How the Constitution is set up:

U.S Constitution
Preamble. The Preamble states the purpose of the document.
Article I. Defines the powers and structures of the legislative branch (Congress).
Article II. Creates the executive branch of government (U.S. President).
Article III. Established the judicial branch of the govt (Supreme Court).
Article IV. Outlines the obligations of the states to each other.
Article V. Changing the U.S. Constitution (Amend).
Article VI. The Authority of the Const. U.S. Const will become law of the land, once its approved.
Article VII. Ratifying the Constitution 9 out of 13 states must ratify

Organization of the new govt under the U.S. Constitution

Preamble
The delegates at the Constitutional Convention created a new system
of government.

The Preamble, or introduction, to the Constitution began with the words

We the People, emphasizing that the members of the Constitutional
Convention were acting as the representatives of the American people as
a whole.
The Preamble gave six purposes for the new constitution and the
government it created. These purposes were to:
form a more perfect union.
establish justice.
insure domestic tranquility (peace).
provide for the common defense.
promote the general welfare (well-being of citizens).
secure the blessing of liberty.

Baron de Montesquieu
(aka: Charles Montesquieu)
Argued that governments who had a system which
divided its powers (legislative, executive, and
judicial) could lessen the chances of govt
corruption.
His belief in separation of powers had an impact on
the framers of the Constitution at the Constitutional
Convention.

Branches of the New Government

Executive Branch
The new national executive was the President.
The President would be elected for a four-year term.
The President was made the Commander-in-Chief of the
nations army and navy.

The President was given the power to appoint ambassadors,

negotiate treaties, and appoint Supreme Court Justices.
As chief executive, the President would also enforce the
nations laws.
New laws by Congress also required the Presidents signature.

Branches of the New Government

Legislative Branch
The new national legislature was called Congress.
Based on the Great Compromise, it consisted
of two houses (bicameral):
o House of Representatives

o Senate
Congress had the power to make laws, declare war, borrow
and issue money, pay for military forces, and regulate
commerce (trade) between different states or with foreign
countries.

Branches of the New Government

Judicial Branch
A new national judiciary was created, consisting
of the Supreme Court and any lower courts
later created by Congress.
The Supreme Court could rule on cases involving either the
new Constitution or laws passed by Congress.
Its Justices (judges) were to be appointed for life by the
President, with the approval of the Senate.
Life tenure meant that the Justices would not have to run for
election so they could think independently and not feel
obligated to side with a political party. As long as Justices did
their job they had a job FOR LIFE.

Branches of the Federal Government

Constitutional Principles
Limited Government the people give their govt leaders
specific powers. Where the people limit the powers of the govt.

Constitutional Principles
Republicanism A democratic govt chosen by the people. A
republic describes a govt in which decisions are made by
elected representatives, not handed down by a king.

Constitutional Principles
Popular Sovereignty People hold supreme power. The
powers of govt come from the consent of the governed.

Constitutional Principles
Federalism The sharing of power between the national (or
federal) govt and state governments.

Constitutional Principles
Separation of Powers Following the writings of the Baron de
Montesquieu and the example of most constitutions, the
delegates decided to divide the powers of govt into 3 separate
branches: Legislative, Executive and Judicial Branches.

Constitutional Principles
Checks and Balances Created to prevent any one branch
from becoming too powerful.
HOW THE SYSTEM OF
CHECKS AND
BALANCES WORKS

Constitutional Principles
Individual Rights The first ten amendments to the Constitution
are known as the Bill of Rights.we will get to that later.
o Ratify - to approve by voting
o Amendment - a change or addition to a motion, bill, constitution, etc.

Constitutional Principles
Amendment Process (how we change/ add to the U.S. Const.)
The U.S. Constitution has been around so long because it is a document
that can change with the times. But how do we amend the U.S. Const.?

Colonial Grievances (complaints) that are

addressed in the U.S. Constitution
IMPACT OF COLONIAL GRIEVANCES ON THE CONSTITUTION
Grievances listed in the Declaration
of Independence
The King imposed taxes without the
consent of the colonists.

Where each was addressed in the

U.S. constitution
U.S. Constitution provides that all
taxes must be approved by the House
of Representatives.

The King made the military superior to U.S. Constitution provides that the
the civil government.
Commander-in-Chief is a civilian the
President.
The King kept a large standing army
among the colonists.

Congress has the right to raise and

support an army. It determines its size
through its control of funds.

The King made judges dependent on

his will.

All federal judges are appointed for

life.

THE DEBATE OVER RATIFICATION

Anti- Federalists - opposed the new Constitution.
- Included Patrick Henry and George Mason
- Did not want a strong federal govt, believed that the power
should lie with the state governments.
- Demanded a bill of rights be added to protect individual liberties

 Federalists were for the Constitution.

- Included Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, James Madison
- Favored a strong federal govt
- Believed that individual liberties were protected through
federalism and the separation of powers.

 Federalists
o Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison wrote the
Federalist Papers to help persuade Americans and the
states to ratify (approve) the new Constitution.

The current govt has all its

power in one branch - the
legislative branch. That to fix
this we must divide the
power into different branches
have different processes for
elections, different
authorities, and that are not
connected with each other.

Separation of
Powers

Legislative

Executive

Judicial

Federa
l Power

States
Power

Ratification
To obtain the necessary votes for ratification,
Federalists promised to add a bill of rights, which
satisfied a lot of the Anti-federalists.

Ratification
By the end of 1788 eleven states
had voted and ratified (approved)
the U.S. Constitution.
The U.S. Constitution had become
the new law of the land.