Simone Lawson
The US Constitution is a short document that outlines the federal government's structure and branches. It is a set of laws that the government must abide by and consists of six big ideas: limited government, republicanism, checks and balances, federalism, separation of powers, and popular sovereignty. These principles are important because they protect individual rights and liberties, outline the responsibilities of each branch of government, and ensure that the government is working for the good of the nation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Limited Government | The government only has the powers granted to it in the Constitution and can only take actions permitted by it. |
| Republicanism | A system of government based on popular sovereignty, put into practice by representative institutions and processes. |
| Checks and Balances | Each of the three branches of the federal government (legislative, executive, and judicial) is granted powers but also has the ability to check the powers of the other two branches. |
| Federalism | Power is divided between state and federal governments, with authority balanced between the two. |
| Separation of Powers | The Constitution keeps the three branches of government separate and describes their powers and responsibilities in separate Articles, making each Branch equal to the others. |
| Popular Sovereignty | The government is made by the people and exists to represent, protect, and serve them. |
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What You'll Learn
Limited government powers
The principle of limited government is a fundamental aspect of the US Constitution, reflecting the framers' intention to prevent the tyranny they had experienced under the British monarchy. This principle establishes that the government's powers are strictly defined and limited by the Constitution and national law. In other words, the government can only exercise the powers explicitly granted to it by the Constitution and cannot act beyond these boundaries. This limitation ensures that government leaders are not above the law and prevents the abuse of power by any individual or group.
The concept of limited government is closely tied to the idea of power originating with the people. The framers of the Constitution believed that citizens are the source of governmental power, and they designed a system where citizens can make decisions affecting their lives and the lives of their fellow Americans. This belief in popular sovereignty is emphasised in the Preamble to the Constitution, which stresses that the government is created by the people and exists to represent, protect, and serve them.
To ensure that governmental powers are limited and balanced, the Constitution establishes a system of checks and balances and separates the powers among the three branches of government: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Each branch has its own distinct responsibilities and is given the authority to check the powers of the other two branches. This separation of powers makes each branch equal to the others and prevents any one branch from becoming too powerful.
The limited government principle also extends to the relationship between the federal government and the state governments. Federalism, as outlined in the Constitution, divides power between the states and the federal government, with authority balanced between these layers. This distribution of power allows state governments to address local issues while enabling the federal government to act for the good of the nation as a whole.
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Republicanism
The values of republicanism in the US context are distinct from those in other countries, such as the UK, Australia, and the Netherlands, where it is associated with a political movement to abolish the social class system and titles of nobility. In the US, republicanism refers to the fundamental values that citizens in a republic have or should strive for. These values include liberty, the recognition of inalienable individual rights, and the sovereignty of the people as the source of all authority in law. It also entails rejecting monarchy, aristocracy, and hereditary political power, emphasizing virtue and faithfulness in civic duty performance, and condemning corruption.
The Founding Fathers wanted republicanism because they believed in self-governance and the importance of military service as a civic duty. They wanted to empower citizens to have a voice in government, electing representatives who are responsible to the citizens and must govern according to the law. This form of government shares power between national and state governments, allowing state governments to address local issues while maintaining a strong national government.
The principle of republicanism is not affiliated with the Republican Party. It is about ensuring that government leaders are not above the law and that their powers are limited by it. This prevents any individual or group from abusing power for personal gain. Citizens' basic rights, freedoms, and liberties are guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, and no laws can be passed to revoke these rights. This principle was also stated in the Declaration of Independence, emphasizing that all men are created equal and endowed with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
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Checks and balances
The checks and balances system acts as a safeguard against tyranny and the concentration of power. Each branch of government can exercise some control over the others, creating a delicate balance. For instance, the legislative branch makes the laws, the executive enforces them, and the judicial branch interprets them. However, the legislative branch can also check the executive through oversight and the power to confirm or reject executive appointments. Similarly, the executive branch can influence the judiciary by appointing judges, while the judiciary can constrain the legislative and executive branches by reviewing and striking down unconstitutional laws or actions.
The framers of the Constitution intentionally designed this system to prevent the abuses of power witnessed under the British monarchy. They envisioned a government where power originates from the people and is exercised through elected representatives accountable to their citizens. This principle of popular sovereignty, emphasized in the Preamble, ensures that the government is ultimately responsible to its citizens and cannot act arbitrarily.
The checks and balances system also reinforces the concept of limited government. The Constitution enumerates the powers granted to the government, and any actions beyond those enumerated powers are prohibited. This limitation on governmental authority ensures that certain values and principles are protected from government interference, further safeguarding citizens' rights and liberties.
In summary, the checks and balances principle enshrined in the US Constitution is vital for maintaining a balanced and accountable government. It prevents the concentration of power, protects citizens' rights, and ensures that the government operates within the boundaries set by the Constitution and the people.
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Federalism
The principle of federalism was established at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The Framers of the Constitution sought to create a unified national government with limited powers while maintaining a sphere of autonomy for state governments. Federalism was seen as a way to bring government closer to the people, with state governments believed to be the closest to citizens.
Under federalism, the national government has powers such as declaring war, making treaties, and regulating interstate trade. Meanwhile, states retain significant powers, including those not explicitly granted to the national government by the Constitution, as outlined in the Tenth Amendment. This division of powers helps limit the dangers of tyranny and preserve individual liberties.
The US federal system is characterized by the permanence of internal boundaries, with boundary changes requiring the consent of the states. This noncentralization of power ensures that authority cannot be easily taken away from state governments without common consent. The Senate, the Electoral College, and the process of amending the Constitution all reflect the principle of federalism, ensuring state interests are represented and protected.
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Separation of powers
The principle of separation of powers is one of the six big ideas underpinning the US Constitution. It is derived from the text and structure of the Constitution and is a well-known concept. The principle functionally differentiates several types of state power, usually law-making, adjudication, and execution, and requires these operations of government to be conceptually and institutionally distinguishable and articulated, thereby maintaining the integrity of each.
The US Constitution establishes a Federal Government consisting of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Each branch is granted powers and given some ability to check the powers of the other two branches. The Constitution divides governmental power among these three branches by vesting the Legislative Power of the Federal Government in Congress, the Executive Power in the President, and the Judicial Power in the Supreme Court and any lower courts created by Congress.
The Framers' experience with the British monarchy informed their belief that concentrating distinct governmental powers in a single entity would subject the nation's people to arbitrary and oppressive government action. They sought to ensure that a separate and independent branch of the Federal Government would exercise each of the three basic functions of government.
The term "tripartite system" is commonly ascribed to French Enlightenment political philosopher Montesquieu, who described the various forms of distribution of political power among a legislature, an executive, and a judiciary. He based this model on the Constitution of the Roman Republic and the British constitutional system.
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