What is the purpose of government? Instructions Preamble of the US Constitution Take out a piece of paper. Answer the above question (3 min.) Find someone who shares either the first letter of their last name or first name with the first letter of either your first name or last name. “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.”

Six Basic Principles of the Constitution

Six Principles of the Constitution Let’s see what you know! Warm-Up 12 minutes In your own words, define each of the principles.

1. Popular Sovereignty All Power is held by the People The power to govern is given through the Constitution Amendments protecting sovereignty: 15th – African Americans 17th – Senators elected directly 19th – Women’s Voting Rights 24th – Outlawed poll tax 26th – Voting age lowered to 18

2. Limited Government Government can only do what the people give it the power to do Constitutionalism - Those who govern must also obey the law; also called rule of law

3. Separation of Powers Legislative Branch – make the laws Represents a district or state Serves 2 or 6 years Executive Branch – enforces the laws Represents the whole country Serves 4 years Judicial Branch – interprets the laws Represents the Constitution Serves for life

What composes this separation of powers?

4. Checks and Balances Each Branch is checked by the other branches Ensures one branch does not have all the power

Checks and Balances Cont. What are ways that each branch can “check” or “balance” the power/authority of other branches?

Checks and Balances Cont.

5. Judicial Review Power of the court to determine the constitutionality of a government Supremacy Clause – US Constitution is the supreme law of the land

6. Federalism Some powers are delegated to the national gov’t and some are reserved for the states States have their own laws, courts, constitutions, and elected officials

Federalism Cont.