CONSTITUTION AND AMENDMENTS

FIVE BASIC PRINCIPLES

• Popular sovereignty

• Limited government

• Separation of powers

• Checks and balances

• Federalism

POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY

• Government is based on the will of the people

THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT

• Article I -----Legislative

• Article II -----Executive

• Article III ----Judicial

FEDERALISM

• Division of power between the central government and the states.

THREE PARTS OF THE CONSTITUTION

• Preamble

• Articles------ 7

• Amendments----- 27

AMENDMENTS

• Informal amendment

• Made through executive actions

• Formal amendments

• Proposed in 2 ways

National convention

2/3 Congress

• Ratified in 2 ways

• State Convention

• ¾ State Legislatures

POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY

• People are the most important source of governmental power

SEPARATION OF POWERS

• Division of governmental power among the different branches of government

CHECKS AND BALANCES

• System designed to prevent a single branch of government from becoming too powerful

FEDERALISM

• The sharing of power between the national and state governments

AMENDMENT

• A change or addition to the Constitution

BILL OF RIGHTS

• The first ten amendments to the constitution