The Principles of the United States Constitution

Can we change it? How do we change it? PROPOSING CHANGESAPPROVING CHANGES  Option 1: –Congress proposes an amendment –Needs a 2/3 vote in each house  Option 2: –2/3 of the state legislatures request a national convention –Congress calls the convention  Option 1: –Approved by ¾ of the state legislatures  Option 2: –Approved by ¾ of state conventions

Not everyone was happy…  After 9 states ratified the Constitution, it was official.  Some states believed that the Constitution did not do enough to protect the rights of the people.  They refused to ratify it until it contained a Bill of Rights.

Two Groups Emerged FEDERALISTS  James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay –The Federalist Papers- written to answer criticisms of the Anti- Federalists  Supported the Constitution  Thought some powers should be taken from the states and given to the national government  Favored dividing power among 3 branches  Favored only one executive ANTI-FEDERALISTS  Opposed the Constitution  Thought the Constitution took too much power away from the states  Did not think it guaranteed rights for the people  Wanted to legislative to have more power than the executive  Feared that the executive might become a tyrant  Wanted a Bill of Rights added to the Constitution

Jump Start- PAP  Get a second Pre Test from the front table.  Match the correct principle to its corresponding example.  When you are finished, get out the chart we completed in class yesterday as well as your notes.

Jump Start- OL  Get out your Scavenger Hunt sheet from yesterday.  Check your answers with the key UNDER the blue bucket.  You will have 10 minutes to make sure you have the correct answers.

How did they create it?  The framers used seven principles (main ideas) to guide them. –Popular Sovereignty –Republicanism –Limited Government –Federalism –Separation of Powers –Checks and Balances –Individual Rights

Popular Sovereignty  Ultimate power and final authority is held by the citizens –“ We the people…”  A representative democracy lets the people elect leaders to make decisions for them.

Republicanism  People EXERCISE their power by voting for their political representatives  Representatives then have the power to make laws that govern the people

Limited Government  Government’s power is limited by the Constitution.  Government is NOT all powerful –The Constitution tells how leaders who overstep their power can be removed

Federalism  Power is divided between the national and state governments –Some powers are shared  The National Government has the “supreme power”

Separation of Powers  Power is divided between 3 branches –Legislative branch makes the laws –Executive branch carries out the laws –Judicial branch interprets the laws

Checks and Balances  Each branch has certain controls (checks) over the other 2 –Prevents the abuse of power in government

Individual Rights  Personal liberties or privileges guaranteed to the citizens  The Framers wanted to create a national government that was effective and powerful, but which did not take away rights of people

Example of Popular Sovereignty  “We the people of the United States […] do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” – Preamble  Amendment 14 expands the definition of citizenship  Amendments 19 and 26 expand suffrage to women and those 18 or older

Example of Republicanism  Bicameral (2 house) Congress where both houses are directly elected (Article I)  President and Vice President elected every 4 years (Article II)  National government guarantees each state “a republican form of government” (Article IV)

Example of Limited Government  Bill of Rights  Powers denied to Congress and the States (Article I Sections 9 and 10) –List of things they CANNOT do

Example of Federalism  Powers delegated to the national government (Article I Section 8)  Powers not delegated to the national government and not denied to the states are reserved to the states (10 th Amendment)

Example of Separation of Powers  Articles I, II, and III create the legislative, executive, and judicial branches and outline their duties and powers

Example of Checks and Balances  Congress can impeach officers from the other two branches (Article I)  Presidential veto (Article I)  President appoints judges to federal and Supreme Court (Article II)  Judicial Review (Marbury vs. Madison 1803)

Example of Individual Rights  Bill of Rights  Due process and equal protection from all laws (14 th Amendment)