Lecture 3 The Framers and Their Constitution: Racist, Sexist, Undemocratic (And Brilliant?)

I. Introduction: Neither Gods Nor Devils

A. Framers=The men at the constitutional convention in Philadelphia who drafted the Constitution   B. How to evaluate their work?   C. Their Constitution is not our Constitution, but:   D. The choices they made continue to shape American politics

II. Who Were the Framers?

A. Mostly aristocrats, some rising professionals   B. Familiar names: Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison.   C. What united them: Need for a somewhat stronger national government.   D. But how strong? A range of views   1. Alexander Hamilton the Nationalist   2. Thomas Jefferson the Localist (absent)   3. John Dickinson the Incrementalist   4. James Madison the Thinker

III. Conflicts at the Convention

A. Power of National Government   B. Big versus Small States   C. Slave versus Free States--The Greatest Compromise   D. Power of the Executive

IV. Major Features of the Constitution

A. Separation of Powers/Checks and Balances   B. Mixture of Direct and Indirect Representation   C. Federalism   D. Rights (But No Bill of Rights)

V. The Battle Over Ratification

A. The Anti-Federalists   B. "The Fall of American Democracy"?   C. The Federalist Papers

VI. The Framers and Their Constitution

A. Racist?   B. Sexist?   C. Undemocratic? 1. Majoritarian? 2. Classical/Participatory? 3. Pluralist? 4. Trusteeship?   D. Brilliant?   (Would you vote for it?)