POLS 206 Lecture 4 Outline of Previous Lecture I 2 1 Origins of the Constitution II 2 2 Government that Failed III 2 3 Making a Constitution Outline of Current Lecture I 2 4 Critical Issues at the Convention II 2 5 Madisonian System III 2 6 Ratifying the Constitution Lecture 2 4 Critical Issues at the Convention o Equality issues o Economic issues in the Constitution Powers of Congress Found in table in PP slides Prohibitions on and Obligations of the States States could not Coin money or issue paper money Tax imports or exports Pass laws impairing the obligations of contract Require payment of debts in paper money States were to Respect civil court judgments and contracts made in other states Return runaway slaves from other states Other key provisions The new government assumed the national debt contracted under the Articles of Confederation A republican form of government was guaranteed o Individual Rights Issues Preserving individual rights a priority Personal freedoms of the Constitution Suspension of habeas corpus prohibited except in times of war or insurrection Bills of attainder prohibited cannot be punished without a trial Ex post facto laws prohibited after the fact cannot be punished for an action that was not a crime when the crime was committed cannot receive new punishments created for crimes Religious qualifications for office prohibited Strict rules for what constitutes treason Right to trial by jury 2 5 Madisonian System o Thwarting tyranny of the majority Limiting majority control Senate and electoral college James Madison s system Separating powers Creating checks and balances Establishing a federal system Gave states enough power to check federal government but not too much o Constitutional Republic 2 6 Ratifying the Constitution Federalists and Anti Federalists o Federalists Wanted strong central government and weaker state government longer terms Government by elite masses don t have as much control indirect election of officials James Madison Alexander Hamilton John Jay o Anti Federalists Rule by common man direct election of officials shorter terms Stronger state governments and weaker central government Thomas Jefferson Ratification o Vote was not unanimous o Only needed 9 13 o Bill of Rights was not written in Philadelphia it came about shortly after 1st Congress made Bill of Rights o Went into effect without ratification of Virginia or New York
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