Final answer:
Article I of the Constitution details legislative powers, emphasizing representation as a check on executive power and reflecting the Framers' intent to balance governmental power among a bicameral Congress.
Step-by-step explanation:
Legislative powers are detailed in Article I of the Constitution because the Framers were concerned with balancing power with a strong executive if they first saw legislative representation as a safeguard against tyranny in the new government. The House of Representatives and the Senate make up the bicameral United States Congress, thought to ensure people would be comfortable with a check on executive powers. Therefore, the legislative branch was the first branch of government established.
Together, they form the core of the representative democracy envisioned by the Framers and serve as a check against the concentration of power.The creation of the bicameral Congress, with the House of Representatives based on population and the Senate giving equal power to states, reflects the Great Compromise, which balanced interests of both populous and smaller states.
Article I's prominence in the Constitution underscores the role of the legislature in governing and underscores the shift in political power to a representative body which would serve to check the powers of the other two branches, an essential aspect of the American system of checks and balances. Acknowledging that the legislature governs the state and marks a clear shift in political power, representation becomes the cornerstone of free government as expressed in the Constitution.