Crash Course Government and Politics: The United States Constitution

Introduction

• Speaker: Craig, not John Green.
• Topic: The United States Constitution - its creation and significance.
• The Constitution is the second attempt at an American government, replacing the Articles of Confederation.

Articles of Confederation

• First form of government during and after the Revolutionary War.
• Issues with Articles:
  • Lack of effective governance.
  • No executive branch or president.
  • No judiciary to resolve disputes.
  • Congress lacked the power to levy taxes.
  • Relied on states for funding, which often refused.
  • Achieved Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which set rules for western settlement and forbade slavery in new territories.

Constitutional Convention of 1787

• Delegates aimed to revise Articles but ended up creating a new Constitution.
• Key Challenges:
  • Differing interests between large and small states.
  • Large states wanted representation based on population.
  • Small states wanted equal representation.

Compromises

• Great Compromise:
  • Proposed by Roger Sherman.
  • Created a bicameral legislature (House and Senate).
  • House based on population; Senate with equal representation for all states.
• Three-Fifths Compromise:
  • Addressed how slaves were counted for representation.
  • Slaves counted as three-fifths of a person to determine state populations for representation.
  • Embedded slavery into the Constitution.

Ratification of the Constitution

• Required approval from nine out of thirteen states.
• Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists:
  • Federalists:
    • Supported a strong central government.
    • Represented commercial interests and creditors.
    • Authored the Federalist Papers to promote ratification.
  • Anti-Federalists:
    • Opposed strong central government, advocating for states' rights.
    • Feared tyranny and loss of individual liberties.
    • Less organized, lacked a unified set of documents.

Outcome

• Constitution was ratified, establishing the current government structure.
• Federalists had to promise a Bill of Rights as an additional compromise.
• Compromise is a foundational principle of American government.

Conclusion

• The Constitution embeds compromise and balancing of interests.
• Importance of compromise is often overlooked but integral to governance.

Additional Information

• Production: Crash Course produced in association with PBS Digital Studios.
• Support: Voqal supports the course, advocating for technology and media for social equity.
• Production Team: Created by the team at Chad and Stacey Emigholz Studio.