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Ratifying The Constitution Dbq

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The United States Constitution was written in seventeen eighty seven to address governmental weaknesses that existed in the Articles of the Confederation, the first articles written during the Revolutionary War to establish regulations for a unified government. The Constitution not only established law, it incorporated basic rights for citizens and dictated to what extent the government could rule. Albeit an improvement to the Articles of the Confederation, according to “The Great Debate”, in order for the Constitution to go into effect, “ratification from nine states” was required. Gaining full support of nine states for ratification was not an easy feat; the changes to the Articles created a divide amongst delegates, the two sides were …show more content…

In an effort to promote the constitution and gain support of the states, ultimately, to obtain the required ratification, the Federalists submitted essays to several New York papers; these submissions were known as the Federalist Papers. The tenth and most famous essay, out of eighty-five essays printed, Federalist Number Ten, was written by James Madison, not only to explain and defend the Constitution, but to address the concerns of the opposing side – Anti-Federalists believed that the Constitution allowed the government too much power and that the overbearing government would infringe on the liberties or rights of the citizens. Madison asserted in Federalist Number Ten that having a large government ensures the rights and …show more content…

This type of system can sometimes cause confusion on who has the authority to make decisions at local and state levels. Amendment Ten to the Constitution was established to address this issue; basically, the amendment states that unless otherwise delegated by the Constitution, to the United States, that the power lies with the states or the people. Amendment Ten’s incorporation into the Bill of Rights is vital for the preservation of liberty and also key to diffusing the realm of government rule. According to the text, “By the People”, during the Obama administration, “progressive federalism” was introduced and there was a mix of the “Democratic approach (national goals) and Republican values (state innovation)” (95). Additionally, the text, “By the People”, states that “The Constitution’s authority rests, not on the states, but on we the people” (65). It is important to understand the differences between a republic and a democracy; a republic is centered on the people, guaranteeing life, liberty, and freedom, and ensuring individual rights whereas in a democracy, the majority rules and individual rights are not of concern. Another difference between a republic and a democracy is the amount of power the government holds; a republic limits government power while a democracy places no limitations

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