Malcolm Rivera
The United States Constitution is a federal constitution that was influenced by the Magna Carta and other ancient and modern federations. It contains a preamble and seven articles that outline the structure and functions of the three branches of the US government: the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches. The first three articles establish these three branches of government and their powers, while Articles four through seven describe the relationship between the states and the Federal Government, establish the Constitution as the supreme law of the land, and define the amendment and ratification processes.
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What You'll Learn
- The US Constitution was influenced by the study of the Magna Carta and other federations
- The first three articles establish the three branches of government and their powers
- The Constitution's preamble sets the stage and communicates the intentions of the framers
- The Connecticut Compromise proposed a Congress with proportional representation in the lower house
- The Constitution was ratified by nine states
The US Constitution was influenced by the study of the Magna Carta and other federations
The US Constitution was heavily influenced by the study of the Magna Carta, a medieval pact that became a symbol of liberty and the natural rights of man against an oppressive or unjust government. The Founding Fathers, including Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, revered the Magna Carta, seeing it as a representation of liberty and a safeguard against oppression. This influence is evident in the US Constitution's guarantees of individual rights and limitations on governmental power, such as freedom from unlawful searches and seizures, the right to a speedy trial, and protection from loss of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.
The US Constitution also borrowed from the Magna Carta the idea of a "supreme law", with the Constitution labelled as "the law of the land". The Due Process Clause of the US Constitution, which guarantees that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, is directly inspired by the Magna Carta. Additionally, the phrase "We the people of the United States", suggested by Gouverneur Morris, anchors the national government in the consent of the people, reflecting the Magna Carta's spirit of reasserting rights against oppressive rulers.
The US Constitution was also influenced by other federations and political philosophers. The idea of the separation of powers in the Constitution, for example, was largely inspired by 18th-century Enlightenment philosophers such as Montesquieu, John Locke, Edward Coke, and William Blackstone. The influence of these thinkers was evident at the Constitutional Convention, where their ideas were frequently referenced.
The US Constitution also made concessions to the South, particularly Georgia and South Carolina, by protecting the slave trade and slavery. This was done to maintain the Union and aid in the ratification of the Constitution. The delegates also adopted the Connecticut Compromise, which proposed a Congress with proportional representation in the lower house and equal representation in the upper house, giving each state two senators. These compromises ensured the ratification of the Constitution but also contributed to the continuation of slavery and disproportionate representation in the US.
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The first three articles establish the three branches of government and their powers
The US Constitution is a federal constitution influenced by the Magna Carta and other federations, both ancient and modern. It contains a preamble and seven articles that describe the structure of the government and how it operates.
Article I assigns the responsibility for making laws to the Legislative Branch (Congress). Congress is divided into two parts, or “Houses,” the House of Representatives and the Senate. The bicameral Congress was a compromise between large and small states, balancing representation based on population and equal representation for each state.
Article II describes the office, qualifications, and duties of the President of the United States and the Vice President. The President is the head of the executive branch of the federal government and the nation's head of state and government.
A system of checks and balances prevents any one of these separate powers from becoming dominant. This idea of separation of powers is inherent in the Constitution and was inspired by Enlightenment philosophers such as Montesquieu and John Locke.
Articles four through seven describe the relationship of the states to the Federal Government, establish the Constitution as the supreme law of the land, and define the amendment and ratification processes.
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The Constitution's preamble sets the stage and communicates the intentions of the framers
The US Constitution is a federal constitution that was influenced by the Magna Carta and other ancient and modern federations. The Constitution contains a preamble and seven articles that describe the structure of the government and how it operates. The preamble, which is not a law, sets the stage and communicates the intentions of the framers. It also establishes the purpose of the document, which is to be the highest law of the land. The first of the five objectives outlined in the 52-word preamble is "Establish Justice". The framers drafted this preamble in six weeks during the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia.
The first three articles of the Constitution establish the three branches of the government and their powers. These are the Legislative (Congress), Executive (Office of the President), and Judicial (Federal Court System). A system of checks and balances prevents any one of these separate powers from becoming dominant. The fourth to seventh articles describe the relationship of the states to the Federal Government, establish the Constitution as the supreme law of the land, and define the amendment and ratification processes.
