Constitutional Convention Research Paper

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention chose to write an entirely new constitution rather than fix the Articles because they needed a stronger central government and the current one was created with weak intentions. The Articles of Confederation was originally created to have a weak central government because the United States did not want to be like Britain. After fighting a harsh war with them, Americans did not want an overpowering government like their past ruler. Additionally, the government the Articles made was only unicameral legislature, so there was no separation of powers. No judicial nor an executive branch was there for checks and balances and to balance power. In addition, congress could not levy taxes and maintain a national

Raised at the Constitutional Convention and in the ratification debates, there were major questions about the organization of the executive branch. The delegates needed to resolve many questions to help achieve balance between a limited and an executive government. Some Framers imagined that it would be best if there were only one chief executive which would ultimately abolish there being any chance of conflict between two or more leaders whom had equal power. There were arguments that a single executive would be easier on Congress. Having a plural executive was also argued, saying that there would be a lesser chance for tyranny. An executive branch with one chief executive was agreed on for the United States. There were recommendations for

The Second Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and took place in 1787. Representatives from each state gathered to discuss how the Articles of Confederation were to be amended. Several documents were debated on and put into effect on this day. Many of representatives of the states had written their own plans for the government. Not one plan was followed, but the delegates came to a compromise that they could agree on. Here, the United States’ current Constitution was signed. It has been modified as the years pass, but this was the foundation of America’s current constitution. Delegates at the Second Constitutional Convention had many concerns about the government. The states did not want a dominating national government,

Texans believed that each State should have their own rights and powers rather than the federal government. For instance, O.M. Roberts, the president of the Texas Secession Convention states that, “The crisis upon us involves not only the right of self government, but the maintenance of a great principle in the laws of nations…”-[Doc C] O.M. Roberts is stating that, it is a crisis that there are no state rights. The Texans though it wasn’t right to give all the power to the federal government. When the government refused the suggestion, it enraged

Central to this discussion are the twin dynamics - the yin and yang - of fundamental constitutional revision and the accumulation of piecemeal changes. Attempts at constitutional revision usually occur during extraordinary times, when the nature of the existing political system is thrown into doubt. Despite the tumult that inspires their work during such times, constitutional designers never completely rewrite the constitution with which they start. Fundamental and piecemeal changes as well as carry-over from previous constitutions are clearly evident in the seven constitutions under which Texas has been governed.

I believe that the constitution discriminates against the lower class. There has been many occasions to display that the actions of the United States are unfair to the lower class. I agree with this statement because I believe we are focused on protecting the wealthy’s economic interests. When setting up the Constitutional Convention only the elite of the time were chosen which most held positions of command or were already tied to constitutional forces, Shay’s rebellion was started due to the fact the government failed to pay the people, and lastly elitism is the most reflective of America.

The effort in the years of 1971-1974 were the most distinct out of all the attempts due to the closeness the convention came to reforming. Many of these attempts worked towards to reduce its size by taking out parts that were irrelevant or just creating a new state constitution. The 1974 attempt to reform did not prevail for the legislature was the constitutional convention. If the convention had been made up of citizen delegates, the final result might have been different. The decision rules used in the convention especially the two-thirds rule, rare rule in the history of constitutional conventions. Members of the constitutional convention who opposed change to the original constitution and revisionists, together these two groups were large enough to prevent the adoption of a final resolution. As stated by www.laits.utexas.edu, “distractions, like the May 1974 state primary elections, also slowed the convention's progress. By the time it closed on July 30, the convention had failed by only three votes to support submitting a document to voters for ratification.” This experience led to the conclusion that Texans would rather the document they are more familiar

The 1787 Constitutional Convention was paramount in unifying the states after the Revolutionary War. However, in order to do so, the convention had to compromise on many issues instead of addressing them with all due haste. This caused the convention to leave many issues unresolved. Most notably were the issues of slavery, race, secession, and states’ rights. Through the Civil War and the Reconstruction, these issues were resolved, and in the process the powers of the federal government were greatly expanded.

