The Debate over Ratification: Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

Register for the AP Exam: Must be registered and paid for all AP exams by October 1st!


Homework due Today: Read and answer the questions from this Annotated Brutus I 

Homework due Tuesday: Read and answer the questions from Federalist 51

CONSTITUTION TEST this Friday: Constitution Test Review Sheet (must pass to graduate!)

Unit 1 Identification Terms--you should be done with the first section and working on the second section (Constitution)

Review of Constitutional Principles examples

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Learning Objectives:

CON-1.A: Explain how Federalist and Anti- Federalist views on central government and
democracy are reflected in U.S. foundational documents.

CON-1.A.2: Anti-Federalist writings, including Brutus No. 1, adhered to popular democratic
theory that emphasized the benefits of a small decentralized republic while warning of the
dangers to personal liberty from a large, centralized government.

When the delegates wrapped up the convention and presented the Constitution to the states for ratification in September 1787, it was not a guarantee that it would be approved. Fierce debate took place between Federalists,those who supported this new proposal of government, and their opponents who feared too strong of a central government, the Anti-Federalists. Over the next few days, we will look at the arguments and differences between them. 

A number of essays were published in newspapers arguing both for and against ratification. Essays supporting the Constitution were written by John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison using the pseudonym Publius. One of the most famous and often quoted of these is Federalist 51, an articulation by Madison of the constitutional features of separation of powers and checks and balances. 

There were a variety of opponents to the Constitution using a number of different pseudonyms, but one of the more common names associated with Anti-Federalist papers is Brutus. In Brutus I, the author draws attention to the main concern of Anti-Federalists--too much power given to the national government at the expense of the states. 

Brutus believes that the national government under the newly proposed constitution will be similar to Thanos. Using this analogy, what are the "infinity stones" that the national government will possess that will be the source of their immense powers? You should be able to find at least 5 federal powers that the government will have that Brutus is concerned about. What will be destroyed by a national government "snap"?

Here is a handy comparison chart of their different positions:

Based on the above chart, try to identify these statements as either Federalist or Anti-Federalist positions:

1. “I think those delegates exceeded their authority in creating a whole new government. They were just supposed to work on the Articles a bit.”

2. “What Americans need is a bill of rights, and this new government will not get my approval until we have one.”

3. “I think this new plan will provide a good balance of power.”

4. “Those people want to make the United States undemocratic and get special privileges for a limited few Americans.”

5. “It’s obvious that the Articles weren’t working, and I think this new plan reflects a careful compromise among a variety of opinions.”

6. “I and my two friends wrote our essays under the name ‘Publius’ because we wanted people to be influenced only by the facts.”

7. “If we give too much power to a central government, what’s to stop the United States from becoming a monarchy like Britain?”

8. “I think it’s important for people to realize that the large size and diversity of the United States will make it impossible for any single group to form a majority that could dominate the government.”

9. “I encouraged the delegates at the Convention to sign the Constitution and I fear that this nation will crumble if the states do not accept it.”

10. “I’m just a simple farmer, but I think those supporters of the Constitution expect to get all the power into their own hands.”

Now let's try the same thing, but with actual quotes from Federalist/Anti-Federalist papers.

For Review:
Diffen: Anti-Federalists vs. Federalists

Docs of Freedom: The Ratification Debate

This Nation: Ratification
























A good visual explainer on Federalist 51:

Constitutional Principles

Register for the AP Exam: Must be registered and paid for all AP exams by October 1st!


Homework due Monday: Read and answer the questions from this Annotated Brutus I 

Homework due Tuesday: Read and answer the questions from Federalist 51

CONSTITUTION TEST next Thursday: Constitution Test Review Sheet (must pass to graduate!)

Unit 1 Identification Terms--you should be done with the first section and working on the second section (Constitution)

Review of Checks & Balances Worksheet
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Learning Objectives:

PMI-1.A: Explain the constitutional principles of separation of powers and checks and balances.

PMI-1.B: Explain the implications of separation of powers and checks and balances for the U.S. political system.

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One reason the Constitution has endured for so long and our country has been so successful is the effectiveness of the constitutional principles. These ideas, embodied in the Constitution, are designed to limit power and protect the rights of the people from tyrannical government.

