What is the Constitution in kid terms? A constitution is a set of rules that guides how a country, state, or other political organization works. The constitution may tell what the branches of the government are, what powers they have, and how they work.
How to explain the Constitution to kids?
What is the Constitution in kid terms? A constitution is a set of rules that guides how a country, state, or other political organization works. The constitution may tell what the branches of the government are, what powers they have, and how they work. It may also state the rights of citizens. Click to see full answer.
What are the 3 branches of government for kids?
The Constitution is the base for all laws in the United States. The Basics The Constitution is the highest law in the United States. All other laws come from the Constitution. It says how the government works. It creates the Presidency. It creates the Congress. It creates the Supreme Court. Each state also has a constitution.
What are the seven articles of the Constitution?
A constitution is a set of rules that guides how a country, state, or other political organization works. The constitution may tell what the branches of the government are, what powers they have, and how they work. It may also state the rights of citizens. The government’s other laws are not allowed to disagree with its constitution.
How to easily teach the Constitution to elementary kids?
The United States Constitution for Kids Introduction Following the War of Independence with Great Britain, the former colonies began to consider the best way to govern their newly created and unified nation. Their initial experiment with self-government, the Articles of Confederation, created a governmental system in which
What did the Framers know when the Constitution was written?
When the Constitution was written, the Framers knew their creation was not perfect. They knew that other people would have good ideas for the Constitution. They wanted to be sure that it wasn't too hard to make changes. They also wanted to be sure that it wasn't too easy.
How does the Constitution change?
The Constitution can be changed. The Constitution is changed by an "amendment.". Among the amendments is a list of the rights of the people.
Why did some people not want to ratify the Constitution?
One big reason was that it did not have a bill of rights. A bill of rights is a list of rights that belong to the people.
Why did the Framers meet?
The Framers met to find a new way of running the country. This meeting is called The Convention. Some of the Framers are famous to us today. They include James Madison, Ben Franklin, and George Washington. At that time there were only 13 states. The men came from all the states except Rhode Island.
What amendment says women can vote?
Finally, in 1920, the 19th Amendment was passed. It says that women can vote in all elections. Today, women are active in government and politics. Being able to vote is a big part of that. Without the ability to vote, women had no voice. Without a voice, there was no reason for politicians to care what women think.
What was the most important thing about slavery in the South in 1787?
Today, there are no legal slaves in America. It was common in 1787. As time went by, more people thought that slavery was wrong. Most of the people who wanted to end slavery were from the states in the north. They were called abolitionists. Most of the people who wanted to keep slavery were from the states in the south. Slavery was important in the South. A lot of how the people in the south made money involved slaves. Slaves were worth money. Slaves picked their crops, like cotton and tobacco.
How many changes were made to the Constitution in 1791?
Congress proposed the Bill of Rights. A list of twelve changes was sent to the states. In 1791, ten of those changes were agreed to by the states. The ten changes were added to the Constitution.
What is the purpose of a constitution?
A constitution is a set of rules that guides how a country, state, or other political organization works. The constitution may tell what the branches of the government are, what powers they have, and how they work. It may also state the rights of citizens.
Who were the first people to think about constitutions?
The first people to think about constitutions were the ancient Greeks. They established a form of democracy, in which some of the people had a say in how the government was run. For hundreds of years after this, however, most people were ruled by kings or queens.
What was the name of the document that the landowners of England signed to guarantee them certain rights?
They banded together and forced the king to sign a document that guaranteed them certain rights. The document was called the Magna Carta.
What did John Locke write about?
This idea states that people give up their freedom to do anything they want in return for the protection of a stable government.
Which country has no constitution?
Many have had several in their history. One country without a written constitution is Saudi Arabia. It uses the Koran and other Islamic teachings as its highest law. The most famous example of a country without a written constitution is the United Kingdom.
Can the government disagree with the Constitution?
It may also state the rights of citizens. The government’s other laws are not allowed to disagree with its constitution. The constitution may be amended, or changed, but this is generally more difficult to do than passing an ordinary law.
What is the preamble of the Constitution?
Background: As a statement of guiding principles, the preamble to the Constitution describes what the new government hoped to accomplish for its citizens and what it still desires to fulfill today.
What is the purpose of the first article of the Constitution?
Background: The First Article of the Constitution provides the guidelines for the Legislative, or law-making, branch of government. The Drafters spent a long time crafting the Legislative Branch because they struggled with a way to give the legislature the power it needed without allowing it to become too powerful (something they had seen happen in state legislatures). In an attempt to solve this problem, the Drafters decided to organize the new government among three branches. Each of the three main branches--Legislative, Executive, and Judicial--would have separate authority and powers, which would prevent one of the other branches from gaining too much power.This idea is known as “Separation of Powers” and is viewed as an important innovation for prevented governments from becoming too powerful, or tyrannical.
