Chapter 3 The Constitution Section 1 A Blueprint

Chapter 3: The Constitution Section 1: A Blueprint for Government (pg. 68 -76) Assignment: everyone must memorize the Preamble…you have seven days or one week.

Governing After the Revolution • The Framers of the Constitution wanted to keep government from suppressing liberty • They had studied the Greek city-states and the Roman Empire, along with the current European states • In 1787, they were determined not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Addressing the Problem of Governing • As James Madison wrote if we were angels we would not need a government. • The Framers drew from John Locke who wrote “where there is no Law, there is no Freedom. ” • Therefore, Government must be allowed enough power to be effective, and compelled to exercise restraint. James Madison: Father of the Constitution

Six Goals of the Constitution • These goals were stated in the Preamble. • The 1 st was to form a more perfect union • The purpose of this goal was to strengthen the relationship among the states as part of a union and between the states and the national government as part of a new federal system

More Goals of the Constitution • 2 nd Establish Justice– Provide laws that are reasonable, fair, and impartial and make sure that the administration of those laws is also reasonable, fair, and impartial • 3 rd Ensure Domestic Tranquility—Keep peace and maintain order within the country • 4 th Provide for the Common Defense—Defend the nation against foreign enemies • 5 th Promote the General Welfare—Allow all states and citizens to benefit militarily and economically from the protection of a strong national government • 6 th Secure the Blessings of Liberty—Protect the liberties recently won in the American Revolution and preserve them for the generations to come

The Constitution is a Blueprint • Without the amendments the constitution is just over 4, 500 words. • The Constitution has three parts: the Preamble, the seven articles, and the 27 amendments • There are six principles of the Constitution Oldest written Constitution still in use

The Six Principles of Government in the Constitution • 1 st Popular Sovereignty– the people establish government and are the source of its power. In-other -words we are a republic and we elect our representatives. • However, the Framers had no intention of putting unlimited power in the hands of the majority. • Examples: the election of the President, the Senate, & amending the Constitution

The 2 nd Principle of Government in the Constitution • 2 nd Limited Government— Government powers are restricted to protect individual rights • This principle is also known as the rule of law, the concept that every member of society, including the ruler or government, must obey the law and is never above it.

3 rd Principle of Government in the Constitution • 3 rd Separation of Powers—The power to govern is divided among executive, legislative, and judicial branches to prevent the concentration and abuse of power by any one branch. • See page 72

4 th Principle of Government in the Constitution • 4 th Checks and Balances— Each branch of government has the authority to check, or restrain, some powers of the other two branches. • Congress—Controls taxes or money • President—has the veto • Supreme Court—can rule acts unconstitutional

5 th Principle of Government in the Constitution • 5 th Judicial Review—the judiciary has the power to strike down laws and other government actions as invalid under the constitution, this mean the law or act is than unconstitutional • The 1 st time this was done was in 1803, in the case Marbury v. Madison

6 th Principle of Government in the Constitution • 6 th Federalism—The rights of the states are protected by dividing powers between the nation government and the state government. • Article I Section 8, gives Congress the power to “make all Laws…necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers. ” • Article VI contains the supremacy clause which makes the Constitution “the supreme law of the land. ”