WHAT IS A CONSTITUTIONTEKS OBJECTIVE 7A

Formation of Government

A written constitution defines purpose, powers,rights, and responsibilities of citizens, and describes the operation systems of government.

Purposes of a Constitution

ESTABLISHES IDEALS THAT PEOPLE BOUND BY THE CONSTITUTION BELIEVE IN AND SHAREESTABLISHES THE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT DEFINING IT ’S POWERS AND DUTIESPROVIDES THE SUPREME LAW FOR THE COUNTRY

SETS FORTH THE GOALS AND PURPOSES TO BE SERVED BY THE GOVERNMENT

“WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, IN ORDER TO FORM A MORE PERFECT UNION, ESTABLISH JUSTICE, INSURE

DOMESTIC TRANQUILITY, PROVIDE FOR THE COMMON DEFENSE, PROMOTE THE GENERAL WELFARE, AND SECURE THE

BLESSINGS OF LIBERTY TO OURSELVES AND OUR POSTERITY , DO ORDAIN AND

ESTABLISH THIS CONSTITUTION FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”

Preamble

Framework of the Constitution

Describes the relationship between the national government and the state governments

Describes the procedures for amending or changing the Constitution

It is divided into 7 articles, 21 sections, and many, many clauses

It is built on the principal of limited government, that is, constitutional government establishing higher or fundamental law that must be obeyed by everyone, including those in power

It draws its authority from those who create it

Preamble & Articles

Preamble: states the goals of governmentArticle I: Legislative Branch (House of

Representatives and the Senate)Article II: Executive BranchArticle III: Judicial BranchArticle IV: Actions Among StatesArticle V: The Amendment ProcessArticle VI: Supremacy ClauseArticle VII: RatificationWe will discuss the specifics of Articles 1-3 in

different Chapters

Article IV

Explains the relationship between the states and the between the states and the national government Requires every state to give citizens of this country the same

rights as their own citizens Prior to the Constitution, documents (like a marriage certificate,

or more currently a driver’s license) might not be valid in a different state unless the states had a treaty with one another. So without this Article, you could have a Texas driver’s license and not be allowed to drive in Oklahoma or Louisiana, or anywhere else.

It also guarantees that the national government will protect the states from foreign invasion (i.e. the Mexican-American War)

Article V

Discusses the processes for Amending the Constitution

2/3 of Congress proposes and ¾ of the states approve

Second method is for a national convention to be called and ¾

of the states approve (never passed an Amendment this way)

Article VI

The US incurs all debts of the states from before the Const.

US Const is the supreme law (Supremacy Clause) Any law passed by a state, that contradicts the federal

law will be voidedOaths of office – no religious test

Article VII

Ratification – required only 9 of the 13 statesSame number required to pass a law under

the AoC but all 13 were required to amend the AoC

Was signed by 39 of the 55 delegatesWas finished in September 1787Went into effect in June 1788

Principles of Government

There are 7 principles of Government found in the US Constitution

Popular SovereigntyFederalismSeparation of PowersChecks and BalancesLimited GovernmentRepublicanismIndividual RightsYour book lists Judicial Review, but that is not found in

the Constitution, it is added with the Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison