1. An Overview of the
U.S. Constitution
A PowerPoint presentation for
Teacher Doug’s advanced U.S.
History course
October 26, 2005

2. Contrast:
The Articles of Confederation (1781)
and the U.S. Constitution (1789)
• Structure?
• Legislature?
• Other branches?
• Taxation?
• Currency?
• Trade?
• Power?

3. Contrast: Structure
Articles of Confederation
• Loose alliance of
independent states
U.S. Constitution
• National government
representing all
Americans

4. Contrast: Legislature
Articles of Confederation
• Unicameral (one-
house) law-making
body: Congress
U.S. Constitution
• Bicameral (two-
house) law-making
body: Congress
– Senate (Upper House)
– House of Represent-
atives (Lower House)

5. Contrast: Other Branches
Articles of Confederation
• No executive or
judicial branches
U.S. Constitution
• Executive branch
– President
– Cabinet
• Judicial branch
– Supreme Court
– Appellate courts

6. Contrast: Taxation
Articles of Confederation
• Only states can tax
U.S. Constitution
• Congress also has
the power to tax

7. Contrast: Currency
Articles of Confederation
• Only states can coin
money
U.S. Constitution
• Only national
government can coin
money

8. Contrast: Trade
Articles of Confederation
• No effective
regulation of trade
between states
U.S. Constitution
• National government
regulates trade
between states

9. Contrast: Power
Articles of Confederation
• Most power held by
the individual states
U.S. Constitution
• Most power held by
the national
government in
conjunction with the
state governments
• Federalism: states
subordinate power to
central government

10. The Constitution in Brief
• Article I: Legislative Branch
• Article II: Executive Branch
• Article III: Judicial Branch
• Article IV: State Powers
• Article V: Amendments
• Article VI: Power of Law
• Article VII: Ratification
• Amendments (Bill of Rights plus 11-27)

11. Article I: Legislative Branch
• Senate and the House of Representatives
– Representatives: elected for two-year terms
• Must be 25 yrs. old, citizen 7 yrs., and live in state
• Numbers based on pop.; census every 10 yrs.
– Senators: elected for six-year terms
• Only 2 senators per state; staggered elections
• Must be 30 yrs. old, citizen 9 yrs., and live in state
• Vice President = President of the Senate

12. Article I: Legislative Branch
• Some Notable Powers of Congress
– Pay off national debt
– Borrow money
– Punish counterfeiting
– Create laws
– Declare war
– Raise an army
– Maintain national roads

13. Article II: Executive Branch
• President: Commander in Chief
– Must be born in the U.S. or to U.S. parents
• At least 35 years old; 14 years resident of the U.S.
– Elected to a four-year term
• Chosen by the Electoral College
– Electors = total number of a state’s representatives plus
senators
– Most votes = President; Second-most votes = V.P.
» Process changed by the 12th
Amendment

14. Article II: Executive Branch
• Powers of the President
– Oath: “preserve, protect, and defend the
Constitution of the United States”
– Grant pardons for offenses against U.S.
– Appoint ambassadors
– Appoint nominees for the Supreme Court
– Appoint temporary Senate vacancies
– Deliver annual State of the Union address

15. Article III: Judicial Branch
• United States Supreme Court
– One Chief Justice
– How many Associate Justices?
• Judicial power extends to all cases
– Authority over all government officials
– Can declare any act unconstitutional
• Trial by jury in all cases - except
impeachment - in the state of the crime

16. Article IV: State Powers
• An attempt to balance federal power with
state authority
– State records shall be given full faith + credit
– State citizens are entitled to certain privileges
– Extradition for crimes state to state
– Admission of new states
– U.S. guarantees a republican form of govt.
and protection from invasion and rebellion

17. Article V: Amendments
• In order to propose an amendment,
– 2/3 approval of both Houses of Congress OR
– 2/3 approval of state governments is needed
• In order to ratify an amendment,
– 3/4 approval of both Houses of Congress OR
– 3/4 approval of state governments is needed
• When was the last time that an amend-
ment was ratified? (Hint: #27)

18. Article VI: Power of Law
• Constitution is the supreme law of the land
– Contracts and debts before the Constitution
shall be valid under the Constitution
– All government officials are bound by an oath
of office to support the Constitution
– No religious test shall ever be required as a
qualification for any office

19. Article VII: Ratification
• In order to ratify the Constitution, the
consent of how many state conventions
was necessary?
• When the Constitution was ratified on
September 17, 1787, how many of the
states present supported the idea?
– Which state was admitted into the Union first?
– What did this signify?

20. Amendments
• Bill of Rights (1-10)
– Why were these ten amendments added to
the Constitution in 1791?
– Which one of the first ten amendments do you
think is the most important? Explain why.
• Amendments 11-27
– Which one of these amendments do you think
is the most important? Explain why.

21. Be prepared for a 25-point quiz in
the not-too-distant future about
the Constitution.