Define Federalism, History

Assignment Help:

How did the Constitution balance the interests of states with large and small populations?

Federalism-When the delegates in Philadelphia attempted to create a new form of government, the first, and most important problem they faced was how to balance the interests of states that had large populations with those of states that had fewer citizens. The theory of the relationship between the national (or federal) government and the states is known as federalism. Delegates from states with many citizens, such as Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia, believed that smaller states should not be able to control the new government. On the other hand, delegates from smaller states did not want states with large populations to ignore their interests. Two rival plans for the new government were introduced: the Virginia plan favored states with large populations, while the New Jersey plan protected the interests of smaller states. Finally, the delegates settled on the Great Compromise (sometimes called the Connecticut Compromise).

Under this compromise, the new government would have a bicameral (two house) legislature. The upper house, the Senate, represented the states equally: each state, no matter how large or small its population, would have two senators). The lower house, the House of Representatives, would represent states based on their population: each state would receive at least one representative, but states with larger populations would receive more. The Constitution also established the powers of the federal government and the powers of the state governments. Under the Constitution, Congress gained the important power to raise revenue (by taxation) and to regulate commerce (trade) between the states


Related Discussions:- Define Federalism

Did president john f. kennedy avert a nuclear disaster, Did President John ...

Did President John F. Kennedy avert a nuclear disaster during the Cuban Missile Crisis? Do you think he should be awarded a peace prize for his role in the crisis? Write a well-org

Explain how texas is a one party state, Explain how Texas is a One Party St...

Explain how Texas is a One Party State. Describe the roles of the Democratic and Republican parties within the Texas one party state system since the enactment of the current Texas

Justice of the vietnam war in that context, The Vietnam War was a counterin...

The Vietnam War was a counterinsurgency that involved us in guerilla warfare that was similar, in some ways, to what we face in Afghanistan today. But the way the Vietnam War was c

Chapter 9 review, why did the Mexican government encourage americans to set...

why did the Mexican government encourage americans to settle in northern texas

What institution did senator joe mccarthy attack, What institution did Sena...

What institution did Senator Joe McCarthy attack which finally led to the downfall of his own campaign of Communist hysteria?

Elements of the articles of confederation, What are the major elements of t...

What are the major elements of the Articles of Confederation. What problems arose in ratifying the Articles? Could you answer in at least 200 words

Supreme court''s ruling in the case of marbury v. madison, The Supreme Cour...

The Supreme Court's ruling in the case of Marbury v. Madison (1803) A. stated that Congress had no authority to expand the power of the Supreme Court. B. stated that the Supreme

Political influence of common people, 1. What issues in the early 1790s div...

1. What issues in the early 1790s divided Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Bache? What assumptions about the people, government, and society influenced each man's Position on these

What was the greatest near miss of the revolution explain, What was the gre...

What was the greatest "Near Miss" of the revolution--that is that might have made the outcome different or helped or hurt the colonial effort? AND, was the revolution more difficul

What was the "smoking gun", What was the "smoking gun"? Why did it lead mos...

What was the "smoking gun"? Why did it lead most of President Nixon's remaining supporters to abandon him? While Nixon battled against the Watergate investigators, his vice pre

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd