginia – the future of the new government was not promising.

9 13

Finally, in May 1790, Rhode Island became the 13th state to ratify

3.3 Summary

Ideas and thinkers of the past influenced the creation of the United States Constitution.

The Constitution outlines the responsibilities and the limits of the three branches of government.

Americans reacted to the proposed Constitution in different ways