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Failure of articles of confederation in relation to republicanism
Reasons for failure of the articles of confederation
Why the Articles of Confederation Failed
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Successful National Government
The Articles of Confederation was a failed document due to the federal government not having enough power. Not having enough power meant that there were no treaties, the government could not enforce laws and collect taxes, and there were no armies. This is known as the Shay’s Rebellion. To fix this situation the federal government raised to power by collecting taxes, enforcing laws. They limited power by having the 3 branches of government which are the judicial, the executive, and the legislative branch. Some ways that the constitution of the united states has created a strong national (federal) government is by the Supreme Law of the Land, and how long terms are in the federal office and how the people in
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office are selected; the certain methods that included in the constitution to limit the power of the national government are the roles of each individual branch, and the powers delegated to the federal government and the Powers Reserved to the State; the constitution protects the rights of the people by giving people the right to vote for who they think should be in office. A way that the Constitution of the United States has created a strong federal government is by the Supreme Law of the Land. The constitution- Supreme Law of the Land it states,” This Constitution and all laws and treaties of the United States Government created by it shall be the supreme (highest) law of the land. The judges of every state shall be bound by it (forces to obey it) regardless of the laws of any state to the contrary (that stands in conflict with it)” (Document 1). This quote says that the supreme law of the land became the constitution, the United State laws, and the treaties. The people that had to go by this were the judges from all fifty states, which had to enforce laws, even if got in the way of the state laws. This relates to the main idea because the constitution forced judges to enforce laws to make better and stronger U.S government even if that meant that their laws got in the way of the state's laws. Overall, this is the first reason on how the Constitution of the United States has created a strong federal government regarding the Supreme Law of the Land. The second way that the constitution of the united states has created a strong national (federal) government is on how long terms are in the federal office and how they are selected.
In the Requirements for Federal Office it says that,”The house of Representatives have a term of 2 years and are elected by voters of congressional district, the Senators have a term of 6 years and are selected by original constitution-elected by state legislature Amendment 17- elected by voters, and the President and Vice President have a term of 4 years, and is elected by electoral college” (Document 6). This explains how much time each group in the federal office people have and how or who they are selected by. These thing are important in having a strong government because for example, a president can only serve 2 terms because from prior knowledge people said more terms would be a good way to disprove the popular democrat’s heritage; hence, the two terms that a president has, will allow each party to have relatively equal chance to run for president. The process of being selected is also a strong form of government because everyone gets an even chance are running for office and they are also elected by voters that way everyone in that region has a say in how they think will be best in office. Overall, this is the second reason why the constitution of the united states has created a strong federal government by having a time limit for each one of the offices and how they are …show more content…
selected. A method included in the constitution to limit the power of the national government are the roles of each individual branches.
In the Power of the Federal (National Government), the author talks about the Legislative powers of the Legislative Branch/Congress of the United States. “To create laws, to raise taxes, and declare war, the Executive Branch/President of the United States are, commander in Chief of the Armed Force, may negotiate treaties with foreign nations, and may nominate federal judges and other officials, and the Judicial Branch/Supreme Court and Federal Court Interpret and rule on laws, and interpret and rule on the actions of the other branches”(Document 2). These are the ways the federal government increased power by having three different branches to divide up the jobs and make government run easier, being able to collect taxes, and being able to make and enforce laws. All in all, this is a way that the constitution of the united states created a strong federal government by having a requirement of time in the federal office and how they are
selected. The other method included in the constitution to limit the power of the national government in the powers delegated to the federal government and the Powers Reserved to the State. In Federalism talks about the Powers Delegated to the National Government and the Powers Reserved to the State, ”Regulate interstate and foreign trade, set standard weights and measure, establish foreign policy, create federal courts, coin money, declare war, and admit new states, create corporation laws, regulate trade within state, establish and maintain schools, make laws about marriage and divorce, conduct elections, and provide for public safety” (Document 4). In this quote, federalism limits the power of the federal government by having each the states and the federals have their own specific jobs to do. Also by holding certain powers for the states. Federalism was involved with the United States Constitution by balancing the state rights versus the federal power. Overall, another method included in the constitution to limit the power of the federal government is the powers delegated to the federal government and the Powers Reserved to the State. The constitution protects the rights of the people by having The Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights, the author states in the first amendment,”Freedom of religion, press, Assembly, and to petition. The right of the people to worship, speak out (in verbal or print form), assemble, and petition the government may not be taken away or restricted, second Amendment: Right to Bear Arms. The people have a right to bear arms (own firearms) for the purpose of keeping a “well-regulated militia.”, fourth Amendment: Search and Seizure. Private homes and properties may not be searched without reason and warrants for search must state a probable cause (strong reason for the need to search), and the seventh Amendment: Jury Trial in Civil Cases. All citizens have the right to a trial by jury in any case where the value is greater than $20” (Document 5). These amendments give people the right to believe in what they want, to carry guns to protect themselves, to not allow anyone to search their home without a warrant, and lastly the right a have a trial. None of these rights can be taken away from the people by absolutely anyone even the government. All in all, this is the first reasons on how the constitution protects the rights of the people with The Bill of Rights. The constitution protects the rights of the people by having people vote for who they think should be in office. In the Requirements for Federal Offices, the author states, “A Representative is elected by voters of the congressional district, a Senator’s original Constitution-elected by the state legislature; Amendment 17- elected by voters, and a President and Vice President is elected by electoral college” (Document 6). Many of these offices are elected by a variety of people not just by one group of people. Due to this people are also able to protest and impeach anyone running for office. Overall, this is the second way that the Constitution protects the rights of people by allowing them to be able to vote, protest, and start a movement to impeach someone in office. All in all, some ways that the constitution of the united states has created a strong national (federal) government is by the Supreme Law of the Land, and how long terms are in the federal office and how the people in office are selected; the certain methods that included in the constitution to limit the power of the national government are the roles of each individual branch, and the powers delegated to the federal government and the Powers Reserved to the State; the constitution protects the rights of the people by giving people the right vote about who they think should be in office. Having a strong national government is important because it allows things to be in control rather than complete chaos. Having the three branches is important because they limit the power of the national government and allows the jobs easier by spreading them out among different groups of people. Lastly, the Bill of Rights is a huge importance in having the Constitution protect the rights of people and those rights are not able to be taken away under any circumstances by anyone.
