The Principles of
American Government
Term
Popular
Definition
Government
Sovereignty decisions
depend on
the consent
Consent of (approval) of
the
the
Governed governed
(people)
/
Majority Rule
• We make decisions based on what most
people want (voting) as long as that decision
doesn’t take away people’s rights promised
by the Constitution.
Individual Rights and
Responsibilities
• All citizens have rights that can’t be taken
away but also responsibilities to fulfill as
citizens.
Equal Protection
•Everyone, no matter
their color, wealth, sexual
orientation, beliefs, religion,
values, ability, sex, age, etc. is
entitled to the rights and
protections of citizens of the U.S.A.
Separation of Powers / Checks and
Balances - breaks the U.S. government into
3 separate branches that prevent each other
from gaining too much power.
Judicial Review
• The power of the courts to determine
the constitutionality of the
actions of the legislative and
executive branches of government.
• Example: The precedent for Judicial
Review was established in the 1803
case of Marbury v. Madison. The
Supreme Court stuck down a law
passed by Congress that it said was
illegal.
Federalism
• Remember: The United States has a federal form of
government.
• This means that the national (also known as federal)
government shares power with the states. (U.S. shares
power with Maryland, Virginia, California, etc.)
• Federalism is the system of dividing up powers between the
federal and state governments.
Can you find examples in
the news about each of
these Principles of
American Government?