***Principles of the Constitution:
• ***Checks and Balances/keep power balanced/prevent corruption for example> Governor
can veto a bill/Example of how the executive branch can check on the legislative branch
• ***Separation of Powers
* Executive branch enforces the law
* Legislative branch creates the law
* Judicial branch interprets the law
• ***Constitutionalism – government must be based on the will of the people
• ***There are three levels of government: National, State, and Local
• ***Federalism: Citizens living under 2 governments that share power and have
independent power
• ↓↓examples of Federalism
•
* ****8
GEORGIA’S CONSTITUTION
***The preamble: an introduction in our
constitution that explains the reasons why our
framers made our government a republic.
***Articles 1-10
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Article 1: Individual rights Bill of Rights, Separation of
powers/church & state, property rights
Article 2: Elections must be by secret ballot and lawabiding, Steps to take for a run-off election, Steps to take if a
public official is found guilty of a serious crime
Article 3: Article 3: Outlines (Legislative Branch) the
structure and function of the two houses of GA’s General
Assembly. Explains how bills are passed into laws
Article 4: Constitutional Boards and
Commissions>Provides for a: Public Service Commission,
State Board of Pardons and Paroles, State Personnel Board,
State Transportation Board, Veterans Service Board, and
Board of Natural Resources
Article 5: Executive Branch> Sets out the qualifications and
terms of office for the governor and lieutenant governor.
Explains duties and powers of governor
***Articles 6-10
6. Article 6: Judicial Branch> discusses the different courts and their
powers and jurisdictions. Article
7. Article 7: Taxation and Finance>Explains methods and
limits of taxation
8. Article 8: Education> Explains how GA’s public school
system is paid for by taxes. Outlines the structure of the
school system at state and local levels
9. Article 9: Counties and Municipal
Corporations>Outlines roles and functions of county and
city governments
10. Article 10: Amendments to the Constitution>Explains
how changes, or amendments, to the Constitution can be
made
***United States Government
• ***The Government of The United States is
based on a written constitution
• ***The supreme law of the land is The U.S.
Constitution
• ***The introduction to The U.S. Constitution is
called Preamble
• ***The levels of government 1. Federal 2. State 3
. Local
• ***IF at anytime that there is a conflict between
State and Federal law, Federal law overrides State
law
***The Debates and Compromises
• ***New Jersey Plan: Congress would have unicameral
legislature based on equal representation/executive
branch selected by congress and appointed by the
supreme court
• ***Virginia plan: Bicameral Legislature Based off
Population of Each State
• ***Great Compromise: Bicameral legislature,
Senate=equal representation, House of
Representatives= representation based on
population/Concern of Representation
• ***Antifederalists: Opposed a stronger National Gov’t
Three Branches of Government
***A Plan built into The United States Constitution to protect the rights of
citizens/first 10 amendments
***The executive branch is the largest
branch of government
***Citizenship
• ***Lowe Voter turnout results in more government
control
• ***The most significant form of citizen participation to
influence government is Voting
• ***To Vote in The United States you must be at least
18 years old and a citizen of the state and county
• ***When voters elect officials to make political
decisions for them…this is known as representative
democracy
• ***The most visible activity in our democratic
government is an election
• ***Representative Democracy- representatives are
elected to make government decisions for the citizens
***Influencing Public Policy and
Political Parties/Elections
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•
•
•
•
•
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***Public policy-Government goal with a plan to achieve it
***Interests groups work in large numbers because it gives them more power
than if they acted alone
***Political parties play their biggest role in election
***Political party-A political organization that seeks to shape public policy by
electing members to gov. office
***In The United States , there are two major political parties…1. Democrats 2.
Republicans
***Direct Democracy is when voters are allowed to make a policy decision
themselves through voting.
***The general election is when citizens vote for a representative at the national,
and state, and local level
***Primary election take place so voters can nominate a candidate for the
November election