Framers Of The Constitution Dbq

With the hopes of unifying the sovereign states under one government that would better protect the rights of its citizens and protect the nation, the Framers of the Constitution met up to revise, but inevitably alter the premises of the Articles of Confederation. After much debating and compromising, the Framers set up the Constitution that gave the national government enumerated powers and reserved powers for the states, with some powers being shared among both spheres of government. Federalism is the separation of powers among the different levels in government (i.e., the national and state governments) along with the restrictions placed on each level of government to avoid tyranny. Some citizens, called the Antifederalists, feared the national

Under the Constitution, states and the government both have different duties and both shared large responsibilities. When events such as Shay’s Rebellion occurred, the lack of national power prevented quick and efficient responses to problems in the nation. These issues highlighted the inefficiency of the Articles of Confederation and the need for a national army that could quickly resolve issues. Each state was dealing with its own problems and searching for its own solutions. As Abraham Lincoln later said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” The country needed to focus on bigger issues at hand and have the power needed to respond to larger threats. Federalism has allowed for the government to efficiently respond to the issues of the 21st century, something that would’ve been entirely impossible under the Articles of Confederation. With events such as the tragic occurrence of September 11, President Bush and the other branches of the national government already knew what specific rights they had and were more able to respond to such an attack on the country. People from different states united to fight against terrorism and show that Americans was standing behind the government. Federalism over the years has exemplified that although the national government

Although some Supreme Court cases have helped to explicitly establish some powers of the national government, there are many spheres where states make decisions on their own and some aspects in which the national and federal government coincide. The “picket fence” refers to the overlap of national and states’ rights and how they work collectively on these issues. Even though the national government is a powerful entity, it is still kept in check by the states and by its various branches. Rather than having very outlined restrictions, the states and national government work together for the bettering of the nation. Also, the national government has allowed states to keep autonomy with block grants, which allow them to choose how to spend their funds to better assist their citizens. The national government could chose to be a parent like entity that only grated states categorical grants and specifically outlined what the money should be used for, but rather than doing so it has allowed states, who are closer to the people, to decide how to distribute funds. Finally, the “Full faith and Credit Clause,” in all its vagueness, has allowed the states to keep immense power by being able to interpret it. The clause says that all states must recognize and honor the laws of other states yet many states who are against gay marriage refuse to honor couples who come from