U.S. Constitution 2011

Founding Fathers What did they create?

Articles of Confederation- States had the Power!

Checks & Balance = no “all powerful” government. The Constitution strengthened the central government of the U.S.; it established a strong central government. Framers did fear an “all powerful” central government, thus including “checks & balances” in the central government.

Three Parts to the Constitution The Constitution is organized into three parts: Preamble: Describes the purpose of the document and government. Articles: Establish how the government is structured and how the Constitution can be changed. There are seven articles. Amendments: Changes to the Constitution; the first ten are called the Bill of Rights.

Preamble of Constitution “ We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, 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.”

What are the “Articles”? The US Constitution contains 7 articles: Article 1 deals with the Legislative branch; Article 2 is the executive branch; Article 3 is the Judicial branch; Article 4 is federalism; Article 5 is the Amendment process; Article 6 is the supremacy clause. Article 7 article is the ratification of the Constitution.

The Bill of Rights The Bill of Rights is the collective name for the first ten amendments to the Constitution, which limit the power of the U.S. federal government. These limitations serve to protect the natural rights of liberty and property including freedoms of religion, speech, a free press, free assembly, and free association, as well as the right to keep and bear arms.

Assignment for International Relations Click on Constitution on line from my website. Go do to the following articles: Article 2: Executive Branch Section 1: The President- requirements to be president. Section 2: Appointments, Cabinet and military power. Students should take notes on the aspects of the president’s responsibilities that relate to foreign policy.

Assignment for Global Studies Click on the Time Magazine link on my website. Click on the picture on the right for the Bill of Rights Watch the videos on each and take a few notes.

Constitutional Originalists Strict interpretation Those that believe the document should be interpreted only as the drafters understood it. Tea Party- opening day of new republican Congress, started with a reading of all 7,200 words of an amended constitution. This group believes the constitution was written explicitly for one purpose- restrain the government. Less government, less social programs etc. In fact, the Constitution really strengthened the federal government.