The U S Constitution What is it n

The U. S. Constitution

What is it? n The Constitution is the highest law in the United States. n n The Constitution sets up the government of the United States. n n All other laws come from the Constitution in some way. It creates things like the President, the Congress, and the Supreme Court. Each state has its own constitution that is the highest law for the state - but even then, the United States Constitution is higher.

History Created in 1787 n Back then, most of the black people in America were actually slaves n Also, women had very little chance to advance in life. Though many women today like being home all day taking care of the house and kids, until only very recently, this was the only option for a woman. n

Key Concepts of the Constitution n separation of powers – the power of the national governemtn of the U. S. is divided among three branches checks and balances – each branch of government has ways to limit the power of the other branches, which keeps the power equal among all the branches judicial review – the power of the courts to decide if laws and other government actions are allowed by the Constitution

Amendments n n n An amendment to the Constitution is a change that can be added to the Constitution There are 27 amendments The first 10 are known as the Bill of Rights n list of rights that belong to the people that the government is not allowed to break

The 3 Branches n The Constitution sets up three main branches of government. These are called the Legislative, the Executive, and the Judiciary. Each one has its own role in how laws are made and used

The Legislative Branch n n The role of the Legislature is to make the law. This branch is known as Congress, and is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate

The Executive Branch n n The role of the Executive Branch is mainly to make sure the law is carried out. This branch is headed by the President

The Judicial Branch n n The last branch includes all the federal courts, all the way up to the Supreme Court. The role of the Judiciary is to interpret the law.