Founding Fathers' Solution To America's Issues In 1787

The United States Constitution of 1787 was drafted by 55 delegates from 12 of the 13 original states (all except Rhode Island) who met in Philadelphia between May and September 1787. The delegates addressed the weaknesses of the central government under the Articles of Confederation, establishing a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to foreign affairs. The Constitution also created a system of checks and balances by dividing authority between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. The delegates debated and compromised on issues such as representation in Congress, the balance of power between states and the nation, and the role of the executive branch. The resulting document, signed on September 17, 1787, has provided stability and protected personal liberties, serving as the basis of the United States Government ever since.

Explore related products

The Constitution of 1787: A Commentary

$29.7 $35

The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented the Constitution (The Simon & Schuster America Collection)

$11.29 $19.99

Decision in Philadelphia: The Constitutional Convention of 1787

$18 $18

The Constitution of the United States of America: The Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights

$9.99 $9.99

The Geographical Distribution of the Vote of the Thirteen States On the Federal Constitution, 1787-8, Volume 1, Issue 1

$30.95

The Constitutional Convention Of 1787: The Drafting Of The U.S. Constitution

$9.99

Economic instability

The US Constitution of 1787 addressed the issue of economic instability by establishing a stronger federal government with separate branches and checks and balances. The Constitution was a response to the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, which had created a weak central government, with most powers residing in the states. This led to a lack of uniformity in laws and regulations, difficulties in conducting foreign policy, and economic instability.

The framers of the Constitution sought to address these issues by creating a stronger federal government with clear powers. They established a system of checks and balances among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. This helped to create a more stable and uniform economic system across the states.

Additionally, the Constitution provided for a stronger federal government by granting it the power to levy taxes, raise armies, and conduct foreign policy. These powers were crucial in enabling the federal government to maintain order, protect the nation, and engage effectively with other nations. The Constitution also included provisions for amending it, allowing for changes and adaptations over time. This flexibility was a significant improvement over the Articles of Confederation, which required the unanimous consent of the states for any amendments, making changes virtually impossible.

The 55 delegates who drafted the Constitution during the summer of 1787 can be viewed as rational individuals who weighed the expected costs and benefits of each clause they considered. They included a particular clause only if they expected the benefits to exceed the costs. Similarly, the more than 1,600 delegates who participated in the thirteen state ratifying conventions between 1787 and 1790 can be seen as rationally choosing to adopt the set of rules embodied in the Constitution. They voted to ratify only if the expected benefits of adoption exceeded the expected costs.

The Constitution of 1787 was a remarkable achievement, successfully striking a balance between governmental power and personal liberty. It brought stability to popular democracy and created a stronger, more flexible federal system with clear powers and checks and balances.

Checks and balances

The US Constitution of 1787 addressed the issue of checks and balances by dividing power between three branches of the US government: the legislative, executive, and judicial. This system was designed to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful and to protect against tyranny.

Each branch has powers that can be used to check and balance the operations and power of the other two. For example, the Constitution allows the President to veto legislation, but requires the President to gain the Senate's consent to appoint executive officers and judges or enter into treaties. The President is also the leader of the armed forces, but only Congress has the ability to declare war.

The system of checks and balances also allows Congress to check the decisions of the Supreme Court by passing amendments to the Constitution. However, this requires a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, or a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of state legislatures.

The framers of the Constitution drew on the ideas of philosophers and political scientists such as Polybius, Montesquieu, William Blackstone, and John Locke, who argued that a just and fair government must divide power between various branches.

Foreign relations

The US Constitution of 1787 addressed the issue of foreign relations by establishing a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to conducting relations with foreign governments. The new Constitution allotted significantly more responsibility for foreign affairs to the federal government, which was divided into three branches: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial.

Under the Articles of Confederation, the federal government faced many challenges in conducting foreign policy. Congress lacked the authority to regulate commerce, making it unable to protect or standardize trade between foreign nations and the various states. Individual state legislatures independently negotiated with foreign authorities, raised armies, and made war, violating the Articles of Confederation. Congress could not raise funds or conduct foreign policy without the voluntary agreement of the states. For example, in December 1783, Congress was unable to ratify the Treaty of Paris, which formally ended America's war with Great Britain, due to a lack of quorum.

