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America After the Revolution

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Question 1: What is the American System of government? After defining it, identify and thoroughly describe its three main elements.

Question 2: Family and religion were the two major elements of the slave community. Describe the function each played in the community, and determine if either or both weakened or strengthened the institution of slavery. Thoroughly support your reasoning with specific details from the text

Question 3: What led to the emergence of an American middle class? How did the structure and nature of the family change with this emergence?

Question 4: Discuss the innovations that marked the Transportation Revolution between 1800 and 1840. How did the Transportation Revolution affect America?

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Solution Summary

This is a four part solution discusses the American System of government and thoroughly describes its three main elements. The second part of the solution discusses how family and religion affected the slave community. The third part of the solution describes the factors that led to the emergence of an American middle class and the fourth part of the solution discusses the innovations that marked the Transportation Revolution between 1800 and 1840 and its effect on America.

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Question 1: What was the American System? After defining it, identify and thoroughly describe its three main elements.

The Constitution established the United States as a republic in which power ultimately is in the hands of the people and is exercised by their elected representatives. The government's functions are divided among three branches: the legislative, the executive and the judiciary. The Constitution set up a three tiered structure and outlined the requirements and powers of each. In general, the framework is intended to serve as a guide for democracy, but it does not account for the minute functions of the running of the government. The American system is based on a system of checks and balances where all the three branches have control to prevent the other holding too much power.

Legislative: Include these guidelines in your paper.
?Article I of the Constitution created Congress (Soifer, Hoffman, & Voss, 2001). This includes the House of Representatives and the Senate.
?House members face elections every two years and must be 25 years of age, a US citizen, and a resident of the state for which they hope to hold the position (Fonder & Shaffery, 2005)
?Senators on the other hand, serve 6 year terms, with one third of the senate facing re-elections every two years and must be 30 years of age, a US citizen and a resident of the state they hope to represent.
? Under the Constitution, Congress has both specific and implied powers.
?Specific powers or enumerated powers in Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution (Soifer, Hoffman, & Voss, 2001) cover the powers of Congress to collect taxes, regulate foreign and domestic commerce, coin money, declare war, support an army, and navy, and establish lower federal courts (Fonder & Shaffery, 2005).
?"Congress is also responsible for establishing rules for citizenship in the United States. They are required to maintain a post office, make laws for copyrights and patents, and govern the District of Columbia. The Constitution also granted the power to establish our federal court system to the Congress" (Naegeli, 2010)
?Implied powers are not stated directly in the Constitution. They derive from the right of Congress to make all laws "necessary and proper" (Fonder & Shaffery, 2005) to carry on its enumerated powers. This is the elastic clause located at the end of Article I, Section 8
?The Constitution lists powers that are denied to Congress. The Bill of Rights prohibits Congress from making laws that limit individual liberties. Under the system of Checks and Balances, the President can veto laws passed by Congress and the Supreme Court can declare a law unconstitutional.

Executive:
?The Executive Branch of the Government has the President, Vice President, and all the cabinet members.
?The President is the head of this branch and acts as a head of State and Commander-in-Chief
?The Constitution grants specific powers to the President in Article II. A presidential candidate must be a US citizen, have lived in the US for the last 14 years and must be at least 35 years old.
?Presidential duties include delivering a State of the Union address to Congress once each year; recommending legislation to Congress; convening Congress; has the power to appoint ambassadors to other nations; can appoint Supreme Court justices and other federal judges; and is expected, with his Cabinet and its agencies, to carry out and enforce the laws of the United States (Fonder & Shaffery, 2005)
?The vice president is also a member of the cabinet. He serves as president if the president dies in office and is also the president of the senate and can cast a deciding vote in a tie.
?The vice president, who also is a member of the Cabinet, serves as president in the event that the president is unable to do so for any reason or if the president steps down. The vice president also ...

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