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.
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