Articles of Confederation & Shays's Rebellion
What is the constitution?
The framework of government - the basic plan for how a government is organized and operates.
What was the Philadelphia Convention?
Delegates met in Philadelphia in 1787. The original purpose was to revise the Articles of Confederation, but the convention produced a new Constitution.
What was the New Jersey Plan?
(William Paterson's plan that was the small-state response) It was similar to the Articles and called for a unicamerallegislature with equal representation.
Why did we divide power?
Beucase people may abuse power when they have too much of it. Power is divided to make it harder for one person, branch, or level of government to control everything.
What was the difference between Popular vote and electoral vote?
Popular vote- the total number of votes cast by individual voters.
Electoral Vote- the vote used through the Electoral College to choose the President. For winning the presidency, candidates seek a majority of electoral votes.
How was the government under the Articles of Confederation?
The national government was weak, while the states were much stronger and acted almost like separate countries.
Who was represented?
The delegates were male political leaders who were generally white, educated, financially well-off, and often attorneys.
What was the Great (Connecticut) Compromise?
(Roger Sherman's compromise) Combined both plans: the House of Representatives uses population-based representation, while the Senate gives each state equal representation.
What is Federalism?
Federalism means different levels of government have different responsibilities. Power is divided among national, state, and local governments.
How many votes are casted, and how many do you need to win? What happens if no one wins this vote?
538 electoral votes and 270 needed to win. If no candidate receives a majority, the House of Representatives decides the election.
What was the major weaknesses of the Articles? (know at least two)
1. The national government could not tax
2. There was only a legislative branch and no executivebranch to enforce laws
3.There was little national unity
4. All 13 states had to agree to change the Articles
5.There was no single national currency.
Who was not represented?
Women, African Americans, and Native Americans were not represented at the convention.
What did the Three-Fifths Compromise do?
(It was for For purposes of population totals) 60% (three-fifths) of a state's enslaved population would be counted.
What were the three Separations of powers?
Legislative- (Congress) makes laws
Executive-(President) enforces laws
Judicial-(Supreme Court) interprets laws and the Constitution
What was Shays's Rebellion?
In 1786, Daniel Shays and about 2,000 farmers in Massachusetts protested debt problems, shut down debtor courts, and raided a federal arsenal. The national government was powerless to stop the unrest because it lacked enforcement power. This showed national leaders that the Articles were not working well enough.
Diffrence between Proportional and Equal representation?
Proportional representation- representation is based on population, so larger states receive more representatives.
Equal representation- every state receives the same number, which protects smaller states.
How did it benefit Southern states?
It increased Southern states' population totals for representation, which boosted their power in the House of Representatives and the Electoral College.
What did checks and balances do?
Checks and balances allow each branch to limit or check the others so no branch oversteps its constitutional power.
Ex- presidential veto, judicial review, and impeachment
What was the Virginia Plan?
(James Madison's plan that favored larger states) It called for a bicameral legislature with proportional representation,a much stronger national government with three branches, and national power to veto state laws.