Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

• Document that governed the colonies during and briefly after the Revolution was the Articles of Confederation.
• Confederation refers to a loose union of countries or states similar to an alliance.
• America's first federal Constitution.
• Federal refers to national.
• Constitution represents as a document outlining government operations and serves as the highest law of the land.
• Each state had one vote under the Articles of Confederation.
• States retain the authority to engage in treaty-making and declaring war.
• Requiring a two-thirds majority to pass laws.
• Absence of a president or Supreme Court.
• States possessed the power to issue currency which led to differing currencies and inflation.
• Shay's Rebellion involved Massachusetts farmers forming a militia and rebelling due to high taxes.
• Congress lacked the authority to act, prompting recognition of the necessity for a stronger federal government and resulted in replacing the Articles with the Constitution.

Constitutional Compromises

• Representation in Congress

Virginia Plan

• Bicameral legislature.
• Two houses of Congress.
• One house is based on the state's population, which selects members for the other smaller house.

New Jersey Plan

• Unicameral legislature.
• All states get same number of representatives, regardless of population.

The Great Compromise

• Bicameral legislature.
• Congress includes both Senate and House.
• Each state has two senators for the Senate and representation in the House depends on population.

Electing President

Direct Election

• The candidate with the most votes becomes President.
• States make decisions due to mistrust of common voters.

Electoral College

• Each state gets electors who cast votes for president.
• Number of electors per state corresponds to its population size.
• State-level popular vote determines the allocation of electoral votes.
• Majority of electoral votes wins the election.
• Smaller states receive consideration from candidates.
• Electors can ignore the popular vote, though almost never occurring.

3/5 Compromise

• Northern states were against counting slaves as people whereas Southern states wanted to count them so they had more representatives in the South.
• Every five slaves were counted as three people for census purposes.

Slavery

• Southern states wanted to count slaves as people while Northern states wanted to end slavery.
• The slave trade with Africa ended in 1808.
• Runaway slaves are required to be returned to their enslavers.

Preamble

• It serves as the introduction to the Constitution, stating its goals.
• It starts with “We the People".

Three Branches of Government

• There is a designed separation of powers.
• Government divides into three branches.
• Branch has distinct roles to prevent any single entity from gaining excessive power.
• There exists a system of checks and balances as part of separation of powers.
• Each branch can check, or block, action of other branches to prevent too much power.

Legislative Branch

• Congress, House of Representatives, and Senate.

Executive Branch

• President, Vice President, Cabinet, Army, police.
• Different groups write legislation, the executive approves, and the judicial judges laws.

Judicial Branch

• A court system led by the Supreme Court (itself led by the Chief Justice).
• Popular represents the total number of votes someone gets.
• Electoral College works by each state getting votes based on it's population size, such as California which get 55, and Alaska gets 3.
• The winner of most electoral votes becomes the President even if they didn't win the popular vote.

Vice President

• Takes over if President dies.
• Break a tie vote in the Senate.

Speaker of the House

• In charge of the House of Representatives.
• Becomes president if the President and Vice President die.

Senate Majority Leader

• In charge of the Senate.
• Impeachment occurs when Congress makes a decision for a President/Supreme Court justice to get put on trial.
• Removal forces a president/Supreme court Justice to vacate their job.

Checks and Balances

These checks and balances have various controls that they possess to ensure power isn't abused by one entity:

Executive

• Enforces laws
• What is it:
  • President, cabinet, secretary of state, homeland security etc
  • Four year term, can be elected twice. Natural born, and 35+ years old
• Natural-born citizen
• Commander in Chief of all armed forced (military)
• Appoints Supreme Court, Cabinet. Can pardon, or free, someone from prison.

Legislative

• Makes Laws
• Congress; House of Representatives and Senate:
  • House of Rep: 2 year term, with state population dictating how many it gets.
  • Senate: 6 year term, 100 total, 2 from each state.
• No term limits. Congressman needs to be 25+, living where they are representing. Senator needs to be 30+, living where they are representing
• Raise money through taxes
• Declare war and raise an army
• Impeach or remove the President/Supreme court for wrong doing.
• Approves Presidential appointments (Supreme Court, cabinet) with majority vote.
• Has the power to veto laws Congress passes and override presidential vetoes (with 2/3 of houses)
• Power of the purse, budgetary control dictating where money should be spent

Judicial

• Interprets laws
• Supreme Court (And other courts)

Requirements

• Appointed (picked) by president . Serve a life term. 9 justices, including Chief Justice.
• Reviews cases of lower courts-final court of appealing (highest you can go)
• Settles arguments betweens states
• Can declare laws Presidential actions unconstitutional

Necessary and Proper Clause (Elastic Clause)

• The framers knew the Constitution may not apply to every and any problem.
• This clause gives Congress power to "make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper" for the nation
• Congress can thus pass laws not in the Constitution (flexible)

Bill

• Suggestion for a law
• How a bill becomes a law is a prime example of checks and balances in government. To make an amendment (change to Constitution), it needs 3/4 of the states to approve it.
• Ratify means to approve or accept.
• Federalists want a strong national/federal government. Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote "The Federalist Papers" to try and convince people the pros of their beliefs.

Anti-Federalists

• Wanted the states and people to have more power, compared to the federal government.

Federalists

• Included Alexander Hamilton, Ben Franklin, John Adams, John Jay, James Madison, and George Washington.
• Were pro-business
• Wanted a national bank
• Were appealing to the wealthy and powerful
• Wanted to raise voter qualifications, meaning fewer people could vote
• Supported England
• Believe strong federal government is how it should be. They believed people were selfish and would abuse power. Want a broad interpretation of the Constitution

Anti-Federalists

• Included Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry.
• Were pro-farming
• Opposed a national bank.
• Were appealing to the average Joe.
• Wanted to low voter qualifications, meaning its easier to vote for those who wish too.
• Supported France
• Weak national government, noble savage. They thought there wasn't enough individual liberty in Constitution and gave government too much power. They wanted a narrow interpretation. When realized would lose, gave up when fighting constitution and supported the Bill of Rights.

Federal & State Powers

• Became Federalist party as Feds listened to anti-Feds.
• Became Democratic-Republican party
• Supported Bill of Rights.

Federal Powers

• Interstate & foreign trade
• Foreign relations
• Declare war
• Coin money
• Immigration
• Postal

State Powers

• Intrastate commerce
• Local governments
• Public health
• Voter qualification
• Supervise elections
• Education
• License jobs
• Marriage laws

Both

• Taxation
• Pass laws
• Borrowing
• Courts
• Law enforcement; punish lawbreakers
• Banks
• Roads

Amendments

• Amendment 1: Freedom of religion, speech, the press, the right to assemble
• Amendment 2: Right to bear arms
• Amendment 3: No quartering (Can't make citizens house soldiers in homes)
• Amendment 4: No searches and seizures. Police can't search home or take property without a warrant signed permission from a judge
• Amendment 5: Right to remain silent, can't be put on trail twice for same crime, and government can't take private property for public use, without paying a fair price
• Amendment 6: Right to a speedy and public trail
• Amendment 7: Right to trail by jury
• Amendment 8: No cruel and unusual punishment
• Amendment 9: These rights don't deny other rights (This is nota complete list)
• Amendment 10: All other powers are left to states or those who are people.

Explore the differences between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists during the U.S. Constitution ratification debate. Understand their contrasting views on the power of the federal government and individual liberties. Key events and arguments are highlighted.