United States Constitution and Central Government Essay

Submitted By agibson2013
Words: 1356
Pages: 6
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1973-War Powers Act/Resolution:
Designed to reign in commander and chief
Within 60 days of President responding to an even, had to report to congress & get consent to go to war (congressional approval)
**A law is only as good as its enforcement**
Earliest inhabitants
Natives had been living in U.S. 30,000 years prior to European settlement by colonists
Colonists brought disease & pushed natives westward through warfare
Types of government
Monarchy-Government in which power is vested in hereditary kings and queens
Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, Japan, Thailand
Totalitarianism-Tyrant rules
North Korea
Jong & Mussolini
Oligarchy-Right to participate depends on the possessions of wealth, social status, military position
More than 1 family/group
China
Democracy-Members of the polity meet to discuss and then agree to abide by majority rules
Indirect democracy-Gives citizens opportunity to vote for representatives who work on their behalf Forms of government
Rule by
Public
Self
1
Monarchy
Tyrant
Few
Aristocracy
Oligarchy
Many
Polity
Democracy

Functions of government
Established justice
Ensuring domestic tranquility
Providing for the common defense
Promote general welfare
Securing the blessings of liberty

Constitutionalism
Writing down of a fundamental law to govern themselves

Mayflower compact
The English people wrote a fundamental law to govern themselves
First written constitution by the English people
Inspired by religion

3 parts to a good constitution must establish the legitimacy of a government to give the government or organization its power must limit the governments power

The critical history of American history form 1783-1789 creating a national government the articles of confederation were written and given to states to ratify the articles were finally ratified in 1781 the articles of confederation were not string enough to hold the colonies together the founders through the articles of confederation were reluctant to give too much power to a central authority

Problems with the Articles
No power was given to the central government to tax the states, enforce the laws made by congress or regulate trade

Economic problems
No standardized currency
Creditors were forced to accept inflated money to pay back debts
Money began to be printed without silver or gold backing
This caused serious inflation

James Madison
Believed something had to be done about the government to strengthen it
The Annapolis convention was called in 1786
Delegates to meet to discuss how to strengthen the articles
It was a poor excuse for a convention as 9 state

No new England states sent a delegate
Congress authorized the convention tp propose amendments to the articles
The articles had never been amended because it requires unanimous consent to do so
Alexander Hamilton introduces a resolution

Articles of Confederation
States are sovereign
No independent executive
No federal courts- all laws are enforced by state courts
No taxing power given to congress
Congress has no power over interstate or foreign commerce
Congress consists of one body and each state has only one vote
Amended only by the approval of all the states

The constitutional convention
The nature of the convention was to reconcile all the policies of the states to create a national policy
It was difficult to persuade the states to do so because all of the states were afraid of a powerful central government
The delegates from the large state group wished to reject the articles
The delegates from the small state group enjoyed their autonomy and wished for no change
55 delegates attended at first

Experiences of the delegates
21 fought in revolutionary war
8 signed declaration of independence
7 were state governors
39 served in congress
31 were grads of colonial colleges
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