美国宪法概述和介绍

UnitedStatesConstitution101Constitution101:AnIntroduction&OverviewtotheUSConstitutionThisPPTcanbeusedaloneorinconjunctionwiththeConsortium’sGoal1&2lessons,availableintheDatabaseofCivicResourcesat•ThesupremelawoftheUnitedStates.•ItisthefoundationandsourceofthelegalauthorityunderlyingtheexistenceoftheUnitedStatesofAmericaandtheFederalGovernmentoftheUnitedStates.•ItprovidestheframeworkfortheorganizationoftheUnitedStatesGovernment.WhatarethebasicprincipalsoftheConstitution?•PopularSovereignty–Governmentpowerresidesinthepeople•Limitedgovernment–Governmentisnotallpowerful,canonlydowhatthepeopleletit.•SeparationofPowers–Helpspreventonebranchfrombecomingtoopowerful–ChecksandBalances•Federalism–DivisionofpoweramongnationalandstategovernmentsWhataretheChecksandBalances?WhoWroteIt?•JamesMadisonisconsidered“thefatheroftheConstitution.”•Hisimportantcontributions:–TheVirginiaPlan–SeparationofPowers–BillofRightsWhywasitwritten?•AftertheRevolutionaryWar,theArticlesofConfederationsetupthestructureoftheUSGovernment.•Thefederalgovernmentwasextremelyweakandthiscreatedmanyproblemssuchas:1.Noseparationofpowers–onlyunicamerallegislature.2.Weakcentralgovernment–stateshadmostpower.3.Congressdidnothavethepowertotax–thismeanstheycouldnotgettheirfinancesinorder.Whywasitwritten?•MoreproblemswiththeArticlesofConfederation:4.InordertochangetheArticles,allthirteenstateshadtoapproveofthechanges.Thismadeitessentiallyimpossibletomakeanychanges.5.Foranymajorlawstopasstheyhadtobeapprovedby9orthe13stateswhichwasdifficult.6.Congressdidnothavethepowertoregulatecommercewhichcausedcompetitionbetweenstates.Italsocauseddiplomaticissueswhenstatesrefusedtopayforgoodstheirreceivedfromothernations.Whywasitwritten?•Shays’Rebellion:–AnuprisingoffarmersinMassachusetts–ledbyDanielShays.–Helpedconvinceleadersthatastrongcentralgovernmentwasneeded.AsceneatSpringfield,duringShay'sRebellion,whenthemobattemptedtopreventtheholdingoftheCourtsofJustice.—E.BenjaminAndrews,1895Whenwasitwritten?•May25thtoSeptember17th,1787•Philadelphia•IntentionwastoreviseArticlesofConfederation•EndedupreplacingtheArticlesandcreatinganewgovernment•Calledthe“ConstitutionalConvention.”WhatweretheimportantoutcomesoftheConstitutionalConvention•VirginiaPlan:–Separationofpowers–Bicamerallegislaturebasedonpopulation–Federalgovernmenthadincreasedpowers•NewJerseyPlan:–Unicamerallegislaturewhereeverystatereceivedequalrepresentation.•GreatCompromise:–HybridofVAandNJPlans:•Bicamerallegislature:–HouseofRepsbasedonpopulation–Senatebaseduponequalrepresentation–Three-Fifth’sClause:•Slavescountas3/5’sofapersonforrepresentationpurposes&taxes.RatificationDebate•Needed9of13statestoratifyorofficialapproveoftheConstitutionbeforeitwentintoeffect.•Ahugedebateemergedbetweentwosides:–Federalists–Anti-FederalistsFederalistsv.Anti-Federalists•Federalists:–SupportedtheConstitutionandastrongcentralgovernment–AlexanderHamilton,JamesMadison,JohnJay–FederalistPapers–seriesofarticleswrittenindefenseoftheConstitution•Anti-Federalists:–Supportedaweakercentralgovernment–felttoomuchpowerwastakenawayfromthestates–OpposedtheConstitution–WantedaBillofRightsincluded–SamuelAdams,PatrickHenryRatification•OfficiallyadoptedafterratifiedbyNewHampshire.•Oncethenewgovernmentconvened,theyaddedaBillofRightstotheConstitution.StructureoftheConstitution•Preamble:–Statementofpurpose•Articles:–I:LegislativeBranch–II:ExecutiveBranch–III:JudicialBranch–IV:RelationsAmongtheStates–V:AmendmentProcess–VI:FederalPower–VII:Ratification•Amendments:–27Total–1sttenaretheBillofRightsArticleI:LegislativeBranch•Bicameral:–Senate•2Senatorsforeachstate–HouseofRepresentatives•Basedonpopulation•Repsservefor2yearterms•Senatorsservefor6yearterms•ImportantPowers:–Makelaws–Settaxes–Declarewar–OverrideVetoes–Borrowmoney–Regulateinternationalandnationaltrade–PrintmoneyArticleII:ExecutiveBranch•PresidentandVicePresidentareelectedto4yearterms•Qualifications:–Atleast35yearsold–14yearresidentoftheUS–Naturalborncitizen•ElectedbytheElectoralCollege•Importantpowers:–Commander-in-Chief–Grantpardons–Maketreaties–Appointfederalofficers–EnsurelawsareexecutedArticleIII:JudicialBranch•SupremeCourtjudgesserveforlifeunlessimpeached.•JudicialpowerrestswithUSSupremeCourtandothercourtscreatedbyCongress•ImportantPowers:–DecidescasesofConstitutionallawandfederallaw–CasesinvolvingambassadorsgostraighttoSupremeCourt–JudicialReviewcomeslater(1803–Marburyv.Madison)OtherImportantArticles:•ArticleV:Amendments:–Amendmentsareproposedwhen2/3ofHouseandSenatedeemitnecessary–Amendmentsareproposedwhen2/3ofstatesdeemitnecessary–Amendmentsmustberatifiedby¾ofstatelegislaturesorbyconventionsin¾ofstates•ArticleVI:FederalPower–SupremacyClause:Federallawissupremetostatelaw–NoreligioustestsforpublicofficeImportantAmendments:BillofRights1.Freedomofreligion,ofspeech,ofthepress,toassemble,andtopetition2.Righttobeararms3.Noquarteringofsoldiers4.Nounreasonablesearchandseizure5.Indictments;Duep