1. LEJSASR
Six Basic
Principles
Changing the
Constitution
THE
CONSTITUTION

2. L E J S A S R
A
T
I
F
I
C
A
T
I
O
N
X
E
C
U
T
I
V
E
U
D
I
C
I
A
L
T
A
T
E
S
M
E
N
D
M
E
N
T
S
U
P
R
E
M
A
C
Y
E
G
I
S
L
A
T
I
V
E

3. THE CONSTITUTION
-- working document
-- breathing document
-- brief document
-- 7 ar ticles
-- Ar ticle One (Legislative branch) the longest
-- 27 amendments
-- First 10: Bi l l of Rights

4. SIX BASIC PRINCIPLES
Popular Sovereignty
Limited Government
Separation of Powers
Checks and Balances
Judicial Review
Federalism

5. POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY

6. LIMITED GOVERNMENT
-- Government must obey the law
-- C o n s t i t u t io n alism o r t h e “ r u l e o f l aw”
-- ma ny ame n dme n ts b e g in “ C o n g r e ss s h a l l ma ke n o l aw…”
h t t p : / /www. y o u t u b e . c om/wa t c h ? v = v FHY iOf BRn g
When did the US see the greatest chal lenge to this pr inciple?

7. FEDERALISM
-- compromise between nearly independent States and a unitary
government
Are some issues better solved at the local level?
I n wh a t way s a re t h e s t a tes “ l a bo rato ri es” o f d emo c rac y?

9. SEPARATION OF POWERS
-- e a c h p owe r o f t h e g ov ’ t i s ve s ted i n a s e p ar ate b r a nc h
Legislative: Make the law
Executive: Execute (carry out) the law
Judicial: Interpret and apply the law
Why did the Founders make this a principle of the Constitution?
“ T h e accumulation of al l powers, legislative, executive, and
judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many…
may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny. ”
-- James Madison (Federalist 47)

11. CHECKS AND BALANCES
-- each branch has powers to check the other branches
-- highlights the need for compromise
What role does par tisanship play in this process?
Legislature Executive Judicial
Make laws can veto rule on law
Appropriates $ runs agencies
Approves judges nominates judges

13. JUDICIAL REVIEW
-- not explicit in the Constitution
-- case is made in the Federalist
Papers (51 & 78)
-- established by John Marshal l in
Marbury v. Madison
-- Hami l to n : “ e s s e n t ial s a fe g uar d
against the ef fects of occasional i l l
h umo r s i n s o c i et y. ” – Federalist 78

14. FORMAL AMENDMENT

15. HOW DO WE AMEND?
-- amendment process explained in Ar ticle V
-- four methods for proposal and rati fication
-- only two used
-- 27 amendments
-- F i r s t 10 c a l l ed “ Bi l l o f Ri g h t s”

16. MOST COMMON METHOD
-- used for 26 of 27 amendments
-- proposed by 2/3 vote in each house of Congress
-- rati fied by ¾ of states
How many states are needed for an amendment to be ratified?
Why did the Founders make this so dif ficult?

17. OTHER METHOD
-- proposed by Congress
-- rati fied by State conventions cal led for this purpose
-- only 21st amendment (repeal of Prohibition)

18. BILL OF RIGHTS
-- 3 years af ter ratification
-- basic freedoms (expression, bel ief , protection under the law)

20. FIRST AMENDMENT
 Guarantees the Five Freedoms:
 Why is there a need to protect speech?
 Are there l imits?

21. FIRST AMENDMENT & YOU
 Do you have Freedom of Speech at school?

22. LATER AMENDMENT HIGHLIGHTS
-- 13, 14, 15: Slavery Amendments
-- 17: Direct election of Senators
-- 18 & 21: Prohibition & Li f ting of Prohibition
-- 19: Woman suf frage
-- 22: Presidential term l imits
-- 26: 18 year olds can vote

23. PROPOSED AMENDMENTS
-- only 33 proposals have ever made it to the states
-- 1861: prohibit any amendments on slavery
-- 1924: Regulation of chi ld labor
-- 1972: ERA
-- 1978: DC representatives in Congress

24. CHANGE BY OTHER MEANS
Five Ways
Basic Legislation
Executive Action
Court Decisions
Party Practices
Custom

25. LEGISLATION
-- Const. vague; details to be
worked out later
-- Example: Constitution only
calls for a Supreme Court,
not lower courts
-- Of fice of the President &
Executive of fices

26. EXECUTIVE ACTION
Case Study: War Powers
-- Congress declares war
-- P r e s i de n t “ C omman d e r i n C h i e f”
-- Presidents deploy the mi l itary without a declaration
Advantages/Disadvantages:
Franklin Roosevelt is the last US
President to ask Congress for a
formal declaration of war.

27. COURT DECISIONS
-- SC decisions have ful l force and ef fect of law
-- Roe v. Wade (abor tion rights); Brown v. Board of Ed.
(segregation)
Woodrow Wilson called the
SC “a constitutional
convention in continuous
session.”

28. PARTY PRACTICES
-- Constitution makes no mention of pol itical par ties
-- presidential nomination process is an invention of the par ties
-- E l e c to r al C o l l e g e n ow a “ r u b be r s t amp ”
George Washington warned
against the “baneful effects
of the spirit of party.”

30. CUSTOM
NOT IN THE CONSTITUTION
-- the Cabinet (advisory body made of executive depar tments)
-- VP assuming the of fice of the Pres af ter a death (25th
amend. )
-- President serving only two terms (22nd Amendment)
h t tp: / /www. y outube . com/wat ch ? v=VF jHiNdjAz8 (We s t Wi n g 25)