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CHAPTER 3
AMERICAN
HOLT
GOVERNMENT
The U.S. Constitution
Section 1: Basic Principles
Section 2: Amending the Constitution
Section 3: A Flexible Document
Section 4: The Constitution and the Public Good
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
The U.S. Constitution
Section 1:
Basic Principles
AMERICAN
HOLT
GOVERNMENT
Objectives:
 What are the five basic principles on which the U.S.
Constitution is based?
 How does the Constitution ensure the people’s
authority over government?
 How does the Constitution provide for a system of
limited government?
 In what way does the Constitution protect the rights of
the states?
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
The U.S. Constitution
Section 1:
Basic Principles
AMERICAN
HOLT
GOVERNMENT
Basic principles which form the basis of the U.S.
Constitution:
 popular sovereignty
 limited government
 separation of powers
 checks and balances
 judicial review
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
The U.S. Constitution
Section 1:
Basic Principles
AMERICAN
HOLT
GOVERNMENT
How the Constitution ensures popular
sovereignty:
 All the power of the government resides in the people,
exercised by elected representatives. (Aristotle)
 Avoids aristocracy,monarchy and a direct democracy
 “A republic if you can keep it.” - Ben Franklin
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
The U.S. Constitution
Section 1:
Basic Principles
AMERICAN
HOLT
GOVERNMENT
Ways the Constitution limits government:
 Holds that government is not all powerful.
 Government has authority because people give it
 Federalism (local,state,national)
 Change by electoral process
 Referendum >
 Initiative >
 Petition >
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
The U.S. Constitution
Section 1:
Basic Principles
AMERICAN
HOLT
GOVERNMENT
Separation of Powers
Ensures that all government power doesn’t fall into the
hands of one person or group of people
 Legislative > Makes the laws (Article I) Power of Purse
 Executive > Enforces laws (Article II) State of Union
 Judicial > Interprets laws (Article III) Serve for life, salary can
never be reduced. No fear of retribution
 In theory it’s 3 separate branches exercising powers over the other, but in
reality it’s “three separate institutions sharing powers”
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
The U.S. Constitution
Section 1:
Basic Principles
AMERICAN
HOLT
GOVERNMENT
Checks and Balances
Giving each branch of government some form of control
over the other branches
Example:
President: Power to appoint Judges, Pardon Powers
Senate: Approves Federal Judges,Power to alter size of Supreme
Court
Judicial: Chief Justice presides as President of Senate during
presidential Impeachment, Judicial Review > unconstitutional
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
The U.S. Constitution
Section 2:
Amending the Constitution
AMERICAN
HOLT
GOVERNMENT
Objectives:
 Why did the framers establish ways to amend the
Constitution?
 What are the methods for amending the Constitution?
 What is the purpose of the Bill of Rights?
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
The U.S. Constitution
Section 2:
Amending the Constitution
AMERICAN
HOLT
GOVERNMENT
The framers established ways to amend the
Constitution because they realized they were
unable to anticipate future challenges that the
United States would face as it grew.
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
The U.S. Constitution
Section 2:
Amending the Constitution
AMERICAN
HOLT
GOVERNMENT
Methods for amending the Constitution:
 proposal of amendments by a two thirds vote in both
houses of Congress or by a national convention called
by two thirds of the states
 ratification of amendments by approval of three
fourths of the state legislatures or by approval of
special conventions in three fourths of the states
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
The U.S. Constitution
Section 2:
Amending the Constitution
AMERICAN
HOLT
GOVERNMENT
The purpose of the Bill of Rights:
 to protect individual freedoms
 to acknowledge the powers of the states and the
people
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
The U.S. Constitution
Section 3:
A Flexible Document
AMERICAN
HOLT
GOVERNMENT
Objectives:
 How does the Constitution give the three branches of
government flexibility in using their powers?
 How have political parties changed the way
government operates?
 How does the Constitution allow custom and tradition
to help shape government?
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
The U.S. Constitution
Section 3:
A Flexible Document
AMERICAN
HOLT
GOVERNMENT
Flexibility the three branches of government have
in using their powers:
 ability of the federal courts to make decisions about
interpreting laws
 ability of Congress to create and amend legislation
 ability of the executive branch to interpret its powers
to take action
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
The U.S. Constitution
Section 3:
A Flexible Document
AMERICAN
HOLT
GOVERNMENT
Effects of political parties on the government:
 influence the election of the president and other
government officials
 have a role in organizing the day-to-day operations of
Congress
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
The U.S. Constitution
Section 3:
A Flexible Document
AMERICAN
HOLT
GOVERNMENT
Roles of custom and tradition in shaping the
government:
 affect the organization or composition of government
areas
 can bring pressure to make formal changes to the
Constitution
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
The U.S. Constitution
AMERICAN
HOLT
GOVERNMENT
Section 4:
The Constitution and the Public Good
Objectives:
 What were some of James Madison’s contributions to
the development of the U.S. government?
 How does the Constitution ensure that government
makes laws that promote the public good?
 Why do critics claim that the Constitution sometimes
makes government less effective?
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
The U.S. Constitution
AMERICAN
HOLT
GOVERNMENT
Section 4:
The Constitution and the Public Good
Some of James Madison’s contributions to the
development of the U.S. government:
 argued that the Constitution prevented control by
factions because of the large size of the United States
and the system of checks and balances provided by
the Constitution
 reasoned that large republics, like the United States,
would represent the broad interests of society and
promote the public good
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
The U.S. Constitution
AMERICAN
HOLT
GOVERNMENT
Section 4:
The Constitution and the Public Good
How the Constitution ensures that government
makes laws promoting the public good:
 places control of all government power in the hands of
U.S. citizens
 prevents the passage of policies that represent the
narrow interests of just a few groups
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
The U.S. Constitution
AMERICAN
HOLT
GOVERNMENT
Section 4:
The Constitution and the Public Good
Reasons critics claim the Constitution makes
government less effective:
 promotes gridlock
 eases the ability of government leaders to avoid
responsibility for problems
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
AMERICAN
HOLT
GOVERNMENT
Chapter Wrap-Up
1. In what ways does the Constitution reflect the
principles of popular sovereignty and limited
government?
2. Why did the framers of the Constitution create
a distinct form of federalism instead of
adopting a unitary system of government?
3. How does the Bill of Rights work to protect
individual rights?
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
AMERICAN
HOLT
GOVERNMENT
Chapter Wrap-Up
4. Why has the Constitution been amended only
27 times in more than 200 years?
5. Why did James Madison believe that the U.S.
republic’s large size would help government
serve the public good?
6. How does the system of checks and balances
help prevent one branch of government from
becoming too powerful?
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON