Sol Review

CE.2a Fundamental Political Principles

5 fundamental political principles that define and shape the American government.

Open Ended

Name one fundamental political principle.

1.

Consent of the Governed

2.

Limited Government

3.

Rule of Law

4.

Democracy

5.

Representative Government

Consent of the Governed

Citizens give authority to the

government in exchange for

protection of their rights

People control what happens in

the government by VOTING.

Limited Government

Government is not ALL-POWERFUL

and may only do those things that

THE PEOPLE GIVE IT THE POWER TO DO.

Government CANNOT do

whatever it wants.

For example, the federal

government controls the military

but not public education

Rule of Law

Everyone, including government officials, must

follow the law

Our leaders must follow the same

laws as everyone else.

For example, the president

pays income tax

just like every other citizen

Democracy

The people rule

The people hold all the

POWER over their

government because the

citizens ARE the government.

Remember, the 1st three words

of the U.S. Constitution are

WE THE PEOPLE

Representative Government

People elect PUBLIC OFFICEHOLDERS to

MAKE LAWS and RUN THE GOVERNMENT

on their behalf.

We elect other citizens to act

as our VOICE in government.

For example, elections are held

for U.S. Congress, Virginia

General Assembly, and

City Council

Multiple Choice

Which statement best express the principle "consent of the governed?"

• The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year.

• All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives

• We the People of the United States...establish this Constitution

• No Person except a natural born Citizen...shall be eligible to the Office of President

Multiple Choice

Which statement is an example of the principle of "rule of law?"

• A city council member is found guilty of speeding.

• A state senator is re-elected to her second term.

• A crime suspect is informed of his constitutional rights.

• A citizen is shown how to register to vote.

Multiple Choice

These headlines best illustrate the concept of ___.

• democracy

• consent of the governed

• rule of law

• democratic government

Multiple Choice

This quote from the Gettysburg Address best defines which principle of American constitutional government?

• separation of powers

• limited government

• rule of law

• democratic government

Multiple Choice

What fundamental political principle is describe in the image?

• consent of the governed

• limited government

• representative government

• rule of law

Multiple Choice

The political principle of "consent of the governed" is best described as __.

• people are the source of power

• officeholders are appointed

• courts are supreme

• government powers are limited