A New Constitution (4 feb 1787 año – 4 mayo 1787 año)

Descripción:

Weak government: Shay's rebellion began in Massachusettes- no one can put down rebellion because of how weak the government is

Forces them to reconvene in Philadelphia

February 1787: Congress approved a Constitutional Convention to revise the Articles

May 1787: first session
- 55 delegates argued for four months
- they shared basic ideas for government but disagreed about how to put them into practice
- created a new system of government using political ideas from the Enlightenment


The Federal System

- delegates did not trust a powerful central government controlled by one person/group

- established 3 branches: legislative, executive, and judicial (checks & balances)

- although a strong central government was created, local governments were not eliminated

- The Constitution instead set up a federal system in which power was divided between national and state governments


Democracy

- Ancient Greece and Rome were strong influences: the U.S. is the most famous democracy today

- U.S. democracy: federal republic
- "Federal" = power divided between national and state governments
- "Republic" = people vote for their representatives

- Enlightenment ideas/thinkers are the foundation of U.S. Constitution (Locke, Voltaire, Rosseau, Beccaria, Montesquieu)

- Voting = essential part of democracy
- universal suffrage: all adult citizens can vote

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