1. Wednesday March 11th, 2015 Test – Monday Friday - Court Agenda
Constitution Search
Discuss – How has the Constitution changed?
Notes – How we amend the Constitution
Bill of Rights

2. Introduction
What are the six main principles on which the Constitution is based?
Popular Sovereignty
Limited Government
Separation of Powers
Checks and Balances
Judicial Review
Federalism
The Constitution embodies these key principles along with describing the basic structure of our government.

3. Outline of the Constitution
The Constitution is organized in a simple fashion and is fairly brief.
In many areas it focuses more on principles than specific details. This helps it guide the nation through changing times.
The seven articles are followed by the 27 amendments.

4. Popular Sovereignty
The principle that the people are the only source for all governmental power.
The government rules through leaders elected by the people to represent the people.
The Preamble notes that the Constitution is created by “We the People.”
NOTE TO TEACHERS: In above image, voters express their will to the government. This concept is called popular sovereignty.

5. Limited Government
Government may only do those things the people have given it the power to do.
Government must obey the law.
Much of the Constitution spells out limits on the power of the government.

6. 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.

7. Checks and Balances
Each branch of the federal government can check the power of the other two.
The President can veto bills passed by Congress, but Congress can override a veto.
The Senate can reject presidential appointees or refuse to ratify a treaty.
Congress can vote to impeach a federal official.
The federal courts can rule that executive and legislative acts are unconstitutional.

8. 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.

10. 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.

11. Federalism
Federalism is a compromise between an all-powerful central government and an independent state government.
It corrected the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation without replacing them with a British-style monarchy.
The Framers felt that too much governmental power threatened liberty.
Federalism helps prevent that power from being abused, by dividing governmental power.

12. Federalism, cont.
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.
Why might the Constitution give the power to regulate trade among the States to the Federal Government?

13. How can we amend the Constitution?
3.2 & 3.3

14. How has the Constitution lasted so long?
In 1789 when the Constitution was ratified…
4 million people lived in the United States
Most of them were farmers
13 states covered only 1,300 miles along the east coast
Today, in 2014…
300 million people live in the United States
Society is highly industrialized and technological
50 states span the continent and beyond!
The Constitution, which is the oldest written constitution in the world is, and is not, the same as it was in 1787

15. How has the Constitution lasted so long?
Many of the words are the same, but they are open to interpretation
The process of constitutional change, of modification and growth, happens by
1) Formal Amendment
2) Other informal means
Like Legislation, Executive Action, Court Decisions, Party Practices, and Customs (to be learned in 3.3)

16. Article V Shows Us the Way
That’s 34 state legislatures
At least 38 state legislature’s need to agree to pass a bill into law!
This method hasn’t happened yet.
Only the 21st Amendment was adopted by convention. Repealed 18th Amendment on Prohibition

17. Other depictions

19. How many times has the Constitution changed in the last 200 years?27
But there have been over 12,000 attempts
33 bills to amend have been sent to the States
27 bills have been ratified.

20. Assignment
You will have the rest of the hour today and tomorrow to research an amendment of the U.S. Constitution
You will choose/be assigned one amendment to create a poster on
These posters will hang in our room, so make them as beautiful as you are!
Each poster must include the following…
A bold heading identifying the amendment
A legible and easy to read, quick description of the Amendment
An explanation of how the Amendment applies to the lives of Americans today
A picture/pictures that depict the amendment

22. The Amendment Text 
Text of the Amendment is paraphrased to make content understandable to teens today ~ Content remains accurate. Includes: Date Proposed/Approved and Date Ratified 
Text of the Amendment is paraphrased but may have a minimal amount of difficulty with a few paraphrasing difficulties. Includes: Date Proposed/Approved and Date Ratified 
Text of the Amendment is difficult to understand or paraphrasing lacks accuracy. Missing: Date Proposed/Approved and Date Ratified
Application of Ammendment 
Student is able to explain clearly how this amendment applies to the lives of Americans today. 
Student explanation of application to the lives of American life is a little vague. 
There is no explanation of how this amendment applies to the lives of Americans today. 
Collage: Structure 
Graphics are cut neatly to an appropriate size and shape and are arranged neatly. Care has been taken to balance the pictures across the area. Items are glued neatly and securely. 
1-2 graphics are lacking in design or placement. There may be a few smudges or glue marks. 
Graphics are not neatly cut, appropriate size or shape. Glue marks evident. Most of the background is showing. It appears little attention was given to designing the collage. 
Collage:Photo/Vocab Choices 
Photos and words chosen easily build the viewers understanding of the concepts expressed in the amendment. 
Photos and words chosen leave the viewers with partial understanding of the concepts expressed in the amendment. 
The photos and/or words chosen do not help the viewer understand what the amendment is meant to be about. 

23. What are the 27 Amendments? The first 10 – The Bill of Rights
Freedom of religion
The right to bear arms
Protection of quartering troops
Protection against search and seizures without warrant
Protects rights of the accused
The right to an attorney, speedy trial
The right to a trial by jury
Protection from cruel and unusual punishment
Other rights not stated are and be still be valid and upheld
Powers not stated as federal are of the states, as long as the Constitution does not prohibit them.

24. Amendments 11-20
11. Immunity of states from certain lawsuits 12. Changes in the electoral college 13. Abolition of slavery 14. Citizenship, due process, equal protection of the law 15. No denial of vote based on race, color, previous servitude 16. Power of Congress to tax incomes 17. Popular elections of U.S. Senators 18. Prohibition of alcohol 19. Women suffrage 20. Change of date for state of Presidential, congressional terms

25. Amendments 21-27 21. Repeal of prohibition ( 18th Amendment)
22. Limit on presidential terms.
23. D.C. vote in presidential elections
24. Ban of tax payment as voter qualifications
25. Presidential succession, VP vacancy,
26. Voting age is lowered to 18
27. Congressional pay can’t raise while in office.