lled by the framers. Each branch of government may exercise some control over the others. This system works in several ways. Congress, for example, passes laws. The President may check Congress by rejecting its legislation. This veto power is balanced, however, by the power of Congress to override the veto by a two-thirds vote in each house. The federal courts restrain Congress by ruling on the constitutionality of laws. This system was created to prevent any one branch of national government from becoming too powerful.As to the inclusion of a bill of rights in the Constitution, the federalists said: A listing of rights may be a very dangerous thing. If the national government were to list specific protected rights, what would stop it from violating rights other than the ones listed? Since we cant list all rights, the Federalists argued, its better not to list any at all. By June of 1788, the Constitution was close to ratification. Nine states had ratified and only one more was needed. To achieve this, the Federalists agreed that once Congress met, it would draft a bill of rights.As our country continued and still continues to grow problems started to arise dealing with the Constitution. A very important point in dealing with constitutional power is the Supremacy clause. Article VI of the Constitution states, This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding. In other words a state government retains the power to make laws, as long as those laws do not interfere with the workings and decisions of the national government and of the Constitution.The Constitution gave powers to the national government such as: Article I, ...