What is the purpose of Section 5 of Article I?
Background: Section 5 of Article I describes the way that each House of Congress should conduct their business, with each clause addressing a di"erent part of Congress’ day-to-day work . While this section includes many rules for Congress, it also identifies one of Congress’ powers:The power to Censure an elected o!cial. Censure, which is an o!cial citation for misconduct, is one of Congress’ least used and often ine"ective powers. Congress censured President Andrew Jackson in 1834 for not revealing a document the President had read to his advisors. However, Jackson’s Censure was removed in 1837 and has only rarely been used since.Attendance is an important topic covered in Section 5. Both houses of Congress must have a quorum, or half of their members plus one more, in order to do business. Today, a quorum is 218 in the House of Representatives and 51 in the Senate. However, the Constitution allows members of Congress to leave the floor in order to meet more privately with other members while still maintaining a quorum.
What is the importance of the Senate in the Constitution?
Constitution in this speech discusses the Senate, focusing on the importance of its power to try impeachments. Wilson describes the impeachment process and commends the separation of impeachment authority between the two houses of Congress as an excellent check on this powerful tool to prevent tyranny.
What was Dickinson's vision for the government?
Dickinson’s vision of a new government with a two part legislature. Dickinson envisioned 1/7 of one house of the legislature to be voted on every year and that the other house (elected by the people not the states) would have 1/3 elected every year.
How do the Electors vote?
The Electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President , one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate;—The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted;—The person having the greatest Number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in the case of the death or other constitutional disability of the President—The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice-President; a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.
Why is the House of Representatives called the People's House?
Background: The House of Representatives is sometimes called “the People’s House” because in a certain sense, it reflects the will of the people better than the Senate. The House gained this reputation because the House of Representative was originally the only house that was directly elected to Congress (this was later changed by the Seventeenth Amendment, which required Senators to be directly elected by the people instead of by their state legislatures) Also, its members represent smaller groups of people and are therefore more accountable to them. How citizens would be represented in Congress was a hotly debated issue during the 1787 Constitutional Convention. The Drafters of the Constitution had great di!culty deciding if representation would be equal across the states or if it should vary based on the size of the state. At the Constitutional Convention, two plans gained popularity as solutions to this problem. One plan was known as the Virginia Plan and its two-house design reflected the desire for representation in Congress to be based upon the size of the state. Such a plan would have given states with larger populations greater decision-making power. This plan was disliked by smaller states, who responded with a plan of their own, the New Jersey Plan. The New Jersey Plan envisioned a Congress made up of a single house in which representation was equal across each state. While this solved the problem of varying populations across the states, the larger states argued that this unfairly gave citizens of smaller states a larger share of decision-making power than citizens living in larger states.
What is the Constitution?
The Basics. The law is the set of rules that we live by. The Constitution is the highest law. It belongs to the United States. It belongs to all Americans. The Constitution says how the government works. It creates the Presidency. It creates the Congress. It creates the Supreme Court.
What is the Bill of Rights?
It creates the Supreme Court. The Constitution lists some key rights. Rights are things that all people have just because they are alive. By listing the rights, they are made special. They are made safe. The Bill of Rights is a part of the Constitution.
Why were some people afraid of the Constitution?
Some people did not like the Constitution. Some were afraid because it did not do enough to protect the rights of the people. It had no bill, or list, of rights.
Why is the Bill of Rights important?
The Bill of Rights is very important. It protects important ideas. It protects your right to say what you want. It lets you think for yourself. It keeps the laws from being too hard. It gives rules for the police.
What is the 10th amendment?
This amendment states that any power not specifically given to the federal government by the Constitution belongs to the States and the people. From the Constitution. Here is the text of the Tenth Amendment from the Constitution:
Which amendment states that powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution are reserved to the states?
Here is the text of the Tenth Amendment from the Constitution: "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.". The Federal Government.
Why was the Tenth Amendment added?
The Tenth Amendment was added to insure that the powers of the federal government remain limited. The writers of the Tenth Amendment wanted to make it clear that the power of the federal government comes ...
How is the Tenth Amendment different from the Ninth Amendment?
How is the Tenth Amendment different from the Ninth? The Ninth and Tenth Amendments are very similar in that they limit the scope of the federal government. The Tenth Amendment, however, introduces the idea of "powers" and "states.". Interesting Facts about the Tenth Amendment. It is sometimes referred to as Amendment X.
What powers overlap between the federal and state governments?
It is sometimes referred to as Amendment X. Many powers overlap between the federal and state governments such as collecting taxes, education, and criminal justice. Sometimes the federal government will use federal funding (money) as an incentive for states to follow federal programs.
What is the federal government?
