US Constitution: The Constitutional Convention

Philadelphia, May 1787.

55 delegates.

To revise the Articles of Confederation.

They believed the Articles of Confederation had too many problems to fix through revision alone.

No, they were a limited group of mostly elite men.

A proposal for a two-house legislature with representation based on population.

A proposal for a one-house legislature in which states would be represented equally.

A bicameral Congress with two chambers using different systems of representation.

By state population.

Each state has equal representation: two senators.

It resolved a major dispute between large and small states over representation in Congress.

The Three-Fifths Compromise counted three-fifths of the enslaved population for those purposes.

Slavery shaped disputes over representation, taxation, and the slave trade; the convention did not abolish it.

No, Congress could not prohibit it before 1808.

The ban took effect on January 1, 1808.

The branch headed by the president that carries out and enforces federal law.

One president and one vice president.

The indirect system used to elect the U.S. president and vice president.

Mechanisms that allow each branch of government to limit the power of the other branches.

Formal approval of the Constitution by the states.

Nine states.

Supporters of ratifying the Constitution who generally favored a stronger national government.

Wealthier people and many business interests.

A collection of 85 essays written to support ratification of the Constitution.

Opponents of ratification who feared a strong central government.

It lacked a Bill of Rights explicitly protecting individual liberties.

New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify, allowing the Constitution to take effect.

By 1790.

Concerns about protecting individual rights and limiting government power.

The Bill of Rights.

The division of government authority among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

The division of governmental power between the national government and state governments.

Liberties and protections held by individuals.

Powers explicitly listed in the Constitution.

Powers not explicitly listed but reasonably inferred from enumerated powers.

Powers not delegated to the national government nor prohibited to the states.

Article VI establishes that the Constitution and valid federal laws are the supreme law of the land.

The valid federal law generally takes precedence.

A model in which national and state governments operate in separate spheres.

A model in which national, state, and local governments work together.

There was a shift from dual federalism toward more cooperative intergovernmental relationships.

Federal money given to state or local governments for specific purposes.

Categorical grants

Relatively little, because the funding is tied to specific requirements.

Federal money given to state or local governments for a broad purpose, allowing more flexibility in how it is used.

Categorical grants are narrowly targeted with more conditions; block grants support broader purposes with more recipient discretion.

They provide funding for programs but can also make lower levels of government dependent on federal money and conditions.

The transfer or return of some policy responsibility or authority from the national government to state or local governments.

Federal requirements imposed on state or local governments without sufficient federal funding to cover the costs.

The No Child Left Behind Act linked federal education policy to testing and accountability requirements.

The use of federal funding policies to seek changes in the K-12 education system.

Federal-state authority disputes, federal support for state or local law enforcement, and requests for state voter-registration data.

Congress has the power to tax and spend for purposes authorized by the Constitution; spending laws must follow constitutional requirements.

A consistent set or pattern of political beliefs and attitudes rooted in core values.

They tend to support a more active government role in addressing social and economic problems.

They tend to favor more limited government in some areas and emphasize tradition, though views vary by issue.

They generally favor a minimal government role and broad individual liberty.

Populism is associated with using government to address economic inequality and maintaining traditional values; populist views vary.

The views held by the public about political issues, leaders, institutions, and policies.

It can reinforce existing views, spread information quickly, and circulate false or misleading stories.

The tendency to favor information that supports beliefs someone already holds.

People may spend substantial time watching video content rather than reading text-based information.

Experiences such as military service, poverty, or being a crime victim can shape a person's political priorities and opinions.

People's experiences and social contexts can be associated with differences in political attitudes; there is variation within every racial group.

Economic circumstances and material interests can influence views about welfare, taxation, markets, and government services.

The process through which people develop political beliefs, values, and attitudes.

Children may learn political values and attitudes from family members.

The way an issue is presented or described, which can influence how people understand and evaluate it.

Different presentations of the same issue can emphasize different aspects and influence which considerations people focus on.

Political socialization is how people develop political views over time; framing is how the presentation of an issue shapes its interpretation.

To prevent any one branch of government from accumulating too much power.

Separation of powers divides authority among branches of the national government; federalism divides authority between national and state governments.

Enumerated powers are explicitly listed; implied powers are inferred as necessary or appropriate to carry out listed powers.

The Virginia Plan favored representation based on population; the New Jersey Plan favored equal state representation in a one-house legislature.

Federalists supported ratification and a stronger national government; Anti-Federalists feared centralized power and pressed for protections such as a Bill of Rights.

Dual federalism emphasizes separate spheres of authority; cooperative federalism emphasizes shared work.