CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Chapter 3
The U.S. Constitution
Section 1: Ideals of the Constitution
Section 2: The Three Branches of Government
Section 3: An Enduring Document
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 1: Ideals of the Constitution
The Main Idea
The Constitution is an agreement between the citizens of the
Untied States and the government that the people will grant
powers to the government. In return, the government is to
carry out the goals of the Constitution.
Reading Focus
 How did the Pilgrims influence the framers of the
Constitution?
 What are the goals of the U.S. government as outlined in the
Constitution?
 What are the powers the Constitution gives to the federal and
state governments?
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 1: Ideals of the Constitution
The pilgrims influenced the framers
of the Constitution:
November 21, 1620—The Mayflower Compact
was written to create a new government of
popular sovereignty for the colonists.
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 1: Ideals of the Constitution
Goals of the U.S. Constitution
 To form a more perfect union
 Establish justice
 Insure domestic tranquility
 Provide for the common defense
 Promote the general welfare
 Secure the blessings of liberty
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 1: Ideals of the Constitution
The Constitution establishes federal
and state powers.
 Delegated powers give the federal government
strength to protect and serve the country.
 Reserved powers are kept for the states to
manage their own affairs and to balance the
power of the federal government.
 Concurrent powers are held by both state and
federal governments.
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 1: Ideals of the Constitution
The Constitution establishes federal
and state powers. (continued)
 The federal government is “the supreme law of
the land” that all states must defer to.
 Limited government checks the powers of the
federal and state governments.
 The Bill of Rights protects the powers of the
people.
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
SECTION 1
Question: Why did the Constitution establish
separate powers for the state and federal
governments?
state
government
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to keep each
from getting
too strong
federal
government
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 2: The Three Branches of Government
The Main Idea
The Constitution prevents any person, or any part of the
government, from taking too much power. It does this by
creating three separate branches of the federal government
and distributing power among them.
Reading Focus
 Why does the Constitution provide for the separation of
powers?
 What are the main responsibilities of each of the three
branches of government?
 How does the system of checks and balances work?
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 2: The Three Branches of Government
The Constitution provides for the
separation of powers.
 Ensures no person or branch of government is too
powerful
 Distributes power among three branches of
government:
 Legislative
 Judicial
 Executive
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 2: The Three Branches of Government
Responsibilities of the three
branches of government:
 Legislative—the lawmaking branch
 Executive—executes the country’s laws
 Judicial—interprets laws and punishes law
breakers
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 2: The Three Branches of Government
The system of checks and balances:
 Each branch has powers no other branch can
assume.
 Each branch has powers that limit the powers
of the other branches.
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
SECTION 2
Question: Why does the Constitution provide
for the separation of powers?
Executive
to ensure that no one branch of the U.S.
government becomes too powerful
Legislative
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Judicial
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 3: An Enduring Document
The Main Idea
The Constitution is an enduring document that has met
the needs of a changing country for more than 200
years.
Reading Focus
 How did the framers envision change when writing
the Constitution?
 What are two ways in which the Constitution may be
changed?
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 3: An Enduring Document
The Constitution is a living document.
 It was designed to adapt to a growing, changing
nation.
 There are three ways the Constitution can be adapted
to changing needs:
 Amendment—a written change to the Constitution
 Interpretation—when the Constitution is interpreted in a
new way
 Custom—traditions often referred of as the “unwritten
Constitution”
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 3: An Enduring Document
The flexible Constitution benefits
the United States.
 The government adapts to the changing
conditions and needs of the country.
 The people can repeal constitutional
amendments if necessary.
 Minimum wage laws are an example of
flexible interpretation of the Constitution.
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Section 3: An Enduring Document
Amendments to the Constitution
 Proposal by two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress,
or by two thirds of state legislatures calling for a national
convention to propose the amendment
 The proposal must be ratified by three fourths of the
states.
 Proposals may be sent to the state legislatures or to state
conventions for ratification.
 Approved amendments may be repealed by new
amendments.
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
SECTION 3
Question: Why is the Constitution called a
“living” document?
Why the Constitution
Is Called a Living
Document
because its provisions
enable government to
change to meet changing
conditions
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
CIVICS IN PRACTICE
HOLT
Chapter 3 Wrap-Up
• What are the six goals of government as stated
in the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution?
• What are the three branches of the federal
government, and what are their primary
responsibilities?
• How does the system of checks and balances in
the federal government work?
• What makes the Constitution of the United
States a living document?
• How can the Constitution be amended?
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON