Principles of the Constitution Unit 2: Presentation 2

Rule of Law Everyone must follow the laws, even the government. The Constitution sets limits to governmental power and establishes how leaders who overstep their power can be removed.

Popular Sovereignty The government gets power from the people The people vote to elect their leaders to represent them, therefore the government follows the will of the people

Separation of Powers Powers and responsibilities are divided among three branches to prevent one person or group from having too much power The Constitution creates the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches

Checks and Balances A system of checks and balances allows each branch to monitor and check the power of the others to prevent abuse of power

Federalism Power is divided between the central government (national government) and the individual state and local governments