The Preamble• The Preamble

establishes goals for the new government:

• A government of the people

• A “more perfect union”• Provide for common

defense• Establish justice• Promote general welfare• Ensure domestic

tranquility (peace)• Ensure liberty

“We the People”• The

government is founded by its citizens

• The government serves the people, not the other way around

“A more perfect union”• Form a stronger nation

• Looking to avoid the weakness of the Articles of Confederation

• The states would give up some power to the new federal government

“Provide for the common defense”

• To defend the nation

• As of 1787 when this was written, the U.S. was threatened by British forces in Canada and Spanish in Florida.

• It gives the federal government authority to maintain the military

Establish Justice

• The federal government would be the protector of rights

• It would have the final say in legal matters• A federal court system would be created to

do this

“Promote the General Welfare”

The government would have the responsibility to do what it can to improve

the lives of its citizens

The government has the power to take action on

behalf of its citizens

How does the government accomplish this?

“Ensure domestic tranquility”

• Government has a duty to keep the peace at home

• It can control criminal activity

• It has the authority to help society run smoothly

“Ensure the Blessings of Liberty”

• Protects the basic freedoms that all citizens enjoy

• Passes on our rights and freedoms to all the generations that follow (i.e. YOU!)

Principles behind the Constitution

• Popular Sovereignty: people have the right to rule themselves

• Limited Government: the government cannot do anything it wants

• Federalism: power is shared with the national and state governments

Federalism• Delegated Powers: given only to the

national government

• Reserved Powers: given only to the states

• Concurrent Powers: shared by national and state governments

Supremacy Clause• The Constitution is

the supreme law of the land

• Any law or government action that conflicts with the Constitution is cancelled out

• State government cannot go against the national government

“Necessary and Proper” Clause

• How has the clause made the Air Force possible?

• “Congress shall have the power to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper to carry out its duties” [Article I, section 8]

• It allows Congress to take on powers not specifically listed in the Constitution

• Without it, Congress could not take action on modern problems

• Also known as the “elastic clause”

Separation of Powers• Government is

divided into 3 branches: legislative, executive, and judicial

• A system of Checks and balances keeps any one branch from getting too powerful

A living document• One of the greatest accomplishments of the

Constitution is to realize it had weaknesses

• It allows itself to be changed as times change

• An Amendment is a change or addition to the Constitution

The Amendment Process• Can be proposed by a

2/3 vote of both houses of Congress or a vote of 2/3 of state legislatures

• It must be approved by ¾ of state legislatures to take effect

• It can also be approved by ¾ of state ratifying conventions, although this has never happened

• Only 27 amendments have been added in history

Why change the Constitution?• The original Constitution

worked well in 18th Century America

• Without changes, it would not work for us today, for example:

• Slavery was allowed• Women could not vote• African-Americans were not

guaranteed the right to vote• Senate was chosen by State

legislatures• President and Vice President

chosen separately• Amendments have resolved

these issues to modern times

All amendments aren’t a good idea

• The Amendment process is difficult, on purpose.

• Most proposed amendments never make it.

• Many proposed amendments reflect the beliefs of the times. The process attempts to keep the Constitution timeless

1876: The Senate shall be abolished

1916: All acts of war should be put to a national vote. Anyone voting yes has to register as a volunteer for service in the

United States Army

1933: An attempt to limit the personal wealth to $1 million

1990: The Congress shall have the power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag

of the United States."