The Constitution - Ms. Wolfe's Classroom · •judicial branch – the branch of government that...
Transcript of The Constitution - Ms. Wolfe's Classroom · •judicial branch – the branch of government that...
Vocabulary
• Articles of Confederation – the document that described a new national government for the former American colonies
• Constitutional Convention – the meeting of delegates in Philadelphia in 1787 that made plans for a new and stronger government for the United States
• Constitution – the document that describes the government of the United States
• branches – parts of government with different kinds of responsibilities and powers
• checks and balances – in the Constitution, ways of limiting the powers of the three parts of the government
• legislative branch – the branch of government that makes laws
Vocabulary
• executive branch – the branch of government that carries out laws
• judicial branch – the branch of government that interprets laws and settles disagreements about them
• cabinet – a group of advisors to the president, including the heads of important departments in the executive branch
• treaty – a formal agreement between two or more nations • impeachment – the act of accusing a government official of
serious crimes, as defined by the Constitution • veto – to reject a bill and prevent it from becoming a law
(only the president has the power to veto bills) • unconstitutional – in conflict with the Constitution
14.2 The First American Government: The Articles of Confederation
• After declaring their independence, the colonies created a government that was described in a document called The Articles of Confederation.
• This government worked well enough during the Revolutionary War, but was weak and had a difficult time solving the country’s problems after the war. – Making laws required approval of 9 of the 13 states – It did not have a president – It did not have a court to settle disagreements between
states – It had no power to collect taxes or to force the states to
give it money – It could not pay the soldiers that fought in the Continental
Army
14.2 The First American Government: The Articles of Confederation
• Many former soldiers and poor farmers began losing their homes after the war because they could not pay their bills and some were jailed.
• Shays’s Rebellion:
– Daniel Shays, a former soldier, and hundreds of other men rebelled in Massachusetts.
– They took up their weapons and tried to stop the courts from taking people’s property.
• This frightened many leaders. They wanted a strong government that could pay the nations’ bills, settle arguments between states, and maintain order.
14.3 Inventing a New Government: The Constitutional Convention
• Delegates from 12 of the 13 states met in Philadelphia in May 1787 to improve the Articles of Confederation.
• Instead, they created a new document called the Constitution.
• This meeting is known today as the Constitutional Convention and had 55 delegates.
• Delegates were well educated, rich, white men. Many were lawyers, but they also included doctors, merchants, farmers, and soldiers.
14.3 Inventing a New Government: The Constitutional Convention
• George Washington was president of the convention and kept the debates respectful.
• Benjamin Franklin stepped in when tempers flared.
• James Madison brought his plan for a powerful national government and argued strongly for it
• Gouverneur Morris wrote much of the final draft of the Constitution
• Some argued for a strong united government, and others were afraid of losing freedoms if the national government was too strong.
14.3 Inventing a New Government: The Constitutional Convention
• Delegates decided to have BOTH state governments AND a strong national government.
• They decided to divide the government into three parts, or branches:
– The legislative branch to make the laws
– The executive branch to carry out the laws
– The judicial branch to settle disagreements over the meanings of the laws
14.3 Inventing a New Government: The Constitutional Convention
• One of the fiercest debates concerned the number of representatives in the legislative branch. – Large states wanted it to be decided by the population of
the state – Smaller states were afraid of losing power because their
populations were less and wanted every state to have the same number of votes
• Both sides reached a compromise. They created a legislative branch with two parts (houses), one for each idea.
• On September 17, 1787, they signed the final Constitution.
• By June 1788, 9 of the 13 states had approved it and the United States had a new government.
14.4 Making the Laws: The Legislative Branch
• Described by Article I of the Constitution
• Has the responsibility of making laws
• Congress is made up of two houses
– The Senate
• Each state has 2 representatives (100 total)
– The House of Representatives
• Representatives are determined by the state’s population (435 total)
14.4 Making the Laws: The Legislative Branch
• Legislative Powers: – Write bills (ideas for new laws) – Vote to pass (approve) bills – If the president refuses to sign a bill, Congress can override the
president’s decision with a 2/3 majority – Approves or rejects important appointments made by the
president (Ex: ambassadors, federal judges, members of the president’s cabinet)
– Must approve any treaty between the U.S. and another country – Have the power to declare war on another country – Have the power to accuse the president, judges, and other
officials of serious crimes (impeachment) – Can collect taxes – Can create a national currency – Can create other federal courts under the Supreme Court
14.5 Carrying Out the Laws: The Executive Branch
• Described by Article II of the Constitution
• Has the responsibility of executing (carrying out) the laws
• The president (chief executive) is the head of this branch
• The drafters of the Constitution did not want the U.S. to have its own kind of king so they tried to limit the president’s power
14.5 Carrying Out the Laws: The Executive Branch
• Executive Powers: – Can either sign (approve) or veto (reject) bills passed
by Congress – Can make proposals to Congress to suggest new laws
(State of the Union speech) – Can call Congress together for a special session – Can sign treaties with other nations (but Congress
must approve them) – Is in charge of the nation’s armed forces (but only
Congress can declare war) – Can nominate people for important jobs (but Senate
must approve them) – Has the power to grant pardons to people who have
been found guilty of crimes against the U.S.
14.6 Interpreting the Laws: The Judicial Branch
• Described by Article III of the Constitution
• Has the responsibility of interpreting the nation’s laws, settling disagreements between states, and protecting the Constitution
• The Supreme Court is the head of this branch
• The Supreme Court is made up of 9 judges, with the leader being called the chief justice
• Justices serve on the court for life
14.6 Interpreting the Laws: The Judicial Branch
• Judicial Powers: – Has the power to decide whether a national or
state law conflicts with the Constitution and throw out any laws that are unconstitutional
– Can stop a treaty if it violates the Constitution
– Has the power to interpret the law (what it means and how it applies)
– The chief justice acts as the presiding judge during impeachment trials
– If the actions of the other branches conflict with the Constitution, the Judicial branch can try to act
14.7 Limiting Power: Checks and Balances
• The drafters of the Constitution wanted a strong and lasting government
• They designed a system of checks and balances
• The Constitution gives each branch the power to check (stop) certain actions of the other branches
• It also tried to balance each branch’s powers so that no one branch becomes too powerful