The Constitution of 1876 is the constitution by which Texas lives by. Even after its 467 amendments, the Texas Constitution is still similar to the original document from 1876. The purpose of the constitution was because Texas wanted to have protection for various private interests. The people of Texas were motivated to limit the powers of state government and wanted to be sure they would avoid the abuse of government powers they once witnessed during the Reconstruction phase. The constitution has had some influences. Going back to when Texas was governed by Spain and then by Mexico, we still have sections in the constitution that deals with land titles and land law, debtor relief, judicial procedures, marital relations and adoptions, and water and mineral rights. Back in 1827, the constitution of the state of Coahuila y Tejas had provided a unicameral legislature but didn’t have a bill of rights. Texas at the time did not adopt the required Catholicism into their constitution, although they added to recognize slavery. In 1836 when Texas became independent it adopted the Republic Constitution of 1836. Texas then established a unitary form of government, freedom of religion, property rights protection, and legal recognition of slavery. When Texas became a state it reflected on traditionalistic southern culture. It

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was held to address problems in governing the United States which had been operating under the Articles of Confederation since it’s independence from Britain. Fifty-five delegates from the states attended the convention to address these issues. The delegates consisted of federalists who wanted a strong central government to maintain order and were mainly wealthier merchants and plantation owners and anti-federalists who were farmers, tradesmen and local politicians who feared losing their power and believed more power should be given to the states. The Constitutional Convention dealt with the issue of the debate between federalists and anti-federalists. The debates, arguments and compromises

The last half of the 18th century was very important for the United States. During this era, the nation was founded following the Declaration of Independence and drafting and ratification of the Constitution a decade later. The 1787 constitutional convention and ratification debate was very important in the making of the US Constitution. The dynamics, antagonism, considerations, process and the eventual consensus regarding the Constitution can be explained by discrete theories in political discourses. However, there are theories that fit best within this historical context and help better explain the process of the constitutional convention and ratification. This paper will talk about pluralist theory as a theoretical perspective that best explains the workings of the 1787 constitutional convention and ratification debate, as opposed to power elite theory. This will be achieved by looking at the premises of pluralist theoretical perspective, and the workings of the 1787 constitutional convention and ratification and then show how pluralist theory best captures the workings.

55 delegates of twelve states wrote the Constitution at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787 and in 1788 the states ratified it. That gathering at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall brought nearly all of the nation’s most prominent men together, including Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison and George Washington. Several of the men appointed had records of service in the army and in the courts and others were experienced in colonial and state government. When Thomas Jefferson found out who had been appointed he wrote “It is really an assembly of demigods” to John Adams. That summer in Philadelphia, the men, drew out a document defining the distinct powers for the the president, the federal courts and the Congress. This division of authority that was established is known as the principle of separation of powers, and it ensures that none of the branches of government can overstep their boundaries.

Given that, Texas had to fight with the Confederacy when the Civil War began. Since the Confederacy lost, all the states who fought on the side of the Confederacy had to go under a period of reconstruction. This period was intended to help bring the states back to a working state and to help with the now freed slaves. This was not in Texas’s favor. Since Texas didn’t really depend on slavery, its economy bounced back pretty fast but still had to go through a reconstruction period. This ended up making the government centralized. The governor had a lot of power and didn’t use it wisely. When this period ended, and it was time to write a new constitution, Texas made one where the governor had extremely limited power and that the government was comprised of a plural executive.

Constitutions in general are a reflection of the history of that particular nation or state. With each large change in the state of Texas has come a new Constitution. The Constitution of 1876 is no exception. During the time of the Radical Republican Governor Edmond J. Davis’ reign in Texas, he reigned absolutely. But during this time after Reconstruction, Texas was requiring just that. Although, he did have some fellow Radical Republicans come assist him with the transition and they oversaw issues not within their jurisdiction (Glenn). At this time, the Constitution of 1869 had been in effect for a while now and the people were starting to feel the negative impacts of it and were hopeful for a change. The government had too much power, the

There would never be progress if humans took a step back for every step they took forward. The delegates at the Constitutional Convention encountered this issue when discussing the creation of an independent executive. The nation needed a leader without the risk of reverting back to the tyranny of King George. Without it, they feared that the natural rights of its citizens would be jeopardized. Despite the possible benefits, there were well-founded fears that this could lead to the destruction of liberty. While the fear that any one person can have control of government was founded on real concerns, the independent executive is necessary to ensure the legislative branch is checked, the military has a commander, and national laws are enforced.