The U'S' Constitution

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The U.S. Constitution

• Chapter 3
• CA Standards 12.1.5, 12.4, 12.4.1, 12.4.2,
  12.4.3, 12.4.4, 12.4.5, 12.4.6

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I. Basic Principles

• Principles are rules the govt must follow
• Five basic principles outlined
• Limited government
• Federalism
• Popular sovereignty
• Separation of powers
• Checks balances

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• Limited government
• Foundations in the Magna Carta
• Restricts powers of govt
• Guarantees individual rights
• Federalism
• Power is divided at Fed, State, local levels
• Separate shared authority

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• Popular Sovereignty
• Authority comes from the people
• Introduced in the Preamble
• Confirmed by electoral process
• Separation of power
• Divides levels in 3 branches
• Each branch has different powers
• No branch has too much power

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• Checks balances
• Each branch restrains the power of the other two
• Inhibits on branch from becoming too powerful
• Requires cooperation for government to function
  well

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II. Amending the Constitution

• Plan to endure for generations
• Meets future needs challenges
• Formal process
• Harder to change
• Represents a real issue, not a passing interest
• Gives voice to new generations

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• Methods of amendment
• Two ways to propose
• Proposed by a vote in Congress
• Requires 2/3 vote of each House to send to states
• Proposed by natl convention
• has never happened
• fear of opening up the whole Constitution to
  revision

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• Two ways to ratify
• Sent to state legislatures
• Requires 3/4 of all states to become part of the
  Constitution
• Special conventions in at least 3/4 of states
• only happened once
• 21st Amendment

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E. The 27 Amendments

• Bill of Rights
• First 10 Amendments
• Ratified in 1791
• Guarantee individual freedoms
• 9th Amendment individual rights not listed are
  the protected
• 10th Amendment powers not listed are states or
  peoples

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• Voting Other rights
• 13th, 14th, 15th Amendments slavery,
  citizenship voting / AA
• 17th popular election of Senate
• 19th female vote
• 26th 18 yr old vote
• 27th originally proposed in 1789 ratified in
  1992 cong. pay raises