Seven Principles of the U.S. Constitution

Flashcards covering the Seven Principles of the U.S. Constitution, their definitions, historical influences, and concrete examples.

Under the principle of __________, the government's power comes directly from the people.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle of __________ states that the government is not all-powerful and only holds the powers granted to it by the people through the Constitution.

Limited Government

The historical document from 1215 tied to the origin of limited government is the __________.

Magna Carta

The system in which the people exercise their political power through elected representatives is known as __________.

Republicanism

The sharing of power between the federal government and state governments is called __________.

Federalism

Under federalism, national defense is an example of a __________ power.

federal

Under federalism, regulating education and marriage laws is an example of a __________ power.

state

Under federalism, collecting taxes is an example of a __________ power.

shared

The division of the federal government into three distinct branches is known as __________.

Separation of Powers

The political philosopher associated with both separation of powers and checks and balances (1748) is __________.

Montesquieu

The branch of the federal government that makes laws (Congress) is the __________ branch.

Legislative

The branch of the federal government that enforces laws (headed by the President) is the __________ branch.

Executive

The branch of the federal government that interprets laws and decides if they are constitutional (Supreme Court) is the __________ branch.

Judicial

The constitutional principle where each branch of government has the ability to limit or restrain the powers of the other two branches is __________.

Checks and Balances

The basic liberties of citizens that the government must protect, listed in the Bill of Rights, are known as __________.

Individual Rights