Unit 2 News:
Test: November 17th & 18th
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Answer Key to Study Guide: Answer Key
Unit 2
Unit 2 Quiz 2 Notes:
Three-fifth Compromise: The Core Debate
Delegates faced a highly sensitive conflict over how to account for enslaved individuals within the new government framework.
The disagreement focused on two critical areas of state power:
Total Representation
Federal Taxation
account_tree
The Federal System
Power is systematically split between the centralized national framework and local state systems.
•Provides structural balance across the nation.
•Respects and upholds local regional laws.
"We the People" Definition
The highly iconic opening words of the Constitution demonstrate that the government gets its entire mandate and ultimate authority directly from its private citizens.
No Power to Tax: Revenue relied entirely on voluntary state donations, leaving the nation in deep debt.
Lack of Enforcement: No executive branch or national court system meant laws could not be enforced.
Rigid Amendment Process: Required unanimous consent from all 13 states to make any changes.
Unregulated Commerce: States operated independently, often in direct competition with one another.
account_balance
how_to_vote
Elected Leaders
Citizen Empowerment
In a Republic, the government is headed and run by elected representatives of the population, rather than an monarchy (run by a King or Queen)
In a Representative Democracy, ultimate political control is maintained by ordinary citizens. They utilize this power primarily by voting to elect other citizens to make laws and govern public affairs.
account_balance
Legislative Branch
Responsible for drafting, debating, and passing national laws. Consists of the bicameral United States Congress.
person
Executive Branch
Responsible for enforcing, carrying out, and administering national laws. Headed by the President of the United States.
gavel
Judicial Branch
Responsible for evaluating, interpreting, and clarifying national laws. Headed directly by the Supreme Court.
Framers separated power into three branches
To make sure no single branch of government becomes too powerful or gains absolute control.
Framers separated power between levels
So it establish a federal system that allows states to check the power of the federal government.
So they used checks and balances
To prevent any one person or group from gaining too much power over the nation.
The Great Compromise
Created al Congress to please large & small states:
Senate: Equal votes per state.
House: Based on population.
Three-Fifths Compromise
Resolved how to count enslaved people for representation & taxes:
5 enslaved people counted as 3 free people.
Articles' Weaknesses
The first govt. was too fragile:
No power to collect taxes.
No executive branch.
States acted independently.
The Federal System
Power is split between levels:
Federal: Declare war, print money.
State: Schools, licenses.
Shared: Collect taxes.
Republic & "We the People"
Republic: Run by elected officials.
Preamble: "We the People" means govt. power comes from citizens.
Our Notes so Far:
Critical Weakness:
No Power to Tax
The central national government lacked the power to collect taxes, preventing it from paying debts or funding basic national services.
The Articles of Confederation
Before the Constitution, the U.S. operated under the Articles of Confederation.
This initial system of government was deliberately kept weak out of fear of tyranny.
The original framework of the United States created a highly fragile dynamic where the national government lacked the power to collect taxes.
Without tax revenue, it could not fund public operations, defend territories, or secure national stability.
States held supreme local authority, leaving the federal entity essentially powerless to enforce laws or maintain cross-border trade guidelines.
This fatal structural weakness led directly to the call for a new constitutional layout in 1787.
Benjamin Franklin: A Senior Statesman & Visionary
Led key consensus efforts during the 1787 Convention and provided vital wisdom as a senior statesman.
Remains the only Founding Father to have signed all four foundational documents of the USA.
He was a pivotal figure who also signed the Declaration of Independence.
George Washington: President of the Convention
Acted as the official president of the convention.
He presided over daily debates and worked diligently to maintain order amongst polarized state delegations.
James Madison: Architect of Constitutional Philosophy
Recognized as the primary architect of the American constitutional framework.
He argued strongly for a centralized national system that was far more powerful than the weak Articles of Confederation.
The Great Compromise
Resolved legislative representation by creating a bicameral structure.
House of Representatives
Senate
Representation is determined by population size.
Each state receives exactly two Senators, establishing proportional equity.
Three-fifth Compromise: The Core Debate
Delegates faced a highly sensitive conflict over how to account for enslaved individuals within the new government framework.
The disagreement focused on two critical areas of state power:
Total Representation
Federal Taxation
The Federal System
Power is systematically split between the centralized national framework and local state systems.
•Provides structural balance across the nation.
•Respects and upholds local regional laws.
"We the People" Definition
The highly iconic opening words of the Constitution demonstrate that the government gets its entire mandate and ultimate authority directly from its private citizens.
No Power to Tax: Revenue relied entirely on voluntary state donations, leaving the nation in deep debt.
Lack of Enforcement: No executive branch or national court system meant laws could not be enforced.
Rigid Amendment Process: Required unanimous consent from all 13 states to make any changes.
Unregulated Commerce: States operated independently, often in direct competition with one another.
account_balance
how_to_vote
Elected Leaders
Citizen Empowerment
In a Republic, the government is headed and run by elected representatives of the population, rather than an monarchy (run by a King or Queen)
In a Representative Democracy, ultimate political control is maintained by ordinary citizens. They utilize this power primarily by voting to elect other citizens to make laws and govern public affairs.
account_balance
Legislative Branch
Responsible for drafting, debating, and passing national laws. Consists of the bicameral United States Congress.
person
Executive Branch
Responsible for enforcing, carrying out, and administering national laws. Headed by the President of the United States.
gavel
Judicial Branch
Responsible for evaluating, interpreting, and clarifying national laws. Headed directly by the Supreme Court.
Framers separated power into three branches
To make sure no single branch of government becomes too powerful or gains absolute control.
Framers separated power between levels
So it establish a federal system that allows states to check the power of the federal government.
So they used checks and balances
To prevent any one person or group from gaining too much power over the nation.
The Great Compromise
Created all Congress to please large & small states:
Senate: Equal votes per state.
House: Based on population.
Three-Fifths Compromise
Resolved how to count enslaved people for representation & taxes:
5 enslaved people counted as 3 free people.
Articles' Weaknesses
The first govt. was too fragile:
No power to collect taxes.
No executive branch.
States acted independently.
The Federal System
Power is split between levels:
Federal: Declare war, print money.
State: Schools, licenses.
Shared: Collect taxes.
Republic & "We the People"
Republic: Run by elected officials.
Preamble: "We the People" means govt. power comes from citizens.