Part 1
People exercise their political power by voting for representatives to speak for them.
Republicanism
Each branch of government can exercise controls over the other branches to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
Checks and Balances
Article that creates the judicial branch
3
Powers specifically granted to the national government
Enumerated Powers
According to Article 6, Section 3, requires state and officeholders to:
Take an oath to support the Constitution
People do not want a government that is overly powerful and are guaranteed certain personal freedoms. Many of those freedoms are expressed in the Bill of Rights.
Individual Rights
The principle in which the powers of the government are restricted by the Constitution.
Limited Government
Article that creates the legislative branch
1
Powers not given to the national government nor powers denied to the states (basically powers left to the states)
Reserved Powers
The government’s power is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.
Separation of Powers
What is the meaning of the word posterity?
Descendants or offspring
Article that creates the executive branch
2
Collection of taxes is an example of what kind of power
Concurrent
The fact that the Constitution begins with the phrase, “We the people…” clearly demonstrates the principle that citizens rule their government.
Popular Sovereignty
Number of states needed to ratify the Constitution
9
Total number of articles in the Constitution
7
If there is a conflict between a state law and a federal law, which one wins out (Supremacy Clause)?
Federal
System in which the national government shares power with the 50 state governments.
Federalism
Total number of amendments to the Constitution
27
Powers shared by both the national and state governments
concurrent power
According to Article 5, an amendment may be proposed by a 2/3 vote of:
Both Houses of Congress