Description
As depression struck the new nation in the mid-1780s, new questions arose about the nature of American democracy. Many conservatives believed that the answer lay in a stronger national government. Most radicals believed it was up to the states to relieve the financial burden of the people. These sentiments fostered a movement for a new constitution. Political differences soon stimulated the creation of political parties.
Compare and contrast the Articles of Confederation with the new Constitution of 1787. What were the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles vis-à-vis the Constitution? Give specific instances that demonstrate the weakness of the Articles (such as the Western problem).
Then analyze the drafting of the Constitution, using specific details to show how the various states (slave vs. free, east vs. west) compromised in order to effectively draft a constitution. Pay particular attention to Roger Sherman's plan, the Great Compromise, which broke a stalemate that could have been fatal to the development of the new Constitution.
Finally, compare and contrast the debate over ratification between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. Make sure you cite specific examples from the Federalist Papers to support the Federalist position and contrast it with leading proponents of the opposition (such as John Hancock). Analyze how the debate over a bill of rights illustrates the differences between the two parties. Evaluate the relative success of the Bill of Rights in achieving an effective balance between national and states' interests.
This paper must be four to five double-spaced pages in length (not including the References page) and utilize no less than four academic quality sources. Margins should be no more than one inch (right and left) and the essay should be composed in an appropriate font and size. Sources must be documented and cited using APA format.
Turn it in score must be 20% or less
Explanation & Answer
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Running head: FORMING THE CONSTITUTION: COMPROMISES AND WEAKNESSES
Forming the Constitution: Compromises and Weaknesses
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FORMING THE CONSTITUTION: COMPROMISES AND WEAKNESSES
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Forming the Constitution: Compromises and Weaknesses
Any nationwide endeavor across the world over is always faced with a myriad of
challenges when one factor in, the interest of different individuals or groups. During the early
years of the USA, there were many problems that politicians at the time faced when trying to
create and strengthen the country’s Constitution. In the early 1780’s the young country was in a
deep depression, and this played a key role in influencing the exercise as it ultimately led to a
heated debate about the powers of the National and State governments. Most of the conservative
politicians at the time preferred a stronger federal government while state radicals believed that
states should have more power since it was in a better position to determine what was best for
their citizens (Jilson, 2009). More sticking points divided the founding fathers which threatened
the stability and establishment of the USA, such as slavery and federalism.
Before the creation of the new constitution in 1787, the Articles of Confederation served
the new nation. This document was not as comprehensive as the constitution as it was made
hurriedly and did not resolve most of the early issues of the republic. Compared to the new
constitution the Articles of Confederation gave congress a lot of power which left the national
government weak on matters such as tax regulation, foreign...
