Luke Stafford
PS 110
7/21/15
States and Federal Government Rights
Does the Federal government have too much control? Is the Federal Government oppressive to the people and States of America? Or are states’ rights well protected in the constitution and political practice? To answers any of these questions, we need to look back and see what the Constitution is and the path that was taken by the founders to where we ended up with the Constitution.
The year was 1776, and the American Colonies had just declared themselves independent of Great Britain. Congress then needed to fashion some form of governmental system. The Articles of Confederation was the first document ratified by the states to do so. The Articles of Confederation was a document written by Richard Henry Lee, a Virginia delegate to the Continental Congress. It was a document that proposed the newly independent states form a confederation. In the Articles of Confederation, Congress was a single house in which each state had one vote. Even though each state could have two to seven members representing them in congress. Congress could conduct foreign affairs, make treaties, and maintain an army and navy, and borrow and print money. But the big flaw was the Congress could not collect taxes or enforce laws directly. The states had the power to tax and enforce its own laws. Article III of the Articles of Confederation states within this “firm league of friendship”, the Articles was really a confederation of the nations.
PS 110
7/21/15
States and Federal Government Rights
Does the Federal government have too much control? Is the Federal Government oppressive to the people and States of America? Or are states’ rights well protected in the constitution and political practice? To answers any of these questions, we need to look back and see what the Constitution is and the path that was taken by the founders to where we ended up with the Constitution.
The year was 1776, and the American Colonies had just declared themselves independent of Great Britain. Congress then needed to fashion some form of governmental system. The Articles of Confederation was the first document ratified by the states to do so. The Articles of Confederation was a document written by Richard Henry Lee, a Virginia delegate to the Continental Congress. It was a document that proposed the newly independent states form a confederation. In the Articles of Confederation, Congress was a single house in which each state had one vote. Even though each state could have two to seven members representing them in congress. Congress could conduct foreign affairs, make treaties, and maintain an army and navy, and borrow and print money. But the big flaw was the Congress could not collect taxes or enforce laws directly. The states had the power to tax and enforce its own laws. Article III of the Articles of Confederation states within this “firm league of friendship”, the Articles was really a confederation of the nations.