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
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller willxdunlop. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £2.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
