On The Check Mechanism Of The First American State Constitutions Power

Year1763　was　the　turning　point　of　the　relationship　between　Britain　and　thirteen　colonies　in　North　America　in　history.　Although　Britain　won　in　Seven　years'　War,　it　was　also　left　by　a　huge　financial　burden.　Therefore,　British　government　formulated　a　set　of　measures　to　collect　new　taxation　from　thirteen　colonies　in　North　America.　The　colonial　people　feeling　discontented　resisted　to　this.　The　relationship　between　both　sides　became　worse　and　worse　which　caused　the　independence　of　the　colony　at　last.　　As　the　struggle　against　the　Britain　went　on,　the　government　institutions　set　by　Britain　in　the　colony　were　replaced　by　the　revolutionary　organizations　gradually.　However,　the　revolutionary　thought　that　it　was　only　a　makeshift　to　organize　in　these　revolutions　and　unfavorable　to　the　maintenance　of　the　normal　civil　order.　Then,　under　the　proposal　of　the　Continental　Congress,　except　two　colonies　in　Connecticut　and　Rhode　Island,　the　other　11　colonies　have　all　launched　the　movement　of　making　the　constitutions.　These　constitutions　were　called　"the　first　American　state　constitutions"　in　the　history.　The　first　American　state　constitutions　were　generally　divided　into　3　parts　as　preamble,　declaration　of　rights　and　form　of　government.　The　contents　absorbed　the　quintessence　of　modern　thinkers　and　reflected　the　principles　of　human　rights　of　the　talent,　people's　sovereignty　　and　basic　human　rights.　Although　the　first　American　constitutions　remained　some　old　institutions　such　as　governor,　council　and　assembly,　they　have　abandoned　the　theory　of　mixed　government　which　was　the　guideline　the　colony　government　depended　on　when　setting　up,　and　replaced　by　the　theory　of　separation　of　powers　as　the　organizational　principle　of　the　new　government.　Compared　with　colony　government,　the　new　government　embodied　the　characteristic　of　preliminary　discreteness　of　power.　In　general,　the　authority　of　the　governor　(　its　English　appellation　is　the　same　as　"governor")　was　compressed　to　the　pure　administrative　respect　and　lost　legislating　and　judicial　function.　Functions　of　the　advisers　were　also　different　with　in　the　past.　They　were　no　longer　compositions　of　House　of　Lords　and　the　court　of　parliament,　but　only　kept　the　roles　of　assistant　of　governor.　And　the　parliament　no　longer　undertook　the　administration　and　judicial　task.　The　separation　of　government's　power,　has　established　the　foundation　for　the　restriction　between　powers.　However,　compared　with　the　system　of　separations　of　powers　that　the　modern　American　federal　government　established,　systems　of　power　restriction　of　the　state　constitution　were　different　to　some　extent.　The　state　constitution　awarded　bigger　power　to　the　parliament;　the　latter　can　exert　its　influence　on　the　administration　and　judicial　department　by　various　kinds　of　ways;　but　the　administration　and　judicial　department　have　no　effective　way　to　keep　the　parliament　in　check.　In　a　situation　that　the　parliament　is　soled　respect,　the　government　structure　was　unbalanced.　And　the　restrictions　among　legislate,　administration　and　judicial　departments　embodied　one　way　characteristic　too.　The　structure　of　the　American　federal　government　is　more　balanced,　and　the　restriction　among　the　president,　congress　and　court　is　mutual.　Seeing　that　the　administration　and　judicial　department　were　unable　　to　pin　down　the　parliament,　the　state　constitution　attempted　to　prevent　it　from　doing　what　one　wished　without　restraint　through　other　ways.　For　example　bicameral　structure　of　parliament,　annual　election,　instruction　,　etc.　　　　　　Thus,　not　only　the　governor　power　was　greatly　restrained　from　the　parliament,　but　also　the　parliament　can　act　unprincipled.　The　persons　who　formulated　new　constitutions　hoped　that　through　this　kind　of　system　design,　they　can　prevent　the　government's　tyranny　and　ensure　people's　freedom　and　happiness.　The　essay　is　divided　into　three　parts　which　are　introduction,　main　　part　and　conclusion.　In　the　introduction　part,　the　author　slightly　stated　current　situation　of　the　research　to　U.S.A.'s　early　state　constitution　in　our　country.　There　are　totally　four　chapters　in　the　main　part.　Chapter　one　briefly　introduced　the　system　and　guidelines　of　the　governments　of　13　colonies　in　British　North　America　;　Chapter　two　narrate　the　formulation　background　and　process　of　the　early　state　constitution　,　and　their　main　content　and　basic　principle;　Chapter　three　an　important　part　of　this　essay,　　it　analyzed　the　mechanism　of　power　restriction　of　the　early　state　constitution　and　its　characteristics;　The　fourth　chapter　summed　up　the　influences　of　early　state　constitutions　toward　U.S.A.'s　federal　constitution　and　some　European　countries　at　that　time.　The　conclusion　part　has　pointed　out　the　main　weakness　existing　in　this　essay.