Recap

Name three historical documents that were instrumental in the creation of our government.

Magna CartaEnglish Bill of RightsPetition of Rights

Chapter 3, Section 1

The Constitution

Articles of the ConstitutionPreamble: States the purpose of

the Constitution and sets forth the goals of the government.

Article 1: Legislative BranchSection 1: Creates US Congress.Section 2: Details the US House and Senate.

Other sections spell out the procedures for making laws, lists the types of laws Congress may pass and specify the powers Congress does not have.

Article II: Executive Branch

Section 1: States that power of the executive branch will be given to the President of the US (POTUS).

Other sections lay out the powers and duties, qualifications and procedures for electing President and Vice President.

Article III: Judicial BranchSection 1: Establishes a Supreme Court and gives the national government the power to create the lower courts.

Section 2: Outlines the authority of the Supreme Court.

Section 3: Defines treason against the US.

Article IV: Relations among the States and National government.

Article V: Amending the Constitution.

Article VI: National debts, oaths of office, and the supremacy clause which states that laws passed by Congress and the treaties of the US are the “supreme law of the land.”

Article VII: Ratifying the Constitution.

Six Basic PrinciplesPopular

SovereigntyLimited

GovernmentSeparation of

PowersChecks and

BalancesJudicial ReviewFederalism

Popular SovereigntyThe people are the

only source of any and all government in the United States.

“We the people of the United States… do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America.”

Limited GovernmentThe government may only do those things that the people give it power to do.

Constitutionalism- government must be conducted according to constitutional principles.

Rule of Law- Government and its officers are always subject to the law.

Separation of PowersThe constitution

distributes the power of the National government into the Congress, the President, and the Courts.

This was intended to create a stronger government.

Separation Powers

Legislative = Lawmaking

Executive = Execute, enforces and administers the law.

Judicial = interpret and apply the laws.

Checks and BalancesThe Constitution

gives to each branch it’s own field of governmental authority.

The three branches of government are not entirely separated or independent of each other… they are tied together by a system of checks and balances.

Judicial ReviewThe power of the

courts to determine whether what government does is in accord with what the Constitution provides.

The courts may declare a law unconstitutional (or illegal) if they feel it does not reflect the Constitution.

Established Marbury v. Madison.

Federalism

Division of power among a central government and several regional governments.

The states’ power will never be taken away!