American Government 3.1 Structure and Principles

DRILL: Compromise & Debate
Compromise – a negotiation or finding the middle ground
Debate- to deliberate or to discuss

Objective: Students will be able to describe the structure of and principles behind the Constitution by reading excerpts from this section.

I. Structure (pages 63–65)
A. The Preamble or introduction, sets forth the goals of the government.
B. There are seven articles or divisions to the Constitution
C. The amendments - changes to the Constitution.
II. Major Principles (pages 65–67)
A. Popular sovereignty, or rule by the people
B. Federalism, in which power is divided between national and state governments, is the government’s basic structure.
C. The Constitution provides for Separation of Powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
D. Checks and balances, the process by which each branch of government exercises some powers over the others, guarantees that no branch of government will become too powerful.
E. Judicial review, or the power of the Supreme Court to overturn laws and declare a law unconstitutional.

Odds & Ends
1. Article I defines the legislative branch
2. Article II defines the executive branch
3. Article III defines the Supreme Court
4. Rule by the people is called popular sovereignty
5. Under federalism, power is divided between nation and state
6. Two-thirds vote of each house is needed to override a veto 
7. In the Articles of the Constitution, the three branches of the government are named.
8. The Amendments of the Constitution is responsive to the needs of a changing nation.
9. The president can check Congress by using his veto.

American Government 3.1 Structure and Principles

1. C 			6. A
2. A 			7. B
3. E 			8. C
4. B 			9. B
5. D 			10. D		

11. The Founders not spell out every aspect of how the government would function because they knew that they could not predict the course of future events or issues.

12. Federalism: divides the government into local, state, and national levels; separation of powers: divides the three functions of government into the judicial, executive, and legislative branches.

Historical Documents
1. Thomas Jefferson would have similar concerns about this amendment because it provides for election of United States senators by the people instead of by state legislatures.
2. Jefferson probably would have favored this amendment, which limits a president to a maximum of two elected terms, because he wrote about the “necessity of rotation in office and most particularly in the case of the President.”
3. Jefferson predicted political corruption. Corruption is not confined to large cities; it can occur wherever individuals are greedy for money and power. Jefferson based his judgment on a stereotype that people who have an agricultural lifestyle are uncomplicated, hard working, and honest.
4. Jefferson said that he hoped the majority would amend the Constitution if they shall “find it work wrong,” but he believed the government would remain “virtuous” for many centuries. 

Summary: In today’s lesson, we described the structure of and principles in the Constitution.

Homework: Judicial Review & Popular Sovereignty
Judicial Review _ the power of the courts to declare a law unconstitutional
Popular Sovereignty - rule by and with the consent of the people

Name ____________________________________________Class ___________ Date______________

American Government  3.1  Structure and Principles

Match each item in Column A with the items in Column B. Write the correct letters in the blanks. 

Column A
____1. Article I
____2. Article III
____3. rule by the people
____4. power divided between nation and state
____5. veto override
	Column B
A. Supreme Court
B. federalism
C. legislative branch
D. two-thirds vote of each house
E. popular sovereignty

In the blank at the left, write the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. 
____6. In this part of the Constitution, the founders listed six goals for American government.
A. Preamble 			C. Articles
B. Amendments 		D. Supremacy Clause
____7. In this part of the Constitution, the three branches of the government are named.
A. Amendments 		C. Supremacy Clause
B. Articles 			D. Preamble
____8. This section of the Constitution is responsive to the needs of a changing nation.
A. Articles 			C. Amendments
B. Preamble 			D. Supremacy Clause
____9. The president can check Congress by this power.
A. override 			C. separation of power enactment
B. veto			 D. judicial review
____10. This branch of government is the final authority on the Constitution.
A. Congress 			C. executive
B. legislative 			D. Supreme Court

11. Why did the Founders NOT spell out every aspect of how the government would function? 

12. Both federalism and the separation of powers divide the powers of government. Compare these two methods of dividing power.

3.1 Historical Documents/Speeches.. Letter to James Madison on the Constitution,
December 20, 1787 by Thomas Jefferson,
I like much the general idea of framing a government into Legislative, Judiciary and Executive. I like the power given the Legislature to levy taxes; and for that reason solely approve of the greater house being chosen by the people directly. For tho’ I think a house chosen by them will be very illy [sic] qualified to legislate for the Union, for foreign nations &c. yet this evil does not weigh against the good of preserving inviolate the fundamental principle that the people are not to be taxed but by rep-resentatives chosen immediately by themselves. I am captivated by the compromise of the opposite claims of the great and little states, of the latter to equal, and the former to proportional influence. I am much pleased too with the substitution of the method of voting by persons, instead of that of voting by states
. . . I will now add what I do not like. First the omission of a bill of rights . . . Let me add that a bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, and what no just government should refuse, or rest on inference. The second feature I dislike, and greatly dislike, is the abandonment in every instance of the necessity of rotation in office and most particularly in the case of the President. Experience concurs with reason in concluding that the first magistrate will always be re-elected if the constitution permits it. He is then an officer for life. This once observed it becomes of so much consequence to certain nations to have a friend or a foe at the head of our affairs that they will interfere with money and with arms. . . . After all, it is my principle that the will of the Majority should always prevail. If they approve the proposed Convention in all it’s [sic] parts, I shall concur in it chearfully [sic], in hopes that they will amend it whenever they shall find it work wrong. I think our governments will remain virtuous for many centuries; as long as they are chiefly agricultural; and this will be as long as there shall be vacant lands in any part of America.
When they get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, they will become corrupt as in Europe. Above all things I hope the education of the common people will be attended to; convinced that on their good sense we may rely with the most security for the preservation of a due degree of liberty. . . .

DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper.
1. In light of Jefferson’s concern that a House of Representatives elected by the people would be “very illy-qualified to legislate,” what do you think Jefferson’s reaction would have been to the Seventeenth
Amendment (which provides for the election of senators by the people)? Explain.

2. Do you think Jefferson would have looked favorably or unfavorably upon the Twenty-second Amendment (which limits the number of president’s terms)? Explain.

3. Do you think Jefferson’s concern that large cities contribute to corrupt governments was prophetic for modern America? Explain.

4. How did Jefferson feel about amending the Constitution? Explain.

In your own words summarize today’s lesson.