7 Principles of 7 Principles of GovernmentGovernment

Popular SovereigntyPopular Sovereignty The power to rule The power to rule

comes from the comes from the peoplepeople..

““Consent of the Consent of the Governed”Governed”

The Constitution The Constitution established popular established popular sovereignty in the sovereignty in the preamble,preamble,““We the People. . . We the People. . .

establishestablish this Constitution for thethis Constitution for theUnited States of United States of

America.“ America.“

RepublicanismRepublicanism Republicanism Republicanism is based is based

the belief that people the belief that people exercise their power by exercise their power by voting for their political voting for their political representatives. representatives.

Article 4, Section 4, of the Article 4, Section 4, of the Constitution also calls for Constitution also calls for every state to have a every state to have a "republican form of "republican form of government." government."

A republicA republic is a form of is a form of government in which the government in which the supreme power rests in the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by vote and is exercised by representatives chosen representatives chosen directly or indirectly by directly or indirectly by them.them.

In a republic, people elect In a republic, people elect others to represent them in others to represent them in the government. the government.

FederalismFederalism Federalism Federalism is a system of is a system of

government in which the government in which the states and national states and national government share powers. government share powers.

The Framers used The Framers used federalism to structure the federalism to structure the Constitution. Constitution.

The Constitution assigns The Constitution assigns certain powers to the certain powers to the national government. These national government. These are are delegated powers.delegated powers.

Powers kept by the states Powers kept by the states are are reserved powersreserved powers. .

Powers shared or exercised Powers shared or exercised by national and state by national and state governments are known as governments are known as concurrent powersconcurrent powers. .

Separation of PowersSeparation of Powers Established in order Established in order

to avoid having too to avoid having too much power might much power might fall into the hands of fall into the hands of a single groupa single group

This principle creates This principle creates the the division of basic division of basic government roles government roles into 3 branchesinto 3 branches. No . No one branch is given one branch is given all the power.all the power.

Articles 1,2, and 3 Articles 1,2, and 3 of the Constitution of the Constitution detail how powers are detail how powers are split among the three split among the three branchesbranches

Checks and BalancesChecks and Balances Based on the Based on the

philosophy of philosophy of Baron Baron de Montesquieude Montesquieu, an , an 18th-century French 18th-century French thinker, "Power thinker, "Power should be a check to should be a check to power.“ power.“

Each branch of Each branch of government can government can exercise exercise checks, or checks, or controlscontrols, over the , over the other branches. other branches. Though the branches Though the branches of government are of government are separate, they rely on separate, they rely on one another to one another to perform the work of perform the work of government. government.

This ensures that the This ensures that the branches work branches work together fairly. together fairly.

Limited GovernmentLimited Government In the American In the American

government government everyone, everyone, citizens and powerful citizens and powerful leaders alike, must obey leaders alike, must obey the lawthe law. Individuals or . Individuals or groups cannot twist or groups cannot twist or bypass the law to serve bypass the law to serve their own interests. their own interests.

Article 1, Section 9Article 1, Section 9, of , of the Constitution lists the the Constitution lists the powers denied to the powers denied to the Congress. Article 1, Congress. Article 1, Section 10, forbids the Section 10, forbids the states to take certain states to take certain actions.actions.

The The 1010thth Amendment Amendment reserves for the states and reserves for the states and people all powers not given people all powers not given to the national government to the national government nor denied to the state nor denied to the state governments .governments .

Individual RightsIndividual Rights

The first ten The first ten amendments to the amendments to the Constitution shield Constitution shield people from an people from an overly powerful overly powerful government. These government. These amendments are amendments are called the called the Bill of Bill of RightsRights. .

The Bill of Rights The Bill of Rights guarantees certain guarantees certain individual rightsindividual rights, , or personal liberties or personal liberties and privileges.and privileges.