《constitution of the united states (1787)根據(jù)美國憲法（1787）》由會員上傳分享，免費在線閱讀，更多相關(guān)內(nèi)容在學(xué)術(shù)論文-天天文庫。

1、ConstitutionoftheUnitedStates(1787)GeorgeWashington(holdingtheConstitution)presidedatthePhiladelphiaconventionwhrerethehistoricdocumentwasdrafted;BenjaminFranklin,Theconvention'soldestmember,isseatdsecondfromleft.Bythemid-1780s,theweaknessesoftheArticlesofConfed

2、erationhadbecomecleartomanyobservers.IntheirreactiontowhattheyconsideredtheauthoritariangovernmentofGeorgeIII,theframersoftheArticleshaddeliberatelycreatedaweakgovernment,althoughtheybelievedthatithadsufficientpowerstogovern.Thatassumptionprovedfalse.Amongitsoth

3、erdefects,theArticlesofConfederationgavetheCongressnopowertotaxortoregulatecommerceamongthestates,itlackedbothexecutiveandjudicialbranches,andamendingtheArticlesrequiredunanimityofallthestates.JamesMadisonofVirginia,workingwiththeblessingofGeorgeWashington,ledth

4、edrivetogetCongresstocallaconventionfortheexpresspurposeofrevisingtheArticlesofConfederation.ButoncethedelegateshadgatheredinPhiladelphiainthesummerof1787,theytookthebitintheirteethanddecidedtodraftanentirelynewdocument,onethatwouldmeetwhattheyperceivedtobethecu

5、rrentandfutureneedsofthecountry.GovernmentundertheConstitutionremainedfederalinnature,thatis,powerwassharedbetweenthestatesandthenationalgovernment.ButwhereundertheArticlesthestateshadbeenthedominantforce,undertheConstitutionthenationalgovernmentwouldbesupreme.T

6、heframerssawbothstateandnationalgovernmentsasactiveparticipantsinthepoliticalprocess.OneofthekeyfeaturesintheConstitution,andonethatwouldbecomeacriticalfactorinthenineteenthcentury,isthatthesourceofsovereignty,thesourceoftheauthorityforthedocument,isthecitizenry

7、."WethePeopleoftheUnitedStates"ordainandestablishtheConstitution.ThisisadirectlinktotheDeclarationofIndependence,whichdeclaredthatgovernmentsderivetheirlegitimacyfromtheconsentofthegoverned.PerhapsthemoststrikingfeatureoftheConstitutionwashowextensivelyitimpleme

8、ntedtheprevailingnotionsofseparationofpowers.Clearlinesdividedthelegislative,executiveandjudicialbranches.InasharpdeparturefromtheirexperienceundertheArticles,thefram