U.S. Constitution

DBQ

The Questions

• How Did the Constitution Guard Against Tyranny?

Bucket

Federalism

Separation of Powers

+ Checks & Balances

Representation

Small & Large States

Thesis

Bucket 1

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Bucket 3

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Bucket 3

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Bucket 4

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Federalism

Separation of Powers

Checks

and Balances

The Great Compromise

Thesis

The Constitution guarded against tyranny by dividing power through

1. Federalism

2. Checks & Balances

3. Representation

Thesis

The Constitution guarded against tyranny by dividing power through

1. Federalism

2. Separation of Powers

3. Checks and Balances

4. The Great Compromise

Documents

Essay Thesis

• The Constitution guarded against tyranny by dividing power in four important ways.

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• Federalism divides power between the national and state governments so that neither can dominate.
• Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances divides government into three branches to prevent any one branch from controlling all authority.
• The Great Compromise (Big States vs. Small States) ensures that all states—large and small—have a fair voice in Congress.

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Thesis

• The Constitution guarded against tyranny by dividing power in four important ways. It used federalism, checks and balances, and a compromise between large and small states to make sure no person, branch, or state could gain too much control.

Intro Paragraph (Broken Down)

Where is the Background Information?

• All background Information should be in the introduction paragraph
• If you write your introduction correctly, you will not need to add background to body paragraphs

Intro Paragraph

1. Hook (Grab attention, connect to the past)

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2. Background/Context (Set the stage for the DBQ)

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3. Thesis (Answer the DBQ question directly with 3 reasons — the “chicken foot”)

Introduction Background Info

• Constitutional Convention
• Articles of Confederation
• Failures of the Articles
• Goals of the Congress
• Tyranny

Body Paragraphs

• 🟡 Baby Thesis
• Clear topic sentence that supports the main argument
• 🟢 Evidence (With citations)
• 🔴 Reasoning
• (Explanation of how the evidence supports the thesis)

Federalism

• Federalism divides power between national and state governments
• “Double Security” - Prevents one central group from controlling everything
• Reserved Powers – Powers that are not given to the federal government by the constitution.
• If its not written in the constitution, states decide
• Education
• Public Health
• Public Safety
• Local Laws

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BODY PARAGRAPH 1 – Federalism

• Topic Sentence:�One way the Constitution protected Americans from tyranny was through federalism.
• Evidence (Doc A):
• Power divided between national and state governments
• Madison’s “double security” quote
• Chart showing different state vs. national powers
• Reasoning
• Why It Prevents Tyranny

Separation of Powers

• The Constitution divides the federal government into three branches, each with its own job. This prevents any single branch from gaining too much power.
• James Madison warned that giving all power to one group is the “very definition of tyranny.”
• Separating power makes it harder for anyone to abuse authority.

Branches of Government

BODY PARAGRAPH 2 – Separation of Powers

• Topic Sentence
• The Constitution guarded against tyranny by separating the powers of government into three different branches so no one group could control everything.
• Evidence (Docs B)
• Madison’s Warning
• Powers of Each Branch
• Reasoning
• Why It Prevents Tyranny

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Checks and Balances

• Checks and balances is a system where each branch of government has the power to limit the other branches. This prevents any one branch from becoming too powerful.
• Legislative → Executive
• Congress can override a veto
• Congress can impeach and remove the President
• Executive → Legislative
• The President can veto laws
• Executive → Judicial
• The President appoints federal judges
• Judicial → Legislative & Executive
• The Supreme Court can declare laws or actions unconstitutional

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BODY PARAGRAPH 3 – Checks and Balances

• Topic Sentence
• Another way the Constitution protected Americans from tyranny was by creating a system of checks and balances.
• Evidence (Docs C)
• Madison’s Idea
• Examples of Checks and Balances
• Reasoning
• Why It Prevents Tyranny

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Great Compromise – Small v Big States

• The delegates created a two-house (bicameral) legislature that balanced the needs of both sides:
• 1. House of Representatives (Big States’ Plan)
• Representation based on population
• Big states get more seats because they have more people
• Example: Virginia had 10 representatives
• 2. Senate (Small States’ Plan)
• Every state gets 2 senators, no matter how big or small
• Gives small states equal power in one house of Congress
• Rhode Island = 2 senators, same as Virginia

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BODY PARAGRAPH 4 – Great Compromise / Representation

Topic Sentence:

• The Constitution also prevented tyranny by creating fair representation for both large and small states.
• Evidence (Doc D):
• Representation in the House (Big States)
• Representation in the Senate (Small States)
• Reasoning
• Why It Prevents Tyranny

Body Paragraphs

• 🟡 Baby Thesis
• Clear topic sentence that supports the main argument
• 🟢 Evidence (With citations)
• 🔴 Reasoning
• (Explanation of how the evidence supports the thesis)

Conclusion