1. Aim: What are the six basic principles of the US Constitution?
Con Law Lesson 06
Aim: What are the six basic principles of the US Constitution?

2. The Six Basic Principles
Popular Sovereignty
Limited Government
Separation of Powers
Checks and Balances
Judicial Review
Federalism

3. Popular Sovereignty All political power resides in the people.
The people are the only sources for any and all governmental power.
Government only governs with the consent of the governed.
We the people of the United States…..

4. Limited Government
The government may only do things which the people have given it the power to do.
Government must obey the law of the land- "The Constitution"
All leaders of the government are subject to the "Rule of Law"
Major parts of the Constitution start with the words; "Congress Shall Make No Law…"

5. Separation of Powers
The Constitution divides the power of government amongst three branches of government.
The Congress has the Legislative power
The President has the Executive power
The Supreme Court has the Judicial power

6. Checks and Balances
The federal government is made of three branches; Legislative, Executive, Judicial
The three branches are not separate but they are independent of one another either
They each rely on a system where each branch has constitutional restraints where each can check what the other is doing

9. Judicial Review
The power of a court to determine the constitutionality of a government action
Judicial Review is the power to declare Unconstitutional an action found to be in violation of the constitution
The Constitution does not specifically give the power of Judicial Review but it is implied and the Supreme Court seized the power in 1803.

10. Federalism
The basic principle of federalism is the division of power among a central government and several regional governments or in the case of the United States- the federal government and the state governments.
The framers set this system up to keep the federal government strong but also give the state governments power and authority. It was meant to be a balance.