Articles of Confederation - · PDF fileArticles of Confederation ... Martha Stewart is brought to trial without a jury. Residents of Smithtown submit grievances to Town Council

PowerPoint: Government
Articles of ConfederationArticles of Confederation
The FIRST set of laws for the new United States of America.
Under the Articles, there was:
Task: Using the next slide, decide whether the above things are helpful towards creating a new government or harmful.
Weak central government States had the most power
No national army
Central government could not collect taxes
No national currency, each state had its own
Creation of a national post office
Laws to maintain order
No control over trade No way for the federal government to borrow
money
HELPFUL HARMFUL
Articles of Confederation

Northwest Ordinance of 1787 -
Divided up territories in the west into smaller ones.
Task: Good or Bad?Shays Rebellion
Massachusetts, 1786
Task: Good or Bad?
Task: How do you think Americans are reacting to the Articles of Confederation?
The Good & The Bad
Constitutional Convention of 1787Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1787
Task: What are some things you think need to be changed from the Articles of Confederation?

The ConstitutionThe delegates decided the Articles of Confederation could not be repaired.
They wrote a new set of laws
Major changes:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
The Constitution
Preamble - IntroductionArticle 1 - Legislative BranchArticle 2 - Executive BranchArticle 3 - Judicial Branch
Article 4 - Relations Between the States
Article 5 - Amending the ConstitutionArticle 6 - Supremacy ClauseArticle 7 - Ratification Process
27 Amendments(changes to the Constitution)
First 10 are called the Bill of Rights
The Constitution of the United States of America

The Constitution - PreambleWe, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union
Task: What do you think the writers meant by this?
Task: List the goals of government.
We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Branches of Government

The Constitution Article OneArticle One:
Created the Legislative Branch
Congress
Senate House of Representatives
Steve Israel
Carolyn McCarthy
# From Each State:
Total:
Term:
Representation is based on population
NY: 33 reps // CA: 54 reps
Total:
Term:
Total Congressmen:
Constitutional CompromisesConflict #1
How should each state be represented in Congress?
Side A Side B
Representation in Congress should be based on
Task: Why would large states want representation in Congress based on population?
Representation in Congress should be
Task: Why would small states want representation in Congress to be equal?
BUT ISNT THIS A DEMOCRACY WHERE THE PEOPLE RULE?

Constitutional CompromisesSolution #1
A bicameral legislature was created.
This pleased the states
This pleased the states
Homework: Find out who your senators and representatives are.
Constitutional CompromisesConflict #2
Should slaves count towards representation?
Side A Side B
Task: Why would the South want slaves to be counted towards representation only?
Task: Why would the North want slaves to be counted towards taxation and not representation?

Constitutional Compromises
Task: Shade in the number of slaves that do NOT count towards representation and taxation.
How many slaves count? _____
The Constitution Article OneArticle One:
Powers of the Legislative Branch
They have the power to borrow money.
They can approve or reject treaties.
They can approve or reject people appointed by the President or the Supreme Court or the Cabinet (Senate only).

Cabinet Nominated By:
Cabinet Approved By:
Presidents Term:
Maximum number of terms:
President Elected By:
The Constitution Article TwoArticle Two:
Created the Executive Branch
Consists of:
The President Vice-President The Cabinet
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UR
ITY
AD
VISO
RPR
ESIDEN
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AR
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VIC
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ESID
ENT
SEC
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AR
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President Bushs Cabinet
Agriculture
Ed SchaeferDefense
Robert Gates
Interior
Dirk Kempthorn
e
Commerce
Carlos Gutierrez
Justice
MihaelMukasey
Labor
Elaine Chao
Homeland Security
Michael Chertoff
Education
Margaret Spellings
Transportation
Mary Peters
State
CondoleezaRice
Treasury
Henry Paulson, Jr.
Health and Human Services
Michael Leavitt
Energy
Samuel Bodman
Housing and Urban
Development
Steve Preseton
Veterans Affairs
Dr. James Peake
Vice President
Richard Cheney
President George W. Bush

Path to the Presidency
Step 1
Decide to run
Presidential Primaries State Party voters vote for
candidates to the convention.
National Convention Nominee for each major party is
chosen.
Election Day (1st Tue. in Nov) Voters pick presidential electors in the electoral college, who are
then expected to support a specific candidate.
January 20th President is inaugurated
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Electoral CollegeElectoral College -
People vote for electors.
Electors are members of the electoral college that actually elect the president.
Total Electoral Votes: // Majority Needed To Win:
Task: If you were running in the 2008 election, what states would you target and why?
2008

Red vs. Blue StatesThe 2000 Presidential Election
Popular Vote:
Electoral Vote:
States Won:
Popular Vote:
Electoral Vote:
States Won:
Task: How did Al Gore lose the election if he gained more popular votes than Bush?
*D.C.
Popular Vote: 59,028,444
Electoral Vote: 266
States Won: 19*
Popular Vote: 62,040,610
Electoral Vote: 286
States Won: 31
Task: In looking at the last two elections, what does this show about the state of politics today?
*D.C.

Source: CNN
The Constitution Article TwoArticle Two:
Powers of the Executive Branch
President nominates members to his cabinet.
President nominates members to the Supreme Court.

The Constitution Article ThreeArticle Three:
Created the Judicial Branch
Consists of: The Supreme Court
Sandra Day
OC
onnorJohn Paul Stevens
AntoninScalia
Dav
id H
. So
uter
Cla
renc
e T
hom
as
Rut
h Ba
der
Gin
sber
gA
nthony M.
Kennedy
Step
hen
G.
Brey
er
U.S. Court of Appeals U.S. District Courts
U.S. Court of Int. Trade U.S. Claims Court
Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court
Total number of Justices:
Term:
Nominated By:
Approved By:
Samuel
Alito
Harriet
Meirs
The Constitution Article ThreeArticle Three:
Powers of the Judicial Branch
They hear cases of Constitutional importance.
They handle cases of one state suing another state.

Separation of Powers
Which branch of government is the strongest?
Task: Why do you think the Founding Fathers created three branches of government?
Checks and BalancesChecks and Balances:
Overri
de a v
eto by
the Pr
esiden
t
Rejec
t a trea
ty or ap
pointm
ent by
the Pr
esiden
t
Impeac
h and
remove
a pres
ident
Veto la
ws and
propos
e them
Make
treaties
& fore
ign po
licy
Appoin
t feder
al offic
ials
Grant pardons
Appoint judgesDeclare actions unconstitutional
Interpret treaties
Declare laws unconstitutional
Propose amendments to overturn court decisions
Create courts
Impeach and remove justices
Reject appointments to the courts

Checks and Balances
May declare Presidents actions unconstitutional

Documents

Articles of Confederation - · PDF fileArticles of Confederation ... Martha Stewart is brought to trial without a jury. Residents of Smithtown submit grievances to Town Council