Why did state constitutions give most power to the legislatures?
Get help with accessInstitutional accessAccess to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways: Show
IP based accessTypically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account. Sign in through your institutionChoose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth / Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator. Sign in with a library cardEnter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian. Society MembersSociety member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways: Sign in through society siteMany societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society. Sign in using a personal accountSome societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below. Personal accountA personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions. Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. Viewing your signed in accountsClick the account icon in the top right to:
Signed in but can't access contentOxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian. Institutional account managementFor librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more. The Federal Constitution was not the first constitution drafted and passed in the United States of America. Since the spring before independence was declared by the colonies in 1776, the various states gathered in local assemblies to hammer out laws by which they would govern themselves. Connecticut and Rhode Island simply rewrote their old colonial charters, ex-ing out any references to the king and parliament. But the remaining states drafted entirely new constitutions. When delegates arrived in Philadelphia for the assembly in 1787, most were well-versed in the various laws that had been created around the states. The Massachusetts constitution was created largely through the influence of John Adams. It mixed the various branches of government and made for a series of checks and balances between them—a system that would be emulated in the federal constitution. The Pennsylvania Constitution was probably the most democratic. It provided suffrage for all freemen over the age of 21 and emphasized the legislative branch over the executive and judicial. In fact, there was to be no governor; instead a "presiding officer" would serve at the bidding of the legislature. New Jersey's constitution allowed women the right to vote—an allowance that had more to do with property rights than a liberal attitude toward women. New Jersey would rescind this suffrage soon after the turn of the 19th century. A number of constitutions had bills of rights attached, including Virginia's, which was written primarily by George Mason. Mason would become one of the leading opponents of the federal constitution, in part, because it lacked a bill of rights. Why was the state constitution significant?THESE FIRST STATE CONSTITUTIONS PROVIDED THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR THE U. S. CONSTITUTION, INCLUDING THE BILL OF RIGHTS. After the Revolutionary War, delegates from the thirteen Ameri- can states met at Philadelphia to draft a new constitution for the United States.
Why do you think most early state constitutions made the legislature supreme?Possible answer: Legislatures were elected by the people. They feared the executive branch (governor) would become too powerful, creating a monarchy. Why do you think most early state constitutions made the legislature supreme? what limited the power of the monarch?
Why did many state constitutions limit the power of state government?Why did many state constitutions limit the power of state governors? Because of bad experiences in the past under colonial governors. How did the Articles of Confederation ensure the power of the states? Congress could not regulate trade, could not tax, and had no way to enforce any laws it made.
Are state constitutions more powerful than the US Constitution?Article VI, Paragraph 2 of the U.S. Constitution is commonly referred to as the Supremacy Clause. It establishes that the federal constitution, and federal law generally, take precedence over state laws, and even state constitutions.
|
