7 Basic Principles of Government

The authority for government flows from the people

• Popular Sovereignty

• Individual Rights

• Federalism

• Separation of Powers

Unalienable rights are guaranteed to all citizens in the Preamble and the Bill of Rights.

• Individual Rights

• Federalism

• Separation of Powers

• Checks and Balances

The federal system divides governmental powers between national government, the governments of the state, and the local government.

• Federalism

• Separation of Powers

• Checks and Balances

• Limited Government

The structure of the new government established three separate branches of government to limit the power of any one branch.

• Separation of Powers

• Checks and Balanes

• Limited Government

• Representative Democracy

Each branch can check the power of the other. These checks keep any one branch from gaining too much power.

• Checks and Balances

• Separation of Powers

• Federalism

• Individual Rights

Powers of the government are restricted by the Constitution as states in Articles I, II, and III and by the Bill of Rights which protects the rights of the individual against excessive power by the government.

• Limited Government

• Checks and Balances

• Separation of Powers

• Federalism

The constitution recognizes that the authority of the government derives from "We, the people." Voters hold the sovereign power but elect representatives to exercise power for them, including the president.

• Representative Democracy

• Limited Government

• Checks and Balances

• Separation of Powers