U.S. Constitution: Branches, Powers, and Principles

Constitution

• The Constitution's preamble establishes 6 goals.
  • Form a more perfect union.
  • Establish justice.
  • Ensure domestic tranquility.
  • Provide for the common defense.
  • Promote the general welfare.
  • Secure the blessings of liberty.
• There are 7 unwritten principles.
• The government has 3 branches: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial.
• Topics to know for each branch include functions, structure, responsibilities, and terms.
• A bill becomes law through a specific process.
• The committee system is part of the legislative process.
• The Elastic Clause allows Congress to stretch its powers.
• The Electoral College has a structure and purpose, with pros and cons.
• Separation of powers divides government authority.
• Checks and balances prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
• The president can veto legislation.
• Congress can override a veto.
• Impeachment is a process for removing officials.
• Judicial review allows courts to determine the constitutionality of laws.
• Federalism divides power between national and state governments.
• States have rights and play a role in government.
• Amending the Constitution requires a specific process.
• The Bill of Rights (1-10) guarantees individual freedoms.
• Civil War Amendments (13, 14, 15) addressed slavery and civil rights.
• Key voting rights Amendments include the 15th, 19th, 26th, 17th and 23rd.
• Cases reach the Supreme Court through a specific federal court system structure.
• American citizenship can be obtained through naturalization or immigration.
• Resident aliens have specific rights and responsibilities.
• There are 6 responsibilities of citizenship in a democracy.
• Understand the current political landscape, including which party controls the 3 branches.
• Know the current Supreme Court makeup.
• The court makeup is influenced by judicial philosophy.
• It's important to know names like the Majority Leader of the US Senate, Speaker of the US House, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and Governor of Massachusetts.
• Efforts are ongoing to restrict and protect voting rights.
• People like those at the EMK Institute assist with knowing voting rights.
• Originalism (Strict Constructionism) differs from a Living Constitution.
• The political spectrum ranges from Left/Liberal to Centrist to Right/Conservative.
• Media reliability and bias are important to understand.
• The Preamble is at the beginning of the Constitution, serving as an introduction.
• The Preamble outlines the purpose of the Constitution and of government in general.
• "We the People" signifies that the power to govern belongs to the people of the United States, not just the states.
• "Establish Justice" means making things fair and honest, ensuring all people are treated equally under laws and in courts.
• "Insure domestic tranquility" refers to keeping happiness and peace within the country.
• "Provide for the common defense" means protecting the U.S. from enemies and war, primarily through the military.
• "Promote the general welfare" aims to make life good for everyone by providing common goods.
• "Secure the blessings of liberty" is about protecting rights and freedom for current and future generations.
• "To ourselves and our posterity" refers to the current generation and all future generations.
• "Do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America" means to approve and accept the Constitution.
• "Form a more perfect union" refers to uniting the states while balancing states' rights with those of the central government.

Supreme Court

• Know a specific court case and its decision.
• Cases have a specific number of justices.
• Understand the breakdown of judicial philosophies within the current Court.
• Define majority, dissenting, and concurring opinions.

Pre-Civil War Issues

• Manifest Destiny was a key concept.
• The Missouri Compromise attempted to address slavery.
• The Compromise of 1850 included the Fugitive Slave Law.
• The Kansas-Nebraska Act led to "Bleeding Kansas" and the Charles Sumner affair.
• Dred Scott v. Sandford was a landmark Supreme Court case.
• The Mexican-American War and Cession expanded US territory.

Civil War

• The 1860 Presidential election triggered secession.
• Ft. Sumter was the site of the war's first battle.
• Key facts to know include border states, strengths and weaknesses of each side.
• Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, and Robert E. Lee were important figures.
• The Union's strategy was the Anaconda Plan, the Confederate plans for victory were key.
• Key battles to learn about included:
  • Bull Run/Manassas
  • Antietam/Sharpsburg
  • Fredericksburg
  • Chancellorsville
  • Vicksburg
  • Gettysburg.
• Figures like "Stonewall" Jackson, George McClellan, Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman and Phillip Sheridan were key.
• The Emancipation Proclamation was a turning point.
• Key facts:
  • Know about the 54th Massachusetts regiment.
  • Draft law of 1863.
  • NYC riots in July 1863.
  • The first income tax
  • Inflation
  • Blockades.
• The South's economy suffered.
• The Gettysburg Address was a significant speech.
• Sherman's "march to the sea" was a key campaign, as well as the total war.
• The Election of 1864 took place during the war.
• Study Lincoln's 2nd inaugural address.
• Key battles include:
  • Petersburg
  • Richmond
  • Appomattox Courthouse and their results.

Reconstruction

• Lincoln's assassination by John Wilkes Booth impacted Reconstruction.
• The Freedmen's Bureau was established to aid former slaves.
• Andrew Johnson's impeachment was a major event.
• The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were crucial.
• Black Codes restricted African Americans' rights.
• Radical Republicans played a key role.
• The Reconstruction Act of 1867 was significant.
• The KKK emerged as a force of opposition.
• The Election of 1876 and Compromise of 1877 ended Reconstruction.
• Rutherford B. Hayes became president.
• Jim Crow laws enforced segregation.
• Plessy v. Ferguson established "separate but equal."
• Brown v. Board of Education overturned Plessy v. Ferguson later on.
• Sharecropping became a common economic system.
• Voting restrictions were imposed on African Americans.
• Study the reasons for the end of Reconstruction.

Explore the U.S. Constitution, including its preamble, unwritten principles, and the three branches of government. Understand the functions, structure, and responsibilities, of the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches. Learn about the law-making process, the Electoral College, separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism.