The Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution
How are the ideas in the Articles of Confederation different from those in the Constitution?
The Articles of Confederation
After independence from England was declared, Americans were faced with creating a new form of government. The new government they created was based on a plan called the Articles of Confederation. Because the Americans were fighting to keep the rights of their colonial assemblies, they believed that power of the government should be in the states. The Continental Congress created the model for the Articles of Confederation government. Under the Articles of Confederation, authority of the government rested with the states, not with the people. Each state was represented in the national Congress (called the Confederation Congress) that had a one-house legislature. When voting each state had one vote regardless of their size or population. Like thirteen separate countries, each state formed their own military, made their own rules, and printed their own currency. The national Congress could make laws, but could not impose taxes directly on the states to support itself. The national government could only ask for funds from the states. The national government did not have their own leader, or executive. Instead, the national government was somewhat led by the president of the Confederation Congress. It also did not have a separate national court system to settle international or national disputes.
After independence from England was declared, Americans were faced with creating a new form of government. The new government they created was based on a plan called the Articles of Confederation. Because the Americans were fighting to keep the rights of their colonial assemblies, they believed that power of the government should be in the states. The Continental Congress created the model for the Articles of Confederation government. Under the Articles of Confederation, authority of the government rested with the states, not with the people. Each state was represented in the national Congress (called the Confederation Congress) that had a one-house legislature. When voting each state had one vote regardless of their size or population. Like thirteen separate countries, each state formed their own military, made their own rules, and printed their own currency. The national Congress could make laws, but could not impose taxes directly on the states to support itself. The national government could only ask for funds from the states. The national government did not have their own leader, or executive. Instead, the national government was somewhat led by the president of the Confederation Congress. It also did not have a separate national court system to settle international or national disputes.
The U.S. Constitution
The United States Constitution was written to solve problems that happened as a result of the weaknesses in the government under the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution is based on the idea that the authority of the government comes directly from the people. The Constitution starts with the statement “We, the People.” Under the Constitution, the powers of the government are shared between the states and the federal. This is a system known as federalism. Under the Constitution, the national Congress is made up of two houses called the Senate and the House of Representatives. In the Senate, the people of each state have equal representation regardless of size or population. (Today, each state has two senators.) In the House of Representatives, the people of the state are represented based on the population of the state. A state with a larger population will have more representatives than a state with a smaller population. Today, South Carolina has six members in the House of Representatives. The Constitution also has separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
The United States Constitution was written to solve problems that happened as a result of the weaknesses in the government under the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution is based on the idea that the authority of the government comes directly from the people. The Constitution starts with the statement “We, the People.” Under the Constitution, the powers of the government are shared between the states and the federal. This is a system known as federalism. Under the Constitution, the national Congress is made up of two houses called the Senate and the House of Representatives. In the Senate, the people of each state have equal representation regardless of size or population. (Today, each state has two senators.) In the House of Representatives, the people of the state are represented based on the population of the state. A state with a larger population will have more representatives than a state with a smaller population. Today, South Carolina has six members in the House of Representatives. The Constitution also has separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
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Documents
4-4.1_a.o.c_and_constitution_iet.pdf |
4-4.1_a.o.c_and_constitution_iet.docx |
Sources
Text: ed.sc.gov
Image 1: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Articles_of_confederation_and_perpetual_union.jpg
Image 2: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/United_States_Constitution.jpg/500px-United_States_Constitution.jpg
Text: ed.sc.gov
Image 1: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Articles_of_confederation_and_perpetual_union.jpg
Image 2: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/United_States_Constitution.jpg/500px-United_States_Constitution.jpg