Ratifying the Constitution

• Federalists argued that the new government would provide a better balance between the national and state governments.

• Antifederalists 1)feared that the new constitution would give the central government too much power. 2)the new Constitution did not have a Bill of Rights

The Bill of Rights

• Congress added 10 amendments to the Constitution called the Bill of Rights that would protect people’s rights.

• Examples-freedom of speech, religion, press.

There are 3 branches of Government

Over 200 years ago, our Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution. The Constitution is a basic design for how our government should work. The Constitution divides the government into the following three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLQg7G3hkGY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLQg7G3hkGY

                                                                              

     

The 3 Branches of the National Government

The Legislative Branch

• Makes laws for the nation. •The main lawmaking body is Congress. •Congress is made up of two parts, the House of Representatives and the Senate. http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=B44554AB-4D3D-46CD-95A3-712C21A775AF&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US

The Executive Branch

• Makes sure people follow the laws.• President and Vice-President are the leaders of this branch.• When making important decisions, the President often asks for advice from the Cabinet. •The President lives at the White House in Washington, D.C.http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=B44554AB-4D3D-46CD-95A3-712C21A775AF&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US

The Judicial Branch

•When people are unsure about the meaning of a law, this branch makes the decision . • Made up of courts. • Highest of these courts is the U.S. Supreme Court. http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=B44554AB-4D3D-46CD-95A3-712C21A775AF&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US

• Checks and Balances – The balancing of power and the checking of one branch by another.

http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/chb1-120005-checks-balances-checksbalances-education-ppt-powerpoint/

http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=B44554AB-4D3D-46CD-95A3-712C21A775AF&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US