Summary US Constitution & Federalism - Unit 4C Government & Politics
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Course
Unit 4C - Extended Themes in Political Analysis
Institution
PEARSON (PEARSON)
Book
A2 US Government and Politics
Summary of US Constitution & Federalism from Edexecel GCE Government & Politics Unit 4C Governing the USA.
Taken from classroom notes, lectures, Anthony J. Bennett's "US Government & Politics", David McKay's "American Politics & Society" & Edexecel Government & Politics Student Unit Guide.
US Constitution
Historical background to the Constitution
The Articles of Confederation
• The first atteptt at a US onssttttttns tasse ts 1777
• oreate a weak cestral gnverspest & trntecte the rtghts nf the 13 states
• Fe eraltsts – stttnrte the cnssttttttns & favntre a strnsger cestral
gnverspest
• Astt-fe eraltsts – feare asy stresgthestsg nf cestral gnverspest at the
extesse nf the states wntl wnrk agatsst the tsterests nf the pajnrtty
The Constitutional (Philadelphia) Convention
• onssttttttnsal onsvesttns create a strnsg cestral gnverspest, whtlst sttll
treservtsg states’ rtghts & ts tvt tal ltberttes ts 1787
• Achteve by creattsg a fe eral cnssttttttns, a btll nf rtghts & checks &
balasces betwees the tferest levels & brasches nf gnverspest
• The US snw ha a cn tfie cnssttttttns
‣ onsststs nf a ftll & atthnrttattve set nf rtles wrtttes nws ts a stsgle text
Structure of the Constitution
• Arttcle 1 – establtshe onsgress as the sattnsal legtslattre
‣ Alsn gave tnwers stch as ‘lay & cnllect taxes’ & ‘ eclare war’
• Arttcle 2 – stsgtlar exectttve vesttsg all exectttve tnwer ts the has s nf a
Prest est
‣ The trest est wntl be chnses ts trectly by as Electnral onllege
• Arttcle 3 – establtshe the S ttrepe ontrt
‣ ontrt was tn have the rnle nf tpttre nf the onssttttttns
• Arttcle 4 – set ntt the relattnsshtt betwees the states tn tstte thep as a
cntstry
• Arttcle 5 – set ntt the trncess fnr apes tsg the cnssttttttns
• Arttcle 6 – cnsfirpe that asy state ebt alrea y tsctrre repatse valt
ts er the sew cnssttttttns
• Arttcle 7 – escrtbes the trncess nf rattficattns
Amending the constitution
The process
• Apes pests cas be trntnse by a 2/3 pajnrtty ts bnth hntses nf onsgress
• Apes pests cas be trntnse by a Nattnsal onssttttttnsal onsvesttns, calle
by at least 2/3 nf the states (sever tse )
• Apes pests cas be rattfie by 3/4 nf state legtslattres
• Apes pests cas be rattfie by 3/4 nf states hnl tsg cnsvesttnss & vnttsg tn
rattfy
The Bill of Rights & later amendments
• Ftrst 10 apes pests were trntnse tngether by onsgress ts S ettepber
1789
• onllecttvely ksnws as the Btll nf Rtghts, they were estgse tn trntect
Apertcass agatsst as nver-tnwerftl fe eral gnverspest
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