Principles of the U.S. Constitution

The U.S. Constitution divides power between the national government and state governments. A student argues that this division of power protects individual freedoms by preventing any single government from becoming too powerful. Using evidence from the Constitution, evaluate this argument and explain which constitutional principle best supports it.

• Republicanism, because citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf

• Federalism, because dividing power between national and state governments limits the concentration of authority and protects individual freedoms

• Popular sovereignty, because the people hold the ultimate source of governmental power

• Separation of powers, because the three branches of government each have distinct responsibilities

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TEKS.8.15.D

The Constitution grants Congress the power to make laws, the President the power to veto laws, and the Supreme Court the power to declare laws unconstitutional. A student is asked to explain how this system prevents any one branch from becoming too powerful. Which response best demonstrates strategic reasoning about this constitutional design?

• Each branch has equal power, so no branch can ever make a decision without the approval of the other two branches

• The system of checks and balances ensures that each branch can limit the actions of the others, preventing the concentration of power and reflecting the principle of limited government

• The separation of powers means each branch works independently and never interacts with the other branches

• Congress holds the most power because it can override a presidential veto with a simple majority vote

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TEKS.8.15.D

A new law is passed by Congress, but the President believes it violates the Constitution. The President vetoes the law, but Congress overrides the veto. The Supreme Court then strikes down the law as unconstitutional. Using your knowledge of constitutional principles, analyze which principles are demonstrated in this scenario and explain how they work together.

• Only separation of powers is demonstrated, as each branch performed its assigned role without overlapping responsibilities

• Only federalism is demonstrated, as the conflict between branches reflects the tension between national and state governments

• Checks and balances and separation of powers are both demonstrated, as each branch used its distinct powers to limit the actions of the others, reflecting limited government

• Popular sovereignty is the only principle demonstrated, as the people's elected representatives ultimately decided the outcome

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TEKS.8.15.D

The Tenth Amendment states that powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states or the people. A student argues that this amendment is the strongest evidence that the Constitution reflects the principle of federalism. Plan a response that either supports or challenges this argument using reasoning and evidence from the Constitution.

• Challenge it, because the Tenth Amendment only protects individual rights and has nothing to do with the division of power between governments

• Support it, because the Tenth Amendment directly establishes that power is shared between the national government and the states, which is the core definition of federalism

• Challenge it, because the Supremacy Clause completely overrides the Tenth Amendment, making federalism irrelevant

• Support it, because the Tenth Amendment gives states the power to override any federal law they disagree with

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TEKS.8.15.D

The Framers of the Constitution were concerned about tyranny based on their experiences under British rule. Using reasoning and evidence, explain how the constitutional principles of checks and balances and limited government were specifically designed as a response to the threat of tyranny.

• Checks and balances and limited government were designed to ensure that the federal government could respond quickly to threats without interference from the states or other branches

• Checks and balances and limited government were designed to prevent any single person or group from gaining unchecked power, directly addressing the Framers' fear of tyranny by distributing authority and restricting governmental reach

• These principles were designed primarily to protect the rights of wealthy landowners, not to prevent tyranny for all citizens

• Checks and balances were designed to give the judicial branch supreme authority over the other branches to prevent the executive from becoming a tyrant

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TEKS.8.15.D

A student is asked to evaluate whether the U.S. Constitution successfully balances the need for a strong national government with the protection of individual rights. Using evidence from at least two constitutional principles, construct a reasoned response to this question.

• The Constitution does not successfully balance these needs because a strong national government will always conflict with individual rights, making balance impossible

• The Constitution successfully balances these needs through federalism, which strengthens the national government, and the Bill of Rights, which protects individual rights, demonstrating that both goals can coexist within the same framework

• The Constitution only focuses on creating a strong national government and does not adequately address individual rights until the Civil War amendments

• The Constitution balances these needs solely through the principle of republicanism, which allows elected officials to decide when individual rights should be limited for the national good

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TEKS.8.15.D