1. US Government Basic Concepts

2. Here’s What We’ll Cover… Main principles of government Structure of the Constitution Federalism Amending the Constitution You get to change the Constitution!

3. Basic Constitutional Principles Social Contract & Popular Sovereignty Limited Government Representative Government Written Constitution Separation of Powers Checks & Balances Federalism Judicial Review

4. Structure of the Constitution Preamble Articles 1: Congress 2: Executive 3: Judicial 4: Relationship among the states (same rights in each state) 5: Supremacy clause Amendments

5. Powers & Federalism What is federalism? Powers Expressed (Enumerated) Implied Powers; Necessary & proper (carry out enumerated) Reserved (states) Concurrent Powers Denied Powers (tax exports)

6. State Guarantees in the Constitution Denied Powers No treaties with foreign nations Can’t coin money Can’t grant titles of nobility Bill of Rights applies to states (after passing of 14 th Amendment) What do states get? Republican government Protection Territorial integrity (r-e-s-p-e-c-t!)

7. The Amendment Process

8. 109 th Congress Proposed Amendments To ensure reproductive rights of women To force the Congress and President to agree to a balanced budget, with overspending allowed only in the case of a three-fifths vote of Congress To ensure that all children who are citizens have a right to a "free and adequate education" To specifically permit prayer at school meetings and ceremonies To allow non-natural born citizens to become President if they have been a citizen for 20 years To specifically allow Congress to regulate the amount of personal funds a candidate to public office can expend in a campaign

9. More Proposed Amendments The "Every Vote Counts" Amendment - providing for direct election of the President and Vice President, abolishing the Electoral College To clarify eminent domain, specifically that no takings can be transferred to a private person except for transportation projects To allow the President to reduce any Congressional appropriation, or to disapprove of same (akin to a line-item veto)