Constitution DBQ
Many times throughout history, chaos and disorder was required to be resolved. John Milton, an English poet, wrote “Confusion heard his voice, and wild uproar Stood ruled, stood vast infinitude confined; Till at his second bidding darkness fled, Light shone, and order from disorder sprung.”A similar “dark time” occurred after the revolutionary war. In 1787, a constitutional convention was held in order to mend the errors created by the articles of confederation. The new government was simply not strong enough to meet the needs of the nation. In order to fix these problems, the members of the Constitutional Convention needed to frame a strong government that supported the need of the new nation, yet protected itself from forming …show more content…
It balanced the power between the central and state governments and the people in order to prevent one person or group from having too much power. James Madison, a writer of the constitution, explains that “in the compound republic of America, the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two distinct governments, and the portion allotted to each subdivided among distinct and separate departments.” (Doc. A) This statement explains how having the power not given to the people split between two governments gives the people a “double security,” as the two governments control itself and each other at the same time. The “double security” protects the nation from tyranny by preventing the central government from overpowering the state government, and prevents the state governments from overpowering the central government. In this way, tyranny is protected partly by federalism in the …show more content…
Separating the powers of the central government and allowing them to control each other equally split the power in the government. Madison explained this separation by stating that “the constant aim is to divide and arrange the several offices in such a manner as that they may be a check on the other…(The three branches) should not be so far separated as to have no constitutional control over each other.” (Doc. C) By separating the central government’s powers, no branch will be able to overpower the others and therefore protects against tyranny. Additionally, the three branches regulate each other’s powers through checks and balances. For example, while the president can veto, or reject, laws created by the legislative branch, congress can override this veto with a two-thirds majority vote. These checks and balances between the three branches maintain equal power among them, therefore protecting against
Many times throughout history, chaos and disorder was required to be resolved. John Milton, an English poet, wrote “Confusion heard his voice, and wild uproar Stood ruled, stood vast infinitude confined; Till at his second bidding darkness fled, Light shone, and order from disorder sprung.”A similar “dark time” occurred after the revolutionary war. In 1787, a constitutional convention was held in order to mend the errors created by the articles of confederation. The new government was simply not strong enough to meet the needs of the nation. In order to fix these problems, the members of the Constitutional Convention needed to frame a strong government that supported the need of the new nation, yet protected itself from forming …show more content…
It balanced the power between the central and state governments and the people in order to prevent one person or group from having too much power. James Madison, a writer of the constitution, explains that “in the compound republic of America, the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two distinct governments, and the portion allotted to each subdivided among distinct and separate departments.” (Doc. A) This statement explains how having the power not given to the people split between two governments gives the people a “double security,” as the two governments control itself and each other at the same time. The “double security” protects the nation from tyranny by preventing the central government from overpowering the state government, and prevents the state governments from overpowering the central government. In this way, tyranny is protected partly by federalism in the …show more content…
Separating the powers of the central government and allowing them to control each other equally split the power in the government. Madison explained this separation by stating that “the constant aim is to divide and arrange the several offices in such a manner as that they may be a check on the other…(The three branches) should not be so far separated as to have no constitutional control over each other.” (Doc. C) By separating the central government’s powers, no branch will be able to overpower the others and therefore protects against tyranny. Additionally, the three branches regulate each other’s powers through checks and balances. For example, while the president can veto, or reject, laws created by the legislative branch, congress can override this veto with a two-thirds majority vote. These checks and balances between the three branches maintain equal power among them, therefore protecting against