The 7 Principles of Government

What does it all mean?!

McCulloch v. Maryland – Maryland tried to tax a branch

of the national bank in its state; expressed federal power over the states

Federalism

Sharing of power between the national government and the

state and local government

Local

State

National

Great Compromise – compromise of large and small states on representation in Congress during Constitutional Convention; compromise of New Jersey Plan and Virginia Plan; in House of Representatives, representation was based on population; in Senate, representation was based on equality (2 per state); created a bicameral legislature

Republicanism

People elect representatives to run

the government

•Legislative Branch passes a bill•Executive branch can either sign the bill into law or veto the bill•Legislative branch may override a veto•Supreme Court may rule a law unconstitutional

Checks and Balances

System that allows one branch of the

governments to limit the power of the others

Legislative Branch makes the laws

Executive Branch enforces the laws

Judicial Branch interprets the laws

Separation of powers

Division of power in the government into three

branches

Bleeding Kansas; state violently divided over slavery issue; issue

settled by local votes

Popular sovereignty

Authority in the government is given by

the consent of the people

Henry David Thoreau – author and abolitionist who wrote about civil disobedience; Walden

Susan B. Anthony – promoted voting rights for women

Elizabeth Cady Stanton – promoted voting rights for women; Declaration of Sentiments; Seneca Falls Convention

Individual Rights

Rights guaranteed to citizens in the Bill of

Rights

The power of the government is restricted by law; everyone must follow the same rules

Marbury v. Madison – case of midnight judges appointed by

Adams; established the principle of judicial review

which granted the Supreme Court the right to rule actions

as constitutional or not

Limited Government

Texas and Federalism

The Federal System

What it is, How it works.

definition

Federalism• a political system in which several states or

regions defer some powers, (e.g. in foreign affairs), to a central government while retaining a limited measure of self-government

What it means

• Texas is part of a Federal system• That means Texas is part of the USA• It is no longer a separate entity

State equality

• Texas is legally equal to the other 50 states

• It can create state laws that affect everyone within the state only

What the states can do

• Create laws regarding marriage and property

• Create School districts and curriculum

• Set minimum ages for: 1. Drivers licenses2. Getting married

What the states cannot do

• Coin or create their own money• Create state laws that violate

constitutionally protected civil rights• Create international Trade/commerce

agreements• Declare war – (only U.S. Congress can do

that)

However, •the USA has final legal authority over all of the states.

•Legal authority is established by the U.S. Constitution and Federal Laws

•This includes supervisory control over state/local law enforcement.

National Guard

• States have a national guard• It is illegal for the president to

“call out the guard”• It may only be called out by the

state governor• This protects citizens from

standing federal armies being used as harassment

National GuardHowever-• The guard may be federalized -

and temporarily absorbed into the U. S. Army during wartime (such as the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq).

• A state governor may refuse….• But that is frowned upon during

wartime.