The New Nation is formed

Under the new Constitution, the young nation sought to achieve national security and political stability, as the three branches of government established their relationships with each other and the states.

Presidential Actions and Precedents

President George Washington was the first to do many things. So he was able to set many precedents on how a President should act since it was not specifically written in the Constitution. This History Channel video will give you an overview of some of those precedents. This Google Presentation will also help you understand the importance of President Washington's term in office and his effect on the Presidential office to date.

Hamilton's Economic Plan

As President Washington's Secretary of Treasury, Alexander Hamilton had a tough job. He had to solve the new nation's financial problems. There were many!

• He had to pay off the debt...a combined debt of almost 80 million dollars!
• To pay off the debt...he needed revenue or money.
• To get money...a government needs taxes. Taxes were NOT popular!
• To get money and pay off debt...he needed to create a bank and a currency.
• People questioned if the U.S. Government was allowed to create a National Bank

Political Parties Form

There are times in history, when Presidential elections are close. VERY close. One example, is the election of 1800. It was between Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican, and John Adams, a Federalist. Below are the differences between the two political parties that fueled the nation's debate.

The Presidency: A Peaceful Transfer of Power

It was a hard fought campaign and very emotional. Each side believing that the other winning would be the destruction of the country. However, something strange happened....Thomas Jefferson and his running mate Aaron Burr actually TIED. How? Prior to the 12th amendment, the Electors cast a vote for the President and the Vice President. Today, that no longer happens. There is a joint ticket that the Electoral College votes on. Anyways, the House of Representatives had to choose Jefferson or Burr. The House of Representatives were made up mainly of Federalists who HATED JEFFERSON. However, they ultimately choose him. It shows that there can be a peaceful transfer of power in a democracy.

Below, you can see an Electoral Map of another VERY CLOSE election. You can see that Al Gore actually won the popular vote by a narrow margin. However, President George Bush actually had more Electoral Votes and became President. Today, the Electoral College remains a highly debated feature of our electoral process with some wanting the the President chosen by popular vote alone.

Judicial Interpretation of the Constitution

Under the Leadership of Chief Justice John Marshall, the Supreme Court strengthened the power of the national government and the authority of the judicial branch. This strengthening is known as JUDICIAL ACTIVISM because the Court is using their power to help make public policy.

Marbury v. Madison

This Supreme Court decision established JUDICIAL REVIEW. It is hands down the most significant right of the Supreme Court. It has the power to not only a rule unconstitutional but also an action of the President.

McCullouch v. Maryland

This Supreme Court decision upheld the creation of the NATIONAL BANK. The decision strengthened NATIONAL SUPREMACY over state law by allowing Congress to use the elastic clause to do so.

Gibbons v. Ogden

This Supreme Court decision expanded the power o the national government by allowed Congress to regulate interstate trade.