Name: ________________________________________ Per. ___ Date: ______________________________
Chapter 8 Lesson 1 – Principles of the Constitution (pg. 206-211 in textbook)
Review the timeline on page 204-205 in your textbook. Look at the many events on the time line and notice how many
of them are related to how the Constitution has been interpreted and changed over time.
Which two timeline events support the view that groups of people achieved greater equality as a result of Constitutional
change?
A. __________________________________________________________
B. ___________________________________________________________
Looking at the map on page 205, What is the capital of the United States? Anwer: ______________________________
Location – Between what two states is the capital located? ______________________ and ______________________
Name three buildings or institutions of national importance located in Washington, D.C.
1. ___________________________ 2. ___________________________ 3. ____________________________
One of the reasons that the site of Washington, D.C. , was chosen as the capital was that it was in the middle of the
country existed in the year 1790. What is the advantage of such a location?
Answer: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Our Constitution (pg. 206)
Guiding Question
What basic _____________________ of government are set forth by the Constitution?
The United States ______________________________ presents the American solution to the challenge of government.
This solution is based on several key principles. They are:
1. Popular Sovereignty
2. A _____________________ form of government
3. _____________________ government
4. Federalism
5. ____________________ of powers
6. Checks and ___________________
7. _____________________ rights
The Constitution begins with an ____________________________ or preamble. With its first words, “ ______ the
People” – the preamble lays the foundation of the American system of government. Popular sovereignty means, the
authority of the ________________. The preamble makes it clear that it is the people of the United States who hold
the power and who establish a system of government for their own __________ - being.
The Nation is a Republic
How do the people rule in the United States? The Constitution establishes a __________________ form of government.
A republic is a government in which the people rule through _____________________ representatives. Those
representatives make laws and conduct government on behalf of the people. In general, the terms republic and
representative government mean the same thing.
Limited Government (pg. 207)
The Framers were concerned of a government that might take away people’s _______________ or favor certain groups.
At the same time, they realized that the nation needed a stronger government than the ______________________ of
_____________________________ had provided. Their goal was to establish ___________________ ____government,
in which the powers of government are strictly defined. A limited government has only those powers that are given to it
by the ________________.
Federalism
The original thirteen states had fought hard to win independence from ______________ ____________________. The
Articles of Confederation protected that independence, but failed to create a ___________________ government
strong enough to deal with many challenges the young nation faced. The United States has a _____________________
government, where the many state governments and the single federal government share power. This system is known
as ______________________________.
The Constitution creates the federal system. It explains how powers are _______________________among different
levels of government. The Constitution spells out the powers given to ____________________ and establishes the
executive and ________________________ branches.
The Constitution lists _______________________ powers, or those powers that are specifically given to __________.
Enumerated powers include the power to ___________ money, regulate interstate and foreign ________________,
maintain the ________________ forces, and create federal ___________________. The states cannot exercise these
powers.
Reserved powers are those powers that belong to the _______________. The Constitution does not specifically list
the reserved powers. The _______________ Amendment declares that all powers not specifically granted to the
federal government, “ are _____________________ for the States.” The reserved powers include… the power to create
_________________, pass marriage and ________________ laws, and regulate ______________ within a state.
Under the Constitution, the ______________________ government and the _____________ governments share
certain powers. These are the _________________________ powers. Examples of concurrent powers are the right to
raise _______________, borrow _____________________, provide for the public welfare, and carry out criminal justice.
Each state and the federal government can exercise these powers at the same time.