The Six Basic Principles
1.
Popular Sovereignty: asserts that the people are the source of any and all government power, and
the government can exist only with the consent of the governed.
Examples of Popular Sovereignty: The people vote in the presidents, senators, mayors, and governors, and they have a say in all the laws, acts, and political moves of the country. So, we as people of the United States acts as the supreme, ruling power.
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the government can exist only with the consent of the governed.
Examples of Popular Sovereignty: The people vote in the presidents, senators, mayors, and governors, and they have a say in all the laws, acts, and political moves of the country. So, we as people of the United States acts as the supreme, ruling power.
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2.
Limited Government: government is restricted in what it may do, and each individual has rights that the government cannot take away.
Examples of Limited Government: The government is prohibited from directly interfering with
certain key areas such as conscience, expression, and association. Other actions are forbidden to the federal government and are reserved to
state or local governments. Examples are of the guarantees to the freedom of expression, religion, speech, of press, of assembly, and of petition. The government can make no law against such things.
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Examples of Limited Government: The government is prohibited from directly interfering with
certain key areas such as conscience, expression, and association. Other actions are forbidden to the federal government and are reserved to
state or local governments. Examples are of the guarantees to the freedom of expression, religion, speech, of press, of assembly, and of petition. The government can make no law against such things.
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3.
Separation of Powers: executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the government are three independent and coequal branches of
government.
Examples of Separation of Powers: The Legislative Branch makes and passes laws. The Judicial Branch interprets the laws. The House and Senate
may pass a law even if the President vetoes it by overriding it with a 2/3 vote from both houses. If The House and Senate pass a law, the President signs it,
but the Supreme Court decides it is unconstitutional, they can strike down the law. The President nominates judges for the Supreme Court, and the U.S. Senate must approve the judge nominated before they can serve. The Separation of Powers in the United States has created a stronger government, yet it has limited the powers of that government.
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government.
Examples of Separation of Powers: The Legislative Branch makes and passes laws. The Judicial Branch interprets the laws. The House and Senate
may pass a law even if the President vetoes it by overriding it with a 2/3 vote from both houses. If The House and Senate pass a law, the President signs it,
but the Supreme Court decides it is unconstitutional, they can strike down the law. The President nominates judges for the Supreme Court, and the U.S. Senate must approve the judge nominated before they can serve. The Separation of Powers in the United States has created a stronger government, yet it has limited the powers of that government.
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4.
Check and Balances: allows the legislative, executive, and
judicial branches to check, or restrain, the actions of one another.
Examples of Checks and Balances: Congress has the power
to make a law, but the President can veto, or reject, it. In the case of a veto, Congress may override it with a 2/3 vote.
The President has the power to appoint federal judges, but the Senate must approve that appointment with a majority vote. The court can also strike down an action of the executive branch.
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judicial branches to check, or restrain, the actions of one another.
Examples of Checks and Balances: Congress has the power
to make a law, but the President can veto, or reject, it. In the case of a veto, Congress may override it with a 2/3 vote.
The President has the power to appoint federal judges, but the Senate must approve that appointment with a majority vote. The court can also strike down an action of the executive branch.
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5.
Judicial Review: power of a court to determine the
constitutionality of a governmental action.
Examples of Judicial Review: The Supreme Court has the power of judicial review in many cases throughout America. The government cannot break any of our rights.
Some examples of the Court evaluating and upholding
particular laws are the following cases: Lawrence vs. Texas (2003), DePierre vs. United States (2011), and Arizona Free Enterprise Club Freedom Club PAC vs. Bennett, Secretary of the State of Arizona (2011).
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constitutionality of a governmental action.
Examples of Judicial Review: The Supreme Court has the power of judicial review in many cases throughout America. The government cannot break any of our rights.
Some examples of the Court evaluating and upholding
particular laws are the following cases: Lawrence vs. Texas (2003), DePierre vs. United States (2011), and Arizona Free Enterprise Club Freedom Club PAC vs. Bennett, Secretary of the State of Arizona (2011).
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6.
Federalism: system of the government in which the powers of government are divided between a central government and several local governments.
Examples of Federalism: In the United States,
this division is between the national government in Washington, D.C., and the fifty states. Local, state, and county law enforcement, locale, state and county court systems, and laws are passed based on the state's discretion (i.e. gay marriage in New York etc).
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Examples of Federalism: In the United States,
this division is between the national government in Washington, D.C., and the fifty states. Local, state, and county law enforcement, locale, state and county court systems, and laws are passed based on the state's discretion (i.e. gay marriage in New York etc).
Click here for further reading.