After gaining independence from England, the beginnings of America required some kind of governmental rule. The basis of the eventual rule we use today was drafted in the late 1700s at a period when America was struggling in forming a successful foundation. Leaders at the time knew that America needed to be strong and united to overcome future problems. .
One of the first ideas for American government was the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation were unsuccessful because too much power was given to the states and the country was not unified. States were having problems with inflation and became under economic depression. A meeting of the states representatives, which became known as the Constitutional Convention, set the basis of America as we know it today. The delegates at this convention were some of the best-known leaders such as James Madison, George Washington, and Alexander Hamilton. The only people actually represented were mainly the best-educated and wealthy classes. Two different plans, the Virginia plan, and the New Jersey plan, were presented each favoring the large states and the small states respectively. The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut plan, combined theories from both forming a lower house which was determined by the number of people in each state(the House), and an upper house which would have two members from each state(the Senate). Other issues settled were the three-fifths compromise (which settled the slave debate), and interstate commerce. The final draft of these plans became known as the Constitution. The Constitution formed three branches of government: the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch. The executive branch was the president and his cabinet. The legislative branch was composed of the House and the Senate. The judicial branch was the federal court system. The original way this system was set up was elitist in the sense that the Senate was chosen by State Legislators and the President was chosen by electors and neither were chosen directly by the people.