“THESE PRINCIPLES FORM THE BRIGHT CONSTELLATION WHICH HAS GONE

BEFORE US AND GUIDED OUR STEPS THROUGH AN AGE OF REVOLUTION AND

REFORMATION.”-THOMAS JEFFERSON, 1801

The Constitution

How is the Constitution Written?

Preamble: states the broad goals of the new government. (“…establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.”)

7 Articles & 27 AmendmentsEach “Article” spells out the organization,

rules, and procedures of American government.

How is the Constitution Organized?

The first 3 Articles deal with the 3 branches of government: -legislative, executive, & judicial

Article 4 deals with relations among the states

- Full Faith and Credit Clause-Privileges and Immunities Clause-Admission of new statesArticle 5 deals with the amendment processArticle 6 – “Supremacy Clause”Article 7 deals with the original ratification

process

27 Amendments

The first 10 are known as “the Bill of Rights”Each additional amendment illustrates our

nations quest to become “a more perfect union.”

It shows one way the constitution has changed with the times. For example, the 13th amendment abolished slavery; the 14th & 15th amendments sought to end discrimination and integrated freed slaves into the nation; the 16th amendment created federal income tax; the 19th amendment gave women the right to vote; the 26th amendment lowered the voting age to 18.

Section 1: Basic Principles

Popular Sovereignty (“We the people!”)Limited Government (rule of law/constitutionalism)Separation of Powers (3 separate, independent braches)Checks and Balances (power can be checked by each branch)Judicial Review (power of court to determine the

constitutionality of a government action.)Federalism (division of power between the states & federal gov)

Marbury v. Madison, 1803

Landmark Supreme Court case in which the High Court established the principle of judicial review.

This power is not expressly stated in the constitution, but implied in Article 3.