...different schools of thought regarding the Constitution. One party was the Jeffersonian Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, they followed the principle of strict constructionism of the Constitution. Jefferson’s policy making usually cohered with this strict constructionism, but on several occasions Jefferson utilized a loose interpretation of the Constitution, while Madison did a much better job of adhering to the principle of strict constructionism. As the founder of the Jeffersonian Republicans, Thomas Jefferson’s main ideology was a strict interpretation of the Constitution,...
Words: 915 - Pages: 4
...be addressed if a new government was to be formed. • Even though it was written in the declaration, the Constitution did not say a word about everyone being equally protected under the law. o Representation- The first issue discussed was how to set up the new Congress so that all states have an equal voice. New Jersey Plan- The proposal at the Constitutional Convention that called equal representation of each state in Congress regardless of the state’s population. Virginia Plan- The proposal at the Constitutional Convention that called for representation of each state in Congress in proportion to that state’s share of the U.S. population. • It is obvious to...
Words: 1682 - Pages: 7
...Federalist: The Federalists were originally those forces in favor of the ratification of the Constitution. A desire to establish a strong central government. Federalists felt strongly that the inability of the United States, operating under the Articles of Confederation, to implement protective tariffs had led to the uncontrolled flood of manufactured items that were depressing the new nation's economy. They pointed out that the European powers were not likely to negotiate thirteen separate commercial treaties, and that Britain was well served by letting the situation fester. The term "Federalist" was later applied to the emerging political faction headed by Alexander Hamilton in George Washington's administration. Revolution of 1800: Some observers have regarded Jefferson's election in 1800 as revolutionary. This may be true in a restrained sense of the word, since the change from Federalist leadership to Republican was entirely legal and bloodless. Nevertheless, the changes were profound. The Federalists lost control of both the presidency and the Congress. By 1800, the American people were ready for a change. Under Washington and Adams, the Federalists had established a strong government. They sometimes failed, however, to honor the principle that the American government must be responsive to the will of the people. They had followed policies that alienated large groups. For example, in 1798 they enacted a tax on houses, land and slaves, affecting every property owner in...
Words: 5803 - Pages: 24
...The Founding Brothers tells the tales of the ordinary lives and challenges that the Founders or Framers faced. One of them was to ensure that the nation that they helped build would stand for the test of time. However, the author, Joseph Ellis, tries to give the reader a better understanding of the founders, that they are more than just men. They are more than white people that believed in white superiority. Instead, they are men that understood the problems that the country was facing after independence from the United Kingdom by a war. They fought each other tooth and nail over things that they believed needed to be done for the country or else this new republic will fall, like the Roman Republic. Nevertheless, they met each other to form political compromises that would build the strength and position of the new republic. Theses Compromises help settle many disputes that had threated to divide the new nation in half. Even though, it deals with issues that at the time should not be spoken, like slavery. They understood that the world was watching them and was waiting for what...
Words: 1798 - Pages: 8
...Should There be Another Constitutional Convention? The Articles of Confederation was he first federal “constitution” to be upheld in the thirteen colonies. Unfortunately, under the Articles, Congress was given no power over the states so that the country could grow into an actual functioning society, though there were certain things that they did have control over, such as create war and peace time, conduct foreign affairs and etc. But under the Articles, “But Congress could not collect taxes and enforce laws directly; it had to rely on the states to provide money and enforce its laws. . .”(Dye 61). Essentially, the states did what they felt was right beneath their own respective state level government. “No respect is paid to the federal authority. Not a single state complies with the requisitions[submitted by Congress]” (Nardo 18). The Founding Fathers were disturbed by the utter discord the nation seemed to be in. Deciding that enough was enough in May of 1797, twelve of the thirteen colonies delegates, 55 delegates, gathered together in the State House of Philadelphia to, originally, fix and tweak the bugs out of the Articles of Confederation. But instead of fixing the Articles, James Madison decided that it would be better to scrap the whole document and create a whole new federal constitution. James Madison was intent on drafting a new constitution that would create a stronger, central government: The Virginia Plan. “. . . he by no means wanted that government to be so...