Article I assigns the responsibility for making laws to the Legislative Branch (Congress). Congress is divided into two parts, or “Houses,” the House of Representatives and the Senate. The bicameral Congress was a compromise between large and small states, with the former wanting representation based on population and the latter wanting equal representation. The delegates agreed to protect the slave trade and allow states to count three-fifths of their slaves as part of their populations for representation in the federal government.
Article V explains the amendment process, which is more difficult than the process for making laws. An amendment requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate and House of Representatives, after which it goes to the state legislatures for a vote. Alternatively, two-thirds of the state legislatures can submit an application to Congress, which then calls a national convention to propose amendments. Three-fourths of the state legislatures or state conventions must vote in favour of an amendment to ratify it.
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The Connecticut Compromise proposed a Congress with proportional representation in the lower house
The Constitution of the United States is a federal constitution that was influenced by the Magna Carta and other ancient and extant federations. The middle part of the constitution, or the body, consists of several articles that outline the legislative structure and representation each state would have.
The Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise of 1787 or the Sherman Compromise, was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that defined the legislative structure and representation each state would have under the United States Constitution. The Compromise proposed a bicameral legislature, with proportional representation of the states in the lower house, or the House of Representatives, and equal representation in the upper house, or the Senate, with each state having two members.
The Compromise was proposed by Roger Sherman and supported by Oliver Ellsworth, and it was a modified version of the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan. The Virginia Plan, proposed by Edmund Randolph, advocated for a bicameral legislature with representation of each state based on its population or wealth. This plan was favoured by the larger states, as they contributed more financially and defensively to the nation. The New Jersey Plan, proposed by William Paterson, suggested a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state, regardless of population. This plan was favoured by the smaller states, who feared that their voices and interests would be drowned out by the larger states in a proportional representation system.
The Connecticut Compromise was a compromise between these two plans, with the lower house having proportional representation and the upper house having equal representation for each state. This compromise was reached after six weeks of turmoil, and it was approved on July 16, 1787. The House of Representatives was given the power to originate all legislation dealing with the federal budget and revenues/taxation, per the Origination Clause. The Connecticut Compromise helped to hold the Union together and aided in the ratification of the Constitution, although it also contributed to the continuation of slavery and the disproportional representation of less populous states.
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The Constitution was ratified by nine states
The US Constitution was a federal constitution influenced by the study of the Magna Carta and other federations, both ancient and modern. It was drafted in the summer of 1787, and the final document was engrossed by Jacob Shallus. The Constitution was ratified by nine states, as per Article VII, which describes the ratification process.
The Constitution was influenced by the political philosophies of Enlightenment thinkers such as Montesquieu, Locke, Edward Coke, and William Blackstone. The idea of separation of powers between the three branches of government—the legislative, executive, and judicial—was inspired by these philosophers. This system of checks and balances prevents any one branch from becoming dominant.
The delegates at the convention made several compromises to satisfy the interests of different states, particularly in the South. These included protecting the slave trade for 20 years, allowing states to count three-fifths of their slave population for representation in the federal government, and requiring the return of escaped slaves to their owners. The Connecticut Compromise proposed a Congress with proportional representation in the lower house and equal representation in the upper house, giving each state two senators.
While these compromises ensured the ratification of the Constitution, they also perpetuated slavery for six more decades and continue to give less populous states disproportionate representation. The Constitution was eventually ratified by twelve states, with North Carolina and Rhode Island being the last two to do so.
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Frequently asked questions
The U.S. Constitution is a federal constitution that outlines the way the government is structured and operates. It was influenced by the Magna Carta and other ancient and extant federations.
The middle parts of the U.S. Constitution are Articles IV, V, VI, and VII. These articles describe the relationship of the states to the Federal Government, establish the Constitution as the supreme law of the land, and define the amendment and ratification processes.
Article V explains that when two-thirds of the Senate and two-thirds of the House of Representatives vote to change the Constitution, an amendment goes to the state legislatures for a vote. Alternatively, two-thirds of the state legislatures can submit an application to Congress, after which a national convention is called where states propose amendments. Finally, three-fourths of the state legislatures or state conventions must vote in favor of an amendment to ratify it.
Article VII describes the ratification process for the Constitution, which required nine states to enact the Constitution.
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