Chapter 3 The Constitution An Outline • Endured for 200 years because it deals with basic principles – not details and it has built-in provisions for accommodating change • Starts with Preamble – Introduction • Articles – seven •I. Legislative branch •II. Executive branch •III. Judicial branch Amendments • Amendments – 27 • Bill of Rights – 1st 10 – FIRST place where basic rights are mentioned – • Added after the Constitution was ratified – help get it passed The 6 Basic Principles • This is the basis for all political and personal beliefs which we now take for granted. Popular sovereignty • 1. Popular Sovereignty all political power resides with the people : • We the People! Limited government • 2. Limited Government : government may only do those things the people have given it the power to do: • Rule of law; a nation run by laws, not by people. Separation of Powers • 3. Seperation of Powers : powers distributed between executive, legislative, judicial branches Judicial Review •4. Judicial Review : Courts have power to check that government actions are constitutional. Checks and Balances • 5. Checks and Balances : each branch has certain powers that it can use to check the operations of the other two. a. Congress b. Judicial c. Executive See page 68 Federalism • 6. Federalism – some power held by National Gov’t (Washington D.C.) and others belong to the 50 states. Federalism Formal Amendment Process • Amendment – change Constitution • Most common method: • Proposed by Congress by 2/3 votes in both houses • Ratified by the State legislatures of ¾ of the States • Draw chart – page 73 top 2 boxes Important Amendments • • • • • • • Bill of Rights – 1st 10 Amendments 13th – abolish slavery 18th – prohibited sale / use of alcohol 19th – gave women right to vote 21st – repealed 18th 26th – lowered voting age to 18 27th – forbids Congress from raising pay during that term – ratified 203 years after proposed Informal Amendment • Results from daily experiences • Doesn’t involve changes in written words • Tradition and accepted habits • 1. Basic Legislation – spells out general Constitutional principles • Way powers are used • 2. Executive Action – way President uses powers • Executive agreement – deal made with head of a foreign state – carries the same force of law as treaty President Judicial • 3. Court decisions – Supreme Court interprets Constitution – ie: abortion (Roe vs. Wade) • 4. Political party practices – made electoral college (group that makes formal selection of President) into rubber stamp for each State’s popular vote in presidential elections • 5. Custom – unwritten traditions – Cabinet (14 department heads advise President)