Tuesday/ Wednesday 30 September / 1 October

Class covered a variety of related topics today including:

The Six Principles of the Constitution (and the 7th Individual liberty).

The Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan for the Constitution, and the Great Compromise / Connecticut Plan
The Electoral College and pitfalls of the dual representation model of the Great Compromise

NOTE: New vocabulary words
Delegated Powers: powers that the Constitution grants to the Federal Government
Reserved Powers: powers not specifically assigned to the Federal Government, and so assumed to belong to the states.

Homework: 
Was the Great Compromise a good solution (be sure to consider the electoral college, and the way combining representation can lead to a minority of voters choosing the president)? 
What changes (if any) would you suggest be made to the structure of our government (the Constitution)?

The Constitution of 1789

Popular Sovereignty

•Definition – A government in which the people rule, based on the idea of classical liberalism.•This means they participate by voting.•Example – People can run for office, campaign for individuals who run, or protest decisions made by others.

Federalism

•Definition – A system of government in which powers are shared by the state and national government.
•In our system, the national government does have ultimate authority, but states have a lot to say in what goes on as well.
•Powers for the national government = delegated powers,
•Powers for the state government = reserved powers,
•Powers shared between the national and the state are concurrent powers.

Separation of Power

•Definition – Divides the roles of government into 3 branches, Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.
•Why?  So that one person or one group of people do not control everything and become to powerful.Checks and Balances
•Definition – Each of the 3 branches of government has a little control, or check, on the other 2 branches.
•This balances power between the 3, ensuring that none of the branches get out of control.
•Example – Federal judges are nominated by the President, but have to be approved by Congress.

Judicial Review

Definition-the power of a court to adjudicate the constitutionality of the laws of government or the acts of a government official.

All actions and laws are subject to review by a court. All laws must be consistent with the constitution.

Limited Government

•Definition – Everybody has to follow the same laws, even members of the government.•
If a Representative killed a man, he would face a trial just like everybody else.

Individual Liberty

•Definition – Personal liberties and privileges that people are born with and can not be taken away.•The Bill of Rights, the first Ten Amendments, was created to list out all of these rights so people know when the governments tries to take them away.

1791

The Bill of Rights

•Definition – Personal liberties and privileges that people are born with and can not be taken away.

•The Bill of Rights, the first Ten Amendments, was created to list out all of these rights so people know when the governments tries to take them away.

Articles 11 and 12 adopted at the same time clarify Federalism.


Homework:
Was the Great Compromise a good solution (be sure to consider the electoral college, and the way combining representation can lead to a minority of voters choosing the president)? 
What changes (if any) would you suggest be made to the structure of our government (the Constitution)?