Feds vs. Anti-Feds

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The United States Constitution

• Unit One Presentation 1

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We the People

• We the people of the United States, in order to
  form a more perfect union, establish justice,
  insure domestic tranquility, provide for the
  common defense, promote the general welfare, and
  secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and
  our posterity, do ordain and establish this
  Constitution for the United States of America.
• - _______ to the US Constitution

Preamble
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Our First Try

• _____________________ was the precursor to our
  current Constitution.
• Due to the experience with Great Britain early US
  citizens wanted most of the power to remain with
  the ______.
• The Confederation failed to adequately maintain
  order in the new burgeoning country. Why?

Articles of Confederation
states
The current U.S. Constitution favors the Federal
Government and is the basic instrument of
government and supreme law of the United States.
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Articles of the U.S. Constitution

• Almost everyone agreed on the 3 branches of
  checks and balances in a federal government
• Article One _______________________
• Article Two _______________________
• Article Three ______________________

Establishes the Legislative Branch
Establishes the Executive Branch
Establishes the Judicial Branch

• Article Four
• Relationship between the states and the Federal
  government.
• Article Five
• Describes the process necessary to amend the
  Constitution.
• Article Six
• Establishes the U.S. Constitution as the Supreme
  law of the land.
• Article Seven
• Requirements for ratification of the Constitution.

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Compromise is King
Large State v. Small State - Should the smaller states have the same power as larger ones? Slave vs. Free - How should slaves be counted in the census? Direct or indirect elections Are the masses capable of making informed decisions?
Congress vs. the Executive Should the Legislative or the Executive branch have more power? Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists Should the Federal or State Governments be in charge?
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The Great Compromise!

• Senate
• has _____ representatives from each state and
  represents each state at the national level.
• House of Representatives
• each state is determined by the ___________and
  represents the citizens at the national level.
• The President represents all the states in the
  Union.

two
population
Electoral Vote or electors
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How a Bill Becomes a Law
Filibuster, Veto, Checks and Balances,
Committees, Branches of Government
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Ratification Issues

• Many delegates at the Convention opposed the
  final draft of the Constitution. Issues that
  defined the factions, no political parties
  where yet formed.
• Few limits on the Central Government.
• Federal Courts overruled State Courts.
• Senators were elected by state legislators.
• No specific rights for individuals

In short, to much power to the Federal government
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Federalists

• Federalists
• They did not want to have individuals responsible
  for maintaining our rights and freedoms. They
  may have lacked confidence in the masses to
  understand the important duties of a democracy.
• They also believed that the classical
  republic/______________ style of government would
  be too hard to maintain in such a ___________
  country. Why?

representative
Alexander Hamilton
large diverse
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Anti-Federalists

• Anti- Federalism
• They believed that success and security resided
  in a nation of _____________ all of whom owned
  property and a stake in society.
• They wanted to maintain the ideals of a classical
  republic state where civic virtue would be
  maintained because everyone would have a stake in
  the outcome.
• They also needed assurance against
  _________________.

small farmers
Thomas Jefferson
corruption of power
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Political Philosophies

• The Federalists knew that the Constitution would
  be a hard sell, so to help the ratification
  process Alexander Hamilton,______________, and
  John Jay wrote a series of essays
  called___________________.
• The Federalist Papers tried to persuade the new
  citizens of America that the Constitution was
  fine as it was written.
• They clamed the _____________________ and checks
  and balances would protect individual freedoms or
  their Natural Rights and protect from corruption
  of power.
• Although political parties are never mentioned in
  the Constitution. Their political power is
  undeniable. In this case Hamilton and his fellow
  Federalists manipulated the information in a
  fashion that supported their positions. Today
  this is called _____________

James Madison
The Federalist Papers
Separation of Powers
Political Spin
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Bill of Rights

• The process was long and hard and the Federalists
  finally had to concede to the Anti-Federalists
  demands for the____________ in order to get the
  Constitution ratified.
• However, The Supremacy Clause in Article VI of
  the U.S. Constitution holds that
  the_________________ and all laws and treaties
  based on it, are the supreme law of the land.

Bill of Rights
Ninth and Tenth
However, The ________________ Amendment to the
U.S. Constitution specifies that powers not
granted to the national government are reserved,
or held, only by the states or the people.
federal government
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(No Transcript)
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Federalism States Rights!

