Copy this on the top half of NB p. 49.

The Seven Principles of the Constitution

Principle Definition Popular Sovereignty (Two lines per row!)Republicanism

Federalism

Separation of Powers

Checks and Balances

Limited Government

Individual Rights

Seven Questions

1. The government is given its power 2. People’s views are represented in

government 3. Power is shared 4. Power is divided 5. Power is evenly distributed by 6. Abuse of power is prevented by 7. Personal freedoms are protected by

Copy these question stems on the bottom half of NB p. 49, skipping one line after each one.

Copy these on NB p. 4883. What are the seven principles

of the Constitution?84. What is classical liberalism?85. What is popular sovereignty?86. What is federalism?87. Under dual sovereignty, what

two governmental organizations share power?

88. What is the relationship between reserved powers, delegated powers, and concurrent powers?

89. How is the principle of the separation of powers put into practice in our government?

90. How does the principle of checks and balances operate?

91. What part of the Constitution protects individual rights?

Space these evenly down the page,

allowing about three lines per question.

Lesson C–1: The Seven Principles of the Constitution

Lesson C–1: The Seven Principles of the Constitution

Today we will define and discuss the seven principles of the Constitution.Today we will define and discuss the seven principles of the Constitution.

Vocabulary

• The Framers – those men who first wrote the Constitution

• sovereignty – the ability and authority to make your own decisions and control your own life

• check – a limitation or control of someone else’s power

Check for Understanding

• What are we going to do today?

• Who were the Framers?

• Why does hockey call it a check when one player skates into and blocks an opposing player with his body?

• Why is it incorrect to say that you have more sovereignty than your teachers?

What We Already Know

American colonists fought for independence so they could create a government that

protected the rights of the people.

What We Already Know

To guarantee that their rights would not be threatened, Americans intentionally

created a government that was very weak.

To guarantee that their rights would not be threatened, Americans intentionally

created a government that was very weak.

What We Already Know

When the Articles of Confederation proved

inadequate to deal with the nation’s

problems, a new and stronger government was created under the

U.S. Constitution.

A tell B

• What event clearly showed the weakness of the national government during the Articles of Confederation period?

• Be sure to re-state the question in your response!

The Framers of the Constitution constructed a new system of government

based on seven principles.

Together they form the foundation of the United States Constitution.

Popular Sovereignty

• The Constitution begins with these words: “We the people of the United States . . . establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

• These words clearly spell out the source of the government’s power.

• The American form of government comes from a school of political thought called classical liberalism, which emphasizes freedom, democracy, and the importance of the individual.

• The Constitution begins with these words: “We the people of the United States . . . establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

• These words clearly spell out the source of the government’s power.

• The American form of government comes from a school of political thought called classical liberalism, which emphasizes freedom, democracy, and the importance of the individual.

Popular Sovereignty

By blending ideas from classic liberalism and civic republicanism, the Constitution formed a government that is responsible to the people

and works for their benefit.

By blending ideas from classic liberalism and civic republicanism, the Constitution formed a government that is responsible to the people

and works for their benefit.

Get your whiteboards and markers ready!

2. The Constitution’s classical liberalism emphasizes

A. the role of government in protecting the rights of the people.

B. personal responsibility and freedom of choice.

C. the separation of the government into multiple branches.

D. the sharing of power between the states and the central government.

E. the role of the people ruling through their elected representatives.

By blending ideas from classic liberalism and civic republicanism, the Constitution formed a government that

A. can be changed very easily.

B. is responsible to the people and works for their benefit.

C. should be the model for the governments of other nations.

D. resembles that of ancient Greece and Rome.

Popular SovereigntyPopular Sovereignty

• The Constitution rests on the idea of popular sovereignty – a government in which the people rule.

• As the nation changed and grew, a broader range of Americans shared in the power to govern themselves.

• The Constitution rests on the idea of popular sovereignty – a government in which the people rule.

• As the nation changed and grew, a broader range of Americans shared in the power to govern themselves.

