BASIC PRINCIPLES
Prevents any one person or group from taking
control of the government
1. Popular Sovereignty- based on the consent of
the governed
- not everyone’s rights equal
-amendments- 15th, 19th
- Abraham Lincoln- immortalized
BASIC PRINCIPLES
2. Separation of Powers
Prevents one group from taking power
Three branches- Legislative, Judicial,
executive
Articles of Confederation failed due to no strong
executive
BASIC PRINCIPLES
3. Checks and Balances
Political power divided among the three branches
Examples: Presidential veto, senate approval of supreme court
judges
BASIC PRINCIPLES
4. limited government
government only has power that the
people give it
 examples: presidential
impeachment,
representatives voted out
5. Federalism
 Division of powers between
federal/state government
BASIC PRINCIPLES
6. Judicial Review
 Power to strike down laws and other government actions as invalid
under the Constitution
STRUCTURE OF CONSTITUTION
1. Preamble 6 goals of the American Government
1. more perfect union
2. establish justice
3. domestic tranquility
4. provide for common defense
5. general welfare
6. secure liberty
STRUCTURE OF THE CONSTITUTION
2. The Articles
- legislative branch
- executive branch
- judicial branch
- state’s powers
- Amendments
- Federal powers
- Ratification
STRUCTURE OF THE CONSTITUTION
3.Bill of Rights and Additional Amendments
- 27 amendments
- Bill of Rights- first 10
- personal freedoms
- 22nd amendment
THE AMENDMENT PROCESS
Two ways to propose amendments: 1. 2/3
vote of each house of congress 2. proposed
by national constitutional convention
requested by 2/3 of state legislatures
Two ways to ratify amendments: 1. ratified by
¾ of the state legislatures 2. ratified by
specially called conventions in at least ¾ of
states
EXECUTIVE BRANCH:
Made up of the President, his cabinet, and Vice
President.
Responsibilities include
 Giving an annual address to Congress
(usually The State of the Union)
 Execution and enforcement of the laws
 Conduct diplomatic relations with foreign
powers
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
Powers include
 Signs bills into law
 Veto bills
 Appoint judges to the Supreme Court
 Issue Executive Orders
 Commander in Chief of the armed
forces
 Offer pardons and clemencies for
federal crimes
 Appoints Supreme Court Justices
EXECUTIVE BRANCH:
Presidential Cabinet
 Appointed “secretaries” of departments—
specialize in this area
 Ex: Secretary of State, Secretary of the
Treasury
Vice President
 Second in command
 President of the Senate
 Aids President in decisions/policy making
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH:
2 houses of Congress
 Senate
 House of Representatives
Each representative/senator elected from their home state
2 senators per state
Number of representatives dictated by census population ratio
 Some states have more (California), some have less (North Dakota)
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH:
Responsible for making and passing legislation on
the federal level
Powers include:
 Writing and passing bills that become laws
 Impeaching and removing the president
 Impeaching and removing federal judges
 Overriding a presidential veto (3/4 majority vote)
 Controlling the spending of money
 Establishing lower federal courts
Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Senate Powers specifically include:
 Approving or rejecting presidential nominations to the
cabinet and Supreme Court
 Ratifying all formal US treaties
House of Representatives specifically include:
 All budget/monetary bills must start in the House
 Speaker of the House (majority leader) is 3rd in Line of
Succession
JUDICIAL BRANCH:
Made up of the Supreme Court,
Appellate Courts, and Federal
Courts
Supreme Court Justices serve lifeterms
Justices appointed by the President,
confirmed by the Senate Judiciary
Committee
JUDICIAL BRANCH:
Judicial Review—the power given to federal courts to
determine whether the actions of the legislative
and executive branches of government are
constitutional or unconstitutional
Unconstitutional laws are laws that are found to
violate a form of the Constitution, typically in
Amendments
Interpreting the Constitution is the biggest challenged
for Supreme Court Justices
 Strict constructionists
 Loose constructionists
REVIEW: THE AMENDMENT PROCESS:
Two ways to propose amendments: 1. 2/3 vote of each house
of congress 2. proposed by national constitutional
convention requested by 2/3 of state legislatures
Two ways to ratify amendments: 1. ratified by ¾ of the state
legislatures 2. ratified by specially called conventions in at
least ¾ of states
The Constitution has been amended 27 times.
The first 10 Amendments are commonly known as the Bill of Rights.
PICKING AN AMENDMENT:
1. Speech, religion, assembly, press, petition
the government
2. Bear arms
3. Quartering of soldiers
4. Unlawful search and seizure
5. Habeas corpus, due process
6. Speedy trial and representation (paired
with 7)
7. Trial by jury in federal court (paired by 6)
8. --------9. ---------10. Powers not specifically given to the
federal government are reserved to the
states or individuals
11. ----------12. Electoral college for selecting
President/Vice President
13. Abolished slavery
14. Established citizenship, representation,
and loyalty
15. Suffrage to all males of age, regardless of
race
16. Federal income tax system
17. ----------18. Prohibition (paired with 21)
19. Women get the right to vote
20. Terms of office, presidential succession
(paired with 25)
21. Ended Prohibition (paired with 18)
22. Term limits for President
23. ---------24. Outlaws poll tax
25. Further clarifies Presidential succession
(paired with 20)
26. Right to vote to all citizens 18 years of age
and older
27. ------------