The Constitution and the Federalist (Part 1)

The American Political System


Assignment  10/8

Choose one Article from the Constitution and choose a specific Clause or  short paragraph(for
example Article 1 Section 8 Clause 5) Write out the  clause, interpret it, and explain why you chose this passage.

Article 1, Section 2, Clause

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be
included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by the adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for Term of Years,
and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons, The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct.  The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least
one Representative and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall
be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations one,
Connecticut five, New York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland
six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five and Georgia three.

The clause establishes that representation in the House is apportioned on the basis of population. It also establishes that a census be taken every ten years, to accurately represent  the states, in proportion to the population. The first sentence were it mentions direct taxes,didn't allow it to tax, because it was
based on taxes in proportion to the population of the states.


I chose this because, it has given American structure then as we know it today. There has been little change, so there has been continuity.  The only change has been, is the shifting of the population
(north to south, now north to south).   There  is an equality, e,g American born Indians, also slaves.
Wherein this country is made up almost entirely of immigrants.  That suggest that it was designed for some people, primarily person who owned property.