Who/What
|
Branch/Level
|
Constitutional Issue(s)
|
Description
|
Articles of Confederation
|
Legislative
|
Federalism & States’ Rights
|
Weak central government left most power in the hands of the states. This made it ineffective. The central gov. couldn’t even tax. This is why it had to be replaced by the Constitution.
|
George Washington
|
Executive
|
Unwritten Constitution
Foreign Policy
|
Washington set several precedents including the 2 term limit, the use of the military to put down an internal rebellion, isolationism/neutrality, etc.
|
John Marshall
|
Judicial
|
Judicial Review
Elastic Clause
|
Marbury v. Madison established the principle of judicial review, which gave the Supreme Court the power to rule laws or executive actions unconstitutional.
McCulloch v. Maryland allowed the use of the elastic clause “necessary & proper” to create a national bank.
|
Alexander Hamilton
(Sec. of Treasury)
|
National vs. States
|
Loose Constructionism vs. Strict Constructionism
|
Loose Constructionists like Hamilton believed the federal government should have broad powers such as the power to create a national bank. These powers came from the elastic clause. Strict constructionists like Jefferson want to see most power reserved for the states.
|
Congress
|
Legislative
|
Slavery
States’ Rights
|
MO Compromise of 1820
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Compromise of 1850
|
Andrew Jackson vs. Supreme Court
|
Executive vs. Judicial
|
Federalism
Checks & Balances
|
Worcestor v. Georgia & Cherokee Nation v. Georgia... The Supreme Court made a ruling & President Jackson refused to enforce it.
|
Dred Scott v. Sanford
|
Judicial
|
Slavery, property
|
Slaves considered property, not people. Blacks not citizens, could not sue in the courts. Basically said the MO Compromise was unconstitutional.
|
Abraham Lincoln
|
National Government vs. States
|
Slavery, Federalism, states’ rights
|
Lincoln did not believe states had the right to secede from the Union. He used force to put down the rebellion of the southern states.
|
Radical Republicans vs. Andrew Johnson
|
Legislative Branch vs. Executive Branch
|
Checks & Balances
Federalism
|
Johnson’s vetoes:
Reconstruction Acts:
Impeachment:
|
Tilden v. Hayes
|
Legislative and Executive Branches
|
Selection of President in Ties
|
Compromise of 1877
|
Woodrow Wilson vs. Congress
|
Executive vs. States
|
Foreign Policy: isolationism
|
Ratification of Treaty of Versailles
|
FDR
|
Executive
National vs. States
|
Federalism
Checks on Judicial Branch
|
Schecter Poultry Corp. v. U.S.
Court Packing:
|
Wilson, FDR, Nixon,
|
Executive/Legislative &. Judicial
|
Civil Liberties vs. National Security
|
Schenk v. U.S.
Korematsu v. U.S.
NY Times v. U.S.
|
Warren Court
|
Judicial
|
Rights of the Accused
|
Gideon v. Wainwright
Miranda v. Arizona
Mapp v. Ohio
|
Eisenhower, Kennedy & LBJ
|
National vs. States
|
14th Amendment vs. states’ rights
|
Enforcement of Brown v. BOED:
Civil Rights Act of 1964:
Voting Rights Act of 1965
|
Nixon
|
Legislative vs. Executive
|
Powers of President
|
Nixon v. U.S.
War Powers Act
|
Ronald Reagan
|
National & States
|
Federalism
|
New Federalism... the federal gov. should be smaller and more power should be returned to the states.
|
Bill Clinton
|
Legislative vs. Executive
|
Powers of President
|
Impeachment
|
George W. Bush
vs. Al Gore
|
Executive & Judicial
|
Selection of President
Federalism
|
Bush v. Gore
|