Six Principles of Government

Popular Sovereignty

people's highest power

the government is the source of all power in the government. the government should serve its people, not the other way around.

Limited Government

• government only possesses the power the people give to it

• government cannot do anything it wants, but must operate withing certain boundaries

• rule of law →no one is above the law

separation of powers

• division of government into 3 distinct branches

• legislative = writes the laws

• executive = carries out the laws

• judicial = interprets the laws

checks and balances

each branch has ways to limit the power of the other branches to ensure an equal balance of power

judicial review

• power of the courts to interpret the constitution

• courts can declare government actions unconstitutional

federalism

• division between a central and local governments

• central = federal = national →synonyms for the same entity