Popular sovereignty is the idea that the government’s authority comes from the

people and reflects the people’s will.

• This philosophy had its roots in classical Greece and the Roman republic.

• It was expressed again during the Enlightenment by such political writers as John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

• The Framers were deeply influenced by these ideas.

B tell A

• What is popular sovereignty?

• Be sure to re-state the question in your response!

The Seven Principles of the Constitution

Principle Definition Popular Sovereignty A government in which the people rule Republicanism

Federalism

Separation of Powers

Checks and Balances

Limited Government

Individual Rights

Republicanism

• The Framers of the Constitution wanted the people to have a voice in government.

• Yet the Framers also doubted that the people would always make sound decisions.

• To solve this problem, they looked to republicanism as a model of government.

RepublicanismRepublicanism

• Republicanism is the belief that the people rule by electing their political representatives.

• For this reason, republicanism is sometimes called representative democracy.

• According to the Framers, these elected lawmakers play the key role in making a republican government work.

• Civic Republicanism is the idea that citizens stay informed about politics and participate in the process.

• Republicanism is the belief that the people rule by electing their political representatives.

• For this reason, republicanism is sometimes called representative democracy.

• According to the Framers, these elected lawmakers play the key role in making a republican government work.

• Civic Republicanism is the idea that citizens stay informed about politics and participate in the process.

A tell B

• Under republicanism, how do the people rule?

• Be sure to re-state the question in your response!

Get your whiteboards and markers ready!

4. How does republicanism provide the most basic opportunity for citizens to participate in the political process?

A. By empowering them to elect justices to the Supreme Court

B. By creating an electoral college to select the President of the United States

C. By providing for a public referendum on all new laws passed by Congress

D. By allowing them to elect Representatives and Senators

The Seven Principles of the Constitution

Principle Definition Popular Sovereignty A government in which the people rule

RepublicanismRule by the people through their elected

representatives

Federalism

Separation of Powers

Checks and Balances

Limited Government

Individual Rights

Federalism

• The Framers wanted the states and the nation to become partners in governing, so they turned to federalism.

• Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between a central government and the states.

• In the early years of the United States, federalism was closely related to dual sovereignty, the idea that the powers of the federal government and the states were clearly defined, and each had exclusive power over their own spheres with little overlap.

B tell A

• Under federalism, who shares the powers of government?

• Be sure to re-state the question in your response!

Federalism

• In the early years of the United States, federalism was closely related to dual sovereignty, the idea that the powers of the federal government and the states were clearly defined, and each had exclusive power over their own spheres with little overlap.

A tell B

• Under dual sovereignty, what two groups have their powers clearly defined with little overlap?

• Be sure to re-state the question in your response!

Federalism

• Under federalism, the Constitution assigns certain powers to the national government.

• These are delegated powers. • Powers kept by the states are reserved

powers. • Powers shared or exercised by national and

state governments are known as concurrent powers.

Federalism

B tell A

• Under the Constitution, who has responsibility for the delegated powers of government?

• Be sure to re-state the question in your response!

Get your whiteboards and markers ready!

7. Match each term with its correct description.

1. reserved powers

2. delegated powers

3. concurrent powers

A. powers shared or exercised by national and state governments

B. powers assigned to the federal government

C. powers kept by the state governments

The Seven Principles of the Constitution

Principle Definition Popular Sovereignty A government in which the people rule

RepublicanismRule by the people through their elected representatives

FederalismA system of government in which power is divided between a central government and the states

Separation of Powers

Checks and Balances

Limited Government

Individual Rights

Separation of Powers• To prevent too much power falling into the

hands of a single group, the Framers built the idea of separation of powers into the Constitution.

• The Constitution divides the basic roles of government into branches.

A tell B

• How many branches is the U.S. government divided into?

• Be sure to re-state the question in your response!

