Jonah Patel
The US Constitution, ratified by all 13 states in 1789, is often referred to as a bundle of compromises due to the numerous concessions made by delegates to create a government charter that was acceptable to all. The delegates, with their diverse interests and views, had to find common ground on several key issues, including the balance of power between the federal and state governments, congressional representation, and the legality of slavery. These compromises, such as the Great Compromise and the three-fifths compromise, played a significant role in shaping the US Constitution, but the question remains whether they made it stronger or weaker.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of representatives each state should send to Congress | A "Great Compromise" was agreed upon, establishing a bicameral legislature, with each state having two senators, and representation in the House of Representatives based on population. |
| Federalism | The Constitution established a system of federalism, dividing power between the national government and state governments, with certain exclusive and shared powers. |
| Enslavement | The "three-fifths formula" was adopted, counting enslaved persons as three-fifths of a free person for representation in the House of Representatives. The legality of slavery was left to the states. |
| Tariffs and commerce | Tariffs were allowed only on imports, and the federal government was given the power to regulate interstate commerce. |
| Selection of the President | The Electoral College system was created, with electors drawn from the states and the District of Columbia, proportional to population. |
| Power of the central government | The Constitution created a powerful central government, with checks and balances to prevent any branch from becoming too powerful. |
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What You'll Learn
The Great Compromise
The United States Constitution, ratified by all 13 states in 1789, is often referred to as a "bundle of compromises". This is because delegates from each state had to agree on several key points to create a government charter acceptable to all. One of the most significant controversies that the Constitution addressed was the number of representatives each state should have in Congress. This issue was resolved through what became known as the "Great Compromise".
Before a bill can become a law, it must pass both houses of Congress. For example, if a bill passes in the House of Representatives, it still needs to be passed by the Senate before it can be sent to the President for their signature. This system of checks and balances helps to ensure that no one branch of government becomes too powerful.
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Federalism
The US Constitution's federalist structure was largely the result of the Connecticut Compromise, which proposed a bicameral legislature, with a Senate offering equal representation to each state, and a House of Representatives apportioned according to population. This compromise addressed the dispute between more and less populous states, with the former seeking representation based on population, and the latter wanting each state to have an equal say. The Connecticut Compromise thus created a hybrid system, with both federal and confederal elements.
The Constitution's federalist structure was also influenced by the Virginia Plan, which proposed a federal system that divided powers and operations between the national and state governments. This plan, drafted by James Madison, proposed a bicameral national legislature with "rights of suffrage" in both houses proportional to the size of the state. Madison's proposal reflected a vision of a national government, distinct from the confederal government under the Articles of Confederation, where each state had an equal voice.
The role of the federal government in the US has expanded over time, particularly since the Great Depression. While some Americans continue to oppose large federal government programs as inconsistent with the Constitution, others argue for a more active role in areas such as healthcare, economic progress, and scientific research. The Constitution's federalist structure, with its separation of powers and checks and balances, aims to prevent any one branch or level of government from becoming too powerful.
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The Three-Fifths Compromise
Slaveholding states wanted their entire population to be counted to determine the number of Representatives they could elect and send to Congress. Free states, on the other hand, wanted to exclude the counting of slave populations in slave states, since those slaves had no voting rights. The Three-Fifths Compromise was proposed by delegate James Wilson and seconded by Charles Pinckney. It was an attempt to resolve this impasse.
The compromise counted three-fifths of each state's slave population toward that state's total population for the purpose of apportioning the House of Representatives, effectively giving the Southern states more power in the House relative to the Northern states. This agreement is part of Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution.
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The role of the federal government
The US Constitution establishes a federalist system, dividing power between the national government and state or provincial governments. The Constitution assigns some powers to the national government, while reserving others for the states. Certain federal powers are exclusive to the federal government, such as the power to regulate trade between states and declare war. Meanwhile, shared powers are those that belong to both the state and federal governments, such as the power to tax and borrow money.
The Constitution establishes three branches of the federal government: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Each branch has different powers and can limit the power of the other branches. For example, while Congress can pass laws, the President must sign them before they go into effect. However, Congress can override the President's veto with a 2/3 majority in both houses. The judicial branch has the implied power to rule that a law or government action is unconstitutional.
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise or Sherman Compromise, was a key agreement that influenced the role of the federal government. It resolved the issue of congressional representation by creating a bicameral legislature, with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate. This compromise balanced the interests of larger and smaller states, ensuring that smaller states had a disproportionately bigger voice in Congress.
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The Electoral College
The Founding Fathers debated a range of ways to select the President, including direct election by popular vote, by members of Congress, by electors selected by lottery, by state governors, or by an electoral college. The Electoral College was chosen as a compromise, but it has been criticised as "archaic" and "ambiguous" by the American Bar Association, and public opinion polls have shown a majority in favour of abolishing it.
The Three-Fifths Clause, secured by Roger Sherman of Connecticut, increased pro-slavery strength in Congress, the presidency (through the Electoral College), and the Supreme Court (through the appointment of pro-slavery justices). This clause counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person, boosting the power of slaveholding delegates over presidential selection.
The Great Compromise, proposed by Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut, resolved a dispute between states with larger populations wanting congressional representation based on population, and smaller states demanding equal representation. This compromise established a bicameral Congress with the House of Representatives allocated according to population and the Senate with two representatives per state.
The lingering political effects of the Great Compromise have resulted in states with smaller populations having a disproportionately bigger voice in Congress. This has led to criticism and proposals to reform or eliminate the Electoral College, with over 700 proposals introduced in Congress over 200 years.
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Frequently asked questions
The U.S. Constitution was a compromise between two competing forces in the early United States: Federalists and Antifederalists. Federalists favoured a strong national government, while Antifederalists favoured a weaker national government and stronger state governments.
The "Great Compromise", also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was a compromise between two plans that emerged during the creation of the new Constitution. The Virginia Plan provided representation based on each state's population, while the Jersey Plan proposed equal representation for every state. The Great Compromise combined both plans, establishing a bicameral legislature, or a Congress comprised of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The "three-fifths compromise" was an agreement between delegates from Northern and Southern states regarding the representation of enslaved people. Delegates from Northern states, where the economy did not rely heavily on the enslavement of African people, felt that enslaved people should not be counted towards representation. Southern states, on the other hand, wanted enslaved individuals to be counted in terms of representation to gain additional political power. The compromise resulted in enslaved persons being counted as three-fifths of a free person for the sake of calculating the number of people a state could elect to the House of Representatives.
The delegates initially proposed alternatives such as going through each state's Senate to elect the president. The two sides eventually compromised and created the Electoral College, which is comprised of electors roughly proportional to the population.
The Constitution created a powerful central government, addressing the concerns of Federalists who believed that a strong central government was necessary to face the nation's challenges. However, it also included checks and balances to prevent any branch from becoming too powerful. The Constitution established a system of federalism, dividing power between the national government and state or provincial governments, and assigning certain powers to each branch of government.
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