Heimler's History: Unit 3 - The Constitution of the United States

Introduction

• Transition from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution
• Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, 1787
• Aimed to create a stronger federal government

Major Themes of the Constitution

1. Federalism
2. Separation of Powers

Federalism

• Definition: Sharing of power between national and state governments
• Common Misinterpretation: Federalism does not mean the national government is more powerful; it means power is shared
• Supremacy Clause (Article VI): National law takes precedence over state law when they conflict
• Enumerated Powers (Article I, Section 8): Specific powers granted to Congress
  • Example: Power to declare war
• Tenth Amendment: Powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved for states
  • Example: Legal relationships like marriage and divorce

Key Points

• Federalism involves both sharing and dividing power
• Some powers are explicitly federal, others are state-exclusive

Separation of Powers

• Three Branches of Government:
  1. Legislative Branch: Makes laws
  2. Executive Branch (President): Enforces laws
  3. Judicial Branch (Supreme Court): Interprets laws
• Checks and Balances: Each branch can check the power of the others
  • Example: Presidential veto on legislative proposals
  • Congress can override veto with a two-thirds majority

Key Points

• Designed to prevent any one branch from gaining too much power
• Framers aimed to prevent tyranny by distributing power

Framers' Perspective

• Human Nature: Susceptible to corruption and abuse of power
• Federalist 51 (James Madison): Argument that government is necessary due to human nature
• Objective: Protect against tyranny by distributing governing power

Conclusion

• Overview of Unit 3, Topic 9 of AP U.S. History Curriculum
• Encouragement to continue learning and preparing for exams

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