The Seven Principles of the Constitution

Principle Definition Popular Sovereignty A government in which the people rule

RepublicanismRule by the people through their elected representatives

FederalismA system of government in which power is divided between a central government and the states

Separation of PowersThe division of basic government roles into branches, with no branch given all the power

Checks and Balances

Limited Government

Individual Rights

Checks and Balances• Baron de Montesquieu, a

French thinker of the Enlightenment, first wrote about the principle of checks and balances.

• The Framers included a system of checks and balances in the Constitution to help make sure that the power of government is limited and that the branches work together fairly.

Checks and Balances

• Each branch of government can exercise checks, or controls, over the other branches.

• Though the branches of government are separate, they work together to perform the work of government.

B tell A

• How does the Constitution make sure that no branch of government becomes too powerful?

• Be sure to re-state the question in your response!

The Seven Principles of the Constitution

Principle Definition

RepublicanismRule by the people through their elected representatives

FederalismA system of government in which power is divided between a central government and the states

Separation of PowersThe division of basic government roles into branches, with no branch given all the power

Checks and BalancesThe ability of each branch of government to exercise controls over the other two

Limited Government

Individual Rights

Limited Government

• The Framers limited the power of govern–ment by denying specific powers to the Congress.

• The Constitution also forbids the states to take certain actions.

• These were the delegated and reserved powers discussed earlier.

• The Framers limited the power of govern–ment by denying specific powers to the Congress.

• The Constitution also forbids the states to take certain actions.

• These were the delegated and reserved powers discussed earlier.

Limited Government• The principle of limited government is also

closely related to the “rule of law.” • In the American government, everyone must

obey the law, even the president.

• This principle of government prevents the abuse of power by powerful people.

A tell B

• How does the principle of limited government prevent abuse of power?

• Be sure to re-state the question in your response!

The Seven Principles of the Constitution

Principle Definition

RepublicanismRule by the people through their elected representatives

FederalismA system of government in which power is divided between a central government and the states

Separation of PowersThe division of basic government roles into branches, with no branch given all the power

Checks and BalancesThe ability of each branch of government to exercise controls over the other two

Limited GovernmentPrinciple that requires all citizens, even government leaders, to obey the laws

Individual Rights

Individual Rights

• The first ten amendments to the Constitution protect people from an overly powerful government.

• These amendments are called the Bill of Rights, and they guarantee certain individual rights, or personal liberties and privileges.

• The first ten amendments to the Constitution protect people from an overly powerful government.

• These amendments are called the Bill of Rights, and they guarantee certain individual rights, or personal liberties and privileges.

Individual Rights• For example, the

government cannot control what people believe, think, write, or say.

• People also have the right to gather peacefully and to ask the government to correct a problem.

• Later amendments to the Constitution also advanced the cause of individual rights.

B tell A

• What are three rights Americans are guaranteed in the Bill of Rights?

• Be sure to re-state the question in your response!

The Seven Principles of the Constitution

Principle Definition

RepublicanismRule by the people through their elected representatives

FederalismA system of government in which power is divided between a central government and the states

Separation of PowersThe division of basic government roles into branches, with no branch given all the power

Checks and BalancesThe ability of each branch of government to exercise controls over the other two

Limited GovernmentPrinciple that requires all citizens, even government leaders, to obey the laws

Individual RightsPersonal liberties and rights guaranteed to U.S. citizens by the Bill of Rights

Get your whiteboards and markers ready!

1. Which of the following are NOT among the seven principles

of the Constitution?

A. Popular sovereignty and republicanism

B. Federalism and individual rights

C. Personal responsibility and freedom of choice

D. Separation of powers and limited government

E. Checks and balances

9. How does the principle of checks and balances operate?

A. It divides the powers of government between the states and the federal government.

B. It makes it possible to change the Constitution over time.

C. It balances the needs of the government with the rights of the individual citizen.

D. It gives each branch of government ways to limit the powers of the other two branches.

10. What part of the Constitution that protects individual rights?

A. The Bill of RightsB. The principle of

popular sovereigntyC. The PreambleD. The elastic clause