Here are the key constitutional principles:





















In-class check for understanding (GoogleDoc of these examples):

Constitutional Principles

Evaluate and explain what Constitutional Principle (Limited Government, Separation of Powers, Checks & Balances, Popular Sovereignty, Federalism) is illustrated in each of the following examples.

_________________1. Congress passes the Affordable Care Act.

_________________ 2. The Supreme Court upholds the challenge to the Affordable Care Act and rules it constitutional.

_________________ 3. The Department of Health and Human Services begins implementing the national part of the Affordable Care Act.

_________________ 4. States set up their own health care exchange programs for people to buy low cost insurance as part of the Affordable Care Act.

_________________ 5. Two of Missouri’s representative lose their re-election bid after supporting the Affordable Care Act.

_________________ 6. Congress votes to defund (not provide money in the budget) to the Department of Health and Human Services for the Affordable Care Act.

_________________ 7. The national government cannot restrict your religious beliefs.

_________________ 8. Congress proposes an amendment to repeal the 22nd Amendment and it is ratified by the states.

_________________ 9. The President orders a military strike against Syria.

_________________ 10. Congress moves to impeach President Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice.

__________________11. The police are not allowed in your home without a warrant.

__________________ 12. The citizens of Missouri vote against the Right to Work proposal.

__________________ 13. Only the national government can coin money.

__________________ 14. The president nominated Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.



Videos for Review:

Checks & Balances

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Register for the AP Exam: Must be registered and paid for all AP exams by October 1st!


Homework due Friday: Complete the Checks & Balances worksheet (make a copy).

Homework due Monday: Read and answer the questions from this Annotated Brutus I 


CONSTITUTION TEST next Thursday: Constitution Test Review Sheet (must pass to graduate!)

Unit 1 Identification Terms--you should be done with the first section and working on the second section (Constitution)

_____________________________________________________

Learning Objective:

PMI-1.A: Explain the constitutional principles of separation of powers and checks and balances.

PMI-1.B: Explain the implications of separation of powers and checks and balances for the U.S. political system.

PMI-1.A.1: The powers allocated to Congress, the president, and the courts demonstrate the separation of powers
and checks and balances features of the U.S. Constitution.

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Checks & Balances

“The Constitutional Convention of 1787 is supposed to have created a government of ‘separated powers.’ It did nothing of the sort. Rather, it created a government of separated institutions sharing powers.” -Richard Neudstadt

In addition to separation of powers, the Framers crafted a government of limited powers by creating a system of checks and balances to ensure that each branch had some control over the others and that no one branch could ever have complete control.  Here are a few websites that explain checks and balances along with a few examples.

Social Studies Help Center: How does our system of checks and balances help limit power?

US Constitution Online: Constitutional Topic--Checks & Balances

American System of Checks & Balances

Checks and Balances: Internal Constraints on Government Power

The charts and videos below help illustrate how the system works with specific checks.

HOMEWORK: Complete the Checks & Balances worksheet (make a copy).

Videos for Review:

Separation of Powers

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Register for the AP Exam: Must be registered and paid for all AP exams by October 1st!

Homework for Thursday: Complete the separation of powers worksheet.

Quiz Today!: Quiz over Amendments (15pts)
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Learning Standards:

PMI-1.A: Explain the constitutional principles of separation of powers and checks and balances.

PMI-1.B: Explain the implications of separation of powers and checks and balances for the U.S. political system.

PMI-1.A.1: The powers allocated to Congress, the president, and the courts demonstrate the separation of powers and checks and balances features of the U.S. Constitution.

PMI-1.B.2: Impeachment, removal, and other legal actions taken against public officials deemed to have abused their power reflect the purpose of checks and balances.

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Impeachment?
Yesterday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry into President Trump.



So, what exactly does impeachment mean and how does it work?

 


Next, read this article on why seven Democratic members of the House believe that impeachment is necessary. After reading the article, what are their reasons? Do you agree?

Separation of Powers and Checks & Balances

One of the key constitutional principles is separation of powers, dividing governmental powers among three branches. The chart below identifies how power is separated at the federal level.

