The Principles Behind The Constitution Essay

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1. Describe some of the principles behind the Constitution. Discuss how the separation of powers and checks and balances are supposed to operate. How did the Constitution arrange the power relationships between the national government and the states? There are several principles behind the United States constitution, such as popular sovereignty, limited government, separation of power, checks and balances, and federalism. Each principle has its own purpose but all work together to create a government free of tyranny. The principle of popular sovereignty is citizen voting on their government representative and hold them responsible to represent the opinion of the majority. This leads into the principle of limited government. Limited Government is citizens deciding how much power the government has, normally established by voting on laws and taxes. Two of the most unique and recognizable principles of the United States constitution is separation of powers and checks and balances. Separation of power gives each branch of government its own responsibilities. The Legislative branch consist of the House of Representatives and the senate, together known as congress. Congress is responsible for making laws. The president, vice president, and the cabinet make up the Executive branch, which enforces laws. Finally, the judicial branch interprets the law and compares it to the United States constitution. Each branch is held responsible for its duties by the other two branches. This principle is referred to as checks and balances. The legislative has the power to impeach federal judges and propose constitutional amendments which effects the judicial branch. As for the executive branch the legislative can impeach and veto the president, refuse to pass laws, or provide funding. The Executive branch can also veto congress, as well as call congress into session, and vote to break ties in the senate. The executive branch has the power to nominate judges for the judicial branch, as well as excuse those convicted by the federal courts, and not obey court decisions. And finally the judicial branch can declare laws crated by the legislative branch and actions for the executive branch unconstitutional. With the failure of the Articles of confederation it was clear the constitution need to give the federal government more power without limiting or overpowering the states. This …show more content…
Edmund Randolph of Virginia proposed the number of representatives for a state would be determined by the population and the amount of finances the state provides the federal government. This became known as the Virginia plan. The smaller state opposed the Virginia plan feeling they would be under represented and taken over by the larger states. William Paterson purposed a new plan, referred to as the New Jersey plan, suggesting each state would have equal representation regardless of size. Both sides found it hard to find compromise. Smaller states even threatened to divide the union and find alliances in other countries. On July 16 Connecticut representatives, Rodger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth, proposed a compromise. Which would come to be known as The Great Compromise laid out two form of representation. The House of Representatives where the number of representatives for each state would be based on states population and the Senate where each state would have the same number of representatives. Some state still found fault with this compromise most agreed avoiding a separation of the new

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