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The Constitution - Unit 1 Notes
How did we get the Constitution?
 Founding fathers got together at the _________________ _____________________ to revise the Articles of
Confederation, but created a new ________ of the ______________ – the Constitution!
 The men present at the Convention are often called the “______________” of the Constitution
The Constitutional Convention
 The Convention was all about ___________________ because they were several disagreements between factions
 They had to resolve those disagreements in order for the ____________________ of the Constitution to take place
Ratification
 Formal _________________ of the Constitution
 In order for ratification to occur, several compromises had to be made to get at least____ of the 13 __________ to
approve the Constitution
Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists
The Federalists
 Want a strong _______________ government
 _____________ ratification of the Constitution
The Anti-Federalists
 Want strong ________________ governments
 Did not _________________ ratification of the Constitution until it protected _________________ and states’
__________________
 COMPROMISE = ___________________________________________!
 The Bill of Rights protects our _____________________ rights and __________________ rights.
Large states vs. Small states
Large States
 want _________________________ in Congress to be based on _____________________, which would mean that
they would have more ________________ in Congress
 Small States
 Wanted representation in Congress to be ______________ for each _______________ so that large states would not
have more ____________________ than them
 COMPROMISE = ____________________________
 The Great Compromise created our _________________ legislature. We have _________ ______________ in
Congress. The number of representatives in the __________________________________________ is based on
population. The ________________ has equal representation for each state.
North vs. South
North
 Did not want _____________ to count towards _______________ for representation because it would give the South
more __________________
 South
 Wanted ________________ to count towards their population for ___________________ purposes because it would
give them more power in Congress
 COMPROMISE = _____________________________
 For every 5 slaves, 3 count towards the population count for representation in Congress.
The end result of all those compromises was the ______________________________!
Why is the Constitution a “living document”?
 Because it can be _____________________ when needed through the ___________________ ________________
Principles of the Constitution
Rule of Law
 ___________________ must follow the laws, even the government. The Constitution sets ___________ to
governmental power and establishes how ______________ who overstep their _______________ can be
___________________
Popular Sovereignty
 The government gets power from the ______________________
 The people __________ to elect their leaders to ______________________ them, therefore the government follows
the ___________ of the people
Separation of Powers
 Powers and responsibilities are _________________ among __________ branches to prevent one person or group
from having too much power
 The Constitution creates the _______________, ________________ and _________________ Branches
Checks and Balances
 A system of checks and balances allows each branch to _______________ and check the power of the others to
prevent ___________ of ________________
Federalism
 Power is divided between the ______________ government (national government) and the individual _________ and
________ governments
Judicial Review (Independent Judiciary)
 The Judicial Branch is ______________________ and free from pressures and influence by the other two branches
 The Supreme Court is the ______________ ____________________ for interpreting the Constitution
 The Supreme Court can declare a law _____________________________
Individual Rights
 Personal _______________ and basic ____________ are protected so that the government cannot take them away
What kind of government does the Constitution create?
 A _________________ __________________________
o The people elect leaders to represent their ___________________
The Federal System
 The Constitution _______________ ________________ between the national government and state governments
Important elements of the Constitution
 Enumerated vs. Implied Powers
 Article ____Section ____of the Constitution lays out the powers of ___________________.
 Some of those _______________________ are enumerated and some of them are implied.
Enumerated Powers
 Powers that are _______________________ _____________________ in the Constitution
 Examples: power to collect ___________, coin money and _______________ _____________
Implied Powers
 Powers that _______________ can _________________ as part of its lawmaking responsibility
Necessary and Proper Clause
 In Section 8 of Article 1, the Constitution says that Congress can “____________ all _______________ which shall
be necessary and proper” for carrying out its __________________
 This is also sometimes called the _____________ ________________, because it means that Congress’ powers can
be _____________________ to cover a variety of issues or circumstances
Supremacy Clause
 Says that the Constitution is the “________________________________________________________________”
 This mean that federal law ______________________ all state and local laws