Simone Lawson
Political cartoons are often used as an educational tool to help students understand the key principles of government embodied in the Constitution. For instance, the National Archives uses 16 political cartoons drawn by Clifford and Jim Berryman to teach students about the outline and structure of the Constitution, as well as the content of its clauses. These cartoons touch on a variety of subjects, including politics, elections, and wars. Students are encouraged to analyze these cartoons and associate them with specific clauses in the Constitution. By doing so, they can gain a deeper understanding of the major ideas and principles of government that are reflected in the language of the Constitution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Checks and Balances | To prevent any branch of the government from gaining too much power and to protect citizens' rights |
| Separation of Powers | The Constitution keeps the three branches of government (executive, legislative, and judicial) separate |
| Federalism | --- |
| Limited Government | --- |
| Popular Sovereignty | The government is made by the people and exists to represent, protect, and serve them |
| Republicanism | A system of government in the United States based on the concept of popular sovereignty and put into practice by the constitutional institutions and processes of representative government |
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What You'll Learn
Checks and balances
The system of checks and balances in the US government was developed to ensure that no one branch becomes too powerful. The framers of the US Constitution built a system that divides power between the three branches of the US government: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. This separation of powers is a familiar concept, with roots in the ideas of political scientists and philosophers such as Polybius, Montesquieu, William Blackstone, and John Locke.
The checks and balances system creates a dynamic interaction among the three branches of government, ensuring that power is distributed and accountable. For example, the Constitution allows the President to veto legislation, but requires the President to gain the Senate's consent to appoint executive officers and judges or enter into treaties. Similarly, if Congress passes a law that the Supreme Court finds unconstitutional, the Court has the power to strike it down.
Political cartoons have been used to illustrate the principle of checks and balances. One such cartoon, captioned 'Do We Want A Ventriloquist Act In The Supreme Court?', depicts President Franklin D. Roosevelt with six new judges likely to be FDR puppets. This cartoon, a criticism of FDR's New Deal, highlights the system of checks and balances by showing the potential for the President to influence the Supreme Court.
The checks and balances system aims to promote government accountability and protect citizens' rights by allowing each branch to limit the actions of the others. This system helps to ensure that the three branches operate in balance with one another, with various limits and controls on the powers of each branch.
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Separation of powers
The concept of separation of powers is a well-known principle derived from the text and structure of the US Constitution. It is based on the belief that concentrating distinct governmental powers in a single entity could lead to arbitrary and oppressive government action. Thus, the Constitution divides the government into three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial, with each branch performing unique and identifiable functions.
The Legislative Vesting Clause, along with the Executive and Judicial Vesting Clauses, outline the powers accorded to each branch. The legislative power is vested in Congress, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The executive power is vested in the President, and the judicial power is vested in the Supreme Court and any lower courts created by Congress.
The separation of powers ensures that each branch is independent and has specific responsibilities. However, the Framers of the Constitution also recognized the need for some overlap and interdependence between the branches to ensure a workable government. This led to the creation of a system of checks and balances, where one branch can check the powers of another. For example, the President can veto legislation, but requires the Senate's consent to appoint executive officers or enter into treaties.
Political cartoons, such as "Separation of Power" by Etta Hulme, have been used to illustrate the concept of separation of powers. Hulme's cartoon depicts three men jumping on a trampoline labeled as the Judicial, Legislative, and Executive branches, representing the dynamic interplay between the three branches of government.
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Federalism
In the United States, the Constitution explicitly defines certain powers for the federal government, while reserving others for the states. This division allows both levels of government to operate independently while also collaborating on issues that affect citizens. For example, the federal government provides funding and sets national education standards, while states can set their laws regarding education. Similarly, in the regulation of healthcare, states can operate their own healthcare systems under federal guidelines.
The diffusion of power in federalism is often referred to as noncentralization, ensuring that the authority to exercise political power cannot be taken away without common consent. This is reflected in the unique legal systems of each US state, which are derived from English (and in one case, French) law, with federal law binding these systems together. The permanence of internal boundaries in successful federal systems is another characteristic, with boundary changes requiring the consent of the involved polities.
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Limited government
The concept of limited government is a fundamental aspect of the United States Constitution, and it is a key characteristic that the cartoon addresses. Limited government refers to the principle that the power of the government should be constrained and that certain inherent rights of individuals should be protected from governmental intrusion.
The Constitution achieves this through a separation of powers, creating a system of checks and balances, and by guaranteeing certain fundamental rights. The separation of powers divides the government into three branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial. Each branch has its own distinct roles and responsibilities, and they are designed to serve as a check on the power of the other branches. This prevents the concentration of power in any one branch and ensures that the government's authority is limited and balanced.
The Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution, specifically enumerates certain fundamental rights that the government may not infringe upon. These include freedoms such as speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition, as well as the right to keep and bear arms and the protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. By guaranteeing these rights, the Constitution further limits the power of the government and ensures that individuals enjoy freedoms that cannot be taken away.
The cartoon, by depicting a large, imposing figure labeled "Government" being restrained by a smaller figure labeled "Constitution," visually represents the concept of limited government. The Constitution, through its various provisions and principles, acts as a check on the power of the government, ensuring that it does not become too powerful or overbearing. The figure of the Constitution is shown physically restraining the figure of the Government, symbolizing the inherent limitations placed on governmental authority.
The image also conveys the idea that the Constitution is a safeguard against governmental overreach. By outlining the separation of powers and guaranteeing individual rights, the Constitution ensures that the government remains accountable to the people and operates within defined boundaries. This interpretation aligns with the principle of limited government, where the powers of the government are deliberately constrained to protect the liberties of its citizens.
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Popular sovereignty
The idea of popular sovereignty goes beyond the creation and amendment of the Constitution. It is also about the ongoing involvement of the people in their government. The people indicate their support for their government by voting in public elections, upholding the Constitution, and working to influence public policy decisions. They hold their representatives accountable and ensure that the government derives its power from the consent of the governed. This concept is so fundamental to democracy that it has become a standard by which governments worldwide are judged for their legitimacy.
The principle of popular sovereignty is not unique to the US Constitution. Other democratic constitutions, such as those of the Czech Republic and Brazil, also assert that all state power derives from the people and is exercised through their elected representatives. This idea has even been appropriated by non-democracies, such as the People's Republic of China, which claims in its preamble that its government is established in the name of the people, even though power is exercised dictatorially by the Communist Party.
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Frequently asked questions
The cartoon by Clifford K. Berryman addresses the constitutional principle of checks and balances. This principle ensures that no branch of the government becomes too powerful and can dominate the others.
Examples of checks and balances in the US government include the legislative branch passing laws that the executive branch can veto, and the judicial branch declaring laws or executive actions unconstitutional.
The principle of checks and balances protects citizens' rights by promoting government accountability and preventing any single branch from gaining too much power.
