US Government and Civics Unit 1 The Constitution

Unit 1: The Constitution Foundations of the Constitution ● Federalism: The concept of having separate powers for the state and federal government. National Powers Declare war Conduct foreign affairs Regulate international trade Establish a federal court system Support armies Coin money Charter banks Regulate interstate commerce Levy taxes Borrow money Define crime Punish crime State Powers Create public schools Create local government Provide public education Create traffic laws Levy taxes Borrow money Define crime Punish Crime Charter Banks Issue marriage licenses Issue licenses for practicing law and medicine ● Elastic Clause: Gives Congress the ability to create laws and use extreme methods to govern the nation ● Supremacy Clause: The Constitution is the supreme law of the land and it always overrides the powers of the states. ● Separation of Powers: Each branch has their own individual powers ● Checks and Balances: Each branch makes sure that the other branches aren’t abusing their power. Articles I, II, & III of the Constitution ● The Branches of Government: (More details about each branch discussed later in the guide) ○ Executive (enforces laws) ○ Legislative (make laws) ○ Judicial (interpret laws) ● Bicameral legislature: A body of lawmakers consisting of 2 separate houses/chambers (ex. House of Representatives and the Senate) ● The Electoral College: ○ Method of electing a president ○ The candidate that gets more than half of the electoral votes wins the election ○ Each state gets a certain number of electoral votes (based off of the amount of representatives in congress) ○ Refer to picture below: How A Bill Becomes a Law The Amendments ● Proposing and Ratifying an Amendment ○ Proposal: ■ Proposed by ⅔ vote from both houses of Congress OR ■ Proposed by ⅔ vote of national convention called by Congress ○ Ratification: ■ Ratified by the Senate legislatures of 38 of the states OR ■ Ratified by conventions held in 38 of the states The Bill of Rights ● The Bill of Rights are the first 10 amendments of the constitution. They protect individual rights and liberties. These rights are freedoms that the government cannot impede upon. ● Summary of the First 10 amendments: ○ First Amendment: Freedom of religion, assembly, press, petition, and speech. (remember the RAPPS acronym) ○ Second Amendment: Right to bear arms ○ Third Amendment: Right to not house soldiers during a war ○ Fourth Amendment: Protects individuals from unreasonable searches and seizures ○ Fifth Amendment: Rights in criminal cases ■ Due process ■ Don’t have to speak against yourself (plead the fifth) ○ Sixth Amendment: Right to a speedy trial by an impartial jury, a lawyer, and call upon your own witnesses ○ Seventh Amendment: A jury must be provided in civil cases ○ Eighth Amendment: Sets limits on bails and punishments ○ Ninth Amendment: States have other rights that are not addressed in the Constitution. ○ Tenth Amendment: Power that is not given to the federal government is reserved for the states. ● Other Amendments You Should Know About: ○ 13th amendment: Prohibits slavery ○ 15th amendment: Citizens should have the right to vote regardless of race or color. ○ 18th amendment: Prohibited alcohol ○ 19th amendment: Gave women the right to vote ○ 21st amendment: Repealed the 18th amendment ○ 22nd amendment: Limits a president to 2 terms ○ 26th amendment: Set the voting age at 18 Flag Code ● Meaning ○ 13 stripes represent the 13 colonies ○ 50 stars represent the 50 states ● Signs Of Respect For The Flag: ○ When displayed horizontally, the stars should be on top ○ The flag should not be touching anything underneath it ○ The flag should not be worn as clothes (including clothing displaying stars and stripes that resemble the flag) ○ The flag should not be pinned/displayed in a way that increases the chance of causing damage to it ○ The flag shouldn’t be used in advertisements ○ The flag should not be used to carry anything ○ If the flag has been damaged one should dispose of it properly (commonly done by burning it)