Make a copy of this Google Doc and identify what branch is responsible for each item described.


Videos for Review:

Other Amendments

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Homework: Compile a list of your top ten amendments for tomorrow

Constitutional Convention/Constitution Retake Quiz: Tuesday before/after school or during 4th study session

Register for the AP Exam: Must be registered and paid for all AP exams by October 1st!

Upcoming Quiz: Quiz over Amendments (15pts) on Wednesday!

5th hour Juniors: You must fill out this survey during study session today.

Today's Schedule:

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Today, we are finishing up our overview of the 27 amendments to the Constitution. As we finish, think about which amendments are the ten most important or essential. Tomorrow, we will do an in-class activity where you will be responsible for ranking the amendments and justifying your decisions.



The student who got the 27th Amendment ratified. Talk about your political efficacy!

What should be the next amendment?

Here is a list of recently proposed amendments in Congress. And here are the "Top Ten" proposals for amendments.

Videos for Review:

The Amendment Process & Bill of Rights

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Thursday's Schedule:

Homework: Read 25-46 in Edwards (online)

QUIZ: Constitutional Convention/Constitution on Wednesday

Essential Terms Retake Quiz Thursday before/after school or during 4th study session

Register for the AP Exam: Must be registered and paid for all AP exams by October 1st!

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Learning Objectives:
CON-1.C.2: Debates about self-government during the drafting of the Constitution necessitated the drafting of an amendment process in Article V that entailed either a two-thirds vote in both houses or a proposal from two-thirds of the state legislatures, with final ratification determined by three-fourths of the states.

CON-2.B.1: The interpretation of the Tenth and Fourteenth Amendments, the commerce clause, the necessary and proper clause, and other enumerated and implied powers is at the heart of the debate over the balance of power between the national and state governments.

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Amendments to the Constitution

The Constitution is not a perfect document and the Framers were wise enough to realize that changes or additions, formally called amendments, would be necessary. They also recognized the impossible task of amending under the Articles (unanimous consent), and made the process of changing the Constitution easier, but still difficult enough to ensure that only vital changes would take place.

Today (and for the next few days), we are going to take a look the amendment process and the additions to the Constitution.






Videos

Annotating the Constitution

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Homework: Read 46-54 in Edwards (online)

Essential Terms Retake Quiz Thursday before/after school or during 4th study session

Register for the AP Exam: Must be registered and paid for all AP exams by October 1st!
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Learning Objectives:

LOR-1.A: Explain how democratic ideals are reflected in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

LOR-1.A.2: The Declaration of Independence, drafted by Jefferson with help from Adams and Franklin, provides a foundation
for popular sovereignty, while the U.S. Constitution drafted at the Philadelphia convention led by George Washington, with
important contributions from Madison, Hamilton, and members of the “grand committee,” provides the blueprint for a unique
form of political democracy in the U.S.

CON-2.B.1: The interpretation of the Tenth and Fourteenth Amendments, the commerce clause, the necessary and
proper clause, and other enumerated and implied powers is at the heart of the debate over the balance of power between
the national and state governments.

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Annotating the Constitution

Today we are going to look at the Constitution, exploring the meaning and impact of specific Articles and clauses. As we read and annotate, think about weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and how the new document addresses those problems. Also, look for examples of key constitutional principles (limited government, popular sovereignty, separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism) and how they are incorporated into the document.

Please use your pocket constitution or make a copy of the Constitution and highlight/annotate as we walk through this document.

Videos for Review

Consequences of the Constitutional Convention Compromises

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Homework: Read 46-54 in Edwards (online)

Essential Terms Retake Quiz Thursday before/after school or during 4th study session

Register for the AP Exam: Must be registered and paid for all AP exams by October 1st!
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Learning Objective:
CON-1.C: Explain the ongoing impact of political negotiation and compromise at the Constitutional Convention on the development of the constitutional system.

CON-1.C.3: The compromises necessary to secure ratification of the Constitution left some matters unresolved that continue to generate discussion and debate today.

Consequences of the Constitutional Convention Compromises

As we discussed yesterday, the Constitutional Convention was a series of compromises on issues ranging from equitable representation to how to handle slavery and the selection of the president. Those compromises still carry consequences today on our political system.

