EducatingYoungPeopleabouttheConstitution

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ViewingGuideforConstitutionalPrincipleVideo:
SeparationofPowers
Directions:Beforewatchingthevideo,answerthepreviewingquestions.Fillintheblankson
BillofRightsprotectionswhileyouwatch.Afteryouhavewatchedthevideo,answerthe
questionsthatfollowonaseparatesheetofpaper.
Beforeyouwatch:
1. Whatdoyouthinkofwhenyouhearthetermseparationofpowers?Writedownsome
keywordsandphrasesassociatedwithit.

2. WhensomecomplainthatitisdifficultforCongresstogetanythingdone,oryouhearterms
likegovernmentgridlock,whatcomestomind?

Whileyouwatch:
1.Thethreebranchesofgovernmentare____________________,whichmakesthelaw,
___________________,whichcarriesoutthelaw,and________________________,which
interpretsthelaw.
2.TheFoundersbelievedthatforthesepowerstobeconcentratedinonepersonorbranch,
wouldbetheverydefinitionof__________________.
3.ArticleIoftheU.S.Constitutionexplainsthepowersandfunctionof_____________________.
4.ArticleIIoftheU.S.Constitutionexplainsthepowersandfunctionof____________________.
5.ArticleIIIoftheU.S.Constitutionexplainsthepowersandfunctionof___________________.
6.InFederalist51,JamesMadisonwroteabouttheneedtoenablegovernmenttocontrolthe
governed,aswellasforgovernmenttocontrol____________________.
7.TheConstitutionensuresthat____________________isthemostpowerfulbranchof
government.

EducatingYoungPeopleabouttheConstitution

Afteryouwatch:
1. Whatdoestheprincipleofseparationofpowersmean?

2. ThevideobeginswithProfessorMunozsstatementthatthepurposeofseparationof
powersistofrustrategovernmentaction.Howwouldyouputthisinyourown
words?

3. WhywouldtheFoundershavewantedtofrustrategovernmentaction?Arethose
reasonsstillimportanttoday?

4. HowisJamesMadisonsplanforambitiontocounteractambitionreflectedinour
systemofseparatedpowers?

5. Whatdoesoursystemofseparatedpowerswithchecksandbalancesrevealaboutthe
Foundersunderstandingofhumannature?