The 6 Key Principles of the United States Constitution

I. Popular SovereigntyA. The people hold the ultimate authorityB. A representative democracy lets the people

elect leaders to make decisions for them.C. John Larson, Joe Courtney, Rosa DeLauro,

Christopher Shays, and Christopher Murphy are our elected officials in Congress

I. Popular Sovereignty, cont.

D. Government of the people, by the people and for the people.

E. People create government

F. Power rests with the people

II. Limited Government

A. Framers wanted to guard against tyrannyB. Government is limited to the power given

them in the Constitution.C. The Constitution tells how leaders who

overstep their power can be removed

III. FederalismA. The division of power between State

and National GovernmentsB. Some powers are sharedC. The National Government has the

“supreme power”

Division of Governmental PowersFederal Only Concurrent

PowersStates Only

Declare War Tax Issue Licenses

Make Peace Borrow Money Provide Local:*Government*Schools

Army/Navy Establish Courts

Regulate trade Arrest People

Issue Money

Treaties

IV. Separation of Powers

A. “No one holds “too much” power”B. Legislative branch makes the lawsC. Executive branch carries out the lawsD. Judicial branch interprets the laws

Legislative Branch

A. Senate and House of RepresentativesB. Make our lawsC. Appropriate MoneyD. Regulate ImmigrationE. Establish Post Offices and RoadsF. Regulate Interstate Commerce and TransportationG. Declare War

Executive Branch

A. The President of the United StatesB. Chief ExecutiveC. Chief of StateD. Chief LegislatorE. Commander in Chief

Judicial BranchA. Supreme Court and other Federal CourtsB. Preserve and protect the rights guaranteed

by the ConstitutionC. Considers cases involving national lawsD. Declares laws and acts “unconstitutional”

V. Checks and Balances

A. Prevents the abuse of power in government

B. Each branch can check each other branch

Executive Checks

A. Propose laws to CongressB. Veto laws made by CongressC. Negotiate foreign treatiesD. Appoint federal judgesE. Grant pardons to federal offenders

Legislative Checks

A. Override president’s vetoB. Ratify treatiesC. Confirm executive appointmentsD. Impeach federal officers and judgesE. Create and dissolve lower federal courts

VI. Judicial Review

A. Declare executive acts unconstitutionalB. Declare laws unconstitutionalC. Declare acts of Congress unconstitutionalD. The Supreme Court holds the final check

Part II. One Pager AssignmentDirections: This is a participation grade of 50 points (10 points for each required element and 10 points for effective use of class time and presentation). Each group member gets the same grade unless he/she does not do his/her role.

1. Follow the outline below to organize your group.2. Using your notes, complete your “One Pager” for the

principle your group has been assigned. Use the guide on the back of this sheet to organize your thoughts and ideas. This must be completed!

3. Be creative and be sure to complete all the elements of the assignment.

4. Each group will share their one pager with the class in a very brief presentation.

Roles and Responsibilities of Group Members Make sure that each person in your group is serving in at least one role. If you have less than 4 people in your group, have group members serve in more than one role. Everyone should serve as a secondary facilitator, helping make the group’s work easier. Everyone must turn in a completed packet!

FACILITATOR... The Facilitator leads the discussion, making sure that everyone is fully participating. The word Facilitator comes from the word facilitate which means make easy. This person will present the final product to the class.

SCRIBE... The Scribe writes the final product for the group.

TIMEKEEPER... The Timekeeper keeps track of the time and makes sure that the group finishes their task on time. If you do not finish, it is the fault of this person.

GATEKEEPER... The Gatekeeper makes sure that everyone is on task. This person is responsible for making sure all people are working on and talking about the activity. This person is responsible for all people completing the One Pager Summary.

Part III. Learning Log Reflection

Directions: Answer the following questions in complete sentences. Remember to TTQA, answer the question and provide evidence.

1.Describe your experience working in this group. What did you find challenging? What worked well for your? (Answer both parts of the question)

2.How did the group come to an agreement on the roles and responsibilities of each member?

3.Which CCR skills did you use to complete this assignment? Give an example for each skill that you mention.

4.Based on the presentations, explain which Principal of the United States Constitution you believe is the most important. Provide evidence to support your statement.