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JoeFradette

Unit1TheUnitedStatesConstitution

ThestructureoftheUnitedStatesgovernmentgivespowertothefederalgovernment,the
statesgovernmentsandsometimesboth.TheFederalGovernmenthascertainpowerssuchasthe
abilitytocoinmoney,whereasthestateshavetherighttosetupschoolsandcontrolstatetaxes.The
peoplevoteonrepresentativeswhohavesimilarviewsandvoteforwhattheywant.
TheideasfoundinthenewConstitutionweredevelopedbytheframersbecauseoftheactions
takenbyGeorgeIII.Thecolonistsbelievedthattheyshouldbeseparatedfromthemothercountry,
England,andlivebytheirownrules.FederalismisshownintheU.S.governmentbytheseparationof
powersbetweentheStateandtheFederalgovernments.Tohelpsettledisputesbetweenstates,a
bicamerallegislaturewascreatedwithanupperhouseconsistingoftwosenatorsperstate,andalower
houseconsistingofrepresentativesbasedonpopulation.Theroleofthegovernmentistocarryoutthe
wantsandtheneedsofthepeople.Therepresentativesarechosenbythepeople,voteonissuesthat
arewantedtomakeachange.IntheU.S.,weoperateasaRepresentativeDemocracy,asopposedto
EnglandwhichhasaConstitutionalMonarchy.
TheFederalistsbelievedthatthestatesshouldbeunitedundersomeformofgovernment
otherwisetheywouldallbeseparatecountries.UndertheArticlesofConfederation,eachstatehadto
dealwiththeirownneeds,andsotheycouldntagreeonanything.OurConstitutiongivestheFederal
Governmentspecificrights,andthestatesspecificrights,suchastheabilitytoarrangemarriagesand
schools.TheFramerswantedtohaveabalanceoflessFederalGovernmentbecauseofwhat
happenedinEngland.However,theycouldntaConfederationbecausethestateswouldnthaveany
commonalitiesorcentralgovernment.Theyhadtofindabalancebetweenthetwotomakeitwork.
Somepeoplewerehesitanttohaveanewgovernmentbecausetheywereunsureoftheamount
ofrightthatthepeopleweregoingtoreceive.TheBillofRightswascreatedtoshowthattherewere
certainunalienablerightsforthepeoplethatweregoingtobegrantedwiththisnewgovernment.Slaves
werenotcompletelyconsideredpeople,sosomepeoplemayhavebeenreluctanttogivecertainrights
toeveryoneinthebeginning.
ThebasicprinciplesfoundintheU.S.Constitutionconsistofsplittingupthepowerbetweenthe
StateandFederalGovernments.TheTenthAmendmentoftheBillofRightsreservesspecificrightsto
eitherofthesegovernments.TheFramersknewthattheyneededtounifytheseparatestates,because
thecountrywouldfallapartiftherewasnocentralgovernment.Thereneededtobeaconnection
betweenthestateswhilestillmanagingtokeeptheFederalGovernmentincheck.ThenewConstitution
pavedthewayforanewtypeofgovernmentforanewcountry.

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