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1 Chapter 1 THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES CHAPTER REVIEW Learning Objectives After studying Chapter 1, you should be able to do the following: 1. Explain the nature and functions of a constitution. 2. Understand the theoretical underpinnings of the Declaration of Independence. 3. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. 4. Summarize the history of the constitutional convention, including backgrounds of the framers, procedures, and compromises reached. 5. Describe the struggle for ratification and how the Bill of Rights fits into this struggle. 6. Understand and define the major features of the Constitution, including secularism, republicanism, checks and balances, federalism, the Electoral College, and adaptability. 7. Explain how the Constitution can be changed both formally by amendment and informally. 8. Discuss the importance of judicial review as originating in Marbury v. Madison. Chapter Outline and Summary I. Introduction II. What Is a Constitution? A. Constitutionalism 1. Constitutionalism is the belief of limiting power by written charter. 2. Constitutions take different forms in different lands. 3. Constitutions embody intangibles that enable them to work and survive. B. Constitutional functions 1. A constitution outlines the organization of government. 2. A constitution grants power and authority to government. 3. A constitution can be a mainstay of rights. 4. A constitution may serve as a symbol of the nation. III. The Road to Nationhood A. The Declaration of Independence: the idea of consent 1. Between 1763 and 1776 British attempts at direct control clashed with colonial self-interest and identity. 2. The Declaration of Independence stated colonists grievances against British rule.
2 3. The Declaration also expressed the political ideas and values of the day including the following themes: a. Humankind shares in equality. b. Government is the creation and servant of the people. c. The rights that all people intrinsically possess constitute a higher law binding government. d. Governments are bound by their own laws. B. The Articles of Confederation: the idea of compact 1. State autonomy was preserved. 2. Equal representation for the states was preserved. 3. The central government was granted only a few important powers. 4. There were no separate executive or national courts. 5. Amendments were almost impossible. IV. The Making of the Constitution A. Prelude to Philadelphia 1. The major deficiencies of the Articles were a weak central government and state governments having too much power. 2. Shays Rebellion illustrates the economic problems and weaknesses of the central government. 3. The Annapolis Convention led to a call for a constitutional convention. 4. One notable success of the Articles was the Northwest Ordinance, laying the basis for government in the West. B. The Philadelphia Convention 1. America of 1787 was sparsely populated, weakly defended, and internationally isolated. 2. The delegates to the convention were among the most notable and talented of their day. 3. Procedures and compromises at the convention: a. Deliberations were held in secret. b. The Great Compromise incorporated the Virginia Plan for a strong national government and the New Jersey Plan for strong state governments and created numerical representation in the lower house and equal state representation in the upper house. c. The three-fifths compromise allowed slaves to be counted as a fraction for representation purposes. d. Ironically, a majority of Americans (slaves and women) were denied representation and participation. C. Ratification 1. Article 7 required the approval of nine state conventions. 2. Supporters of the Constitution called themselves Federalists and the other side Antifederalists.
3 3. The Federalist, a collection of essays supporting the Constitution, is a major source of American political theory. 4. The Antifederalists believed the Constitution was conceived illegally, weakened state governments, threatened individual liberty, and promoted a commercial empire. (See Politics and Economics: The Constitution as an Economic Document. ) V. Features of the Constitution A. Republicanism and divided powers 1. Republican government is one of divided powers. 2. A mixture of democratic/nondemocratic elements comprises popular elections, indirect popular elections, and appointment. 3. The Constitution limited government and diffused and dispersed power in order to prevent Madison s fear of tyranny. 4. Power was divided horizontally in a system of checks and balances where the legislative, executive, and judicial branches share power. 5. Federalism divided power vertically between national and state governments. 6. Divisions of power were designed in part to limit the influence of factions and to cope with human ambition. 7. Side effects of these attempts to check tyranny: a. It was sometimes more difficult to deal with threats to individual liberty in the states. b. Fragmented powers have sometimes made it hard to govern. B. Single and independent executive 1. Executive authority was suspect at the time of the Convention. 2. The Electoral College was a compromise between electing the president by the people, Congress, or state legislatures. C. Adaptability 1. Although a product of the eighteenth century, the Constitution has adapted over time. 2. The Constitution s brevity necessitates interpretation. 3. There is elasticity in the language of the Constitution. a. Some words and phrases have no precise meaning. b. The elastic clause gives Congress implied powers that have been used to meet new challenges and needs. 4. The Constitution exalts procedure over substance, thus avoiding time-related policy choices. VI. Changing the Constitution A. Amendment by the rules 1. The Constitution has been amended relatively few times. 2. Congress or state legislatures may initiate amendments. a. Only Congressional initiation has been employed successfully. b. State legislatures must convene a national convention.
6 1. Shays Rebellion and Annapolis Convention 2. Virginia Plan, New Jersey Plan, and Great Compromise 3. Federalists and Anti-federalists 4. Ratification and the Bill of Rights 5. Checks and balances and federalism 6. Marbury v. Madison and judicial review 7. Original jurisdiction and appellate jurisdiction True-False 1. The British Constitution can be changed by an act of Parliament. T F 2. Virtual unanimity existed in the colonies in favor of declaring independence in T F 3. The Articles of Confederation provided for no separate executive and no national courts. T F 4. One of the few successes of Congress under the Articles of Confederation was the Northwest Ordinance. T F 5. Under the original Constitution, a majority of Americans were denied representation and participation. T F 6. As written, the Constitution facilitates the creation of political parties and interest groups, called factions by Madison. T F 7. The Constitution of the United States is longer than most state constitutions. T F Multiple Choice 1. All of the following are constitutional functions except. a. providing an outline for the organization of government b. establishing a formal economic system for the nation c. granting power to governmental institutions d. serving as a symbol of the nation 2. Prior to the American Revolution, British leaders in London. a. attempted to force the colonies to raise armies for self defense b. repealed the Townsend Acts, allowing the colonies to tax c. gave the colonies power to appoint their own governors d. attempted to bring the colonies under more direct control 3. Which of the following is not a major theme of the Declaration of Independence? a. Humankind shares in equality. b. Government is a divinely ordained compact between people and God. c. The rights that all people intrinsically possess constitute a higher law binding government. d. Governments are bound by their own laws. 4. Which of the following was one of the main provisions of the Articles of Confederation?
8 c. approved by two-thirds of the state legislatures d. approved by three-fourths of the states 13. In Marbury v. Madison, Chief Justice John Marshall ruled which of the following? a. A writ of mandamus was an improper constitutional remedy. b. The Supreme Court did not possess original jurisdiction. c. The Court could not rule on the legality of presidential action. d. Marbury would receive his judicial appointment. 14. What was the significance of Marbury v. Madison? a. Officers of the government could be called to account in court. b. Statutes contrary to the Constitution were not valid. c. The Court claimed authority to decide what the Constitution means. d. All of the above 15. The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of a. called for the Supreme Court to have the power of judicial review b. favored decentralized over centralized judicial review c. claimed for the states the final authority to interpret the Constitution d. called for Congress to have the power of judicial review 16. Judicial review. a. was favored by a majority of the founding fathers b. was favorably argued in The Federalist Papers c. can be found in Article III of the Constitution d. was not mentioned in the state ratifying conventions Essay 1. Explain what is meant by the term constitutionalism and delineate the major functions of a constitution. 2. What happened at the Philadelphia Convention? How would you characterize the delegates to the convention? Describe the compromises reached at the convention. 3. Explain how the Constitution diffuses and disperses power. What unpleasant side effects might occur as a result of this arrangement? 4. Explain how the Constitution is changed, both formally (by amendments) and informally (by custom and evolution). Give examples of each. How does the process of amending the U.S. Constitution differ from amending the state constitutions? 5. What was the significance of Marbury v. Madison? Evaluate judicial review in terms of democracy. Research Topics and Practical Applications 1. Find a copy of the constitution of a country other than the United States. Answer the questions below regarding the constitution you chose, comparing your answer with characteristics of the United States Constitution. a. How is the government organized and what are the major branches of government? b. How is power horizontally divided between the branches of government?
9 c. Is there a vertical division of government (federal or confederal)? How is power divided vertically? d. Does the constitution provide for elections of government officials? If so, what is the nature of these elections and are political parties mentioned? e. Is there a bill of rights in the constitution? What is the extent of these rights and what limitations are placed on them? f. Is judicial review mentioned? If so, what is the procedure for judicial review? g. What is the procedure for amending the constitution? Does it appear to be easy or hard to amend the constitution? 2. Examine how the Constitution has withstood the test of time. Is it truly an adaptable document? What aspects of the Constitution might you consider outdated? Give examples and reasons why. Examine a contemporary issue, such as abortion, the environment, nuclear power, or high-tech communications. How might these become constitutional issues? Can the Constitution fairly deal with issues such as these that the founding fathers could never have foreseen?

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