The Three Branches Of Government

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The Constitution's fundamental principles ensure the people's rights and a balance among the three branches of government. The Constitution is very much a living document. It is constantly being interpreted, discussed and debated. We still use it to govern things today that the Framers couldn't have possibly imagined, like internet safety laws and air transportation issues. The laws in the Constitution are very broad, making it easily adaptable to the constant change in our world. There are seven basic principles in the Constitution, popular sovereignty, republicanism, limited government, federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances and individual rights.

Popular Sovereignty is where the people have ultimate authority over the government. This principle is found in the preamble of the Constitution, "We the people,".

Republicanism is when people elect representatives, and give them
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Our federal system of government is where the national government and state governments share power, derive all authority from the people, and the powers of the government are specified in the Constitution. The 10th amendment is often called the federalism amendment, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.", in addition to the 10th amendment, Article 4 explains how federalism operates.

Separation of powers is a way of dividing the power of government among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Each branch is staffed separately, with equality and self governing of each, ensured by the Constitution. The separation of powers prevents a government assembly or a single person from becoming too powerful, taking away our government, and consequently, our freedoms. This principle is explained in Articles 1, 2, and 3 of the Constitution where each branch is given its roles and