Civics_Ch2_webquest_Structure-compare


 * Compare your structure with our Constitution**

Let's see what you set up as a constitutional structure as compared to our Founding Fathers. Mark key vocabulary and record important points in your study notes.

__Goals of the Constitution__ are found in the **Preamble** (__vocabulary__). Below, you'll find the Preamble to our Constitution:

//We the people, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America//.

Meaning of the Preamble (put in STUDY NOTES):
 * We the people - this Constitution is for everyone; government set up with popular sovereignty, or consent of the governed.
 * Goal 1: to form a more perfect union - the Constitution set up our Federal system with a strong, central government but maintained state and local power too.
 * Goal 2: to establish justice - everyone is treated fairly under the law.
 * Goal 3: to insure domestic tranquility - keep the peace at home (we have police, an army, border agents, fire departments, and a law code.
 * Goal 4: to provide for the common defense - we are all protected by the armed forces.
 * Goal 5: to promote the general welfare - we are all granted the same rights and privileges.
 * Goal 6: to secure the blessings of liberty - we are all granted civil liberties, or personal freedoms.

How close were you to the Preamble in the U.S. Constitution?

Do you know the song? Click here to watch the Preamble video.

__Structure of the Constitution__: The U.S. Constitution has __seven articles__ like you have. Compare the details of the U.S. Constitution's structure to yours. The **articles** tell how the government works (__vocabulary__). Put the details of each article in your STUDY NOTES. 1. Article I - Legislative Branch: The Congress is our legislative body. It is divided into 2 chambers. At the Constitutional Convention, one of the major arguments was over how do determine the number of delegates should be in the legislature from each state since some had large populations and others had small populations. The Virginia Plan suggested representation based on population, which bigger states supported and smaller states were against. The smaller states came up with the New Jersey Plan to have the same number from each state. Roger Sherman came up with the Great Compromise, which set up our Congress. It formed a bicameral legislature, or two-chamber Congress. There would be a House of Representatives based on population (from Virginia Plan) and a Senate, with 2 from every state (from New Jersey Plan). Representatives serve 2 year terms and Senators serve 6 year terms. There is no limit to the number of terms they can serve. How close were you?

2. Article II - Executive Branch: The President is the Chief Executive in charge of enforcing the law and controls the Executive Branch. The Vice President is also part of the branch. The President appoints a cabinet to advise on key issues. The President serves 4 year terms and originally there were not any limits to how many terms the President could serve. In the 1950s, an amendment was put onto the Constitution that restricted the President to a 2 term limit. The Founding Fathers set up an executive controlled by one person instead of a group to make decision making more simple.

3. Article III - Judicial Branch: The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land and is at the top of the Judicial Branch. All federal level judges are appointed by the President and serve for life (can retire if choose). The Founding Fathers didn't want judges to be elected because they didn't want judges to make rulings based on winning re-election. The wanted judges to rule based on true constitutionality of laws. However, most states elect their state level judges, which is done in PA.

4. Article IV - Relations among the states: The U.S. Constitution's Full Faith and Credit Clause says that all states must accept the public records and judicial proceedings of the other states. The Constitution also sets up extradition, which means that a fugitive from justice in one state that escapes to another state must be returned to the state where the crime was committed to stand trial. Also, the Constitution guarantees a republic style of democracy to exist in state governments (remember, states still retain power, just not more power than the federal level).

5. Article V - Amendments: The amendments are the 3rd part of the U.S. Constitution. **Amendments** (__vocabulary__) fix problems or make changes to the Constitution. The amendments were not part of the original Constitution. Amendments are additions. The Bill of Rights are the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. In all, there are a total of 27 amendments.

6. Article VI - Supremacy Clause: The Constitution is the supreme law of the land, which means that states cannot make laws that conflict with the Constitution.

7. Article VII - Ratification: The Constitution needed ratification, or approval from the states. In order for it to go into effect, 9 of the 13 states needed to ratify the Constitution.

How close were you? What did you have similar? What did you have that was different?

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