The Constitution of the United States

Please complete the following assignment and upload it to Blackboard (under the Assignments tab) by 5pm on Sunday February 10. You should make sure to save a copy for your own records. If you have questions about the assignment, please email the instructor by 5pm on Friday night so there is sufficient time for the email to be seen and for the instructor to respond. You may type/write your answers in the spaces below, or you may create your own new document (e.g. Google Doc, PDF document, Pages etc. are all fine).

TASK:

Read the full, original Constitution (the Preamble and all 7 Articles) and answer the questions below. Imagine you have the opportunity to go back as a time traveller to the Constitutional Convention and answer the following questions.

QUESTIONS:

1. Having read the Constitution, which branch of government – if any – do you think the founders gave the most power to? Why? Do you think that branch still has the most power today? Why/why not?

2. What three things would you make sure are kept in the Constitution? Make sure you state what Article, section, and item that you are referring to. [For example, you might say “I would keep in Article VI, number 3 that all Representatives need to take an oath of office so that the Representatives know the values that it is their job to uphold.” ]

3. What three things would you remove and/or change? Briefly explain (in 1-2 sentences) why you would remove or change that item. 

4. For the three things you would remove and/or change, do you think the 55 framers would have agreed to sign the Constitution with your changes? Which groups of framers would agree/disagree (i.e. from large or small states? Federalists or anti-federalists? Slave states or non-slave states etc.).  Briefly explain why you think they would agree or disagree with your changes.