Download 3/5 Compromise

Great Compromise
• Agreed to at The Constitutional Convention
• Created a 2 House Legislature
• House of Representatives (435 members)based on population
• Senate (100 members)- 2 per state
• Made an agreement to ratify The Constitution
possible by meeting the needs of both large
and small states
3/5 Compromise
• Agreement made at The Constitutional
Convention which counted slaves as equal to
3/5 of a person for both representation in
Congress and for taxation purposes
• Demanded by the Southern states, many of
whom had a majority of their population
made up of slaves
Legislative Branch
Branch of government in the United States
which makes laws and maintains the power of
the purse (ability to spend money)
House of Representatives (435 members)
Senate (100 members)
Executive Branch
• Branch of government in the United States
which signs bills into law and enforces laws
passed by Congress
President
Cabinet (advisors to The President)
Judicial Branch
• Branch of government in the United States which
interprets the laws passed by Congress and
signed into law by the President.
Supreme Court (9 justices)
Appeals Courts
Nominated by the President and confirmed or
rejected by the Senate
Veto
• Latin for “I forbid”
• A power of the President to prevent a bill
passed by Congress from becoming a law.
• Can be overridden by a 2/3 majority vote in
House and Senate
Bill of Rights
• First 10 Amendments (changes) to the
Constitution which protect the rights of
individuals.
• Includes free speech, freedom of religion,
press, right to own firearms, and other rights
Federalism
• System of government created by the
Constitution which separates powers between
the National and State governments
• National Government
• State Government
• Local governments
Checks and Balances
• Powers built into The Constitution which limit
the power of each branch of government
• Executive- nominate judges, veto bills
• Legislative- confirm judges (Senate), override
veto of President
• Judicial- declare laws unconstitutional, declare
executive actions unconstitutional
Constitution
• Written plan for Government
• Second United States Plan for Government
• Created 3 Branches of Government and serves
as the foundation for ALL American law
Articles of Confederation
• First American Constitution
• Created a weak national government with
stronger state governments
• Replaced by the Constitution in 1789
Separation of Powers
• Placed into the Constitution by the Founding
Fathers
• Enlightenment idea of Baron de MontesquieuThe Spirit of the Laws
• Intended to limit the powers of each branch of
government (Executive, Legislative, Judicial) so
that no one branch became too powerful
Executive- enforce laws
Legislative- make laws
Judicial- interpret laws
Federalists
• Favored the adoption of the Constitution
• Wrote The Federalist Papers as a way to try
and convince the public that a new
Constitution was needed (1787-1789)
• Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, James
Madison- leading advocates (favored
adoption)
Anti-Federalists
• Opposed the adoption of The Constitution
• Believed it gave too much power to the
national government
• George Mason, Patrick Henry- leading critics
who opposed the adoption of the Constitution