Name ____________________________ Class _________________ Date ___________________
Foundations of Government
Section 3
MAIN IDEA
The framers of the U.S. Constitution drew upon a history of democratic
ideals while developing a document that would establish a new, stronger
federal government.
Key Terms
Parliament
the lawmaking body of Great Britain
federalism
a federal system of government
compromise
an agreement in which each side gives up something in order to reach
a solution
ratification
approval
supporters of the Constitution who favored a strong national
government
Federalists
Antifederalists
people who opposed the Constitution and the federal system of
government
Section Summary
THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION AND HISTORY
In 1787, a group of delegates gathered to fix the
Articles of Confederation. Instead, they wrote a
Circle the British
completely new plan for our government. This plan
influences on the delegates
to the Constitutional
became the Constitution.
Convention.
The delegates at the Constitutional Convention
were influenced by their British heritage. They took
principles from the Magna Carta, the English Bill of
Rights, and Britain’s parliamentary government.
Parliament is the lawmaking body of Great Britain.
These delegates held their meetings in secret.
Why were the meetings of
the convention held in
They wanted to discuss the government openly and
secret?
avoid the input of outsiders. The framers of the
_______________________
Constitution knew they had to give the national
_______________________
government more power. They also wanted the
states to keep the powers needed to govern
themselves. To do this, the framers established
federalism. This is a system in which the national
government and state governments share power.
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Section 3, continued
The delegates disagreed on many issues as they
wrote the Constitution. They often settled these
disagreements through compromises. A
compromise is an agreement in which each side
gives up something in order to reach a solution.
GOVERNMENT BECOMES STRONGER
The new Constitution increased the strength of the
national government. Congress gained new powers,
and a president and Supreme Court were added to
the national government.
The delegates had finished the Constitution by
September 1787. Most of the delegates believed
they had written the best plan for government
possible. However, the Constitution still had to be
sent to the states for ratification, or approval. To
take effect, 9 of the 13 states had to ratify it. Many
people began to debate whether the Constitution
should be approved. Federalists were supporters of
the Constitution. They favored a strong national
government. Antifederalists opposed the new
Constitution. They believed the federal system of
government would not protect the rights of states or
individuals.
THE CONSTITUTION IS RATIFIED
The Federalists gained support over time. However,
some citizens and states still believed that the
Constitution should contain a list of the rights of
people. The Constitution was ratified in 1788. The
new government took effect in 1789.
How did the new
Constitution affect the
national government?
_______________________
_______________________
What group of people
would have wanted the
Constitution to include a
list of rights?
_______________________
_______________________
CHALLENGE ACTIVITY
Critical Thinking: Contrasting Identify how the
viewpoints of the Federalists and Antifederalists
differed. Design a graphic organizer that presents
these differences clearly.
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Name ____________________________ Class _________________ Date ___________________
Section 3, continued
DIRECTIONS Match the terms in the first column with their correct
definitions from the second column by placing the letter of the correct
definition in the space provided before each term.
_____ 1. Parliament
a. supporters of the Constitution;
favored a strong national
government
_____ 2. federalism
_____ 3. compromise
b. a system in which the national
government and state governments
share power
_____ 4. ratification
_____ 5. Federalists
c. opponents of the Constitution;
believed it would not protect the
rights of states and individuals
_____ 6. Antifederalists
d. an agreement in which each side
gives up something in order to
reach a solution
e. the lawmaking body of Great
Britain
f. approval
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Name ____________________________ Class _________________ Date ___________________
The United States Constitution
Section 1
MAIN IDEA
The Constitution is an agreement between the citizens of the United States
and the government. The Constitution states that the people will grant
powers to the government. In return, the government is to carry out the goals
of the Constitution.
Key Terms
popular sovereignty
Preamble
government by the consent of the governed
the introduction to the Constitution
limited government
a government that has specific restrictions on its power
a principle that in a disagreement, everyone will accept the decision
of the majority (most of the people)
majority rule
delegated powers
the powers that the Constitution specifically gives to the federal
government
the powers that are set aside for, or reserved for, the states
because they are not specifically given to the federal government
reserved powers
concurrent powers
the powers shared by both the federal government and state
government
Academic Vocabulary
federal
referring to the national government
Section Summary
PILGRIMS INFLUENCED THE FRAMERS
The Pilgrims created their own rules of government
in the Mayflower Compact. They all agreed to obey
these rules. Years later, this Compact influenced the
Framers who wrote the Constitution.
Like the Compact, the Constitution would create
a government whose power came from the “consent
of the people.” This is called popular sovereignty.
The Preamble, or introduction, to the
Constitution begins with the words “We the
people.” These words show that the people agree to
the powers they are giving to their government.
Who wrote the rules of the
Mayflower Compact?
_______________________
_______________________
The words “We the people”
are found in what part of
the U.S. Constitution?
_______________________
_______________________
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Section 1, continued
REACHING THE GOALS OF THE CONSTITUTION
The Framers had several goals in mind when
writing the Constitution. One goal was limited
government, or restrictions on government power.
The Constitution also states that disagreements
within the government should be settled by
majority rule in which everyone accepts the
decision of most of the people.
A few years after the Constitution became the
law of the land, the people added the Bill of Rights
to the Constitution. These amendments to the
Constitution set out the rights of every citizen.
What does the Bill of
Rights describe?
_______________________
_______________________
POWERS OF THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS
The Framers of the Constitution did not want a
central government that was too strong. They
wanted power to be shared between the federal and
state governments. This is called a federalist
system, in which the federal, or national,
government has limited powers and state
governments have their own powers.
Which government has
delegated powers from the
Delegated powers are powers the Constitution
Constitution, and which
gives to the federal government in Washington,
government has reserved
powers?
D.C. Delegated powers include the power to print
money and maintain an army.
______________________
States exercise what are called reserved powers.
______________________
These include the power to collect state taxes and to
run local elections.
Concurrent powers are shared by both federal
and state governments. Collecting taxes and making
laws are concurrent powers. Both state and federal
laws must follow the Constitution.
CHALLENGE ACTIVITY
Critical Thinking: Applying Write a set of rules
that might apply to governing your class, including
the rights and responsibilities of teachers and
students. Present your idea and hold a vote to see if
it is approved by a majority.
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Section 1, continued
DIRECTIONS Match the definition with the correct term from the right
column.
_____ 1. A government with specific
restrictions on its power.
a. popular sovereignty
b. delegated powers
c. limited government
_____ 2. The introduction to the
Constitution.
d. majority rule
e. concurrent powers
_____ 3. These are the powers given
by the Constitution to the
federal government.
f. Preamble
g. reserved powers
h. federal
_____ 4. Government by the consent
of the governed.
_____ 5. These are powers set aside
for the states.
_____ 6. A principle that in a
disagreement, everyone
will accept the decision of
most of the people.
_____ 7. These are powers that are
shared by both the federal
and the state government.
_____ 8. This is the term used to
refer to the national
government.
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