The president stays in power for two terms or four years. The only reason its two terms is again, so he doesn't get too much power. The sae things go to the three branches of government they don't have too much power because of checks and balances. So each branch as its own powers split evenly. This is another reason why separation of powers protect America from tyranny .Checks and balances help protect America from tyranny. Checks and balances protect America because each branch can cancel out one another. (doc C). So they made three branches to balance the power out. One branch does not have all the power. Legislative branch can approve things from the other two branches. That rule goes with the other two branches. The branches can approve or disapprove each other. In the constitution It says that depending on your population you can get so many representatives(Doc D). The bigger states got more so the smaller states thought that was unfair. So in the Senate each state gets two, no matter the population. This is the last reason why. we found out about how Federalism,separation of powers and Checks and balances protects America from tyranny.We can say splitting the powers evenly within the state
The Articles of Confederation was the nation’s first Constitution. The articles created a loose Confederation of independent states that gave limited powers to the central government. Each state would have one vote in the House of Congress, no matter the size of the population. Members of the one-house Congress, such as Pennsylvania, agreed that the new government should be a unicameral legislature, without an executive branch or a separate judiciary. Under the article, there wasn’t a strong independent executive.
The year of 1776 was a time of revolution, independence, and patriotism. American colonists had severed their umbilical cord to the Mother Country and declared themselves “Free and Independent States”.1 The chains of monarchy had been thrown off and a new government was formed. Shying away from a totalitarian government, the Second Continental Congress drafted a document called the Articles of Confederation which established a loose union of the states. It was an attempt at self-government that ended in failure. The Articles of Confederation had many defects which included a weak central government that lacked the power to tax, regulate trade, required equal representation and a unanimous vote to amend the Articles, and had only a legislative branch. As a result the United States lacked respect from foreign countries. These flaws were so severe that a new government had to be drafted and as a result the Constitution was born. This document remedied the weak points of the federal government and created one that was strong and fair, yet still governed by the people.
The Articles of Confederation was a plan of government that was based on the principles that were fought for in the American Revolutionary War. Even though The Articles of Confederation were based upon principles we fought for, it contained major flaws. The government had no power of national taxation and had no power to control trade. The biggest weakness of The Articles of Confederation was that it had no direct origin in the people, the states were in control. Each and every state had the power to collect its own taxes, issue currency, and provide for its own military. The Articles of Confederation was a transition between the Revolutionary War and the Constitution. Without The Articles of Confederation it would have been impossible to create the United States Constitution, mistakes were made with the first, and fixed later with the Constitution.
The Articles of Confederation was America’s first constitution. The Articles of Confederation failed to create a strong central government, however. With the demise of the states in sight, the need for a stronger and more structured central government became apparent. An invitation was sent to all thirteen states in February 1787 by the Confederation Congress to resolve the matter. The events that took place over the next several months would create the United States Constitution. Going down in history as a revolutionary form of government, the U.S. Constitution would give life to a country that is still running strong over 200 years later.