The federal government is another name for the national government (Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court) of the United States. It is defined by the U.S. Constitution. The United States was formed as a group of states under one federal government. The federal government has the powers given to it by the Constitution, ...
What are some examples of state powers?
Powers of the State Governments. Some examples of state powers include: Traffic laws. Collecting local taxes. Issuing licenses such as driver's licenses and marriage licenses. Holding elections.
What is the constitution?
1 a : the basic principles and laws of a nation, state, or social group that determine the powers and duties of the government and guarantee certain rights to the people in it. b : a written instrument embodying the rules of a political or social organization. 2 a : the physical makeup of the individual especially ...
What are some examples of constitutions?
Examples of constitution in a Sentence. The state's constitution has strict rules about what tax money can be used for. Members of the club have drafted a new constitution. The state's original constitution is on display at the museum. He has a robust constitution.
What is the British Constitution?
A constitution now usually contains the fundamental law and principles with which all other laws must conform. Unlike the U.S. Constitution, the British Constitution is not set down in a comprehensive document, but is found in a variety of statutes (as the Magna Carta) and in common law.
What is the definition of a government?
1 : the basic principles and laws of a nation, state, or social group that determine the powers and duties of the government and guarantee certain rights to the people in it.
What is the definition of a nation?
3 : the basic beliefs and laws of a nation, state, or social group by which the powers and duties of the government are established and certain rights are guaranteed to the people or a document that sets forth these beliefs and laws.
Which amendment allowed the courts to hear cases between a state and people from another state?
By adding the Eleventh Amendment into the Constitution, courts could now hear cases between a state and people from another state.
What is the 11th amendment?
A Guide to the Eleventh Amendment. The Eleventh Amendment, or Amendment XI of the United States Constitution is an Amendment that talks about sovereign immunity. The Eleventh Amendment was the first Amendment to the United States Constitution after the Bill of Rights. It was put into the Constitution on February 7, 1795.
What does the 11th amendment say about lawsuits?
The Eleventh amendment does not say anything about lawsuits that are brought to court by a citizen against his or her own state. However, in 1890 the Supreme Court said that the Amendment talked about the principles behind sovereign immunity and that these cases could not be brought forward.
Which amendment states that a state can sue a state?
In another Supreme Court Case, the Eleventh Amendment was used to say that lawsuits against officials who are acting as representatives of a state can be sued in federal courts, but only if the state acts unconstitutionally.
Which amendment states that the judicial branch can not prosecute a citizen of another state?
The text of the Eleventh A mendment states the following: “The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State.”.
Which states ratified the 11th amendment?
The Eleventh amendment was ratified by the following states, allowing it to be included in the Constitution: •New York on March 27, 1794. •Rhode Island on March 31, 1794. •Connecticut on May 8, 1794. •New Hampshire on June 16, 1794. •Massachusetts on June 26, 1794. •Vermont on November 9, 1794.
What is sovereign immunity?
•Sovereign immunity is the legal idea that says a state or a sovereign is immune from any criminal prosecution or civil suit and cannot commit any sort of legal wrong.
What is the term for the constitutional procedure that the President may use to prevent a bill from coming a law without
override: means to “overrule” and refers to the aspect of the “checks and balances” system in which Congress can override a presidential veto by a two-thirds vote. pocket veto : the constitutional procedure that president may use to prevent a bill from coming a law without giving specific reasons.
Where is the necessary and proper clause in the Constitution?
necessary and proper clause: the “implied powers” clause located in Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 of the Constitution. It states that aside from the enumerated powers given to the federal government, it also has the power to pass any law that can be traced back to those powers “delegated” in the Constitution.
What is the Supreme Law of the Land?
federal supremacy clause: this refers to Article VI, Section 2 of the United States Constitution that states that the Constitution and all federal laws and treaties shall be the “supreme law of the land.”.
What is deficit spending?
deficit spending: a practice by the government of spending more money than it takes in during a specific time period. delegated power: powers that are exclusively for the federal government and are “enumerated” in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution.
What is impeachment in the Constitution?
impeachment: a Constitutional “check” the Congress has on the President or other high federal officials. It involves an accusation against that official. implied power: a power that is not really stated directly but is “implied” in Article I, Section 8, clause 18 of the Constitution.
What is the difference between a unicameral and a unitary system?
unconstitutional: a legislative act or presidential action that violates the Constitution based on the interpretation of the Supreme Court. unicameral legislature: refers to a one-house legislature. unitary system: a type of government that concentrates power in the central government.
What is the name of the group of government officials who head various departments in the Executive Branch and advise the President?
cabinet : a group of governmental officials who head various departments in the Executive Branch and advise the president. checks and balances: a system set by the Constitution in which the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government have the power to check each other to maintain a “balance” of power.