Key Question:

1. How do the compromises reached at the Constitutional Convention continue to impact our political system today?

Read and take notes on the following article, Big State, Small State on how the Great Compromise has led to the malapportionment of today's Senate and its impact on federal funding and policies. In your notes, highlight what you consider to be the author's central claim and notate the author's supporting evidence. Include other notes and annotations on questions you have or quotes you think are worth discussing more.

After you read and annotate Big State, Small State, please watch (with your earbuds) the following videos from Khan Academy on the Constitutional Convention and the impact of its compromises.

Finally, evaluate what compromise reached at the Convention, has had the biggest impact on our political system today. Be prepared to discuss and defend your position tomorrow.

The Constitutional Convention

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Learning Objective:

CON-1.C: Explain the ongoing impact of political negotiation and compromise at the Constitutional Convention on the development of the constitutional system.

CON-1.C.1: Compromises deemed necessary for adoption and ratification of the Constitution are represented by the:

• Great (Connecticut) Compromise
• Electoral College
• Three-Fifths Compromise
• Compromise on the importation of slaves

CON-1.C.2: Debates about self-government during the drafting of the Constitution necessitated the drafting of an amendment process in Article V that entailed either a two-thirds vote in both houses or a proposal from two-thirds of the state legislatures, with final ratification determined by three-fourths of the states.

CON-1.C.3: The compromises necessary to secure ratification of the Constitution left some matters unresolved that continue to generate discussion and debate today.

The Constitutional Convention
The Articles of Confederation was clearly failing and Shays' Rebellion highlighted the problems the new government was having. As a result, Congress authorized states to send delegates in the summer of 1787 to Philadelphia to revise the Articles. This became known as the Constitutional Convention and led to the creation of the world's longest lasting written constitution. Central to the convention was the series of compromises made by the delegates to help achieve consensus.

Key Questions:
1. What were the key differences between the Virginia and New Jersey plans?
2. How did the Great Compromise solve the dilemma of representation?
3. How was the issue of slavery handled at the convention? How did that impact the future of our country?






For Review

Here's a Crash Course video on the compromises made at the Convention:





Another video focusing on the representation and slavery compromises:





Here's a Hip Hughes video on the Convention:





Here are a few more websites on the Constitutional Convention:

How did compromises help create a more unified nation at the Constitutional Convention?

Exploring Constitutional Conflicts: The Constitutional Convention

Regent's Prep: Constitutional Convention

Constitutional Rights Foundation: The Major Debates at the Constitutional Convention

The Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation

Learning Objective:

CON-1.B: Explain the relationship between key provisions of the Articles of Confederation and the debate over granting the federal government greater power formerly reserved to the states

Essential Knowledge:

CON-1.B.1: Specific incidents and legal challenges that highlighted key weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation are represented by the:

• Lack of centralized military power to address Shays’ Rebellion
• Lack of tax-law enforcement power

We've declared our independence and won the war against England. Now what? During the Revolutionary War, a new document was created designed to help organize the states and coordinate their efforts against England. This document, the Articles of Confederation, lasted less than a decade before being replaced by our current Constitution. Despite its failures, much can be learned from the Articles.

Key Questions:
1. What was the basic structure of government under the Articles of Confederation? What did the government look like?

2. What were the weaknesses under the Articles of Confederation?

3. How does Shays' Rebellion illustrate the problems under the Articles and lead to the Constitutional Convention?


After watching these videos, write down what the government structure looked like under the Articles of Confederation. You should have at least three key points about the government.

• Next, go to this webpage and read about the failures under the Articles of Confederation.
• Create a t-chart with the first column labeled Weaknesses under the Articles and the second column titled Constitutional Fixes. 
• Fill in the first column with the weaknesses described from the website. We'll fill in the other side later.

Additional readings for more understanding:

Boundless: Articles of Confederation and Powers Under the Articles

OpenStax: Articles of Confederation

Lumens: Articles of Confederation

Constitution Center: 10 Reasons Why the Articles of Confederation Failed


Another video by HipHughes to review the Articles: