RATIFICATION of the Constitution [AP Government Review, Unit 1 Topic 5]

Summary

In this educational video, we explore the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, focusing on the critical role of political negotiation and compromise during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Key compromises like the Great Compromise, the Electoral College system, and those concerning slavery are discussed, highlighting their enduring impact on today's debates over government power, state authority, and individual rights, such as those surrounding government surveillance and education policy.

Takeaways

• 📜 The script discusses the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and the political negotiations and compromises that shaped it.
• 🏛️ The Constitutional Convention, also known as the Philadelphia Convention, aimed to address the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
• 🗣️ A key debate was over representation in Congress, leading to the Great Compromise, which created a bicameral legislature with the House of Representatives and the Senate.
• 🔢 The Great Compromise included the Virginia Plan (favoring large states) and the New Jersey Plan (favoring small states), resulting in proportional representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate.
• 🤝 The Electoral College system was established as a compromise for presidential elections, with each state's electors determining the president.
• 🔪 The Three-Fifths Compromise addressed the contentious issue of how enslaved individuals would be counted for representation and taxation.
• 🚢 The Compromise of 1787 delayed the abolition of the slave trade for 20 years, which was eventually ended in 1808.
• 📝 The framers of the Constitution recognized the need for an amendment process, leading to Article 5, which outlines the proposal and ratification stages for amendments.
• 🔄 The script highlights that the debates from the Constitutional Convention continue to resonate in contemporary issues such as government surveillance and education policy.
• 🌐 The ongoing debate between central government power, state authority, and individual rights is a theme that connects historical and current political discourse.

Q & A

What was the main purpose of the Constitutional Convention of 1787?

The main purpose of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 was to address the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation by drafting a new Constitution that would strengthen the federal government.

What was the Virginia Plan and how did it propose to apportion representatives in Congress?

The Virginia Plan proposed that representatives in Congress should be apportioned based on population, which would give larger states more representatives and smaller states fewer.

What was the New Jersey Plan and how did it differ from the Virginia Plan?

The New Jersey Plan argued for equal representation in Congress, with each state receiving one vote regardless of size, which would favor smaller states.

What is the Great Compromise and how did it resolve the debate between the Virginia and New Jersey Plans?

The Great Compromise resolved the debate by creating a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives where representation is based on population and a Senate where each state has equal representation.

How was the method for electing the President of the United States decided upon?

The method for electing the President was decided through a compromise known as the Electoral College system, where each state has a number of electors equal to its total representation in Congress.

What is the Three-Fifths Compromise and how did it affect representation and taxation?

The Three-Fifths Compromise stated that for purposes of representation and taxation, three-fifths of the enslaved population would be counted, which meant that states with more enslaved people would have more representatives and pay more taxes.

What compromise was made regarding the importation of slaves, and when did it take effect?

A compromise was made that the importation of slaves would not be abolished for 20 years after the Constitution was ratified, which eventually occurred in 1808.

Why did the framers of the Constitution establish a method for amending the Constitution?

The framers established a method for amending the Constitution because they recognized the difficulty of amending the Articles of Confederation, which required unanimous agreement from all states.

How many times has the United States Constitution been amended, and what is significant about the first ten amendments?

The United States Constitution has been amended 27 times, with the first ten amendments collectively known as the Bill of Rights.

How does the debate over government surveillance relate to the historical debates during the Constitutional Convention?

The debate over government surveillance relates to historical debates as it involves the balance between central power (in the form of national security measures) and individual rights (such as privacy), similar to the debates during the Constitutional Convention.

What is the No Child Left Behind Act, and how does it connect to the historical debate over federal versus state power?

The No Child Left Behind Act is a federal law that sets criteria for schools to meet in order to receive funding. It connects to the historical debate as it represents an instance of federal overreach into what has traditionally been a state domain, education.