Forming a New Government
FORMING A NEW HIGH SCHOOL Imagine that you re building and opening up a new high school for next year. Create a plan for forming your new high school. With your partner, address the following: 1. Would you look to other schools for guidance, or ideas? Explain. 2. How would a Principal be selected? Future Principals? 3. How would teachers, counselors, & office staff be selected? 4. How would the school colors and mascot be selected? 5. How would the school rules be determined? 6. What would be some difficulties in organizing a new school?
Forming a New Government After the American colonies declared their independence from Britain in July of 1776, their next political step was to form a new government. To do so: They drew on a wide range of political ideas, and models of self-government, which they borrowed from other countries, other time periods, and philosophers.
Articles of Confederation In partners: 1. Find a placard of one of the eight features of the Articles of Confederation. 2. Figure out which feature the placard belongs to and write the corresponding placard letter. 3. What is the symbolism of the featured picture from the placard? 4. What might be a possible problem with this feature?
1: E No chief executive. As a result, the government under the Articles of Confederation suffered from a lack of leadership since there was no single leader.
2: F Laws needed approval by nine of the thirteen states. This feature made it more difficult for laws to pass since laws would have to be agreeable by nine of the states instead of a simple majority of seven.
3: A Congress did not have the power to tax citizens. It could only request tax money from the states. This created financial problems because states often did not pay what was requested of them by the federal government.
4: B Congress did not have the power to draft an army. It could only request states to send men for military services. This feature could leave the country defenseless.
5: G No national court system. This feature made solving disputes among states very difficult since each state had its own court system.
6: H Any amendments (changes) to the Articles must be approved by all 13 states. This made changes to the Articles nearly impossible any single state could prevent a change that the rest of the nation wanted.
7: C Congress did not have the power to collect state debts owed to the federal government. This made it difficult for the government to pay for things it felt the nation needed.
8: D Congress did not have the power to settle disputes among states. As a result, Congress did not have the power to help states work out conflicts among them, and states became increasingly disunited.
Articles Review In partners: 1. On a lined piece of paper, write down which feature is being portrayed in the image.
Congress did not have the power to tax citizens. It could only request tax money from the states.
Congress did not have the power to draft an army. It could only request states to send men for military services.
Congress did not have the power to collect state debts owed to the federal government.
Congress did not have the power to settle disputes among states.
No chief executive.
Laws needed approval by nine of the thirteen states.
No national court system.
Any amendments (changes) to the Articles must be approved by all 13 states.
In order to improve the government, what are three solutions or revisions to the Articles of Confederation that might be considered by the United States?
ARTICLES SYMBOLIC ACROSTIC: Directions: Using your Analyzing the Articles of Confederation handout, create an acrostic poem that contains an explanation of the 8 features of the Articles of Confederation. You must begin each sentence with the beginning letters. Make sure you are explaining the feature and not just listing it. Include one symbol for each feature. The symbol must reflect the feature. Guidelines: In pen or typed, white paper, color symbols. 10 points possible.
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