Chapter Three A Tradition of Democracy The U.S. Constitution ~~~~~ The Three Branches

Principles of the Constitution

Separation of Powers = the division of the federal government into three separate branches with power distributed among them designed to prevent any person, or any part of the government, from taking too much power

Separation of Powers

The First Congress helped set up the new government constructed a financial system organized new departments of the government wrote the Bill of Rights dealt with debts from the Revolutionary War chose a permanent location for the nation’s capital – Washington, D.C

Separation of Powers

Principles of the Constitution Checks and Balances = A system in which the powers of government are balanced among different branches so that each branch can check, or limit, the power of the other branches. To ensure that no branch of the federal government becomes too powerful

Principles of the Constitution Judicial Review = The power of the U.S. Supreme Court to determine if a law passed by Congress or a presidential action is in accord with the Constitution. Constitution did not give the judicial branch this power case of Marbury v. Madison – 1803 power established by Chief Justice John Marshall

Legislative Congress Executive President Judicial Supreme Court the executive President the legislative Congress the legislative Congress override vetos impeachment approve all federal appointees control spending veto lawsdeclare laws unconstitutional the judicial Supreme Court the judicial Supreme Court the executive President impeachment approve justices and judges appoints justices and judges grant pardons and reprieves declare acts unconstitutional