Warm-Up

What is the Preamble to the Constitution? Or what is the purpose of the Preamble? What does it guarantee?

“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 Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

CONSTITUTION BREAK DOWNSection 3: Structures/Functions of Constitution

Mastery Objective

Students will explain the importance of a written Constitution, understand structures and functions established within it’s framework, and explain how certain provisions of U.S. Constitution provide checks and balances among the three branches of government.

TEK 7A 7B 7C 7D 7E 7F 7G 8E

Language Objective

Student will internalize new and basic academic language by using it in meaningful ways including speaking and writing activities.

ReviewSection 2: Beliefs/Principles of Figures

Last time, discussed various presidents OR key figures and how they exercised authority in relation to the Constitution.

George Washington; serving two terms then stepping down-no explicitly spelled out in Constitution (implied)

FDR (1933-1945) elected 4 times and served 3 terms? Was this wrong? No.

Led to 22 Amendment; 2 term limit.

Basic Principles of Constitution Lays out the framework for the Federal

Government, and sets limits to how government must conduct itself

Federal Government is based on the rule of law and that power resides in the people

The Constitution divides power among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government

Checks and balances prevent any one branch from gaining too much power

Basic Principles of Constitution Checks and balances prevent any one

branch from gaining too much power Constitution is a brief document Basic principles; simple and straight

forward

Preamble

Preamble to the Constitution Introductory paragraph; states purpose

“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 Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Articles

Rest of the document is divided into seven numbered sections called Articles

Article I: Legislative Article II: Executive Article III: Judicial Article IV: Relations among the States Article V: Amending the Constitution Article VI: National debts, supremacy of national

law, and oaths of office Article VII: Ratifying the Constitution

(Requirements)

Basic Principles

1. Popular Sovereignty; expressed in Declaration of Independence, people are sovereign (have power),

2. Limited Government; no government is all-powerful; only have as much power as the people give to it—rule of law (government subject to law)

3. Separation of Powers

Basic Principles

4. Checks and balances; each branch can put restrains on the other branch Congress; make laws, but the President

may veto act of Congress Congress can override a presidential veto

by two-thirds vote in each house. Senate may refuse to appointment or treaty

made by president (FDR) President is Commander in Chief but only

Congress can formally declare war

Basic Principles

4. Checks and Balances: Judicial Branch; President has power to name judges

but must be approved by majority vote in Senate Court can strike down acts of Congress of presidential

acts that are unconstitutional 5. Judicial Review; courts determine if government

is acting within bounds of Constitution Framers intended this despite not explicitly sated,

written into Federalist Papers No.78 “independent judges”

6. Federalism; division of power among central government and other regional governments

FORMAL AMENDMENTS

How do you change the Constitution?

Two Ways:

1. Formal Amendments2. Informal Procedures

Formal Amendments (Article V) Changes that become part of the language

of the Constitution FIRST: Proposed by two-thirds vote in each

house of Congress and be ratified by three fourths of the State legislatures (27 amendments adopted this way)

SECOND: Proposed by Congress and ratified by conventions, called for that purpose, in three fourths of the States. (Only 21st Amendment adopted this way-Prohibition)

Formal Amendments (Article V) THIRD: proposed by national convention,

called by Congress at the request of two thirds of the State legislatures and ratified by three fourths of the legislature (never been called for)

FOURTH: Proposed by a national convention and ratified by convention in three fourths of the States

PG 73

Amendments

First 10 Amendments were added after the Constitution became effective.

Proposed by firste session of the First Congress (1789) and apporved by Sates in 1971

Bill of Rights Later Amendments added to

Constitution over last 200 years

Assignment

Working in groups of 3, complete the assigned questions in your textbook.

Pg. 70 #2,3,4, 6 Pg. 77 #1,2,4,6

Everyone needs to write the answers on an individual sheet of paper, and turn it in at the end of class.