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- 15 th, 19 th - 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 - 22 nd 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 3 rd 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. ------------