Chapter 7, section 3a

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Chapter 7, section 3a

• European influences
• and
• Constitutional principles

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Content Vocabulary

• An example of an amendment to the Constitution is
  the Bill of Rights.
• The branch of the government that establishes
  laws is the Legislative Branch.
• The political feature of the United States
  government whereby power is shared between the
  federal and the state governments is called
  federalism.

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1. The checks and balance system was established so
   that no single branch can dominate the
   government.
2. The branch of the government headed by the
   President is the Executive Branch.
3. The Supreme Court is a part of the Judicial
   Branch of the government.
4. The President and Vice-President are elected by a
   group of presidential electors called the
   Electoral College.

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8. Name 2 of the Enlightenment thinkers and
explain eachs important ideas.

• John Locke
• All people have natural rights (Life, Liberty,
  and property)
• Government is a contract between the people and
  their government
• The governments power should be limited

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• Baron de Montesquieu
• Powers in the government should be separated and
  balanced.
• This would prevent any single person or group
  from gaining too much power
• Powers should be clearly defined and limited.

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9. 5 Principles of the Government

• FEDERALISM
• Calls for the division and sharing of powers
  between the federal (national) government and the
  state governments
• Federal powers State powers
• Maintain an army / navy establish schools
• Foreign affairs laws regarding marriage
  and divorce
• Postal routes
• Coin money Shared powers
• Punish counterfeiting Taxes
  punish piracy
  General welfare
• Build roads

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B. Separation of Powers

• The division of the operations of the national
  government into 3 branches, each with its own
  powers and responsibilities
• Legislative Branch (Congress) makes the laws
• Collect taxes
• Regulate foreign and interstate trade
• Raise and support a military
• Establish post offices
• Establish a federal court system

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• Executive Branch (President) carries out the laws
• Commander-in-chief of the armed forces
• Directs foreign relations
• Grants pardons and reprieves
• Appoints Supreme Ct. Justices (with 2/3 consent
  of the Senate)
• Makes treaties (with 2/3 consent of the Senate)

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• Judicial Branch (Supreme Court) settles arguments
• Constitutional cases
• Disputes between states
• Disputes with a foreign country
• Maritime cases
• Disputes between a person and a foreign country

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c. Checks and Balance System

• The means by which each branch of the national
  government is able to check, or control, the
  power of the other 2 branches
• The framers of the Constitution hoped to keep any
  one branch from gaining too much power
• The President can check Congress by vetoing a
  bill
• The Supreme Court can check the President and
  Congress by declaring a law unconstitutional

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• The Senate must approve treaties signed by the
  President
• Congress can override a Presidential veto
• Congress can impeach and convict high officers in
  the government.
• Congress can amend the Constitution to over-rule
  the Supreme Court

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d. Popular Sovereignty

1. Popular sovereignty means that the people hold
   the final authority, or ruling power thru
   voting
2. The framers of the Constitution believed that a
   contract exists between the people and the
   government.
3. The government receives the power to rule from
   the people.

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• 4. The people exercise their power by voting.
• In 1789, only white men over age 21 and owned
  property could vote.
• In 1870, Amendment 15 was passed giving Black men
  the right to vote, and
• In 1920, Amendment 19 gave women the right to
  vote.

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• Examples of issues We the people can vote on
  are
• Governorships
• Representatives
• Senators
• Electors who choose the President/Vice-President
• Re-call petitions

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e. Limited Government

• The Principle that the government is not all
  powerful but can do only what the people say it
  can do example Bill of Rights
• The most important limits on government are set
  out in the Bill of Rights
• Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly,
  and petition
• The right to keep and bear arms

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• The right not to have troops quartered in our
  homes in peacetime
• The right not to have unreasonable search and
  seizure
• The right not to have double jeopardy, be a
  witness against ourselves, and have due process
  of law
• The right to a speedy and public trial, be
  informed of the offense, be confronted with the
  witnesses against us, and to have a lawyer

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• The right to a trial by jury
• The right not to have excessive bail or cruel and
  unusual punishments