Planner Chapter 3 Section 3 Group Work Study the Preamble Bell Ringer is on the next slide.

The Constitution and Amendments

The Constitution is a remarkable document, which serves as an adaptable blueprint for governing the United States.

 What do the three parts of the Constitution accomplish?  How is the Constitution organized?

The Constitution has three main parts: the Preamble, seven articles, and amendments. The Preamble states the goals and purposes of government. The first part makes clear that government gets its power from the people and exists to serve them.

 The Preamble states 6 purposes –“To form a more perfect Union” –“To establish Justice” –“To insure domestic Tranquility” –“To provide for the common defense” –“To promote the general Welfare” –“To secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity”

 The articles explain how government works.  The first three articles describe the powers and responsibilities of the three branches of government.

 Article One describes the legislative branch as two houses with lawmaking authority.  It then describes how members will be chosen.  The article also lists specific powers Congress does and does not have.

Article Two establishes the executive, or law-enforcing, branch headed by a president and vice president. It explains how these leaders will be elected and can be removed and describes their powers and duties.

 Describes the jobs of the Judicial branch.  It calls for the Supreme Court plus lower courts under it.

 Says all states must respect one another’s laws and explains the process of creating a new state.

 Tells how the Const. can be amended.

 Says the Const. is the “supreme law Law of the Land” and federal law is higher than state law.

 States the Const. would take effect when nine states ratify it.

 Amendment is a change to the Const.  The first 10 amendments are the Bill of Rights.  The 16 th Amendment allows Congress to collect an income tax- tax on people’s money. (is an important source of money for the govt.)  The Framers made it very hard to amend the Const.

The const. is a general doc. that is open to interpretation. The Necessary and proper clause allows congress to exercise implied powers not specifically listed in the Const.