Learning Objectives:__________________

At the end of this lecture, you will be able to:__________________

1. Describe the distribution of power in three types of political systems: unitary, federalist, and
confederation.
2. Describe the primary function of all three branches of government: Executive, Legislative,
and Judicial.
3. Explain the significance of the difference between divine rights and natural rights.
4. Explain why the Virginia Plan favored the large (more populous) states.
5. Explain why the New Jersey Plan favored the small (less populous) states.
6. Explain why the structure of the House of Representatives and Senate in the Constitution was
a Great Compromise.
7. Describe how members of House of Representatives and Senate were/are elected.
8. Explain how many Electoral Votes each state is granted.
9. Explain why the small states supported the presidential selection process.
10. Explain the impeachment process.
11. Explain the meaning of the Three-Fifths Compromise.
12. Explain how people frequently misinterpret the meaning of the Three-Fifths Compromise.
The Constitution
1. Instituting a New Government (Constitution.01)
A. Fundamental Question:__________________ Who gets the power to make decisions?
1) National government vs. State governments
a) Three options
(1) Unitary System:__________________
(2) Federalist System:__________________
(3) Confederation:__________________
B. Three Branches of Government (National, State, and Local)
1) Primary functions
a) Executive:__________________
b) Legislative:__________________

c) Judicial:__________________
2) National government
a) Executive:__________________
b) Legislative:__________________
c) Judicial:__________________
3) State government
a) Executive:__________________
b) Legislative:__________________
c) Judicial:__________________
4) Local government
a) Executive:__________________
b) Legislative:__________________
c) Judicial:__________________
2. Declaration of Independence (Constitution.02)
A. Divine Rights
1) Source of Kings power:__________________
a) Source of citizens rights:__________________
B. Natural Rights: Life, liberty, and ________________________
1) Source of governments power: The people
2) Source of citizens rights:__________________
a) Governments are formed to protect citizens natural rights
(1) If the Government fails to protect natural rights:__________________

3. The Articles of Confederation (Constitution.03)

A. Weak National Government
1) Executive had no power
2) Legislative
a) No power to resolve disputes between the states
b) No power to create an army
c) Could not compel states to pay taxes
B. Main Problems with Articles of Confederation
1) Weak national government
2) Bad Economy
4. The (Second) Constitution of the United States (Constitution.04)
A. Federalist (PRO) vs. Anti-Federalists (CON)
1) Two Proposed Solutions
a) The Virginia Plan (Big State Plan)
(1) Legislative branch (Congress)
(a) Bicameral:__________________
i. Lower House: Chosen by the people
Proportional Representation (Constitution.05)
Advantage: Large States Small States (circle one)
ii. Upper House: Appointed by state legislatures
Proportional Representation
Advantage: Large States Small States (circle one)
(2) Executive branch
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(a) Plural executive:__________________

i. Selected by the Congress
Advantage: Large States Small States (circle one)
(3) Judicial branch
(a) Judges appointed for life
i. Selected by the Congress
Advantage: Large States Small States (circle one)
(4) In the struggle over the allocation of benefits and privileges
(a) Winners: Large States Small States (circle one)
(b) Losers: Large States Small States (circle one)
Exercise #1A (differs slightly from the exercise described in the video): Classroom A (with 20
students) and Classroom B (with 10 students) take recess at the same time. In order to teach them
how democracy works, their teachers want students in both classrooms to vote to determine what
activity they will engage in during recess. A vote will be taken every Monday and whichever activity
gets a majority of votes wins. All of the students in Classroom A want to play dodgeball. All of the
students in Classroom B want to play handball. Which classroom, if any, benefits from this
arrangement? As it pertains to the Articles of Confederation, how did the Virginia Plan benefit the
large states?
__________________________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________________________
b) The New Jersey Plan (Constitution.06)
(1) Amend rather than replaced the Articles of Confederation.
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(a) One State, One Vote

