1. 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.”

2. Six Basic Principles of the Constitution

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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. What composes this separation of powers?

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

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

10. Checks and Balances Cont.

12. 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

13. 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

14. Federalism Cont.