The Constitution of 1787 established a federal government with more specific powers related to foreign relations. Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution gave the President the power to make treaties with the "advice and consent" of the Senate. The President was also given the power to appoint ambassadors, ministers, and consuls, with Senate approval. However, the Legislative Branch retained the power to declare war and appropriate money. The Constitution did not give predominance in foreign affairs to the Executive Branch, but early Presidents worked to establish that precedent.

The division of powers between the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches created a system of checks and balances in foreign relations. While the Executive Branch had the sole power to recognize new governments and belligerency, it needed Senate approval for treaties and appointments. The Legislative Branch had the power to declare war but was constrained by the Executive's power to determine the nation's condition through its constitutional powers.

The establishment of a federal government with specific powers related to foreign relations and the division of powers between the branches helped address the issues of weak central government and inconsistent foreign policy that existed under the Articles of Confederation.

Explore related products

Pennsylvania and the federal Constitution, 1787-1788 / edited by John Bach McMaster and Frederick D. Stone.

$36.95

Pascalis. Étude Sur La Fin de la Constitution Provençale, 1787-1790 (Éd.1854) (Sciences Sociales) (French Edition)

$24.95

The Records Of The Federal Convention Of 1787, Issue 2

$32.95

The Geographical Distribution of the Vote of the Thirteen States on the Federal Constitution, 1787-8 / by Orin Grant Libby. 1894 Leather Bound

$20.75

Encyclopedia of Constitutional Amendments, Proposed Amendments, and Amending Issues, 1789-2023

$239.99 $243

[Manuals] Constitution of the United States as proposed by the Convention September 17, 1787, To which are added standing rules and orders for conducting business in the Ho [Leather Bound]

$18.75

State and national power

The Constitution of 1787 addressed the issue of state and national power by establishing a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to conducting relations with foreign governments. The delegates to the Constitutional Convention created a model of government that relied on a series of checks and balances by dividing federal authority between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. This new government replaced the Articles of Confederation, which had been considered too weak and lacking in enforcement powers.

The Constitution provided the national government with powers it lacked under the Articles of Confederation, such as the ability to regulate commerce, coin money, and pass and enforce laws. The Founders also ensured that the national government would be able to act on behalf of the citizenry directly without going through the state governments. However, they were wary of centralized power and wanted to preserve the states' power over their citizens.

To address this balance, the Founders granted the national government only limited and enumerated powers, leaving the regulation of intrastate commerce and certain important powers, such as treaty ratification, to the states. The delegates from large, populous states argued for representation in both houses of Congress to be based on population, while those from smaller states argued for equal representation for each state. This debate over representation in the national legislature was one of the most divisive issues addressed by the Constitution.

The Constitution also established a powerful central government, which was a point of contention between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists. The Federalists believed a strong central government was necessary to face the nation's challenges, while the Anti-Federalists opposed it due to its resemblance to the monarchy they had just overthrown. The delegates crafted compromises to balance these differing interests and views, resulting in one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world.

Election of the president

The Constitution of 1787 established the Electoral College as the means for electing the president. Each state would have a number of electors equal to its combined number of senators and representatives. The electors would cast two votes for separate candidates, only one of whom could be from the elector's home state. The candidate with the most electoral votes would become President, assuming they won votes from a majority of electors.

The delegates at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 debated the mode of electing the chief executive. Initially, most delegates thought that the executive should be elected by the national legislature, while others preferred election by state legislatures or state governors. James Wilson proposed a popular election of the president, but this idea was rejected. He then suggested a compromise in which the president would be elected by a group of "electors" chosen by state legislatures or the people of their individual states. This proposal was also voted down on numerous occasions between early June and early September 1787.

The delegates eventually agreed to the Electoral College as a middle ground, despite concerns about the potential for provincial thinking among locally-selected presidential electors. They recognised the need to preserve an adequate separation of power between the executive and legislative branches.

The Twelfth Amendment, ratified on June 15, 1804, revised and outlined the procedure for electing the President and Vice President. It mandated that distinct votes be taken for each position, and that one of the candidates must not be from the same state as the elector. If no candidate receives a majority of votes, or in the case of a tie, the House of Representatives chooses the President, while the Senate chooses the Vice President.

Frequently asked questions