Limiting Government

There are many ways that governments are kept in “check” (limited) so they won’t have too much power.

Consent of the Governed Constitution Minority Rights Rule of Law Checks on Government Consent of the Governed Separation of Power

Constitution A constitution is the rulebook for a country’s government. Here’s how a constitution limits government: Tells how laws are made Sets rules for how the government functions Lists the rights and responsibilities of citizens Most countries have written constitutions

Constitutions limit government by: Quick Review!  Telling how ________ are made laws  Setting ________ for the government rules  Listing the _________ and the _______________ of citizens rights responsibilities

Rule of law means that nobody is above the law. Here’s how the rule of law limits government: The law applies to everyone Even the president must follow the law The government can’t take illegal actions

Rule of Law Check this out: The rule of law is stronger in some countries than it is in others. Strongest (90-100%) Strong (75-90%) Average (50-75%) Weak (25-50%) Weaker (10-25%) Weakest/None(0-10%) 2005 – Worldwide Governance Indicators

The rule of law limits government because: Quick Review!  The law applies to ____________ everyone  Even the ___________ must follow the law President  The government cannot take actions that are _________ illegal

Here’s how separation of power limits government: Separation of power divides power among different branches of government. Here’s how separation of power limits government: No branch has all the power Each branch can “check” (limit) what the other branches do Responsibilities are balanced among the branches

Lots of countries around the world separate power into branches! Check this out: Iceland France Hungary AND MORE! Canada Greece United States Japan Mexico Indonesia Jamaica Fiji Panama Pakistan Chile Morocco Egypt Iran

Separation of power limits government because: Quick Review!  No branch has all the _______ power  Each branch can “________” what the other branches do check  Responsibilities are ___________ among all the branches balanced

Here’s how consent of the governed limits government: Consent of the governed means that the citizens give their permission for the government to operate. Here’s how consent of the governed limits government: Citizens have the right to vote Citizens can use their vote to change how the government is run By voting, citizens could even change the constitution

Citizens in many countries around the world have the right to vote. Check this out: Election Posters from Around the World

Consent of the governed limits government because: Quick Review!  Citizens have the right to________ vote  Citizens can use their vote to __________ how the government is run change  By voting, citizens could even change the ______________ Constitution

Here’s how minority rights limit government: Minority rights give protection of the law to every group of people, no matter how small. Here’s how minority rights limit government: Everyone’s rights are protected Nobody is too unimportant to be treated equally under the law Even unpopular groups must be treated fairly

Minority rights limit government because: Quick Review!  Everyone’s rights are ___________ protected  Nobody is too _____________ to be treated equally under the law unimportant  Even ____________ groups must be treated fairly unpopular

LIMITING GOVERNMENT Let’s review!

The rulebook for a government is called… A constitution! Good Job!

Splitting a government into different branches is called… Separation of Power! Keep it up!

Protecting even small or unpopular groups of people is called… Minority Rights! You’re on a roll!

Consent of the Governed! A country where citizens show their approval or disapproval by voting has… Consent of the Governed! Nice one!

A country where nobody is above the law has … Rule of Law! Way to go!

Popular Sovereignty The principle that the people are the only source for all governmental power. NOTE TO TEACHERS: In above image, voters express their will to the government. This concept is called popular sovereignty.

Limited Government Government may only do those things the people have given it the power to do.

Separation of Powers Checkpoint: How does the separation of powers keep government from becoming too powerful? The Constitution divides power among the legislative, executive and judicial branches. Congress makes the laws, the President executes and administers the laws, and the Supreme Court interprets the laws. Separation of powers keeps a strong central government from being too powerful. Too much power concentrated in any one branch could lead to abuses of that power. Checkpoint Answer: By dividing power among three branches, it makes it very difficult for any one branch to assume too much authority. The only way the government could abuse its powers is if every branch agreed to work together, which is unlikely given all the different individuals and goals involved.

Checks and Balances Each branch of the federal government can check the power of the other two.

Checks and Balances, cont. The use of checks is fairly rare. Compromise is more common Conflicts more likely when Congress and the presidency are controlled by different parties.

Federalism Diagram question answer: Under the Articles of Confederation, states regulated trade among themselves with disastrous results for the national economy. Having interstate trade disputes settled by the central government is an efficient and fair way of ensuring that such disputes do not cause national problems. The Constitution divides power among the State and Federal Governments.

Judicial Review The Courts can decide if a government action is constitutional. The power of judicial review is held by all federal courts and most state courts. Judicial review was established as a necessary power of the courts by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshal in the case Marbury v. Madison in 1803. Most acts are found to be constitutional, but the Supreme Court has struck down many presidential, congressional, and state measures over the years.