American Federalism

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American Federalism
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Colonial Period

• Colonization of North America was due to the
  trading initiative of commercial companies and
  the religious intolerance in the mother country
• The first colony was Virginia (established by the
  London Company in 1607)
• Despite malaria, famine and the hostility of the
  Indians, the colony gradually flourished as a
  result of tobacco culture and grants of land to
  individual colonists

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Pilgrim Fathers

• In 1620, 102 Pilgrim fathers (Puritans
  persecuted in England) sailed in the Mayflower to
  the New World and landed on the coast of
  Massachussets
• The Mayflower Compact, drawn up for government in
  the new settlement, provided for the first
  democracy in America
• The first settlements Salem and Boston

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New colonies

• Religious intolerance caused many settlers to
  leave and found new colonies (Rhode Island,
  Connecticut, New Hampshire)
• Proprietary colonies granted by the English king
  to individuals (Maryland, Pennsylvania, New
  Jersey)

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The United States

• A New Nation
• In 1776 there were 13 weak British colonies in
  America (Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New
  Jersey, New York, Georgia, Connecticut,
  Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, North
  Carolina New Hampshire, Rhode Island)

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American Revolutionary War

• Conflict with Parliament because of taxation
  imposed (no taxation without representation)
• The Boston Tea Party (1773)
• In 1774 (First Continental Congress)
  representatives of colonies petitioned King
  George III to repeal acts that were imposing
  severe taxes on them, but the King refused
• This led to American Revolutionary War
  (1775-1783)

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The Declaration of Independence, 1776

• The Declaration of Independence, 1776
• We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
  all men are created equal, that they are endowed
  by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,
  that among these are Life, Liberty and the
  pursuit of Happiness.
• Mainly written by Thomas Jefferson
• American colonists acted to win rights they felt
  had been denied them as English subjects

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Articles of Confederation

• November 15, 1777 - Congress adopts the Articles
  of Confederation as the government of the new
  United States of America, pending ratification by
  the individual states. Under the Articles,
  Congress is the sole authority of the new
  national government.

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The Constitutional Convention

• The former colonies first operated under an
  agreement called The Articles of Confederation
• A loose union of 13 states the central
  government was too weak with too few powers
• In 1787, at the initiative of Virginia, 55
  delegates from the States met in Philadelphia to
  revise the Articles

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The Constitution

• The Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan
• The Great Compromise
• Instead they wrote a completely new document, the
  Constitution
• Adopted by the thirteen states by 1790

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The Constitution

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vtw5QPncdkTM

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The Virginia Plan

• Drafted by James Madison, and presented by Edmund
  Randolph to the Constitutional Convention on May
  29, 1787, the Virginia Plan proposed a strong
  central government composed of three branches
  legislative (bicameral, proportional
  representation), executive and judicial
  (appointed by the legislature)

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The New Jersey Plan

• After two weeks of debating the Virginia Plan, a
  counterproposal was put forth by William
  Patterson, which has become known as the New
  Jersey Plan (or the Small State Plan or the
  Patterson Plan). Patterson's ideas amounted to no
  more than a simple reshaping of the Articles of
  Confederation.
• The plan once again offered the idea of a
  unicameral (one house) legislature in which all
  states would have an equal number of votes.

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The Constitution

• The oldest Constitution still in force
• Sets the basic form of government three separate
  branches, each one having powers (checks and
  balances) over the others
• Specifies the powers and duties of each federal
  branch of government
• The ultimate power is given to the people

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Preamble

• We the people of the United States, in order to
  form a more perfect Union, establish justice,
  insure domestic tranquility, provide for the
  common defense, promote the general welfare, and
  secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and
  our posterity, do ordain and establish this
  Constitution for the United States of America.

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The Bill of Rights

• The first ten Constitutional Amendments
• Fundamental rights of any American
• The freedom of religion, speech, press, the
  rights of peaceful assembly, the right of trial
  by jury
• These rights cannot be taken away by any
  government or court

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Bill of Rights

• 1. Freedom of religion, speech, press, and
  assembly. Also, the right to petition the
  government.
• 2. Right to bear arms.
• 3. Troops may not be quartered in homes in
  peacetime.
• 4. No unreasonable searches or seizures.
• 5. Numerous protections against court action
  including
• Grand jury indictment required for serious
  crimes.
• No Double Jeopardy.
• A person cannot be forced to testify against
  themselves.
• No loss of life, liberty, or property without due
  process.

