1. CONSTITUTION AND AMENDMENTS

2. FIVE BASIC PRINCIPLES Popular sovereignty Limited government Separation of powers Checks and balances Federalism

3. POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY Government is based on the will of the people

4. THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT Article I -----Legislative Article II -----Executive Article III ----Judicial

5. FEDERALISM Division of power between the central government and the states.

6. THREE PARTS OF THE CONSTITUTION Preamble Articles------ 7 Amendments----- 27

7. AMENDMENTS Informal amendment Made through executive actions Formal amendments Proposed in 2 ways National convention 2/3 Congress Ratified in 2 ways State Convention ¾ State Legislatures

8. POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY People are the most important source of governmental power

9. SEPARATION OF POWERS Division of governmental power among the different branches of government

10. CHECKS AND BALANCES System designed to prevent a single branch of government from becoming too powerful

11. FEDERALISM The sharing of power between the national and state governments

12. AMENDMENT A change or addition to the Constitution

13. BILL OF RIGHTS The first ten amendments to the constitution