The Constitution

By Mr. G

Seven Principles of the Constitution

• The men who created the Constitution made a new system of government, based on seven ideas.

• 1) Popular Sovereignty-A government in which the people rule.

• 2) Republicanism-The people exercise their power by voting for their political representatives.

Seven Principles of the Constitution (Slide 2)

• 3) Federalism-A system of government in which power is divided between a central government (Washington D.C.) and smaller political units, such as states.

• 4) Separation of Powers-The division of basic government roles into branches. No one branch is given all the power. (Executive, Judicial, and Legislative).

Seven Principles of the Constitution (Slide 3)

• 5) Checks and Balances-Each branch of government can exercise checks, or controls, over the other branches. Though the branches of government are separate, they need each other to perform the work of the government.

Seven Principles of the Constitution (Slide 4)

• 6) Limited Government-Everyone, citizens and powerful leaders alike, obey the law. Individuals, or groups, cannot twist or bypass the law to serve their own interests.

• 7) Individual Rights-The Bill of Rights guarantees certain rights, personal liberties, and privileges to all citizens.

The U.S. Constitution

• The Preamble to the Constitution (please write this down!):– “We, the people of the United States, in order to

form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty, to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

The U.S. Constitution (Slide 2)

• What does the Preamble mean?– “more perfect union”- we want to make a country

better than any other country.– “establish justice”-make a justice system fair to

ALL Americans.– “insure domestic tranquility”-make our country

safe and secure for its citizens.– “provide for the common defense”-create a

military that will protect the country against attack.

The U.S. Constitution (Slide 3)

– “promote the general welfare”- give opportunities for education, employment for all citizens.

– “secure the blessings of liberty”-We look at our personal freedom as a gift from God, so we want to protect each citizen’s freedom.

– “to ourselves and our posterity”-The men who wrote the Constitution wanted this all for themselves AND for all future generations, including ALL OF YOU!!

The U.S. Constitution (Slide 4)

– “do ordain and establish this Constitution. . . “-they believed we were given this as a gift from God (to ordain) and we needed to set it up so it would last a long time (establish).

– The Constitution was finally ratified (voted on by all the thirteen original states) in 1790.

– It was finally the “supreme law of the land”- the law that governed the entire U.S.