Words: 2073 - Pages: 9
...has increased since the ratification of the Constitution in 1791. Describe how the provisions within the Constitution pertaining to the ‘power to tax and spend’ (Art.1, sec.8, pt.1) and the ‘commerce clause’ (Art.1, sec.8, pt.3) have been used over time to expand federal power and thus the power of the President. “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” (Declaration of Independence, n.d.). Taken adapted from the scholar John Locke’s “Life Liberty and Estate” in his text the ‘Second Treatise of Government’, (Locke, J. 2005) and incorporated into the United States declaration of independence. Much has been said on the influence of Locke, on Thomas Jefferson during the drafting of the United States declaration of independence, such as was argued by McKay, (2005 pp. 44) . However, where Locke emphasized the importance of procuring and maintaining a limited government, it appears his influences on the political foundation of the United States drew to a halt here. As we are now bearing witness, to one of the most rapidly expanding government institutions in western liberal democracy. In this essay, I intend to discuss how the expansion of federal government power has increased exponentially, all the while power at the state level has diminished. I also intend to view how the head of the judicial branch of government;...
Words: 3110 - Pages: 13
...major flaws, limitations and discrepancies were mounting. These gave way to the Articles being scrapped altogether and a new governing document being written called the U.S. Constitution. Many have called the Articles of Confederation America's first failure at government. Unification The articles of the confederation was a weak attempt at best, by a new country to try an unite itself and form a government of its own after overthrowing the British tyranny of the previous decade. Under the Articles of Confederation each state had the right to make its own rules and laws, separate from the central government. There was no taxing powers given to Congress, Congress had no power over interstate or foreign commerce. Each state had one vote in Congress, regardless of the states size or population. That in itself was a problem for the larger states who had bigger populations, who were expected to contribute more but still only had one vote. Any amendments to the Articles must have a unanimous approval for amendment. Congress had only specific powers that it could not enforce because each state could ignore the laws made by congress with no penalties due to the fact that there was not a judiciary. The Constitution alleviated many issues that the Articles of Confederation created. The Constitution created a centralized government that was...
Words: 1602 - Pages: 7
...Washington, Gabriel's Rebellion, Ohio, the Louisiana Purchase, the Embargo act, the International slave trade, James Madison, the Battle of New Orleans, Reverend Allen, Missouri compromise, Demark Vesey's Conspiracy, Africans losing their boats, Monroe Doctrine, Nat Turner's revolt, The Alamo, Gag rule, Trail of tears, Harriet Tubman, California. All of these are some major events that caused the civil war itself. All of these events had also contributed to the rise of the English colony and the break off point from the mainland in Europe. All of the events/ people mention previously are going to be used to tell how the American civil war started and how each led to a chain reaction of other events that occurred. These events will each tell a story of its own and slowly build up to the civil war itself. Other events along the way will show up as a result of an event occurring. Both the north and the South had different events which lead up to the civil war but we will mostly focus on the more major events that took place. The Rise of the English Colony was different than the other European Nations. The first major event that occurred that broke the English from the European nation would be that the U.S. ratified the Bill of Rights. On September 25, 1789, the congress transmitted to the state Legislatures twelve approved amendments to the Constitution. Numbers three through twelve were adopted by the states to...
Words: 3043 - Pages: 13
...In American discourse separation of powers is more a name than a description. None of the three branches (legislative, executive, or judicial) of the national government are clearly separate from one another. Congress, for example, has an impeachment club to check the others; the president's veto power is plainly legislative in nature. No wonder James Madison in The Federalist, no. 47, undertook to answer the Anti‐Federalist charge that “The several departments of power are [not separated but] blended in such a manner as at once to destroy all symmetry and beauty of form, and to expose some of the essential parts of the edifice to the danger of being crushed by the disproportionate weight of other parts.” Madison's answer was that Montesquieu—the “oracle” of separation—did not mean that “departments ought to have no partial agency in, or control over, the acts of each other.” He meant rather that “the whole power of one department [should not be] exercised by the same hands which possess the whole power of another department.” The merit of “blending,” according to Madison, was that, along with bicameralism and federalism, it produced a safety net of “checks and balances.” A crucial problem is that split power inevitably entails split accountability. No wonder then that so many difficulties in American government spring ultimately from its divided power system. In contrast, the parliamentary system seeks safety in clear, direct lines of electoral accountability—and less in a...
