6 principles of the US Constitution

1. Popular Sovereignty

   1. Voting

   2. Protest

2. Limited Government

   1. Government powers are limited to what is written in the Constitution. 

3. Separation of Powers

   1. Three branches of government

      1. Legislative = make the laws

      2. Executive = enforce the laws

      3. Judicial = interpret the laws

4. Checks and Balances

   1. To make sure no branch of government is more powerful than the other

   2. Prevent a branch from having too much power

5. Judicial Review

   1. Not in the constitution

   2. Created by a court case (Marbury v. Madison)

   3. To look at a law and see if it’s constitutional or not

   4. Courts decide if government acts violate the Constitution.

6. Federalism 

   1. Power is divided between national, state, and local governments.

   2. Each level has its own responsibilities

Constitutional relationship between federal & state governments

• Amendment X – Powers not given to the national government are reserved to the states

Constitutional relationship between national & state governments

• [Supremacy Clause] Article VI of the U.S. Constitution states that the Constitution & Federal Laws are the “supreme law of the land” & superior to state laws 

The “Elastic Clause” and Commerce Clause – Stretching Federal Power

• [Elastic Clause] - Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution. It enables the government to do what it deems necessary as issues outside of the constitution arise. Sometimes, it interferes or conflicts with the X amendment. 

  • Overrides the 10th amendment

• National powers/national government

  • Delegated or expressed powers

• Shared Power/National and State governments

  • Concurrent Powers

• State Powers/State Government

  • Reserved Powers