War: Who Decides?

According to the Constitution, the President has the right to declare war. But, the Constitution also says that the Congress also plays a role in the deciding of a war. The Congress controls the federal funding, which means the Congress decides how much will be funded in a war, making the Congress 'the power of the purse'. 

After the Vietnam war, the lawmakers felt that that the president had too much control over war related affairs. The power was getting to the thinking of the presidents. So, the War Powers Act was established, which soon became law. The law says that after 90 days of military action, the president must terminate military force unless the Congress decides to continue on with the attack. 

In the last century, soldiers had to prepare and plan everything several months before the attack actually happened. Nowadays, technology has taken over. Missile and drones can be sent to places where the president thinks that the need of soldiers is unnecessary. The missiles are controlled over computers by people sitting a thousand miles or so away from the attack site. If no American soldiers are in danger of casualties then there is a higher chance that the Congress may not even object with the attack.

I do not think that the President was a coward nor was he indecisive to ask the Congress first before sending troops to Syria. The Congress play a role in the decision making of the war, they should act according to their role and decide with the President. This time, American troops are actually being sent to battle and funds are needed in order to support them. Since the Congress is a part of controlling the funds then they too should decide whether or not the troops should be sent. What the President did was not wrong. Being one person can actually make it difficult to decide such a big decision. 

I think that the Framers of the Constitution split the nations power because of fear that if one branch was given too much then it might overtake and control too much. The Legislative branch makes laws and the Executive branch carries out the laws. This way both branches can first confirm and state their opinions before making a bill or law official. I think that the system is kind of working. There is not one part that has too much power and also the publics opinions are also voiced, which the executive branch is to do.

Constitutional Convention Review

1.  What is a delegate?

A person or group of people chosen to represent a state.

2.  When and where did delegates go to discuss the new government of the United States?  

The delegate went to Philadelphia on May during the year 1787 to discuss the new government.

3 - 4.  

What state is pictured to the left? Virginia What is this state’s plan for a new federal government?  Decide to create a whole new government. They can tax the people and also regulate trade. The federal government can also veto state laws. There are three different branches of government and the legislator has two houses. Also the number of representatives were chosen by the population of each state.

What state is pictured to the left? New Jersey  What was this state’s plan for a new federal government?   Decide to reform the Articles of Confederation. Congress can tax and can also regulate trade. Three branches of government. One house in congress. Every state gets one vote.

5.  Considering the two plans above, how did the Constitutional Congress decide on the structure of the new federal government?  What was this plan called?  

The Legislative Branch will have two houses. The House of Representatives and The Senate. The House of Representatives is based on the population of each state and also every state can have two senators. Both of these also made laws. This new structure of the federal government is called The Great Compromise.

6.  The House of Representatives has Representation chosen based on the population of each state.

7.  The Senate is made up of two representatives from each state.

8.  How did the founding fathers decide about the representation of slaves in the new government? 

Since the founding fathers could not end slavery, they decided to make the slaves part of the population. They decided that one slave counted as 3/5's of a person. 5 slaves would equal 3 white men meaning that 3 slaves would equal 1 count in the population. 

Section 5.1 Vocabulary / Important Terms

Republic- A government in which citizens rule through their elected representatives. 

When the citizens choose who their leaders should be. 

Republicanism- The idea that governments should be based on the consent of the people.

The idea of starting a republic.

Articles of Confederation- Two levels of government shared fundamental powers.

Two different levels of powers could decide and have some power in making decisions.  

Confederation- Alliance

When the Articles of Confederation were approved, alliances began between the states. 

Land Ordinance of 1785- Plan for surveying the land.

When the colonists could not decide what to do with the land west of the Appalachian Mountains, they  surveyed it in order to decide.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787- Provided a procedure of dividing the land into territories. 

They finally decided to split up the land into different territories. 

Review Questions

Multiple Questions

1. Where was the first battle of the Revolution fought?

   - Bunker Hill

   - Yorktown

   - Lexington and Concord 

2. Which one of the Enlightment thinkers thought of all people are born with natural rights?

   - Voltaire 

   - John Locke

   - Thomas Hobbes 

3. Which one of the following did not want the Revolution to be successful?

   - Patriots

   - Loyalists

   - Minutemen  

4. Who won the French and Indian war?

   - The British

   - French

   - Native Americans

Short Answers

4. Why is the Battle if Saratoga such an important part of the American Revolution?

5. What was the Olive Branch Pertition about?