Verified Document

Emerging American Republic Essay

Constitution The American Experiment

The American experiment: The Articles of Confederation vs. The Constitution

When the Founding Fathers initially designed a governing structure for the emerging American nation, they wished to err on the side of conservatism, in terms of granting power to the federal authority. After all, the American Revolution had been founded upon a principle of autonomy from a strong central authority in the form of the British king. However, the Articles of Confederation which emerged to govern was a "weak" and "anemic" structure ill-suited to a modern nation which had to hold its own with European powers such as Great Britain itself (Kennedy, Cohen & Piehl 2012:120)

The Articles of Confederation provided for a loose confederation or "firm league of friendship.' Thirteen independent states were thus linked together for joint action in dealing with common problems, such as foreign affairs" (Kennedy, Cohen & Piehl 2012: 120). In the Articles of Confederation, although there was a central authority "all bills dealing with subjects of importance required the support of nine [of thirteen] states; any amendment of the Articles themselves required unanimous ratification" (Kennedy,...

The states could independently regulate commerce, including tariffs, which led to conflicting policy between them. The taxes paid to the federal government were voluntary by the states. The Articles did allow the federal government to establish treaties and did establish a postal service (Kennedy, Cohen & Piehl 2012: 120). But the lack of financial authority and central policy made waging war or negotiation with foreign powers almost impossible.
The resultant Constitution which superseded the Articles invested far more power in the federal branch of government and demanded more concessions of power from the states to be part of the new, emerging republic. The executive power was given additional strength in particular. "The president was to have broad authority to appoint officials and judges, veto legislation, and wage war as commander in chief of the military. But Congress retained the crucial right to declare war -- a division of responsibilities that has been an invitation to conflict between president and Congress ever since" (Kennedy, Cohen & Piehl 2012: 125). There was a continual balance in the document between the rights of the states and the rights of the government as a whole, such as "electing the president indirectly by the Electoral College, rather than by direct means (see Art. II, Sec. I, para. 2). While the…

Sources used in this document:
Reference

Kennedy, D., Cohen, L. & Piehl, M. (2012). The brief American pageant. Cengage.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

American Expansion Post-Reconstruction America Gave Rise to
Words: 1314 Length: 4 Document Type: Thesis

American Expansion Post-Reconstruction America gave rise to an incredibly transformative society and culture. Modernism was beginning to sweep the land with the industrial revolution, urbanization and westward expansion. How did the underprivileged fare in this new America? What were the experiences and problems of the Native Americans, women, African-Americans, and various immigrant groups at this time? Be specific. Was there a gap between the rhetoric of hope and democracy peddled by

American Express in Asia Assessing
Words: 1812 Length: 5 Document Type: Thesis

The biggest challenge however over the long-tern is the lack of acceptance of foreign cards by Chinese merchants. There are an estimated 20 million businesses in China, and of these, 414,000 accept credit cards, and of those, 150,000 accept foreign credit cards (Worthington, 2003). At the infrastructure level this fact illustrates how pervasive the sociological factors that limit debt continue to influence the Chinese culture specifically and the Asian

American Revolution Contribute to the
Words: 6922 Length: 20 Document Type: Research Paper

Whether it was the Spanish that fought to conquer lands in the south, or the Dutch that engaged in stiff competition with the British, or the French that were ultimately defeated in 1763, the American soil was one clearly marked by violent clashes between foreign powers. This is why it was considered that the cry for independence from the British was also a cry for a peaceful and secure

Republic of Mauritius Has Progressed
Words: 10005 Length: 36 Document Type: Research Proposal

" (United Nations, 2000) The Household Budget Survey 1996/1997 reported that in excess of 14.5 of households in Mauritius are presently living below the poverty line and economic development has been stalled due to the "…rising cost of labor erosion of the protected international markets due to gradual effects of globalization and liberalization and increasing competition with other countries…" (United Nations, 2000) The distribution aspect of income and wealth has not

Amusement Parks in the American 1890's
Words: 2509 Length: 9 Document Type: Term Paper

American Amusement Parks in the 1890s Amusement Parks in America in the 1890s In the years just before the dawn of the 20th Century, America was going through dramatic cultural, social, political and economic changes. The Industrial Revolution was reshaping the way Americans worked and played; an emerging "mass culture" was creating a "cultural upheaval" - as mentioned in the John F. Kasson book, Amusing the Million: Coney Island at the Turn

Ethical Standards for Midshipmen and Faculty at the U S Naval Academy...
Words: 1523 Length: 7 Document Type: Research Paper

policy guidelines and information about ethical responsibilities at the U.S. Naval Academy Throughout its history, the U.S. Naval Academy has subscribed to the highest levels of ethical practice (HRPP Section I: Guiding principles and applicability, 2011). The Naval Academy's current honor code for midshipmen students specifically stipulates that: Midshipmen are persons of integrity: They stand for that which is right. They tell the truth and ensure that the full truth is known. They

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now