Opening:

Create a

K-W-L chart

about the Bill

of Rights.

Just answer

the K and W.

America’s Political

System

History of the

United States Political System

Magna Carta (1215)

• “The Great Charter”

• Established the principle that the

power of the monarchy was not

absolute.

The English Bill of Rights (1689)

• (Created during the Glorious Revolution.)

• Established:

– Trail by jury

– Due process

– No cruel punishment

– No excessive bail or fines

– Right to bear arms

– Right to petition

American Colonies vs. Great Britain

• American Colonies didn’t like being told what to do

by England.

• Believed that taxation without representation was

wrong, colonist were paying money to Great Britain

did not have any economic rights!

Declaration of Independence

• Created on July 4th, 1776

• Written by Thomas Jefferson

(Who stole all his ideas from

John Locke)

The Constitution

was Created

“THE CONSTITUTION WAS NOT MADE TO FIT US LIKE A STRAIGHTJACKET. IN ITS ELASTICITY LIES ITS CHIEF GREATNESS.”

Woodrow Wilson

W,W,W,W, & H

• Delegates met in Philadelphia in 1787 to amend the Articles of Confederation

• They soon made a critical decision: to ignore the Articles and write a new Constitution

• These delegates (now called “framers”) had 5 main purposes they wished to achieve 1787

PURPOSES OF THE

CONSTITUTION • 1) Establish Legitimacy

• Framers wanted to establish the new governments right to rule

• Was the government legitimate? Yes!

• Thus. . .”We the people do ordain and establish this Constitution.”

PURPOSES OF THE

CONSTITUTION • 2) Create appropriate

structures

• The framers were committed to representative democracy

• They created the Congress, the Presidency, and the Judiciary

• The framers also believed an important role for the states

was crucial

PURPOSES OF

CONSTITUTION • 3) Describe and

Distribute Power

• The framers described the

Legislature’s power in Article 1 (8)

President’s power in Article 2 (2,3)

Judicial power in Article 3

State’s power in Article 4

PURPOSES OF THE

CONSTITUTION

• 4) Limit Government Powers

• The framers next sought to limit the powers of the very structures they had created

• They also listed functions unique to the National government

PURPOSES OF

CONSTITUTION

• 5) Allow for Change

• The framers wanted to make sure the Constitution could change with the times

• But they did not want change to the most basic structures and rules of government

• Thus, Article 5 allows for “Amending”

THE BASIC

STRUCTURE

• The Constitution has 3 basic parts

• 1) Preamble: Explains the reason for the Constitution

• 2) Articles 1-7: Provides the outline for the 3 branches of government and state & federal powers

• 3) Amendments: Includes the Bill of Rights and 17 other “changes”

The Actual Constitution

PREAMBLE

“We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our prosperity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Constitutional Principles

The 6 basic ideas that make up the Constitution.

1. Popular Sovereignty

2. Limited Government

3. Separation of Powers

4. Checks and Balances

5. Judicial Review

6. Federalism

Constitutional Principles 1-4

Popular Sovereignty: citizens are in power by voting

Limited Government: people give power to the

government, the government’s power is not unlimited.

Separation of Power: power is separated equally among

the three branches of government

Checks and Balances: each branch of

government watches over the other

Constitutional Principles 5 & 6

Judicial Review: The power of the Federal

courts to determine if Government Action is

Constitutional. The interpreter or final judge

on what the Constitution says and means.

Federalism: A system of government where

power is divided between the national and

state governments.

Federalism

• A system of government where power is shared

between the national and state governments.

State Government National Government

Concurrent

Powers

Amendments

(Additions to the Constitution)

+

Bill of Rights

First 10 Amendments. Added to make the Anti-Federalist happy.

1. Freedoms of Press, Assembly, Speech, Religion & Petition

2. Right to Bear Arms

3. No Quartering of Soldiers

4. No Unlawful Search or Seizure

5. Right to Remain Silent (Due Process)

6. Fair Criminal Trial

7. Civil Jury Trial

8. No Cruel or Unusual Punishment

9. More Rights than are Written Down

10. Power to the States and the People

First Amendment

• 5 basic liberties:

–Freedom of Religion

–Freedom of Speech

–Freedom of Press

–Rights of Assembly

–Rights of Petition

Reconstruction Amendments

Civil war Amendments

• These helped African-Americans

• 13th: Freedom.

• 14th:. Equality; Citizenship

• 15th: Right to Vote

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Bill of Rights Matching Game!

www.texaslre.org/BOR/billofrights.html