The U.S. Constitution

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The U.S. Constitution
CHAPTER 3

• Section 1 Basic Principles
• Section 2 Amending the Constitution
• Section 3 A Flexible Document
• Section 4 The Constitution and the Public Good

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Section 1 Basic Principles

• Objectives
• What are the five basic principles on which the
  U.S. Constitution is based?
• How does the Constitution ensure the peoples
  authority over government?
• How does the Constitution provide for a system of
  limited government?
• In what way does the Constitution protect the
  rights of the states?

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Section 1 Basic Principles

• Basic principles which form the basis of the U.S.
  Constitution
• popular sovereignty
• limited government
• separation of powers
• checks and balances
• judicial review

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Section 1 Basic Principles

• How the Constitution ensures popular sovereignty
• All the power of the government resides in the
  people, exercised by elected representatives.
  (Aristotle)
• Avoids aristocracy,monarchy and a direct
  democracy
• A republic if you can keep it. - Ben Franklin

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Section 1 Basic Principles

• Ways the Constitution limits government
• Holds that government is not all powerful.
• Government has authority because people give it
• Federalism (local,state,national)
• Change by electoral process
• Referendum gt
• Initiative gt
• Petition gt

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Section 1 Basic Principles

• Separation of Powers
• Ensures that all government power doesnt fall
  into the hands of one person or group of people
• Legislative gt Makes the laws (Article I) Power of
  Purse
• Executive gt Enforces laws (Article II) State of
  Union
• Judicial gt Interprets laws (Article III) Serve
  for life, salary can never be reduced. No fear of
  retribution
• In theory its 3 separate branches exercising
  powers over the other, but in reality its three
  separate institutions sharing powers

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Section 1 Basic Principles

• Checks and Balances
• Giving each branch of government some form of
  control over the other branches
• Example
• President Power to appoint Judges, Pardon Powers
• Senate Approves Federal Judges,Power to alter
  size of Supreme Court
• Judicial Chief Justice presides as President of
  Senate during presidential Impeachment, Judicial
  Review gt unconstitutional

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Section 2 Amending the Constitution

• Objectives
• Why did the framers establish ways to amend the
  Constitution?
• What are the methods for amending the
  Constitution?
• What is the purpose of the Bill of Rights?

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Section 2 Amending the Constitution

• The framers established ways to amend the
  Constitution because they realized they were
  unable to anticipate future challenges that the
  United States would face as it grew.

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Section 2 Amending the Constitution

• Methods for amending the Constitution
• proposal of amendments by a two thirds vote in
  both houses of Congress or by a national
  convention called by two thirds of the states
• ratification of amendments by approval of three
  fourths of the state legislatures or by approval
  of special conventions in three fourths of the
  states

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Section 2 Amending the Constitution

• The purpose of the Bill of Rights
• to protect individual freedoms
• to acknowledge the powers of the states and the
  people

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Section 3 A Flexible Document

• Objectives
• How does the Constitution give the three branches
  of government flexibility in using their powers?
• How have political parties changed the way
  government operates?
• How does the Constitution allow custom and
  tradition to help shape government?

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Section 3 A Flexible Document

• Flexibility the three branches of government have
  in using their powers
• ability of the federal courts to make decisions
  about interpreting laws
• ability of Congress to create and amend
  legislation
• ability of the executive branch to interpret its
  powers to take action

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Section 3 A Flexible Document

• Effects of political parties on the government
• influence the election of the president and other
  government officials
• have a role in organizing the day-to-day
  operations of Congress

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Section 3 A Flexible Document

• Roles of custom and tradition in shaping the
  government
• affect the organization or composition of
  government areas
• can bring pressure to make formal changes to the
  Constitution

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Section 4 The Constitution and the Public Good

• Objectives
• What were some of James Madisons contributions
  to the development of the U.S. government?
• How does the Constitution ensure that government
  makes laws that promote the public good?
• Why do critics claim that the Constitution
  sometimes makes government less effective?

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Section 4 The Constitution and the Public Good

• Some of James Madisons contributions to the
  development of the U.S. government
• argued that the Constitution prevented control by
  factions because of the large size of the United
  States and the system of checks and balances
  provided by the Constitution
• reasoned that large republics, like the United
  States, would represent the broad interests of
  society and promote the public good

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Section 4 The Constitution and the Public Good

• How the Constitution ensures that government
  makes laws promoting the public good
• places control of all government power in the
  hands of U.S. citizens
• prevents the passage of policies that represent
  the narrow interests of just a few groups

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Section 4 The Constitution and the Public Good

• Reasons critics claim the Constitution makes
  government less effective
• promotes gridlock
• eases the ability of government leaders to avoid
  responsibility for problems

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Chapter Wrap-Up

• 1. In what ways does the Constitution reflect the
  principles of popular sovereignty and limited
  government?
• 2. Why did the framers of the Constitution create
  a distinct form of federalism instead of adopting
  a unitary system of government?
• 3. How does the Bill of Rights work to protect
  individual rights?

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Chapter Wrap-Up

• 4. Why has the Constitution been amended only 27
  times in more than 200 years?
• 5. Why did James Madison believe that the U.S.
  republics large size would help government serve
  the public good?
• 6. How does the system of checks and balances
  help prevent one branch of government from
  becoming too powerful?