American Civilization
The Constitution
Chapter 3 Lesson 1
Pledge of Allegiance
 Strong feelings about the flag
 Liberty and Justice are important to Americans
Structure of the U.S. Constitution
Articles of Confederation were not working because the central government was
weak
British Monarchy made the Americans fear a strong central power
Because of these tings, we divided the powers between state and federal
government and divided the national government into 3 branches
The Constitution is divided into 3 sections:
1. Preamble- why it was written and the purposes of the government.
2. Articles- 7 main sections each covering a different topic about the structure
of government
 Article I, II, III- create the branches of government
 Article IV- relationship between the state and national government
 Article V- explains how to change or amend the Constitution
 Article VI- makes the Constitution the supreme law of the land
 Article VII- explains the ratification
3. Amendments
The 27 changes to the original documents
Principles of the Constitution
That government will be limited, power will be shared between state and
national governments and that national power will be divided into 3
branches. Individual rights will be balanced with public good.
1. Popular Sovereignty and Republicanism
The Constitution is based on the concept of popular sovereignty, which means rule by
the people. The U.S. government is based upon the consent of the governed. The
authority for government comes from the people. In a republican system of government,
the people elect representatives to rule on their behalf.
2. Limited Government
The principle of limited government is fundamental and essential to a democracy. The
Constitution limits the national government’s power by identifying the specific powers
of government and by naming things that the government is not allowed to do.
3. Federalism
The terms federalism and federal system describe the structure of American
government. In this structure, power is divided between the federal, or national,
government and state governments. Within each state, the local governments are under
the authority of the state governments. All levels of government pass their own laws. All
levels have their own agencies and officials who perform their duties under the laws.
Each level has its own court systems to interpret laws.
Federalism creates a union while limiting central power. This system is flexible and
allows the national government to act on issues that affect the country as a whole.
However, federalism also allows state and local governments to act on local matters.
4. Separation of Power into Three Branches of Government
In addition to creating a federal system, the Constitution also limits the national
government by dividing power among the legislative, executive, and judicial
branches. Under the separation of powers, each branch has specific duties in the
government. This system prevents any single government institution from becoming
too powerful.
5. Checks and Balances
The national government’s three separate branches also have a system of checks and
balances. This system allows each branch to exercise some control over the other two.
For example, Congress passes laws, but the president can check that power by vetoing
legislation. That veto power is balanced by the power of Congress to override a veto by a
two-thirds vote of each chamber, meaning the votes of two out of every three members.
The judicial branch checks the power of Congress and the executive branch by deciding
whether laws are constitutional. The judicial branch’s power is balanced by the
president’s power to appoint federal judges and by the Senate’s power to approve or
reject them. Its power can also be checked by the Article V procedures for amending the
Constitution.
6. Individual Rights
The Constitution also outlines and protects individual rights from government
overreach. The first ten amendments to the Constitution are called the Bill of Rights.
These amendments list the rights of Americans. For example, some of the rights include
the right to speak and worship freely, to bear arms, to be free from unfair government
searches, and to have fair criminal trials. However, these rights are not unlimited.
Individual rights are balanced with the government’s need to provide for the people’s
good. For example, to maintain order, the government can place some restrictions on
when and how people exercise their free speech rights.