The Constitution Chapter 3

Outline The Constitution sets out the basic principles upon which government in the United States was built. The Constitution divides power among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of gov.

6 Basic Principles 1. Popular sovereignty - the people are the source of any and all government power 2. Limited government - government is restricted in what it may do

6 Basic Principles 3. Separation of powers - the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government are independent and coequal 4. Checks and balances - allows the legislative, executive, and judicial branches to check, or restrain, the actions of one another

6 Basic Principles 5. Rebublicanism – voters elect representatives to exercise power for them 6. Federalism - powers of government are divided between a central government and several local governments.

Formal Amendment Since 1789, 27 amendments have been added to the Constitution Bill of Rights – first 10

Formal Amendment

The formal amendment process reflects the principle of federalism

Informal Amendments Informal procedures are actions by government that are not written in the Constitution

Informal Amendments The informal amendment process can take place by: 1.)the passage of basic legislation by Congress 2.)actions taken by the President 3.)key decisions of the Supreme Court 4.)the activities of political parties 5.)custom