American Government Review

• Very weak Federal Government

• States were too autonomous (self-governed)

• Everyone had their own currency

• Everyone could declare war

• No Federal Courts - squabbles between states

• Sets up the structure of our Federal Government

• Enumerates powers to the Federal government

• Reserves powers to states

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• Recognition of Natural Rights aka Unalienable Rights

• Lists citizens Civil Liberties

• 8th Amendment - Cruel and unusual punishment

• 14th Amendment - Defined Citizen for the first time

• Senate vs. House

• Senate has exclusive power to approve international treaties

• Executive - Office of President (signs and approves laws) + Cabinet

• Legislative - Bicameral; House of Reps and Senate (creates laws, controls money)

• Judicial - Supreme Court (deems laws constitutional or not)

• County - in charge of elections and education, ect.

• Municipalities - in charge of garbage, roads, sewers, etc.

• Jurisdiction: Constitutional Cases

• Judicial Review: power to determine if something is constitutional

Briefs

Aaron Ogden required steamboat operators to have NY license to use river. Ogden sued by Gibbons for steamboat monopoly on Hudson River. Supreme court decided that interstate commerce power extended to navigation. Federal license had precedent over state.

Supreme Court decision on "Separate but Equal" . Justice John Harlan dissented the ruling, saying "The Constitution is color-blind" . Meaning law does not see differences in citizens such as skin color. (Good or bad?)

• Introduction to Essay - includes topic

• Topic - the subject of the essay

• Body - includes points to expound upon the topic

• Conclusion - Reviews the points and confirms the topic