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Review of Chapter Three. The United States Constitution. The American Constitution originally consisted of a Preamble , or introduction, and seven sections called articles. The Framers developed the Preamble and articles around six broad ideas or principles.
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Review of Chapter Three The United States Constitution
The American Constitution originally consisted of a Preamble, or introduction, and seven sections called articles. The Framers developed the Preamble and articles around six broad ideas or principles.
1. Popular sovereignty is the idea that the people are the source of power held by the government. 2. Limited government means that the government possesses only the powers people give it – the government must obey the Constitution. This principle is also known as constitutionalism. This means that government officials are subject to the rule of law – they must always obey the law and are never above it. John Locke
3. Separation of powers establishes three branches that share the government’s power. 4. The Constitution uses a system of checks and balances to ensure that none of the three branches can become too powerful.
Each branch has ways to limit the power of the other two. An example of this principle is the power of the President to veto, or reject, any act of Congress. Congress may override a veto with a two-thirds vote in each house. 5. Judicial Review is the power of the courts to decide what the Constitution means.
The courts also have the power to declare a government action against the Constitution, or unconstitutional. 6. The Framers used the principle of federalism to divide power between the central government and the States.
SUMMARY: Six Constitutional Principles Limited Government Popular Sovereignty Principles of the U.S. Constitution Checks and Balances Separation of Powers Judicial Review Federalism The Constitution & the government of the USA are based on these six ideas
The Big Idea The Constitution is based on six broad principles: popular sovereignty, limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, judicial review, and federalism.
Chapter Three – The Constitution Formal Amendment
The Constitution has lasted more than 200 years because it has changed with the times. Many of its words and their meanings are the same, but some words have been changed, eliminated, or added – and some of the meanings have been modified as well.
The alterations to the Constitution have occurred in two ways: either through formal or informal amendments, or changes. A formal amendment is a change to the Constitution’s written words. The Framers created four ways to make such changes by following the principle of federalism
First, amendments are proposed at the national level – either by Congress or at a national convention Then they are ratified at the State level – either in the State legislatures of by State conventions. This method has been used for all but one of the 27 amendments.
The first ten amendments are called the Bill of Rights Congress proposed all of them in 1789 because many people refused to support the Constitution unless the Federal government protected these basic rights.
GRAPHIC SUMMARY: Methods of Formal Amendment Method Two Method One Congress Proposes Congress Proposes State Legislatures ratify State Conventions ratify Method Three Method Four National Convention Proposes State Legislatures ratify National Convention proposes Each of the methods of formally amending the Constitution is based on the principle of federalism State Conventions Ratify
The States approved these ten amendments in 1791. The other seventeen amendments became part of the Constitution one at a time.
The Big Idea The Framers of the Constitution prepared for changing times by providing for the document’s formal amendment.
