The Constitution

Chapter 14

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