Lesson 1 Structure and Principles of the Constitution

Guided Reading Activity Answer Key

The Constitution

Lesson 1 Structure and Principles of the Constitution

I. Structure of the U.S. Constitution A. Under King George III of Britain, the Founders experienced the tyranny that resulted from too much government power. Under the Articles of Confederation, they experienced the problems inherent in having a weak central government. B. The Preamble is the introduction to the Constitution, and it explains why the Constitution was written and spells out the purposes of the government. C. Article 1: The Legislative Branch; Article 2: The Executive Branch; Article 3: The Judicial Branch; Article 4: Relationships among the States; Article 5: The Amendment Process; Article 6: National Supremacy; Article 7: Ratification D. The amendments are changes that have been made to the Constitution since it was ratified. There have been 27 of them.

II. Principles of the U.S. Constitution A. The Constitution reflects the Founders' beliefs about government in that it provides for limited government, states that power will be shared between the national government and the states, and divides national government power among three branches. It also protects individual rights and balances those rights with pursuit of the public good. B. One way the Constitution limits the power of the national government is by specifying not only the powers of government but also those things that the government is prohibited from doing. C. In a federal system, power is divided among all levels of government, allowing the national government to act on issues affecting the country as a whole but leaving state and local governments to act on local matters. D. The power of the national government is divided among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. E. The first ten amendments to the Constitution protect individuals from government overreach. They include the rights of citizens to speak and worship freely, bear arms, be free from unjustified government searches, to have fair criminal trials, and so on. Together these are called the Bill of Rights.

Summary and Reflection In a federal system, power is divided among all levels of government, allowing the national government to act on issues affecting the country as a whole but leaving state and local governments to act on local matters. The Founders used this concept to structure a government in which all levels of government pass their own laws, have their own agencies and officials to implement these laws, and have court systems to interpret laws.

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