The Seven The Seven Principles of Principles of GovernmentGovernment

The Constitution is built upon The Constitution is built upon seven basic principles of seven basic principles of

government. government. The Framers of the Constitution The Framers of the Constitution used these principles to create used these principles to create the “supreme law” of our land.the “supreme law” of our land.

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Who were the framers?Who were the framers?

The framers were the builders of our Constitution

These men debated for the interests of their states, the people, and the nation..

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Popular Sovereignty Popular Sovereignty Definition:Definition:

What does What does popularpopular refer to?refer to?

Population, or Population, or peoplepeople..A A sovereignsovereign king does king does

what?what?

RuleRuleSo together, Popular Sovereignty So together, Popular Sovereignty

means?means?

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People RulePeople Rule

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Popular Sovereignty Popular Sovereignty (people rule)(people rule)

The Preamble to the Constitution begins The Preamble to the Constitution begins with this bold phrase, with this bold phrase,

““We the People...”We the People...” These These words announce that in the United words announce that in the United States, the people establish government States, the people establish government and give it its power. and give it its power.

The people are sovereign. Since the The people are sovereign. Since the government receives it power from the government receives it power from the people, it can govern only with their people, it can govern only with their consent. consent.

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Example: So how do we Example: So how do we rule?rule?

Voting!The people’s power comes in the form of democracy.

We have the right to push into a touch screen our choices for our government!

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Limited Government Limited Government

Because the Because the people are the people are the source of source of government government power, the power, the government has government has only as much only as much authority as the authority as the people give it. people give it.

People

Government

Authority

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More…Limited Gov’t.More…Limited Gov’t.

Much of Much of the the ConstitutioConstitution, in fact, n, in fact, consists of consists of specific specific limitation limitation on on governmengovernment power.t power.

Our rights and freedoms protect us from

Government rule.

Bill of Rights

Freedom of Assembly

Freedom of Petition

Freedom of Speech

Freedom of Press

Freedom of Religion

No Cruel/Unusual Punishment

Counsel, Fair TrialPrivacy

Bill of Rights(Amendments 1-10)

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More…Limited More…Limited Government Government

Limited Limited governmentgovernment means that means that neither the neither the government government nor any nor any government government official is official is “above the “above the law” and can law” and can overstep these overstep these constitutional constitutional bounds.bounds.

We the People

No one is Above

the Law, or Constitution

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Separation of PowersSeparation of Powers

GovernmGovernment ent power is power is not only not only limited: limited: it is also it is also divided. divided.

Government Power

Limited Power

Limited Power

Limited Power

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Separation of PowersSeparation of Powers The Constitution The Constitution

assigns specific assigns specific powers to each of powers to each of the three the three branches: branches: Legislative Legislative (Congress), (Congress), Executive Executive (President) and (President) and Judicial (Supreme Judicial (Supreme Court). Court).

(Congress)(Congress)

((President)President)

((Supreme Court)Supreme Court)

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Checks and BalancesChecks and BalancesThe system of check and balances The system of check and balances

extends the restrictions extends the restrictions established by the separation of established by the separation of

powers. powers.

Each branch of Each branch of government has the government has the built-in authority and built-in authority and responsibility to responsibility to restrain the power of restrain the power of the other two the other two branches. This branches. This system makes system makes government less government less efficient, but also efficient, but also prevents tyranny by prevents tyranny by one branch. (p58)one branch. (p58)

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People are People are sovereignsovereign

Liberty and Liberty and Rights!!Rights!!

Perform civic Perform civic dutiesduties

CorruptionCorruption

RepublicanismRepublicanism

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Individual RightsIndividual Rights The Bill of Rights guarantees certain individual rights

Examples:• Freedom of speech, religion,

press• Right to bear arms

• Due Process

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FederalismFederalism A federal system divides A federal system divides

power between a central power between a central government and smaller, government and smaller, local governments. local governments.

This sharing of power is This sharing of power is intended to ensure that intended to ensure that the central government the central government is powerful enough to be is powerful enough to be effective, yet not so effective, yet not so powerful as to threaten powerful as to threaten States or citizens. States or citizens.

It also allows individual It also allows individual States to deal with local States to deal with local problems at the local problems at the local level—so long as their level—so long as their actions are actions are constitutional.constitutional.

Federal Government

State and Local Governments