LIMITED GOVERNMENT IN
AMERICA
USHC Indicator 1.5:
Explain how the fundamental principle of limited government is protected by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, including
democracy, republicanism, federalism, the separation of powers, the system of checks and balances, and individual rights.
Learning Objectives
1.
2.
3.
The students will be able to identify the ways in
which the founding fathers expanded individual
rights by limiting the federal government.
The students will be able to identify the three
branches of government, their functions, and why a
separation of powers was created in the
Constitution.
The students will be able to analyze the Bill of
Rights and the reason it was added to the
Constitution before receiving ratification.
Anticipatory Set

1.
1.
2.
Review: List 3 weaknesses in the Articles of
Confederation that were amended at the
Constitutional Convention.
Skill Development (“I Do”)
Academic Vocabulary
• Key Concepts and Skills
•
Limited Government


The Constitutional Convention did strengthen the
Federal Government, but at the same time, it also
expanded rights to individuals.
There were two ways the Founding Fathers
achieved this…
Achieving Limited Government
Expanding Individual Rights


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Establish a Democracy:
Government derives its power
from the consent of the
people.
Establish a Republic: The
voters elect representatives to
make legislative decisions in
their best interest.
Add the Bill of Rights:
Protection of the people from
the government.
Limiting Federal (Central)
Government

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Separation of Powers:
Creating three branches
instead of one.
Federalism: Both
National and State
Governments are given
powers.
Checks and Balances:
Each branch holds
power over the other.
Separation of Powers
The Federal Government is split into three branches and are
each given a specific task:
Executive Branch
-- Enforces the Laws
Legislative Branch:
-- Makes the Laws
Judicial Branch:
-- Interprets the Laws
Checks and Balances


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Each Branch has power over the other so as to
avoid one branch becoming too powerful.
Please refer to the chart on the next page to better
understand the process.
Image retrieved from ccsd-issued smartboard lesson
Checks and Balances


Each Branch has power over the other so as to
avoid one branch becoming too powerful.
Please refer to this chart to better understand the
process:
The Bill of Rights
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Also known as the First 10 Amendments to the
Constitution.
Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists: AF’s believed the
Constitution did not grant enough individual rights,
and would not ratify until this need was met.
We will cover the first ten amendments shortly.
Guided Practice
-- Articles I-III of Constitution
-- Bill of Rights
Analyze Articles I-III of Constitution
1.
Judging by the articles, why do you believe the
framers separated federal power to three
branches, then made checks against each branch?
Bill of Rights


Do you believe there are amendments that were
added that truly speak of the time period they
were a part of? If so, which one(s)?
Do you believe that any of the ten amendments
listed are relative to today’s world? In other words,
did the framers make a relevant constitution that
applies to us today, 200+ years later?
Closure
-- One Minute Paper
1-Minute Paper


Answer the following prompt
“Popular Sovereignty means that power resides
in the people. In your opinion, does the
Constitution lay out what the government can do,
or does portray how the people run the government?
Independent Practice
-- Constitutional Comic Book Activity
Independent Practice

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Use the transcript of the Constitution to help you!
Refer to the handout “Constitutional Comic Book
Activity” for further questions.
You have 45 minutes to work on the comic book.
Differentiation: Instead of formatting it like a comic
book, write a short story of the event, not including
illustrations.
Assessment
-- Paragraph
Assignment

Respond, in paragraph form, to this prompt:
Synthesize the ways in which the framers created a
limited government through democracy, federalism,
and republicanism, as well as through the expansion
of individual rights and protections from the Federal
Government.
Sources
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
All printed activities derive from the National
Archives website, archives.gov.
Graphic of Checks and Balances: ccsd-issued
smartboard lesson.