The Articles of Confederation were in desperate need of revision. The Articles were established under the pretense that a weaker government was better. The Americans were still returning home from the battles of the American Revolution and refused to create a government

John Locke was an English philosopher who believed that people had certain inalienable rights. Every man had the right to liberty, life, and the right to own property. The Founding Fathers believed strongly in honoring these rights and the Constitution reflects their beliefs by honoring the freedom of speech, press, and religion.

Checks and balances, though not directly taken from the Romans, were based largely on the idea of a republic. The Founding Fathers also feared the government, or rather, the ability of a government to gain supreme control. This fear resulted in the checks and balances so clearly visible throughout the Constitution. The power to amend the Constitution is an example. In order to amend the Constitution, the proposal must pass 2/3 Congress or 2/3 of the States. Once the proposal is passed, an amendment must be ratified. An amendment can only be ratified by a ¾ vote of the States. Neither the States nor Congress has the final say, both powers must have a vote in order to change the Constitution. Another example of checks and balances is the President’s power over the military. The President is the Commander in Chief, the head of the military, but only Congress has the power to declare war and a 2/3 vote from the Senate is the only way to ratify a treaty. The Congress also controls the money. The president may be the head of the military, but without Congress’ consent and financial support that title means nothing. The powers and duties associated with war were broken down in order to prevent any one power from becoming supreme.

The Separation of Powers came from the theories of Montesquieu. He was the first to break apart the powers, Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary. The Fou

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