THE SIX BASIC PRINCIPLES
OF GOVERNMENT
2
Basic Principles
Popular Sovereignty (people rule)
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The Preamble to the Constitution begins with this bold
phrase,
“We the People...”
These words announce that in the United States, the
people establish government and give it its
power.
The people are sovereign. Since the government
receives it power from the people, it can govern
only with their consent.
Basic Principles
How do we rule?
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Voting and Participation.
Voting:
 The people’s power comes in the form of democracy.
 We have the right to push into a touch screen our
choices for our government.
Participation:
 Running for elected positions and serving in
government.
 Influencing your representatives in government.
Basic Principles
Limited Government (pt1)
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

Because the people are
the source of government
power, the government has
only as much authority as
the people give it.
The rule of law applies.
All citizens must obey the
Constitution of the United
States.
Authority
Basic Principles
Limited Government (pt2)
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
Much of the Constitution, in fact, consists of
specific limitation on government power.
Bill of Rights

Protections for citizens means limits on
government power.
Article I Section 9

What Congress can’t do.
The limits on what the
government can do,
allows more protection
of citizens’ rights.
Article II Clause 2
“but no Senator or Representative, or Person
holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the
United States, shall be appointed an Elector.”
Basic Principles
Separation of Powers
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Government power is not only limited: it is also divided.
Limited
Power
Limited
Government
Power
Limited
Power
Power
Basic Principles
Separation of Powers
8
The Constitution
assigns specific powers
to each of the three
branches: Legislative
(Congress), Executive
(President) and
Judicial (Supreme
Court).
(President)
(Congress)
Basic Principles
(Supreme Court)
Checks and Balances
9
The system of check and balances extends the
restrictions established by the separation of powers.
•
•
Each branch of government
has the built-in authority
and responsibility to
restrain the power of the
other two branches.
This system makes
government less efficient,
but also prevents tyranny
by one branch. (p68 in
text)
Basic Principles
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Basic Principles
Judicial Review
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


One branch’s power to
restrain the others was not
provided in the text of the
Constitution.
The Judicial Branch’s ability
to deem government acts
(treaties, appointments, and
legislation) unconstitutional
grew from a famous court
decision.
Marbury v Madison (1803)
Before Marbury v.
Madison(1803), all
big profile cases were
to be heard in courts
created by Congress,
according to the
Judiciary Act of
1789.
Congress called the
shots.
Basic Principles
Marbury v Madison (1803)
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




During the Adams administration, William Marbury
sought the position of Justice of the Peace in Washington
DC
He was approved by the Senate, and (soon-to-be-leaving
office), John Adams signed the appointment.
In 1800 Thomas Jefferson defeated John Adams. Time
ran out and the appointments were left to Jefferson.
President Jefferson tells Secretary of State James
Madison to not deliver the appointments that had not yet
been delivered. (Marbury’s included)
Marbury sues Madison for not delivering his appointment
to office, and uses the Judiciary Act of 1789 as his basis
to be heard specifically in the Supreme Court.
Basic Principles
Judicial Review Declared
13




Chief Justice John Marshall declares the Judiciary Act
unconstitutional as grounds to decide jurisdiction.
(Congress can’t tell the Supreme Court what cases to hear.)
By doing this, the Court had declared the acts of another
branch unconstitutional. This power had not come from the
Constitution, but through this decision.
Judicial Review is born.
Supreme Court’s power to review government acts,
including cases with government officials, states, treaties..
Basic Principles
Federalism
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A federal system divides power
between a central government
and smaller, local governments.
This sharing of power is intended to
ensure that the central
government is powerful enough
to be effective, but not
threaten States or citizens.
It also allows individual States to
deal with local problems at the
local level—so long as their
actions are constitutional.
Basic Principles
Federal Government
State and Local Governments
Federalism
15


The effect of a federal
system of government is
the differences of laws
in each state.
Examples:
 Speed
limits
 Sale of alcohol
 Licensing
 Teachers
 Lawyers
 Marriage
Basic Principles