September 17, 1787, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; during the heat of summer, in a stuffy assembly room of Independence Hall, a group of delegates gathered. After four months of closed-door quorums, a four page, hand written document was signed by thirty-nine attendees of the Constitutional Convention. This document, has come to be considered, by many, the framework to the greatest form of government every known; the Constitution of the United States. One of the first of its kind, the Constitution laid out the frame work for the government we know today. A government of the people, by the people, and for the people; constructed of three branches; each branch charged with their own responsibilities. Article one established the Congress or Legislative branch, which would be charged with legislative powers. Article two created the Executive branch, providing chief executive powers to a president, who would act in the capacity of Commander in Chief of the Country’s military forces. The President of the United States also acts as head of state to foreign nations and may establish treaties and foreign policies. Additionally, the President and the departments within the Executive branch were established as the arm of government that is responsible for implementing and enforcing the laws written by Congress. Thirdly, under Article three of the Constitution, the Judicial branch was established, and consequently afforded the duty of interpreting the laws, determining the constitutionality of the laws, and apply it to individual cases. The separation of powers is paramount to the system of checks and balances among the three branches; however, although separate they must support the functions of the others. Because of this, the Legislative an...
The Articles of Confederation was the United States first attempt at creating a democratic government. Instead of giving power to the central government they divided it up among the states (Kelly). This fact left the Articles with many weaknesses that ultimately led it to fail. The lack of a strong central government led to economic disorganization, no central leadership and an ineffective legislative, all which led to its downfall (Brackemyre). Leaving power to the states left the nation in a state of economic disorganization. Without the national government having the power to levy taxes, it was left with the states (Murphy). The legislature only had the right to request taxes, and it was left up to the states how they wanted to raise them, but they oftentimes weren't (Brackemyre). There was also no uniform system of currency which made trade between states difficult. The fact that states instead of Congress regulated trade led to a lack...
The Articles of Confederation were incapable of providing the United States with an effective form of government. The Articles of Confederation presided weakly over the government as it allowed little or no power to tax, control trade, and branches of government were missing. In addition to this, the thirteen states acted as separate nations and the national government had little control over them.
"This inquiry will naturally divide itself into three branches- the objects to be provided for by a federal government, the quantity of power necessary to the accomplishment of those objects, the persons whom that power ought to operate," writes Alexander Hamilton in the Federalist #23 in reference to the separation of powers. The basic concept here is the idea of the federal government being divided into three separate branches that would balance excessive democracy through a system of checks on each other. The three branches, respectively known as the legislature (Article I), the executive (Article II), and the judiciary (Article III), were designed to entice the opponents of the Co...
To say that the Articles of Confederation provided the United States of America with an effective government would be quite an over exaggeration. For most people in modern day, an effective government would be one that can govern mass numbers of people and still be politically correct in overruling decisions on matters while keeping the law in mind, yet keeping the benefit of common good front and center. But, the Articles of Confederation were not written in the present day, so these ideals of a competent government were not quite applicable. For most people, an effective government was one that could govern mass numbers of people, still giving the states and the people many rights, while still being able to keep all under control. This would have eliminated any possibility that a federal government could become too strong or resemble a monarchy.
When the United States was founded, the theme behind the new government was to establish an efficient system without doling out too much power to any one person. The Founders intended to prevent a rebirth of tyranny, which they had just escaped by breaking away from England. However, when members of Congress such as Tom Foley, who served as a Representative from 1964 through 1995, and Jack Brooks, who served as a Representative from 1952 through 1994, remain in the legislative system for over forty years, it is evident that tyranny has not necessarily been eradicated from the United States (Vance, 1994, p. 429). Term limits are a necessity to uphold the Founders’ intentions, to prevent unfair advantages given to incumbents, and to allow a multitude of additional benefits.
The Constitution bestowed essential powers to the nation, without which, America would crumble. Under this newly created document, three different branches of government were created: the judiciary, the legislative, and the executive. The legislative was composed of Congress, which now had the power to create a military, control interstate and international commerce, and create laws. The Judicial branch was the Supreme Court, which would review the decision of the President (in the executive branch...
The Articles of Confederation was the first government of the United States. The Articles had created a very weak national government. At the time the Articles were approved, they had served the will of the people. Americans had just fought a war to get freedom from a great national authority--King George III (Patterson 34). But after this government was put to use, it was evident that it was not going to keep peace between the states. The conflicts got so frequent and malicious that George Washington wondered if the “United” States should be called a Union (Patterson 35). Shays’ Rebellion finally made it evident to the public that the government needed a change.
It has been said that the U.S. Constitution is deliberately inefficient because of it forces the other branches to check the powers eliminating one becoming more dominant than the other two. The three branches of government are legislative, executive, and judicial. The legislative branch enacts federal laws on a national level in Congress, which is comprised of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The executive bran...
Before the adoption of the United States Constitution, the U.S. was governed by the Articles of Confederation. These articles stated that almost every function of the government was chartered by the legislature known as Congress. There was no distinction between legislative or executive powers. This was a major shortcoming in how the United States was governed as many leaders became dissatisfied with how the government was structured by the Articles of Confederation. They felt that the government was too weak to effectively deal with the upcoming challenges. In 1787, an agreement was made by delegates at the Constitutional Convention that a national judiciary needed to be established. This agreement became known as The Constitution of the United States, which explicitly granted certain powers to each of the three branches of the federal government, while reserving other powers exclusively to the states or to the people as individuals. It is, in its own words, “the supreme Law of the Land” (Shmoop Editorial Team).