Name: _______________________
Date: ________________________
2.1 Principles of the U.S. ______________________
I. Aspects of the U.S. Constitution
- Constitution based on the principles of ________ sovereignty and __________ government
- Popular Sovereignty - belief that governments are _____ by, and are subject to the will of the
________
- Limited government - government must obey a _____of laws so it is not free to do what it
wants
- In the U.S., the government must abide by the ____________
- Preamble - _______ sentence of the US Constitution - serves to explain the purpose and
_______ of the document
II. Preamble
Underline the goals.
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish
Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the
general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain
and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
III. Aspects of the US Constitution
Preamble explains the purpose and __________ of the document
- Followed by _______ articles that establish the three branches of the US government
- Article I - legislative branch - Congress - ______ branches: House of Representatives and the
_______
- Role of the legislative branch to make _____________
- Article II- executive branch - President serves as the head of this branch and Role - responsible
for enforcing _________ laws
- Article III - judicial branch - federal court system including the _________ Court (highest court
in the land) Role -laws are applied appropriately
IV. Legislative –
V. Executive –
VI. Judicial –
VII. Growth of Capitol Hill
What did you learn?
VIII. Federal and State Power
- Several _______ clarify the _________of the federal government
- Elastic/ “Necessary Clause” - authorizes Congress to make _______ laws which shall be
“necessary and _________”
- Ex. make and regulate _________
- Federalists believed that the Constitution gave the government power to create a ________
bank while Anti-Federalists said _____ it did not
- Who has what type of interpretation?
- Expands Congress’ authority outside of what is state in the Constitution - _________
- Powers assumed under this clause are _________ powers
IX. Federal and State Power
-
______________/Expressed Powers -powers of the government which are specifically
spelled out
- Relationship between the national and state governments - ___________ clause
-What type of government has a national and state government?
-_____________ clause - Constitution - law of the land
-If any state law contradicts the Constitution, it is overturned ex. Segregation
- Powers granted to the federal government - ____________ powers
- Powers reserved for the states - ____________ powers
X. Federal and State Power
- ____________ Powers - powers shared by both the national and state governments
- Ex.???
- _________Faith and Credit Clause - requires the states to respect each other’s laws of another
state
- Ex. marriage
- Constitution has only been amended__________ times!
- Remains ___________ due to its ___________ - focuses on _________ rather than specifics open to debate and _________ over time