Essential Question

• How is the Constitution structured?

Structure of the Constitution

Preamble

• The introduction states why the Constitution was written

Articles

• Seven major divisions of the Constitution

Article 1

• The legislative branch

• Organizes the U.S. Congress into the Senate and House of Representatives

• How to make laws

Article 2

• Creates the executive branch

• Details the powers and duties of the presidency

• Qualifications for election

Article 3

• Establishes the Supreme Court as head of the judicial branch

• Created lower federal courts

Article 4• Relationship of states

• Citizens of other states have the same rights as their own citizens

Article 5

• Explains how the Constitution can be amended

Article 6• Contains the supremacy clause

• The Constitution and laws passed by Congress are the supreme law of the land

Article 7

• Ratification

• 9 states needed to adopt the Constitution

The Amendments

• Changes to the Constitution

• 27 have occurred thus far

• Let’s (legislative)• Eat (executive)• Jumbo (judicial)• Shrimp (states’ relations)• At (amendment process)• Sonic (supremacy clause)• Restaurant (ratification)

Powers of Congress

• Enumerated powers are listed in Article 1, Section 8

• List of specific actions Congress may take

Powers of Congress?

• Elastic Clause

• Gives Congress the right to make all laws deemed “necessary and proper”

• Can stretch their powers

The Amendment Process

• Amendments are proposed by the national government and ratified by states

• Example of federalism

Proposing Amendments

1. Two-thirds vote from both houses of Congress

2. Convention called by Congress on petition of 2/3 of the states

Ratifying Amendments

1. Legislatures of ¾ of the states approve it

2. Each state calls a special ratifying convention and ¾ approve it.

Federalism

• Government power is divided between the state and national governments

Concurrent Powers

• Powers that both the national government and the states possess

Power to Tax

Power to Maintain a Court System

Power to Define Crimes

10th Amendment

• States may exercise any power not reserved in the Constitution for the national government

What Can States Not Do?

• Restrictions outlined in Article 1

Make treaties with foreign governments

Coin money

Grant titles of nobility