Articles of Confederation
First document of the form of government for the US
Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
Can’t live a taxes
Only one branch of government Can’t settle disputes between states 9 out of 13 states have to agree on a law
13 out of 13 have to agree to amend the articles of confederation
States have the most control of your trade
Constitutional compromises
The New Jersey plan
The Virginia plan
The great compromise (Connecticut)
3/5 compromise
Commerce and slaves trade compromise
Electoral college
New Jersey plan
Unicameral legislative and every state gets one vote
Virginia plan
Bicameral government with three branches, two legislative; both determined by population of the state.
Upper House representatives are nominated by the state legislative in chosen by the members of the lower
Great compromise
Lower house, determined by population of state, chosen by people
Upper House equal equally represented chosen by state legislation
3/5 compromise
Agreement reached by delicates of the constitutional convention that an enslaved person would count as 3/5 of a person in calculating a state representation and for taxation purposes
Compromise on importation( comments, slaved trade compromise)
Congress could not restrict the slave trade until 1808 although the government can regulate interstate commerce
Electoral college
Compromise when creating a system to elect the president
Some congress should pick the president
Others argue for democratic popular vote
Checks and balances
A process for each of the branches of government to ensure no one branch would come to powerful (separation of powers)
Legislative(Congress)
Article one
House can impeach the Senate and check president
Use powers Congress declares war
Power of the purse (decides where money is spent)
2/3 in both houses overturns Veto
Executive(president)
Article 2
Veto a law
Appoint Supreme Court judges
Judicial(courts)
Article 3
Judicial review strike down a law
Federalist 51
Separation of powers and checks and balances
Shay’s rebellion
An uprising of indebted citizens against their state government
Constitutional convention
A meeting held to fix the articles of confederation (the two issues being representation of power)
Unicameral
One house legislature
Articles of confederation
The first governing document for the United States
Writ of habeas corpus
Article one section 9
Requires the government to inform people to detain for crimes of the charges against them
Bills of attainder
Legislative acts that declare people, guilty and post punishment on those people without a trial
Ex post facto laws
Punish people for act that were not crimes at the time they were committed
Bicameral
National legislator with two houses
Separation of powers
No one branch of government becomes too powerful
Federal
Sharing of power between the national government and states
