Malcolm Rivera
The United States Constitution is the most basic law of the United States and outlines the framework for the federal government of the country. It is the oldest written constitution still used in the world today. The Constitution is a long document with complex language, but it is important for 5th graders to learn the basics of it. The Constitution was created to form a more perfect union and protect the citizens of the United States by guaranteeing their basic rights, such as the right to free speech and the right to practice one's own religion. It also establishes a system of checks and balances by separating the government into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty |
| Creation | Written by Gouverneur Morris and signed by 39 of 55 delegates at the convention |
| Amendments | 27 amendments, with the first 10 being the Bill of Rights |
| Bill of Rights | Protects citizens' rights, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and the right to remain silent |
| Federal System | Established a federal system where different levels of government share power, with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial |
| Ratification | Went into effect on March 4, 1789, after 9 of 13 states approved it; all 13 states approved by 1790 |
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What You'll Learn
The Preamble
The United States Constitution is an important document that sets out the rules for how the country is run. It is like a rulebook that everyone, including the government, must follow.
The Constitution was written during a meeting called The Convention, which took place from May to September 1787. At that time, the United States was a brand-new country made up of 13 states. Each state had different ideas about how the government should work. A group of men called the Framers met to discuss and decide on these ideas. Some famous Framers include James Madison, Ben Franklin, and George Washington.
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The Framers
The Constitution is a set of rules that guides how a country, state, or government works. It may tell what the branches of the government are, what powers they have, and how they work. It may also state the rights of citizens. The Constitution is the highest form of law in the country. All other laws—including local, state, and U.S. laws—must agree with the U.S. Constitution.
The Constitution of the United States was written by a group of men known as the Framers. From May to September 1787, the Framers met to discuss what should be in the Constitution. The United States was a new country and its government was not working very well. The Framers met to find a new way of running the country. This meeting is called The Convention.
Some of the Framers are famous historical figures, including James Madison, Ben Franklin, and George Washington. At the time, there were only 13 states in the United States, and each state had its own ideas for the new government. The Framers had many debates and made a lot of speeches. They had to make a lot of compromises and agree on a plan that everyone could accept.
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The Bill of Rights
The US Constitution is an important document that sets out how the country is run. It was written in 1787 by a group of men called the Framers. The Framers came from 13 states and met to discuss how the country should be governed. They had lots of debates and made lots of speeches, and eventually, they came up with a plan that everyone could agree on. The Constitution created a federal system with a national government made up of three separate powers.
The Constitution did not include a Bill of Rights at first. A bill of rights is a list of rights that belong to the people and that the government is not allowed to break. The Framers had different opinions about whether a bill of rights was needed. Many people wanted one, so promises were made to add one later using the amendment process.
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Federal, State and Local Governments
The United States has 50 state governments and a national government. This is called a federal system. The national government is also called the federal government and has powers that apply to everyone in the country. Each state has its own constitution, which runs the laws of the state that are not covered by the federal government.
The US Constitution sets up the government. It was created to form a more perfect union. The Constitution was written a long time ago, in the 18th century, and it can be difficult to understand. It is a long document with lots of complicated words and ideas.
The federal government has three branches: the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judicial Branches. The Executive Branch is led by the President, who is the leader of the country. The Legislative Branch is made up of two parts, the Senate and the House of Representatives, and they make the laws. The Judicial Branch is made up of courts, with the Supreme Court being the highest court in the country.
State governments are modeled after the federal government and also have three branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. The head of the government in each state is the governor. The Legislative Branch in each state makes the state laws, handles the budget, and levies taxes. The Judicial Branch has a State Supreme Court and then lower courts that handle day-to-day cases.
Local governments are below state governments and generally have two levels: counties and cities or towns. Local governments handle many of the systems we use daily, like schools, police and fire departments, local courts, public transportation, streets, and parks. They get their money from taxes, like sales tax, income tax, and property tax.
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Checks and Balances
The US Constitution is a very important document that sets up the government and the rules for how the country is run. It was created a long time ago, back in 1787, and it has had some changes made to it since then. The Constitution is quite long and can be tricky to understand, even for grown-ups! But it's important for everyone to know about it because it affects all of our lives.
Now, let's talk about "checks and balances." This is a system created by the Constitution to make sure that no one part of the government becomes too powerful. The government has three main parts, or branches: the Legislative Branch (Congress), the Executive Branch (the President), and the Judicial Branch (the Supreme Court). Each branch has different jobs and powers, but they also need to work together and keep an eye on each other. This is where checks and balances come in.
The Legislative Branch, or Congress, makes laws, decides on the budget, and can declare war. One way they check the power of the President is by impeaching them if they do something wrong. Impeachment means that Congress votes to remove the President from office. The Legislative Branch also has to approve the President's choices for important jobs, like judges and other officials. This is called "advice and consent."
The Executive Branch, or the President, can veto, or reject, a bill that Congress has passed. But if Congress really wants that bill to become a law, they can try again and pass it with a bigger majority. The President also appoints judges and other important officials, but remember, Congress has to approve those choices. The President is also the Commander in Chief of the military and can grant pardons to people who have broken the law.
The Judicial Branch, or the Supreme Court, interprets the laws. This means they decide what the laws mean and how they should be used. They also decide if a law is unconstitutional, which means it breaks the rules of the Constitution. If the Supreme Court decides a law is unconstitutional, that law can't be used anymore.
So, those are the three branches of government, and they each have their own important jobs. But they also need to work together and make sure that no one branch becomes too powerful. That's what checks and balances are all about!
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution is a set of rules that explains how the US government works. It is made up of an introduction, called the Preamble, seven articles, and 27 changes, called amendments.
The first three articles split the government into three parts: the legislative, which is the law-making part, the executive, which includes the President, and the judicial, which includes the Supreme Court. The other four articles explain how the states work together with the federal government, and how they can change the Constitution.
Amendments are changes to the Constitution. There are 27 amendments, and the first 10 are called the Bill of Rights. Amendments are made when an amendment proposal is agreed upon and then ratified, or approved, by three-quarters of the states.
