The Big Ideas

Separation of powers

The men who wrote our Constitution knew they wanted a strong national government. The government under the Articles of Confederation just did not work. The delegates feared that giving too much power to any one person or group could be dangerous. The delegates decided that the powers of government should be divided. This idea is called separation of powers.

Compromise

How was the new Congress to be set up? How many members could each state send to Congress? These were big questions. It was a debate between big and small states.

Different ideas

Virginia was a big state. The Virginians suggested that the number of members be decided by the number of people who lived in the state. A smaller state, New Jersey, suggested that all states have the same number of members.

The Great Compromise

Connecticut came up with what is called “The Great Compromise.” This plan set up two lawmaking groups, or “houses,” as they are called. The House of Representatives was to be based on the number of people living in each state. The other house, the Senate, was to have the same number of members (two) from each state. Laws had to be passed by both houses.

Article I

The Constitution is divided into seven articles. Each article has different sections. Article I deals with the legislative branch.

In 2005, Betty Debnam, creator of The Mini Page, worked closely with the National Archives in Washington, D.C., to create a nine-part series of issues about our U.S. Constitution. This is the third issue in the series, which will continue once a month until Election Day 2020.

The Legislative Branch is Congress. The House of Representatives and Senate make laws, impose taxes and borrow money.

The Judicial Branch is headed by the Supreme Court, which decides whether laws passed by Congress are in keeping with the Constitution.

The Executive Branch is headed by the president. The president has many jobs. One is to see that the laws are carried out.