A More Perfection Union III

A More Perfect Union

Lesson 3: A New Plan of Government

Open Ended

BELLRINGER QUESTION

Why did New Jersey's delegates object to the Virginia Plan?

In this lesson, you will...

learn where the Framers of the Constitution borrowed their ideas about government, how the Constitution limited the power of the government, and how the Constitution was ratified.

McGraw Hill US History to 1877

For this lesson, you will be reading:
Chapter 8: A More Perfect Union
Lesson 3: A New Plan of Government

Remember to use your AVID notes for this lesson.

The US Constitution has its roots in European sources, including British traditions.

An English law, the Magna Carta, limited the power of the king or queen, who had to accept the laws of the lawmaking body. The lawmaking body paid for wars and the royal government.

American colonies worked the same way.

The English Bill of Rights in 1689 was also a model.

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The Framers were influenced by European writers, such as John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu

The English writer John Locke believed that all people have natural rights, and that government is based on an agreement, or contract, between the people and their government.

The Constitution would also be a contract. It would limit the government's power and protect people’s natural rights.

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Montesquieu was a French writer.

He believed that the government's power should be divided and balanced, to make it difficult for one person or group to have too much power.

The Framers of the American Constitution carefully described and divided the powers of government.

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Open Ended

According to Locke, what are the three natural rights that all people have?

The Articles of Confederation had given most power to the states.

Under the Constitution, the federal and state governments share power.

This is called federalism.

The Constitution gave new powers to the federal government.

It could tax, manage trade, control the supply of money, form an army, declare war, and pass laws.

The Constitution let states keep some important powers.

The states could still control trade inside their borders. They could set up local governments and schools. States also made laws about marriage and divorce.

The Constitution is the supreme, or highest, law of the land. Any disagreement between the federal government and the states was to be settled by the federal courts. They make decisions based on what the Constitution says.

Open Ended

List three powers the U.S. Constitution gives to the states.

The legislative branch, or lawmaking branch, of the federal government is Congress.

Congress has two parts: the Senate and the House of Representatives.

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Legislative Branch

The executive branch is led by the President of the United States.

The president's job is to carry out the nation's laws.

A group called the Electoral College elects the president and vice president. Its members are chosen by the voters of each state.

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Executive Branch

The Supreme Court is the top court of the judicial branch.

Congress sets up federal courts under the Supreme Court.

Federal courts make decisions on cases that have to do with the Constitution, with federal laws, and with problems between states.

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Judicial Branch

Open Ended

What is the Electoral College?

The Constitution could take effect after nine states ratified, or approved, it.

People who supported the Constitution were called Federalists.

James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay were among the Federalists.

They wrote a set of essays, called the Federalist Papers, which explained and defended the Constitution.

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People who did not like the new Constitution were called Anti-Federalists.

They were afraid that a strong national government would take away freedoms.

Anti-Federalists wanted local governments to have more power.

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By June 21, 1788, the ninth state ratified the Constitution. That meant the new government could go into effect.

New York and Virginia, the two largest states, still had not approved the Constitution.

People worried that the new government would not succeed if those states did not ratify the Constitution.

Virginia ratified after it was promised that there would be a bill of rights added as amendments. An amendment is a change, correction, or improvement added to a document.

The Bill of Rights was added in 1791. New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island also ratified the Consititution.

Open Ended

Why did Anti-Federalists oppose the ratification of the U.S. Constitution?

Multiple Choice

One idea the Framers of the Constitution took from John Locke was _____.

• powers of government should be clearly defined

• powers of government should be separated and balanced

• government should be used as a way of improving society

• government is based on a contract between people and ruler

Multiple Choice

England's Magna Carta _____.

• placed limits on the power of a monarch

• stripped Parliament of its powers

• permitted governments to levy taxes

• was written by John Locke

Multiple Choice

Federalism means that the federal government _____.

• has the power to tax people

• can pass laws to deal with new situations

• has the power to regulate trade

• shares power with state governments

Multiple Choice

The decision to divide the federal government into three branches can be traced back to the ideas of _____.

• the English Bill of Rights

• the writings of John Locke

• the writings of Montesquieu

• the Magna Carta

Multiple Choice

The _____ elects the president and vice president.

• Senate

• Electoral College

• Supreme Court

• House of Representatives

Multiple Choice

The_____ branch includes both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

• legislative

• executive

• judicial

• constitutional

Multiple Choice

The main function of the executive branch is to _____.

• determine if laws are constitutional

• appoint representatives to Congress

• carry out the nation’s laws

• oversee the legislative branch

Multiple Choice

The _____ was a collection of essays arguing in favor of ratification of the Constitution.

• Bill of Rights

• Federalist Papers

• Anti-Federalist

• Checks and Balances

Multiple Choice

The legislative branch of government cannot _____.

• impose taxes

• declare war

• settle disputes between states

• regulate trade

Multiple Choice

A change, correction, or improvement added to a document is known as a(n) _____.

• objection

• amendment

• declaration

• ratification