Building a Government

1. Building a Government First Challenges

2. When did the United States become an independent country?

3. Articles of Confederation • Constitution of 1787 • Philosophical underpinnings

4. Articles of Confederation • What were the Articles of Confederation? • A plan of government for the thirteen original states. • Proposed in Congress in 1776, ratified by the states in 1781.

5. Articles of Confederation Why were the Articles enacted? The war with the British led the states to partially abandon their need for autonomy and accept a national government.

6. What were the weaknesses of the Articles? • national government lacked the authority to set up tariffs when necessary, regulate commerce or levy taxes • It lacked sole control of international relations • a number of states had begun their own negotiations with foreign countries. • Nine states had organized their own armies, and several had their own navies. • There was a variety of coins and paper money in circulation • Making payment of debts difficult

7. End of the Articles • The need to control commerce led to the meeting of a convention to amend the Articles. • The members quickly threw that task aside with the intention of developing a new plan for a national government.

8. Problems • Large states wanted representation in the legislature based on population • Small states wanted equal representation • Slave states wanted to include their slaves in their population

9. Solutions? • The House of Representatives is based on population and the Senate has equal representation. • The 3/5 Compromise • Population of slaves states included slaves but only 3/5 of their total.

10. Constitution of 1787 • By the end of the summer of 1787 the new constitution was complete and would be enacted when 9 of the 13 states ratified the document. • By June 1788 the required nine states had ratified the Constitution but not New York and Virginia • Many felt it would not be honored without their support

11. The debate over ratification led to the development of political parties: • The Federalists, favored a strong central government • Anti-Federalists, favored a loose organization of states

12. In New York • Federalist leaders Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison published a series of essays in New York newspapers titled “The Federalist Papers” • Made the case for the Constitution and New York delegates ratified the Constitution

13. In Virginia • Anti-Federalists feared the power of the new central government. • Proposal that the Virginia Convention recommend a bill of rights led to ratification on June 25, 1788

14. In Congress assembled • The first congress met at New York, September 1789. • Responded to calls for amendments to protect individual rights • By 1791 enough states had adopted these first ten amendments • Bill of Rights

15. PhilisophicalUnderpinings • Federalism • Division of power between national and state government • Separation of Powers • Distribution of powers over three branches of government, legislative, executive and judicial • Checks and balances • Each branch plays some role in the other • Judicial Review • Power of the courts to declare acts of the executive or legislative branch null and void

16. Summing Up • Articles of Confederation • Constitution of 1787 • Philosophical underpinnings