Part 1: Ideas Behind the Constitution

Republic: power of government lies with the people through elected officials.

Framers saw people as independent thinkers and PUBLIC SERVANTS

The people of Rome served out of devotion to the Republic

Why did the framers of the Constitution greatly admire the Roman Republic and , especially its citizens?

Republic faltered when citizens began to value luxury and comfort over FREEDOM and public service

Framers of the Constitution wanted to avoid this same fate

In order to avoid this they believed that the citizens of the US should be informed, educated, and independent

Rome as a warning?

"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship." "The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence: From Bondage to spiritual faith; From spiritual faith to great courage; From courage to liberty; From liberty to abundance; From abundance to complacency; From complacency to apathy; From apathy to dependence; From dependence back into bondage."

Natural RightsEveryone is under the lawTaxes cannot be raised without the consent of

the peopleFrequent ElectionsTrial by jury and Habeas CorpusPrivate Property

What principles found in the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights can be found in the Constitution?

Locke:*natural rights*agreement between government and

governed*violate rights = rebel

Montesquieu*Separation of Powers*Powers should be clearly defined and

divided

Locke and Montesquieu?

Part 2: Structure of the Constitution

Preamble: states the goals of the ConstitutionArticles: main body of the Constitution; sets

up framework and defines powers of the government

Amendments: formal changes

3 Parts?

Indicates that the power/authority of the government comes from its people.

Significant because if the authority comes from the people it can be taken away by the people

Indicates a government by the people and for the people

“We the people…”

Goal of the Preamble Purpose of Government

  To form a more perfect Union

 All states work together as a unified nation

  To establish Justice

 Everyone should be treated equally and fairly under the law.

  To ensure Domestic Tranquility 

 The government has the responsibility to ensure peace and order at home.

  To provide for the common defense

 The government has the responsibility to protect its citizens against foreign attack.

  To promote the general welfare

The government has the responsibility to promote the well-being of all its citizens 

  To secure the blessings of liberty

 The government should value and protect the rights of its citizens

6 Major Goals of the Constitution

1. Legislative Branch2. Executive Branch3. Judicial Branch4. Relations between the states: states must

honor each other’s laws; procedure for new states

5. Amendment Process6. Constitution is the “supreme law of the

land”; states cannot make laws that violate the Constitution; Federal laws prevail

7. Procedure for ratification of Constitution

7 Articles (the body of the Constitution)

Formal ChangesFramers believed they needed to leave room

for the likelihood that the Constitution would need to be changed

Process is not easyOnly 27 amendments (Really only 25 changes)First 10 added in 1791 (Bill of Rights)Only 17 more 223 yearsAverage of about 1 every 13 yearsLast amendment was added 22 years ago.

Amendments?

Part 3: Principles of the Constitution

Popular Sovereignty ”we the people…”Asserts the people as the primary source of government’s authorityGovernment by the people

Limited Government Government has only the powers given to it by the ConstitutionResponse to what they saw as abuse of power by Britain

Separation of Powers Divides powers of government between 3 branches: legislative, executive, judicialSee chart on pg. 256

Checks and Balances Each branch has the ability to limit the actions of the other 2See chart on pgs. 257

Federalism Power of government is divided between the Federal government and the state governments Powers that are not clearly given to the Federal government are automatically given to the states

Republicanism Instead of direct participation the people participate by voting for representatives

Individual Rights Rights such as freedom of speech, religion, assembly… Bill of Rights

7 Principles of the Constitution