Anglais cours premier semestre 4

Unit 2: The nation takes shape
Chapter 1: Federal government organized

1/ Washington became president
In February 1789, Congress chooses the first president: George Washington. And they choose John Adams as his Vice-President. They swore to defend the constitution of US. Washington was sworn in his duty, in February 1789. Washington said he doubted if he had “ the competency of political skills, abilities necessary to manage the rudder». He had the ability to make up his mind, and he had the ability Louis XIV had, to choose his advisers well. He knew when and how to ask for their advise. His judgment sound sensed, and he established a strong uniform currency, he established taxes in order to pay the national debt, and to finance the government. He also gave aid to domestic industries in order to decrease US dependence on Europe. He fought a loosing battle against the growth of political parties that he frankly regarded as dangerous. He felt they were likely to divide the new nation. For the most important cabinet he chose men who would form the bases of the 2 mains political party: The Republican party of Jefferson and the Federalist of Alexander Hamilton. Libertarian, Jefferson was secretary of states and Alexander Hamilton, (strongly nationalist conservative) was secretary of Finance. He felt by bringing them in his cabinet, it was very good to neutralize the opposition of those 2 men. He also felt that from the confrontation between those two men some ideas might come.

2/ Precedents are set
Nearly all Acts he made, he had to set up the legislative power. Congress made the two main departments: The department of Foreign office, the department of War, and department of Treasury. The office of the Attorney General was created, and Washington chose Edmund Randolph of Virginia, and he sought to steer a middle cause between Hamilton and Jefferson. Randolph provided advise to the president, and was known as the head of the cabinet. The free use of the presidential veto had been set that in the early stage of the Republic, the power was used with measure. It was used with parsimony. Used when the president felt that a law was unconstitutional. After President Jackson, the veto was used as a political weapon, a medium to show the country the president idea.
Another precedent is the fact that Washington worked out treaties alone, and after they were elaborated it was given to the senate.
He also set a precedent by only serving 2 terms, and no president served more than 2 terms, although it was said the number of terms was not determined by the constitution. He was a democrat, and he was aware that the rotation in power was needed. He only served 2 terms.







3/Congress set up the courts
The Supreme Court would be made up of a chief justice and five associates judges who might be called “justices”. The number of Supreme Court judges fluctuated between 5 to 10. 7 in 1807, and 10 in 1863.The number was 9 in 1869. In the judicial hierarchy the Supreme Court comes first then 3 “Circuits Courts” which could move in the country and 13 “District Court”. Each Circuit Court would have 3 judges, and each District Court would have only 1 judge.
The judges would hold their offices during good behavior; it means they were appointed for life. Today the Supreme Court has became a political role-play in US. Supreme Court developed in a major power. They were no requirement in the judge’s qualifications for the Supreme Court. When John Jay resigned in 1795 of the Supreme Court to become the governor of N-Y, he commented that for him the power of the Supreme Court was not very promising. At the beginning, the Supreme Court didn’t seem very equip to compete with executive and legislative power. The Court has no officers to see that his decisions were obeyed. It had to turn its judgment to the executive branch. The Court appeared as subjected to the good will of the executive. Presidents, like Jackson or Lincoln, ignored decision made by the chief justice. In 1803, something paved the way for the Supreme Court, in a very famous, the “Marbery VS Madison” decision, the chief justice and the court gave to the Supreme Court power of judicial revue. It obtained the power to judge the constitutionality of the laws voted by the congress. This forced State Court and the legislators to recognize the power of the Supreme Court. As from this date, the power of the Supreme Court expanded gradually so as his housing. In 1935, the building of the Supreme Court was finished.

4/ The pay of debt and the creation of a national debt
Hamilton believed that the government would be stronger if he took the payment of the states debt. It would give authority and prestige to the federal government. There was a conflict; sectional that was born from the opposition of the different states North/South. The states didn’t agreed b/c they had nearly paid their debt. Hamilton found a compromise. It was of very personal nature. He went to see Jefferson and he agreed that the North would agree to place the capital on the Potomac River in Virginia. In exchange, the South accepted to give up his debts. It was called “logrolling”, b/c it was an arrangement. Hamilton urged congress to create a national bank, a bank of the US. A private Bank, the federal government would own 20% of the stock and private person would own the rest. It would help collect taxes, it would issue paper money and this money would have enough baking by gold and silver to provide to a sound money system. The bank would make loans to person engage in manufacturing.