Lesson 4 Principles of the Constitution Page 92 Popular Sovereignty – The People’s right to rule Echoed in “We the People…” phrase in the Preamble Will of the people is stated through elections by a majority vote Voters can reject and replace bad representatives

Limited Government and Rule of Law Limited Government – government can do only what people allow it to do. Rule of Law – The law applies to everyone, even those who govern.

Separation of Powers Split of authority among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Only through the Separation of Powers, can government enact a system of checks and balances. See table on page 95.

Checks and balances Congress can pass a Bill The President can sign the Bill, or reject the Bill with a Veto. If the Bill passes, but conflicts with the Constitution, Supreme Court may strike it down.

Checks and Balances Supreme court Justices must be nominated by the President. The nominee MUST be approved by the Senate. If the Senate rejects the nominee, the President must nominate another.

Federalism Enumerated (delegated) – Powers given to the Federal Government by the Constitution Reserved – Powers remaining with the states Concurrent - Powers shared by Federal and State Governments. See table page 96

Supremacy clause Foresaw that state laws may conflict with federal laws. Supremacy clause in Article VI asserts the Constitution and laws made by national government is the supreme law of the land.

Constitution today World’s oldest constitution in continuous use.

Lesson 4 review 1. Use the terms separation of powers and checks and balances to describe how the U.S. Constitution set up the three branches of the federal government. The Constitution set limits on power by a separation of the powers of government into three branches and the use of a system of checks and balances so that each branch could limit the power of the other two.

2. What is the supremacy clause and why is it important to maintaining order in the United States? The supremacy clause says that the Constitution is the first law of the country and no person or government in the nation can go against it.

3. What are the five principles of government expressed in the Constitution? The five principles are popular sovereignty, limited government and the rule of law, separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism.

4. How are enumerated powers, reserved powers, and concurrent powers similar to and different from one another? Enumerated, reserved, and concurrent powers are all types of powers given to government under the Constitution. Enumerated powers are granted to the federal government; reserved powers are set aside for the states; concurrent powers are carried out by both federal and state governments because they overlap.

“The veto is the president’s constitutional right, given to him by the drafters of the Constitution because they wanted it as a check against irresponsible congressional action. The veto forces Congress to take another look at legislation that has been passed. I think this is a responsible tool for a president of the United States, and I have sought to use it responsibly.” Gerald R. Ford, U.S. President, 1974-1976 What principle of the Constitution is Ford Discussing?

“The veto is the president’s constitutional right, given to him by the drafters of the Constitution because they wanted it as a check against irresponsible congressional action. The veto forces Congress to take another look at legislation that has been passed. I think this is a responsible tool for a president of the United States, and I have sought to use it responsibly.” Gerald R. Ford, U.S. President, 1974-1976 The drafters of the Constitution gave the president the authority to veto because they…