(2) In the struggle over the allocation of benefits and privileges
(a) Winners: Large States Small States (circle one)
(b) Losers: Large States Small States (circle one)
Exercise #1B (differs slightly from the exercise described in the video): Classroom A (with 20
students), Classroom B (with 10 students) and Classroom C (with 10 students) take recess at the
same time. In order to teach them how democracy works, their teachers want students in all three
classrooms to vote to determine what activity they will engage in during recess. A vote will be
taken every Monday and each class gets one vote. Whichever activity gets a majority of vote
wins. All of the students in Classroom A want to play dodgeball. All of the students in Classroom
B and Classroom C want to play handball. Which classroom(s), if any, benefit from this
arrangement? As it pertains to the Articles of Confederation, how did the New Jersey Plan
benefit the small states?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
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5. The Great Compromise
A. ARTICLE 1: Legislative Branch
1) House of Representatives (lower house)
a) Proportional representation
(1) Method of selection:__________________
b) Term of office:__________________
2) Senate (upper house)
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a) Non-proportional representation:__________________
(1) Method of selection:__________________
b) Term of office:__________________
3) All laws must be passed by both houses
a) In the struggle of the allocation of benefits and privileges
(1) House of Representatives: Large States Small States (circle one)
(2) Senate: Large States Small States (circle one)
B. ARTICLE II:__________________ Executive Branch (Constitution.07)
1) Singular executive (President)
2) Term of Office:__________________
3) Method of selection: Electoral College
a) Electors chosen in each state to select President and VP.
b) Electoral Votes per state = House of Representatives + Senators
(1) California: 53 + 2 = 55 Electoral Votes (EV)
(2) Wyoming:__________________ EVs
c) Original Version
(1) Each elector voted for two people
(a) Candidate with most votes (majority) became President
(b) Candidate with the second most votes became VP.
i. If no candidate wins a majority, the House of Representatives chooses
the president (Constitution.08)
One state, one vote
(2) Problem with original version
(a) President Obama & Vice President McCain/Romney
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d) Why the small states supported this part of the Constitution.

(1) Original Thirteen Colonies
(a) Assumptions made by small states
i. Electors will have more information about candidates from their region
ii. Electors will prefer candidates with whom they are familiar
Electors from northern states will prefer candidates from ________
Electors from central states will prefer candidates from
__________
Electors from southern states will prefer candidates from ________
iii. As a result, no candidate will get a majority of electoral votes.
iv. The House of Representative will select President andVice President.
One state, one vote
4) Method of removing the president
a) Impeachment (House): _______________________________
(1) Simple Majority:__________________
b) Trial (Senate): ______________________________________
(1) Super-majority:__________________
c) Presiding officer
(1) Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
(a) Presides over hearing but does NOT vote on removal.
C. ARTICLE III:__________________ Judicial Branch
1) Supreme Court Justices nominated by President
a) Confirmed by Senate
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D. Slavery (Constitution.09)
1) The Myth of the three-fifths Compromise
a) Representativesshall be apportioned among the several Statesaccording to
their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number
of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding
Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons."
(1) Population of state = Free persons + (indentured servants) + (3/5 * Slaves)
(2) States with larger populations get more representatives in the House than
states with smaller populations.
(3) More representatives give a state more power to shape policy.
2) Tom Hanks analysis of the Three-Fifths Compromise
a) A country that once viewed people of his skin color as 3/5ths of a human being.
(1) Implication: People of his skin color (i.e., slaves) should have been counted
as a full human being.
3) The Logic of Tom Hanks
a) What is the population of a state with 100 free persons + 100 slaves?
(1) Constitution: 100 Free Persons + (3/5 * 100 slaves = 60) = __________
(2) Tom Hanks Version: 100 Free Persons + 100 slaves = _______
4) If the slave states were able to choose between the Three-fifths Compromise or Tom
Hanks version, which would they prefer and why?
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