• The Constitution was drafted by the
  Constitutional Convention and became fully
  effective in _______. The issue of states rights
  vs. federal supremacy has been raging ever since.
  The media often refers to this debate as
  _________ or States Rights.
• In the 2004 presidential elections one of the
  hottest political debates concerned gay marriage.
  Did the Massachusetts Supreme Court have the
  right to declare restrictions on gay marriage
  unconstitutional?
• Unfunded Mandates - In 1997, the Supreme Court
  ruled that parts of the Brady Bill were
  unconstitutional. Congress could not compel
  _______ law enforcement officers to conduct
  background checks on gun buyers.

1789
Federalism
Local
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Todays Political Parties

• Many of the same political debates that where
  argued during the founding of our country are
  still debated today within our two political
  parties.
• Both the ____________ and the _____________today
  agree that the Bill of Rights was the right way
  to go. They also agree on the principal that our
  governments primary duty is to secure our civil
  rights. However, they disagree on how those civil
  rights should be maintained.

Democrats
Republicans

• When should power remain with the Federal
  Government or when should it be delegated to the
  states?
• When there is a disagreement over the law how
  should the Constitution be interrupted?
• Depending on how you feel about these subjects
  often determines which political party you
  associate with.

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Interpreting the Constitution

• The ______________ has the responsibility to
  translate the Constitutions meanings or
  interrupt it.
• Americans disagree about how the language in the
  constitution should be interpreted.

Supreme Court
Judge Thomas Judge Scalia

• Some people believe that the Constitution should
  be interpreted strictly. They follow the literal
  meanings of the framers.
• Others believe that the court should merely
  apply the ideas of the Constitution. They
  interpret it broadly. Meaning it should be
  adjusted or evolve to current situations.

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Issues

• Strict Constructionism
• They interpret the Constitution Strictly.
• These people believe that the principles of the
  Constitution should be followed precisely. If
  change is needed it can be amended.

• Broad Constructionism/Activist
• They interpret the Constitution broadly.
• Assume the Founders wrote in vague terms so it
  would evolve with the country.
• How does this issue manifest itself in todays
  politics?

Gore v. Bush
Gay Marriage
Abortion Rights
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Prayer in Public Schools

• Freedom of Religion? Congress shall make no law
  respecting an establishment of religion or
  prohibiting the exercise thereof. Courts have
  ruled that this means there should be a
  separation of Church and State. But where does
  the Establishment Clause end and the Free
  Exercise Clause begin?

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Liberal vs. Conservative

• Accommodationists
• believe that the government should not try to
  deny that Americans are a religious people and
  that at least the government should acknowledge
  that there is a God. Why?

• Separationists
• believe that there should be a clear line between
  religion and government. Why?

• They believe that it is impossible to give equal
  representation to all religions, therefore the
  government should not acknowledge any or stay
  neutral.

• They argue that by eliminating any reference to
  religion our government is not being honest with
  its citizens and is missing an opportunity to
  promote morals and values in public schools.

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Special Interest Groups

• Special Interest Groups like the American Civil
  Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Christian
  Coalition are ____________________________________
  _ _______________________________________

organized to lobby and educate politicians,
courts, and citizens on particular political
agendas.
Religion in this case. They often pressure
politicians to pass laws that either promote or
diminish the role religion plays in our society.
How?
These watchdog groups will often pay for
lawyers, advertisements, rallys etc. and work to
persuade the courts or public opinion to see
things their way.
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The Management of our Civil Rights
CentrallyFreedom fromWant
LocallyFreedom to Act
Civil RightsHuman Individual Unalienable Inaliena
ble Natural
People work better in groups
Natural Rights Phil. - John Locke etc.
Alexander Hamilton
Anti- Federalist
Liberal
Right of Center
Democrats
People work better as Individuals
Ancient Greeks Aristotle etc.
Thomas Jefferson
Federalists
Conservative
Left of Center
Republicans
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Angels or devils

• Do you see angels or devils?
• Do you see politics as a debate based on
  competing self-interests that often leads to
  compromises that moves a democracy forward toward
  success and progress by allowing everyone to
  gain? i.e. a non zero sum game.
• Or do you see politics as selfish people fighting
  with each other to gain power in a zero sum game
  where there are only winners and losers.

Our perspective is often influenced by our
thinking.