• the first constitution  of the U.S., specified how the Federal government was too operate, including adoption of an official name for the new nation, United States of America. 
• Viewed by many as not strong enough:
  • could not collect taxes
  • could not raise an army
  • could not regulate commerce

• The first 10 amendments of the Constitution.
• Key measure on ratifying the Constitution (Federalists vs. Antifederalists)
• Initially meant to only apply to the national government but after the 14th Amendment (defining U.S. Citizenship) the Supreme Court interpreted the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment to apply most of the provisions of the B.O.R. to the states.

a federal grant program that provides funds to state and local governments for a fairly narrow, specific purpose

(most federal grant funding is designated to Health, i.e. Medicare, Medicaid)

• Supported the ratification of the Constitution.
• Opposed the Bill of Rights because:
  • Alexander Hamilton feared that such an enumeration, once written down explicitly, would later be interpreted as a list of the only rights that people had.

• Pivotal in shaping America's system of separation of powers with checks & balances.
• A writer of the Federalist Papers (thus also a Federalist)
• Believed that a strong central government with diverse interests but with checks & balances
  • No overly-powerful government officials
• Pivotal in the writing of the Constitution.
• Drafted the Virginia Plan

• An English philosopher whose work "Second Treatise on Government" heavily influenced that wrote the Constitution.
• Believed that:
  • People in their natural state were born free & equal, and possessed certain natural rights which were: life, liberty, and property.
  • In order to protect their rights, people voluntarily join together to form governments
  • The power of government stems from the consent of the governed who entrust the government with responsibility for protecting their natural rights.
  • Should government fail in this task, the people have the right to revolt and institute a enw government

• A case that cause the Supreme Court to assume the power of judicial review through constitutional interpretation itself for the first time.
• William Marbury was appointed to the judicial branch by President john Adams in his last day of office. Adams signed Marbury's commission but his Secretary of State neglected to deliver it that day. When new President Thomas Jefferson ordered his Secretary of State, James Madison, not to deliver his commission and Marbury sued. Marbury was entitled his position by the Supreme Court.

•  A landmark decision by the Supreme Court of the United States. The state of Maryland had attempted to impede operation of a branch of the Second Bank of the United States by imposing a tax on all notes of banks not chartered in Maryland. Though the law, by its language, was generally applicable to all banks not chartered in Maryland, the Second Bank of the United States was the only out-of-state bank then existing in Maryland, and the law was recognized in the court's opinion as having specifically targeted the U.S. Bank. The Court invoked the Necessary and Proper Clause of the Constitution, which allowed the Federal government to pass laws not expressly provided for in the Constitution's list of express powers, provided those laws are in useful furtherance of the express powers of Congress under the Constitution.
• established the following two principles
  • Implied powers, the Constitution grants to Congress implied powers for implementing the Constitution's express powers, in order to create a functional national government.
  • National over state (National Supremacy Clause), state action may not impede valid constitutional exercises of power by the Federal government.

the constitutional provision that declares that the Constitution and laws of the U.S. take precedence over the constitution and laws of the states

• a principle holding that all human beings are created equal and 8, these principles do not change over time, and political institutions can be created to reflect natural equality and human dignity

Representative democracy is a political system in which citizens elect representatives to make policy decisions on their behalf while in a direct democracy citizens vote directly on matters of public concern.

those powers of government that are jointly exercised by the national government and state governments

Shay’s Rebellion (1786-87)

• A rebellion raised by small farmers in Massachusetts against the government over debt and taxes, led by Daniel Shay.
• Led to the public embracing a stronger national government than the one provided by the Articles of Confederation

the authority of a state to exercise its legitimate power within its boundaries, free from external interference

• the abuse of the minority by the majority
• feared the effect of direct democracy

a court order requiring that government authorities either release a person held in custody or demonstrate that the person is detained in accordance with law

• Supports diversity of American society by citizens being subject to both their federal system and state, allowing individual's states customs and demographics to be considered in politics
• Brings government closer to people
• checks & balances
• states are a laboratory for potential national policies

• A proposition by Virginia delegates, drafted by James Madison, in 1787.
• It set the agenda for debate at the 1787 Congress Confederation meeting.
• Proposed a bicameral legislation.
• Proposed that each state be represented by their population in Congress.
  • Beneficial for VA who had the most populous state at the time.

• Stretched the concept of eminent domain
• a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States involving the use of eminent domain to transfer land from one private owner to another to further economic development.

• A resistance movement in Massachusetts that was rooted in western dissatisfaction with various policies of the eastern-based national government. Members were angry about the tax on whisky.
• Led to the formation of political parties (a process already underay

• Checks & Balances
• An individual state's customs and  demographics can be considered in policies
• Brings government closer to people
• States are laboratory for policies (can try dif. ones)

• Equality issue, different states have different laws which can interfere with the laws of other states
• expensive system --> not as efficient

• Secession is not really plausible
  • too much inter-state conmmerce
  • states have a lot of financial support from the federal government.

• Connecticut Compromise
• electoral college
• 3/5 Compromise

• Representative democracy
• Limited Government
• Rule of Law
• Bill of Rights