Civics Chapter 5

The U.S. Constitution

Background

• 1775 War of Revolution begins• July 4, 1776 Declaration of Independence• 1777- Articles of Confederation• 1787- Philadelphia Convention• 1789- New government begins working• 1791- Bill of Rights ratified• 2013- Constitution holding strong!!!

Terms

• Separation of powers means that power is divided among the three branches of government

• Checks & balances allows each branch of government to limit the power of the other two.

• The president may use the power of veto (to reject) to block a bill passed by Congress from becoming a law.

• The House of Representatives has the power to impeach (to accuse of a wrongdoing) the president and other officials for bribery, treason, or other high crimes and misdemeanors

• Congress is a bicameral (two-house) legislature.

Terms

• Under federalism power is divided between the state and federal governments.

• Delegated powers are the powers given to Congress by Article I of the U.S. Constitution.

• Concurrent powers are powers shared by federal and state governments.

• Reserved powers are the powers given neither to Congress nor denied to the states.

• The Bill of Rights was the first ten amendments (changes or additions) to the U.S. Constitution.

The U.S. Constitution• Preamble- lists the goals of the Constitution• Article I- describes the powers of the legislative branch• Article II- describes the powers of the executive branch• Article III- describes the powers of the judicial branch• Article IV- requires states to respect each other’s laws• Article V- includes instructions for making amendments to the

Constitution• Article VI- makes the Constitution the “Supreme Law of the

Land”• Article VII- establishes the procedure for ratification of the

Constitution• 39 delegates of the Philadelphia Convention signed the Constitution on

September 17, 1787. • The new government was born in June of 1788 when New Hampshire

became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution. • The new government began working in 1789.

What was our nation’s first plan of government? …Second?

• 1st- The Articles of Confederation• 2nd- The Constitution

Who is the “Father of the Constitution?

• James Madison– aka “Big Daddy Maddy”

What did the Great Compromise establish?

• A bicameral (two-house) legislature– House of Representatives

• representation based on population

– Senate• two representatives (Senators) from each state

What did the delegates agree to on the

question of the slave trade?

• the national government could not interfere with it until 1808.-(Historic note- Congress

passed a law prohibiting the slave trade in 1808.)

What did the Federalists want? …the Anti-Federalists?

• Federalists wanted a strong central government.

• Anti-Federalists wanted a limited central government, they demanded a Bill of Rights.

What was required for the Constitution to go into effect?

• It had to be approved by at least nine state conventions.

List at least four reasons for revising the Articles of

Confederation

• Congress could not tax• Congress had no power to enforce laws• Congress could not settle disputes

between states• There were no national armed forces

What was James Madison’s plan for government?

• His “Virginia Plan” created a federal republic with a strong central government.

List the goals set forth in the Preamble

• form a more perfect union• establish justice• insure domestic tranquility• provide for the common defense• promote the general welfare• secure the blessings of liberty