The Constitution of the United States
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev
6uKDfe7mw&feature=fvst
An Outline of the Constitution
• The Constitution sets out the basic principles
upon which government in the United States
was built.
• The Constitution is a fairly brief document.
• The Constitution is organized into eight
sections: the Preamble and seven articles. The
original document is followed by 27
amendments.
Articles of the Constitution
Section
Preamble
Subject
States the purpose of the Constitution
Article I
Legislative branch
Article II
Executive branch
Article III
Judicial branch
Article IV
Relations among the States and with the National
Government
Amending the Constitution
Article V
Article VI
Article VII
National debts, supremacy of national law, and oaths of
office
Ratifying the Constitution
Basic Principles
The principle of popular sovereignty
The principle of limited government
The principle of separation of powers
Popular Sovereignty
• Asserts that the people are
the source of any and all
government power
• Government can exist only with the consent of
the governed.
• The people hold the ultimate authority
Republicanism
• People elect their representatives
• A representative democracy lets the people
elect leaders to make decisions for them.
Federalism
• Power of government is divided between the
national government (federal) and the state
government.
• There is constant debate over who should
have more power – the states or Washington.
• When federal law and state law do not agree,
federal law has to be followed.
Limited Government
• Framers wanted to guard against tyranny
• each individual has rights that government cannot take away
• Government is limited to the power given them in the
Constitution.
• The Constitution tells how leaders who overstep their power
can be removed
Separation of Powers
• is the principle in which the executive, legislative,
and judicial branches of government are three
independent and coequal branches of government.
• No one branch holds “too much” power
• Legislative branch - makes the laws
• Executive branch - carries out the laws
• Judicial branch - interprets the laws
Checks and Balances
• Each branch of government holds some
control over the other two branches.
• There are ways for each branch of government
to “check on” the other branches to make sure
each branch does not take power they do not
have.
Individual Rights
• Basic rights (unalienable rights) are
guaranteed by our Bill of Rights (first 10
amendments to the Constitution).
• We have many rights like freedom of religion,
the right to bear arms, and the right to a fair
trial.
Legislative Branch
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•
•
Made up of Senate and House of Representatives
Make our laws
Appropriate Money
Regulate Immigration
Establish Post Offices
and Roads
• Regulate Interstate Commerce and
Transportation
• Declare War
Executive Branch
• The President of the United States
• Chief Executive
• Chief of State
• Chief Legislator
• Commander in Chief
of all the military
(army, navy, air force,
Marines).
Judicial Branch
• Supreme Court and other Federal Courts
• Preserve and protect the rights guaranteed by
the Constitution
• Considers cases involving national laws
• Declares laws and acts “unconstitutional”
Checks and Balances
• the system that allows the legislative,
executive, and judicial branches to (stop and
check) check, or restrain, the actions of one
another.
Executive Checks
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•
•
•
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Propose laws to Congress
Veto laws made by Congress
Negotiate foreign treaties
Appoint federal judges
Grant pardons to federal
offenders
Legislative Checks
•
•
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Override president’s veto
Ratify treaties
Confirm executive appointments
Impeach federal officers and judges
Create and dissolve lower federal courts
Judicial Checks
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Declare executive acts unconstitutional
Declare laws unconstitutional
Declare acts of Congress unconstitutional
The Supreme Court holds the final check