1. What is a constitution?
The rules for government
The highest law of the land

2. Structure
Preamble – describes the purpose of the government being created.

3. We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, 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.

4. Structure
Preamble
Articles, Sections, Clauses

6. Structure Preamble Articles, Sections, Clauses
Legislative branch (Congress)
Executive branch (president)
Judicial branch (Supreme Court)
States
Amending
Miscellaneous, including Supremacy Clause
Ratification

8. Structure Preamble Articles, Sections, Clauses
Legislative branch (Congress)
Executive branch (president)
Judicial branch (Supreme Court)
States
Amending
Miscellaneous, including Supremacy Clause
Ratification
Amendments
Bill of Rights
Civil War Amendments
Eighteen and Twenty-one

9. Principles
Separation of Powers
Checks and Balances

11. Principles Separation of Powers Checks and Balances
Federalism (Tenth Amendment)

13. Principles Separation of Powers Checks and Balances
Federalism (Tenth Amendment)
Limited Government

17. Principles Separation of Powers Checks and Balances
Federalism (Tenth Amendment)
Limited Government
Popular Sovereignty
Judicial Review
Marbury v. Madison

18. Three Branches Legislative – decides what government does
House of Representatives
“voice of the people”
directly elected
short term of office (2 years)
Senate
represent states
stability
staggered, six-year terms

19. Three Branches Legislative
Executive – does what the legislative branch decides
“president” -> new concept
designed to “check” legislative branch
Judicial – clarifies what legislative decided, what the constitution means
only Supreme Court described
judicial review – power to declare acts of congress, the president and the states “unconstitutional”