Introduction to the Constitution

Structure and Principles of the Constitution

American Government eBook: Chapter 3, Lesson 1

Structure of the Constitution

Compared to the constitutions of some other countries, the United States Constitution is brief. It sets out the structure and powers of the government but does not spell out every detail of how the government should work. The document is divided into three sections—the Preamble, the Articles, and the Amendments.

Multiple Choice

What is the basic structure of the Constitution?

• preamble, articles, and amendments

• legislative branch, executive branch, and judicial branch

• Bill of Rights, articles, and amendments

• preamble, Bill of Rights, and amendments

Preamble

The Preamble, or introduction, explains why the Constitution was written and spells out the purposes of the government. You are probably familiar with the first words of the Constitution:
WE THE PEOPLE.....

Articles

The Constitution includes seven main sections called articles, each of which covers a different topic about how the government is structured. Most of the articles are divided into sections.

Est. The Legislative Branch - creates laws
- created Congress

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Article I

Est. The Executive Branch
- The President Controls
- Executes (carries out) the laws

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Article II

Est. The Judicial Branch

- Created the Supreme Court
- "It is the highest court"
- Created lower federal courts

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Article III

Multiple Choice

Which article outlines the powers and structure of the legislative branch?

• Article II
• Article I
• Article III
• Article IV

​Amendments

The third part of the Constitution consists of amendments, or changes to the original document. The Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was ratified;

Multiple Choice

What term is used for a formal change to the original Constitution?

• alteration
• revision
• amendment
• modification

Principles of the U.S. Constitution

The Constitution is based on several fundamental principles—that the government will be limited, that power will be shared between the national government and the states, and that within the national government power will be divided among three branches that can keep one another in check.

Another fundamental principle of the Constitution is that it protects individual rights and balances those rights with pursuit of the public good.

Federalism

The terms federalism and federal system describe the structure of American government.

In this structure, power is divided between the federal, or national, government and the state governments.

Multiple Choice

How many articles and amendments are in the Constitution?

• 3 articles and 30 amendments
• 7 articles and 27 amendments
• 5 articles and 20 amendments
• 10 articles and 15 amendments

​Popular Sovereignty and Republicanism

The Constitution is based on the concept of popular sovereignty—rule by the people.

In a republican system of government, the people elect representatives to rule on their behalf.

Limited Government

The principle of limited government is fundamental and essential to a democracy. One way the Constitution limits the power of the national government is by specifying not only the powers of government but also those things that the government is prohibited from doing.

Multiple Choice

What term means that power is divided between different levels of government?

• separation of powers
• centralization
• unitary system
• federalism

​Separation of Power into Three Branches of Government

In addition to creating a federal system, the Constitution also limits the national government by dividing power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

Multiple Choice

What term means power is divided among the legislative branch, executive branch, and judicial branch?

• unitary system
• federalism
• checks and balances
• separation of powers

Checks and Balances

The three separate branches of the national government also have a system of checks and balances, through which each branch exercises some control over the other two.

One example would be the power of the Senate to confirm federal judicial appointments. This is the Legislative checking the Judicial Branch.

Multiple Choice

Under which concept would the power of the Senate to confirm federal judicial appointments be categorized?

• federalism
• popular sovereignty
• separation of powers
• checks and balances

Individual Rights

The Constitution also outlines and protects the rights of individuals from government overreach. The first ten amendments to the Constitution, called the Bill of Rights

Multiple Choice

What is another name for the first ten amendments of the Constitution?

• Bill of Rights
• Declaration of Independence
• Articles of Confederation
• Emancipation Proclamation