Words: 817 - Pages: 4
...Throughout the chapter, Ellis puts great emphasis on the many things that could have gone wrong during the revolution. He points all these negative events and set backs that he felt could easily have brought the developing America down to show just how great of an accomplishment the revolution was. The Founding Fathers were not completely oblivious to the severity of breaking away from Great Britain. Tom Pain states that, “it is only common sense that an island can not rule a continent (pg.3).” Many assumed that it was only natural that the thirteen colonies govern themselves. They figured that it would be a peaceful break such as the gaining of independence for Ghana or Canada. It was not until later on that the colonies realized that Britain would not easily hand over the land. What I find interesting is that only the Founding Fathers seemed to realize the great events taking place during their time. John Adams even instructed his wife to file and keep all of his records. It is as if he knew that hundreds of years from then, we the future Americans would look back at his notes and recognize his greatness. This makes me wonder why they were so sure of themselves. The Americans were at a disadvantage during the beginning of the war. How was it that they seem so certain that the war would end up in their favor? Ellis backs up my point by stating, “Men make history…, but they can never know the history that they are making (pg.4).” Every event in life can go two ways: really good...
Words: 4380 - Pages: 18
...Running head: Constitution Timeline Julie Haire Grand Canyon University: POS-301 June 29, 2012 Paul Oranika Constitution Timelines The great nation we live in is unlike any other because of “liberty, equality, individual rights, self-government, and lawful powers” that are afforded to its people through the United States Constitution (Patterson, 2011, p28). Since we began our journey away from parliamentary government, the colonists who created this nation worked hard to create a nation that would be fair to all who lived here. Americans enjoy the pursuit of happiness, freedom of living and equality because of our Constitution. The foundation for our constitution can be traced back as far as medieval times and the Magna Carta. Even then people were fighting for the rights of the people. Through the signing of this document the King could not infringe upon the rights of the people in any unfair or unjust way. The colonist used many ideas from this document to help create our first constitution it helped to create the due process of law. “This concept, embraced by the leaders of the American Revolution, is embedded in the supremacy clause of the United States Constitution and enforced by the Supreme Court”( Edsitement, 2012, parg 1). As time passed many who lived in England began to feel conflict with in the country they lived in and set sail for a new land called the America’s. Upon arrival they began to build colonies. During this time the Mayflower...
Words: 949 - Pages: 4
...Independence Hall is known as the “birthplace of the United States”. In this building, the founders wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Through doing so, Independence Hall has become a symbol of patriotism and liberty (“Independence Hall”, n.d.). Construction for the hall began in 1732. Andrew Hamilton, speaker of the House, supervised the construction of Independence Hall. Master builder, Edmund Wolley, designed the building plans. Construction finished in 1753 (Mires, "Independence Hall”, 2023). In terms of location, the Independence Hall is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Independence Hall was built to be the Pennsylvania State House, which contained all three branches of the colonial government: legislative, judicial, and executive. The Hall was also built to provide a location for more ceremonial functions. For instance, the Hall served as a location for banquet dinners and birthday celebrations of British monarchs. While the Hall has served many political and ceremonial purposes, it now serves the public in a different manner. The site is now an educational site for the public...
Words: 825 - Pages: 4
...and differences between Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and the Federalist and Anti-Federalist controversy. The Federalist and Anti-Federalist controversy explores the views of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists. The Federalists supported the Constitution, and they wanted the Constitution to become law or ratified. Moreover, the Federalists wanted and believed in a strong, central government. The Federalists consisted of Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison. On the other side, there were opponents of the Constitution (the Anti-Federalists). The Anti-Federalists thought the Constitution would give the government too much power and control; there was no Bill of Rights to protect the people and their rights from...
Words: 1199 - Pages: 5
...runs 20 agencies operating 56 programs dedicated to financial literacy. When asked for actual numbers reflecting the operational costs of these programs the GAO was unable to estimate the cost based on the limited information provided. Sen Tom Coburn (R-OK) made this statement in regards to the GAO report. “This report confirms what most Americans assume about their government. We are spending trillions of dollars every year and nobody knows what we are doing. The executive branch doesn’t know. The congressional branch doesn’t know. Nobody knows. This report also shows we could save taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars every year without cutting services. In many cases, smart consolidations will improve service.” The GAO did not provide a specific estimate of the cost of duplication in its report but Dr. Coburn estimated it to be at least $100 billion. Moreover, GAO only...
Words: 2436 - Pages: 10
...history. We “search” through the past to see what we did wrong and then learn from our mistakes,so it doesn’t happen again. Although some may argue that we never really learned from our past, some cases have shown otherwise, like the Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights. The Americans used previous knowledge on the pros and cons of the Magna Carta to shape their own document which is known as The Bill of Rights. Despite the fact that the Bill Of Rights was based off of the Magna Carta and are similar, they are different documents,so...
Words: 1435 - Pages: 6
