Download Unit 2 The Principles of American Government

Underlying
Principles
The Constitution is built upon
six basic principles:
Popular Sovereignty
Limited Government
Federalism
Separation of Powers
Rule of Law
Checks and Balances
Popular Sovereignty
• The right of the people to rule
themselves
• Developed from ideas in England
(democratic government)
• Echoed in the Declaration of
Independence and the Preamble
• Writers of the Constitution
designed a government
whose actions would always
reflect the will of the people
• Strongly expressed though
the election process
• If an elected official fails to
serve the people, he/ she can
be removed from office
Limited Government
• One danger of democratic society:
the majority may try to limit or deny
rights to the minority
Example: no representation for the
colonists in Parliament
• Writers of the Constitution felt that
government should not be allowed to
do certain things, even if the majority
wants it
• Example: Article I limits the
powers of Congress (no tax
on exports)
• Government is further limited
by the addition of the Bill of
Rights in 1791
Federalism
• The relationship between the state
and national governments.
• Power is divided between the
national and state levels
• Under federalism, the national and
state governments share power
• By allowing each state to have its
own government , the Constitution
gave Americans the freedom to
provide for their own needs
Activity
• You will work on the worksheet
“Amending the Constitution” and
your study notes.
The Powers of
Government
are divided into
three types:
Enumerated powers
• Those powers given
specifically to the Federal
government
• Includes: controlling
immigration, maintaining an
army, establishing a postal
system
Reserved Powers
Those powers given specifically given
to the states
• Including regulation of trade within
the state borders, set up schools,
rules on marriage and divorce
Concurrent powers
• Powers that are shared by the federal
and state governments
• Including the power to tax, borrow
money, set up courts and prisons
The Supremacy Clause
• Found in Article VI
• States that the Constitution and the
laws of the national government are
the “supreme law of the land”
• In any conflict between a national
and state law, the national law has
the highest authority
4. Separation of Powers
• To protect against abuse of power,
the writers of the Constitution divided
the national government into three
branches
• System of checks and balances would
further ensure that no one branch
would have too much power
5. Rule of Law
• No one may escape or break the law
• The law applies to everyone
6. Checks and Balances
• To keep the branches from becoming
too powerful, the Constitution set up
the system
• Under the system, each branch is
able to check (limit) the powers of
the other two branches
• Maintains a balance between the
branches
• Examples:
1.the president can check the
legislature by vetoing legislation,
but Congress then can check the
President by overriding the veto
(then it is passed into a law the
bill the President rejected)
2.The judicial branch can check
Legislative and Executive
branches by declaring that a law
goes against the Constitution
3. Congress can remove justices from
their position.
Activity
• You will get into small groups and discuss
the following terms without your notes:
– Rule of Law, Consent of the Governed,
Limited Government, Individual Rights,
Republicanism, Federalism, Popular
Sovereignty, Separations of Power, and
Checks and Balances
You will be given a sheet with these
terms and have to cut and paste the
correct definition to the term on
construction paper.
Continued…….
• When you finish you will be given, a
“Separation of Powers” worksheet to
complete and be turned in.
• This is group work, so be involved!!!
Discussion
• Why did the Framers of the
Constitution want a Separation of
Powers?