3.1 NOTES: THE SIX BASIC PRINCIPLES

BY: Kailah Gordon, Terrell Cheathem, Zane

Ouellette, Colton Beaty

HISTORY OF THE CONSTITUTION

The Constitution was written in 1787 but didn’t

take effect until 1789

Although it is over 200 years old, it still remains an

important and relevant document in our country.

The Constitution is often called “the supreme Law

of the Land” because it is the highest form of law in

the U.S.

OUTLINE OF THE CONSTITUTION

The Constitution lays out the structure of our government

and sets the limits within which the government can conduct

itself.

The Constitution has been able to guide our nation for over

2 centuries because it sticks to basic principles and isn’t

riddled with complex laws and provisions.

It begins with an intro known as The Preamble and is

divided into seven sections called articles.

OUTLINE OF THE CONSTITUTION

The first 3 articles focus on the 3 branches of

Government dealing with Congress, the

presidency, and the court system.

Each of these articles deal with policies

concerning each branch such as organization,

powers, and how members of each are chosen.

OUTLINE OF THE CONSTITUTION

The Fourth Article deals with the States’ placement and their

relationship with both the National Government and each other.

Article V explains how new amendments may be added to the

Constitution.

Article VI announces that the Constitution is the supreme law of

the nation.

The Seventh Article deals with the ratification of the

Constitution.

THE SIX BASIC PRINCIPLES

POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY

LIMITED GOVERNMENT

SEPARATION OF POWERS

CHECKS AND BALANCES

JUDICIAL REVIEW

FEDERALISM

POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY

Popular Sovereignty is the concept that in the U.S. all

political power rests with people. The only way the

Government can govern is with the consent of the

governed.

It is such an important concept because it is one of the

leading themes in the Declaration of Independence.

The Government draws power from the people who have

given them this power through the Constitution.

LIMITED GOVERNMENT

This is the principle that says no government should be all-

powerful and that a government can only do the things that

the people have given them the power to do.

Limited Government is also called constitutionalism because

the government must obey the law and must conduct itself

according to constitutional principles.

This concept is also known as the “rule of the law” which

states that government officers and officials are always

subject to the law.

For the most part, The Constitution is a statement of limited

government because it reads as a prohibition of certain

government authorities.

SEPARATION OF POWERS

In a Presidential System, the judicial, executive, and legislative

powers are split up into three branches.

In the U.S. the executive branch is the President, Congress is

the legislative branch, and the courts represent the judicial

branch.

Article I of the Constitution lays out the powers of the

legislative branch such as lawmaking.

Article II of the Constitution lays out the powers of the

executive branch such as law-enforcing.

Article III of the Constitution lays out the powers of the judicial

branch such as interpreting the law.

CHECKS AND BALANCES

Each branch isn’t entirely independent of each other

because they are woven together with a system of checks and

balances.

This is the concept that states that each branch is subject

to a set of restraints from the other two branches.

Checks such as Congress has the power to make law but

the President can veto any act of Congress or the Senate can

decide not to approve a treaty made by the President.

The purpose of checks and balances is to prevent an unjust

majority.

JUDICIAL REVIEW

Judicial review is a principle of checks and balances that

is used by the courts to determine whether a government

actions abide by the Constitution.

Judicial review gives power to federal and state courts to

deem something unconstitutional meaning it is illegal or

null and void or violates a rule in the Constitution.

Judicial Review was established in 1803 in the case of

Marbury v. Madison

FEDERALISMFederalism is the principle of the division of power among

one central government and multiple regional governments.

The American Government is a federalist system because

the National Government holds some power sand the other

powers are held by 50 states.

The Framers of the Constitution chose this system because

America had rebelled against the severe rule of a central

government and didn’t wish to be ruled by another so they

compromised with splitting up the centralized governmental

powers between the states.