THE U.S. CONSTITUTION

 The Declaration only set up a series of aspirations, or goals  Promised a system of government that promoted liberty, equality, and individual rights, and that was based on the will of the people.  The Articles of Confederation  First attempt at government  Very weak central government  The Constitutional Convention  Philadelphia 1787  Abandoned the articles and decided to write an entirely new constitution. A FAILED EXPERIMENT

 Established the basic structure of our national government  Power rests with the people, who elect their own representatives  Intent was to create a national government strong enough to defend the nation’s interests and to promote its general welfare  Made federal law supreme over state law  Created an elected President, a Congress with two houses, and a Supreme Court  To ensure the new national government was not too strong, the new Constitution also adopted a number of important principles. THE U.S. CONSTITUTION

 Limited Government  Federal powers limited to those specifically provided in the Constitution.  Republicanism  A democratic government of representatives elected by the people  Popular Sovereignty  The people hold supreme power. Power of the government comes from the consent of the governed.  Federalism  Powers of the federal government were divided between the national government and the states. IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION

 Checks and Balances  To prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful, the Constitution gave each branch ways to stop or “check” the other branches.  Supreme Court made sure the other branches respected the Constitution.  Separation of Powers  Divided the federal powers among three separate branches  The Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court  Amendments  Constitution could be amended to take into account important changes  Allowed the Constitution to adjust to changing times and attitudes IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION

CHECKS AND BALANCES

 A member of the Continental Congress who favored independence.  Helped negotiate the peace treaty with England, ending the Revolutionary War  Author of three essays in the Federalist Papers, which argued strongly in support of ratification of the Constitution.  1789: George Washington appointed Jay as the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court  Appointment resulted in the Jay Treaty (1795)  Elected Governor of New York  Introduced many changes, such as penal reform and the abolition of slavery  Undertook extensive road and canal projects JOHN JAY

 Ratification only occurred when its supporters promised to add a list of rights to protect individual liberties.  These first 10 amendments to the Constitution are referred to as our Bill of Rights THE BILL OF RIGHTS

 Covers five separate rights at the same time. 1.Freedom of Religion  Guarantees freedom of worship  Prohibits Congress from establishing an official or “state” religion  Separation of church and states 2.Freedom of Speech  Americans cannot be put in jail for criticizing the government or for expressing unpopular beliefs  The government can limit speech when that speech creates a “clear and present danger.” 3.Freedom of the Press  Allows newspapers, radio, and television to write or announce what they want without fear of punishment 4.The Right of Assembly  Cannot deny individuals the right to “peacefully assemble” 5.The Right to Petition  Cannot deny individuals the right to write to government officials to change the law THE FIRST AMENDMENT

 “a well-regulated militia” is “necessary to the security of a free state”  People have the right to “bear arms”  Today, some Americans question whether this right is still necessary and whether it encourages violence. THE SECOND AMENDMENT

 Prohibits government from placing troops in people’s homes without their permission.  This happened during the revolutionary war. The British quartered soldiers in people’s private homes. THE THIRD AMENDMENT

 Protects individuals from “unreasonable” searches and seizures by government officials.  If there is a reasonable expectation of privacy, a judge must sign a “search warrant”, presented by a police officer, before the search can be conducted. THE FOURTH AMENDMENT

 A citizen cannot be deprived of life, liberty, or property without “due process of law.”  Cannot be tried for a serious federal crime without an indictment by a grand jury.  No person can be subject to double jeopardy  An accused person cannot be forced to says things that are self- incriminating. (“I plead the fifth”)  Eminent domain refers to the power of a government over property in its territory. If the government must take your property, they must provide the owner with “just compensation.” THE FIFTH AMENDMENT

 Guarantees a fair and impartial trial to all persons accused of a crime  Must be told of the charges against them  Have the right to a trial by a jury  Have the right to be represented by a lawyer THE SIXTH AMENDMENT

 Federal courts cannot require unusually high bail.  Bans cruel and unusual punishment THE EIGHTH AMENDMENT

 Seventh Amendment  Guarantees the right to a trial by a jury in many civil disputes  Ninth Amendment  Even though the Constitution lists some specific rights, this does not mean that citizens do not also hold other rights.  Tenth Amendment  Federal government has only those powers specifically given to it in the constitution. All other powers are reserved to the states or the people. THE OTHER AMENDMENTS

 All citizens have certain basic rights, but they also have specific responsibilities.  Every citizens is partly responsible for how society is governed and for the actions the government takes on his or her behalf.  Duties:  Actions required by law  Paying taxes, jury duty, attending school  Responsibilities:  Not as clear-cut as duties, but they are just as important  Being well-informed, expressing your thoughts, know your rights and assert them when necessary, accept responsibility for your actions, support your family, respect the rights of others  Vote, Vote, Vote!!! RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 The American Flag  The stripes represent the original 13 colonies, the stars represent the current 50 states  Red is for strength and courage, white is for purity and innocence, and blue is for perseverance, vigilance, and justice.  E Pluribus Unum  “Out of Many, One”  Originally referred to the creation of a nation from 13 separate colonies into one united nation.  Today it refers to a country of many peoples from many different cultures, races, and backgrounds  Star Spangled Banner  The national anthem of the U.S.  Written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 after he watched the British attack on Fort McHenry during the War of 1812  In God We Trust  The official motto of the United States  Used as a battle cry by some units in the Union army during the Civil War  Made official in 1956 during the Cold War  Meant to assert the general American belief in God and to contrast it with the communist belief in atheism. SYMBOLS AND MOTTOS