The US Constitution

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The US Constitution
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Definitions

• A set of rights, powers and procedures which
  underpin the workings of a political system
• The rules of the political game
• Establishes the formal distribution of power for
  each political institution

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Purpose

• Determines two key relationships
• 1. Between different political institutions
• Eg who has more power Congress or the
  President?
• 2. Between political institutions and the people
• Eg the Bill of Rights

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History

• May 1787 the Philadelphia Convention
• 55 male delegates from the original 13 states
• The Founding Fathers (or the Framers)

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Key principles

• Separation of powers
• Baron de Montesquieu

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Key principles

• Checks and balances
• Example
• The confirmation process
• President nominates, Senate confirms

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Key principles

• Provision of rights
• Bill of Rights
• First ten amendments to the Constitution, 1791
• Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man

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Key principles

• Responsible Government
• Contract Theory
• John Locke

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Key principles

• Federalism
• Original federal state
• Remember the states came together to create the
  centre in 1787