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The U.S. Constitution
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Is the constitution a perfect document? If so does that mean we have a
perfect government?
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CHAPTER 3
The U.S.
Constitution
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The U.S. Constitution
Basic Principles
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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The U.S. Constitution
Basic Principles
Basic principles which form the basis of the U.S.
Constitution:
◦ popular sovereignty
◦ limited government
◦ separation of powers
◦ checks and balances
◦ Federalism/republicanism
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The U.S. Constitution
Basic Principles
How the Constitution ensures popular sovereignty:
◦ states in the preamble that the people order and
establish the rules for the government
◦ establishes a republic in which citizens elect officials to
represent them
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The U.S. Constitution
Basic Principles
Ways the Constitution limits government:
◦ republicanism
◦ checks and balances
◦ federalism
◦ separation of powers
◦ popular sovereignty
◦ protection of individual rights
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The U.S. Constitution
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The U.S. Constitution
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The U.S. Constitution
Basic Principles
The Constitution protects the rights of the
states by creating a federal system of
government, known as federalism, in which
powers are divided among national, state,
and local governments.
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The U.S. Constitution
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The U.S. Constitution
Amending the Constitution
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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The U.S. Constitution
Amending the Constitution
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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The U.S. Constitution
Majors Constitutional
Challenges
Civil War
◦ 13th, 14th and 15th
◦ Slavery, citizenship and voting
Progressivism, the rise of cities, and industrialism
◦ 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th
◦ Income taxes, Direct Election, Prohibition, Suffrage
Watergate, Cold War and Civil Rights Era
◦ 23rd ,24th ,25th ,26th
◦ DC Electoral, poll taxes, line of succession, and 18 year olds rights
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The U.S. Constitution
Amending the Constitution
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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The U.S. Constitution
Not an easy task
Failed Amendments
Congressional Apportionment Amendment (1789)
Titles of Nobility Amendment (1810)
Child Labor Amendment (1924)
Equal Rights Amendment (1923-1972)
District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment (1978)
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The U.S. Constitution
A Flexible Document
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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The U.S. Constitution
Amending the Constitution
The purpose of the Bill of Rights:
◦ to protect individual freedoms
◦ Originally only from Federal government
◦ to acknowledge the powers of the states and the
people
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The U.S. Constitution
A Flexible Document
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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The U.S. Constitution
A Flexible Document
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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The U.S. Constitution
A Flexible Document
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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The U.S. Constitution
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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The U.S. Constitution
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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The U.S. Constitution
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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The U.S. Constitution
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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The U.S. Constitution
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?
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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