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• 6. Right to a speedy, public, and impartial
  trial.
• 7. Jury trials are required in civil suits where
  value exceeds 20.
• 8. No excessive bail or fines and no cruel or
  unusual punishments.
• 9. Rights not listed are not necessarily denied.
• 10. Powers not given expressly to the United
  States or denied to the states themselves are
  reserved to the states.

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Congress

• The legislative branch of the federal government
• Article I of the Constitution All legislative
  power herein granted shall be vested in a
  Congress of the United States, which shall
  consist of a Senate and House of
  Representatives.
• The Senate (100 Senators, two from each state)
  and the House of Representatives (435 elected
  members who represent the population of
  congressional districts)

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Powers of the Congress

• Congress makes all laws, decides about taxes and
  how money is spent
• It regulates commerce among the states and with
  foreign countries
• It sets rules for the naturalization of foreign
  citizens

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The President

• Elected every four years to a four-year term of
  office
• Elected directly by the voters
• Powers of the President in the executive sphere
  - Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, the
  effective source of administrative power, directs
  the negotiation of treaties, nominates all
  important executive officers

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Powers of the President

• In the legislative sphere proposes legislation
  to Congress, can veto legislation already passed
  by Congress, can call it for special sessions and
  adress it by message or in person
• In the judicial sphere nominates to all the more
  important offices in the judicial branch,
  inclusing the Supreme Court

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Federalism

• A form of political organization in which the
  exercise of power is divided between two levels
  of government the nation and the states
• Exclusively national powers foreign relations
  declaring wars and making treaties protecting a
  uniform monetary system - control of the power to
  coin money

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The Tenth Amendment

• State powers all powers not delegated to the
  federal government (the Tenth Amendment)
• Concurrent powers powers shared by both levels,
  such as levying taxes and regulating commerce

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The Federal Judiciary

• The main instrument the Supreme Court, which
  watches over the executive and legislative branch
• It determines whether their laws and acts are in
  accordance with the Constitution
• Chief Justice and 8 Associate Justices
• 11 federal courts of appeal
• 91 federal district courts

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Checks and balances

• The Constitutions Framers set out a government
  in which no person or branch of government could
  become all-powerful
• They divided the powers among lawmakers, judges
  and a chief executive
• Each group can balance and check others powers

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(No Transcript)
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Insert appropriate words

• government, federal, states, powers,
  constitution, elective, cities, laws
• The United States of America is a ___________
  union of 50 states. The ____________ outlines the
  structure of the national ______________ and
  specifies its ______________ and activities.
  Other governmental activities are the
  responsibility of the individual
  ________________, which have their own
  constitutions and _____________. Within each
  state are counties, townships, ___________ and
  villages, each of which has its own
  _________________ government.

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Answer key

• The United States of America is a FEDERAL union
  of 50 states. The CONSTITUTION outlines the
  structure of the national GOVERNMENT and
  specifies its POWERS and activities. Other
  governmental activities are the responsibility of
  the individual STATES, which have their own
  constitutions and LAWS. Within each state are
  counties, townships, CITIES and villages, each of
  which has its own ELECTIVE government.

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• limited, supreme, theory, rights, powers,
  executive, constitution, agreement
• The American ____________________ of 1789 was a
  product of the 18th century political_____________
  __, especially the ideas of John Locke.
  Government should be _______________, Locke said.
  It was an _______________ freely made which could
  be ended under certain conditions. The
  ______________ of man which came from nature or
  God were ___________________ and to be
  encouraged. Separation of ______________ was one
  of Lockes ideas, so it was clear that the new
  constitution would include three branches of
  government legislative, ________________ and
  judicial.

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Translate the following

• Concurrent powers the Constitution expressly
  gives the national government such important
  powers as levying taxes and regulating commerce,
  but it makes no effort to prohibit the states
  from also exercising such authority within their
  borders.

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Thank you for your attention!