Citizenship Handbook – Part 1: Ideas Behind the Constitution
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The framers of the Constitution wanted to create a republic, a form of government in
which citizens rule themselves through elected representatives
o The Roman Republic faltered in that citizens valued luxury and comfort over
freedom and public service
o Framers of the Constitution wanted a system in which independent citizens
played an active role in their own government
The U.S. Constitution is based on two historic documents: Magna Carta and the
English Bill of Rights
o Citizens have rights which the government must protect; the head of the
government must obey the law; taxes cannot be raised without the consent of
the people; elections should be held frequently; people accused of crimes
have right to trial by jury and right of habeas corpus; people have the right to
own private property
o French philosopher Baron de Montesquieu believed in separation of powers,
the idea that powers of government must be clearly defined and divided into
legislative, executive, and judicial branches to keep one person from gaining
too much power
Citizenship Handbook – Part 2: Structure of the Constitution
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The Constitution is divided into three main parts: the Preamble (opening statement),
the Articles, and the Amendments
o Goals of the Preamble:
 To form a more perfect union – all states should work together as a
unified nation
 To establish justice – Everyone should be treated equally and fairly
under the law
 To ensure domestic tranquility – The government has the responsibility
to ensure peace and order at home
 To provide for the common defense – The government has the
responsibility to protect its citizens against foreign attack
 To promote the general welfare – The government has the
responsibility to promote the well-being of all its citizens
 To secure the blessings of liberty – The government should value and
protect the rights of its citizens
o There are 7 Articles in the Constitution that provide the framework for
government
 Article 1 establishes the powers and limits on Congress
 Article 2 establishes the powers and limits on the President
 Article 3 establishes the powers and limits on the Supreme Court
 Article 4 deals with relations between states
 Each state must honor each other’s laws and allow for new
states to enter the union
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Article 5 allows the Constitution to be amended
Article 6 makes the Constitution the “supreme law of the land” – no
state can make a law violating the Constitution, and federal laws
prevail in all disputes
 Article 7 set up the procedure to ratify the Constitution
o There are 27 Amendments to the Constitution; amendments are formal
changes that create new parts or repeal other parts of the Constitution
 The first 10 Amendments are called the Bill of Rights
Citizenship Handbook – Part 3: Principles of the Constitution
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The Constitution was created on seven basic principles:
o Popular sovereignty – asserts that the people are the primary source of the
government’s authority
o Limited government – the government has only the powers that the
Constitution gives it; every citizen, including government leaders, must obey
the law
o Separation of powers – government is divided into three branches with its
own duties
o Checks and balances – each branch of government has the power to check,
or limit, the actions of the other two ensuring no branch of government
becomes too powerful
o Federalism – division of power between federal government and the states;
the Constitution gives specific powers to the federal government, powers that
are not clearly given to the federal government belong to the states
o Republicanism – citizens elect representatives to carry out their will
o Individual Rights – protection of individual rights such as freedom of speech,
religion, and trial by jury