Part I
After Shays' Rebellion the country has realized that there are major problems with the government set up under the Articles of Confederation. You have been chosen to sit down and look at the problems:
I Can …explain Major domestic problems faced by the leaders of the new republic under the Articles of Confederation led to the creation of a new constitution including
Maintaining national security
creating a stable economic system
paying war debts
collecting revenue
correcting flaws in the central government
explain why each of the following are problems.
**** You will NOT find the answers in your book or internet...these are YOUR answers. You may need the internet to look up terms, but the answers are your own opinions.
Put some thought into your answer and explain your reasoning,
1) No executive branch of the government, (which means - no president).
2) Must have a unanimous (everyone) vote for an amendment (change) to be made to the Articles of Confederation.
3) One vote per state no matter the size of the state.
4) A majority of 2/3 must for passing any legislation (law).
5) A unicameral (one-house) legislature with only one house of the Congress in charge.
6) Collecting taxes in hands of the state government, and not the national government - and the states did not have to pay taxes if they didn't want to.
7) The government can request soldiers for national army, but cannot force states to send troops (no draft)
- Does the government set up under the Articles of Confederation live up to what John Locke says a government should do? Why or why not?
- Is less power and less rules always better than more rules and more power?
Part II
After looking at the problems above what recommendations would you make to fix the government? (PREDICT what is/will be written in the US Constitution)
CREATE a list and explain the top 5 changes that need to be written in the Constitution to fix the problems in the United States. Justify your rankings - (Why did you put a change at #3 vs #5)
Part III
Look at the changes your group came up with to fix the United States when the new Constitution. How are you going to convince people that these are good laws and are there to help the country rather that go back to the "tyranny" experienced under British Rule?
ANALYZE the "fixes" your group came up with to make the government better. What would John Locke say about the government you created? Does it do what Locke says a government should do? Explain