The Constitution of the United States was drafted by delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, when many of the country's leaders realized that the Articles of Confederation, the set of laws that the country had followed up to that point, were creating more problems than solutions. Once written, approved, and signed by delegates in 1787, it was sent to the 13 states for ratification. But many states saw flaws in the document and refused to accept it until changes were made. Both the authors of the Constitution and its critics were invaluable in shaping the final document. Some of the major flaws pointed out by critics were the lack of a Bill of Rights, the unlikelihood of one government ruling over such a large nation while remaining democratic, and the doubt that such different people could exist under the same government without constant turmoil. Consensus advocates were that a single government with so much power would prove too much of a temptation for power-hungry men, and that power could easily be seized by forces that did not necessarily have the nation's best interests in mind. . Many people thought that government officials could behave however they wanted, without consequences. At the Virginia Ratification Convention, many delegates raised objections, stating that it was impossible for a single government to govern such a large nation without corruption, and that the system of checks and balances was not strong enough, leaving many high-level officials with little to lose if they behaved dishonorably. Supporters of the Constitution have responded to these objections by emphasizing the three-chamber system of checks and balances and the limitation of the presidency to 2 4-year terms, plus the allowance for