U.S. Government Chapter 3 – Section 1

Popular Sovereignty

Limited Government

Constitutionalism

Rule of Law

Separation of powers

Checks and balances

Veto

Judicial review

Unconstitutional

Federalism

Section Objectives:

Outline the important elements of the Constitution.

List the six basic principles of the Constitution.

4.2 – Understand the role of constitutions in preventing abuses of government power.

4.6 – Understand the concept of federalism

Constitution establishes the framework for the U.S. Government. (Like a skeleton, just the framework) Structure

Procedures

Limits for government

Not a long document Just over 7,000 words.

Deals mostly with basic principle and not details.

Simply organized.

Preamble

Articles (7)

Amendments (27)

Simply organized.

Preamble

Articles (7)

▪ 1,2,3- Branches of government

▪ 4- Deals with relations between the states and other states, and states and the federal government

▪ 5- How to amend the Constitution

▪ 6- Supremacy Clause, national debts, national law, oath of office

▪ 7- Ratification process

Amendments (27 total)

Constitution built around six basic principles.

All political power resides in the people (the citizens).

They are the only source of governmental power

Government may only govern with the consent of the governed

No government is all-powerful

Can only do those things the people have given it the power to do

Government must obey the law

Constitutionalism- government must conduct itself according to constitutional principles

Rule of Law- the government and its officials are always subject to, and never above, the law.

The basic powers of government are divided among three branches (legislative, executive, judicial).

The division of power was designed to help limit the governments power

The three branches of government are tied to one another by a complex system of checks and balances.

Each branch is subject to a number of constitutional checks (restraints) by the other branches

Examples are: presidential veto (or to reject a law congress has passed) Congress can override a veto with a 2/3 vote Senate can refuse to approve a treaty or appointment by

the president Supreme Court can overturn a law they find to be

unconstitutional

“Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States”Artist: Howard Chandler Christy

Judicial review is a method of “checks and balances”

Power to determine acts of the government unconstitutional

Unconstitutional- violating some provision in the Constitution

Division of power among a central government and state governments

This was the solution the Framers developed to create a strong central government while preserving the concept of local self-government.

Federalism

“Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States”Artist: Howard Chandler Christy