Principles of Government

The delegates elected to create the new government at the Constitutional Convention were well read and educated. They had studied history and law, and had certain thoughts on how to create a well run government. The Founding Fathers who shaped the Constitution were intentional in their design of the United States government. They created a system of government that was crafted to protect Americans from the tyranny and abuse that existed in the monarchies of Europe.

As the Founding Fathers created their new government, they based it on certain ideas of government. These ideals are called the principles of government and are found through the Constitution. Our Constitution is the highest law in the land. It details the powers the government can and cannot have. The Constitution claims its source of authority if from the people of the United States. It also protects against abuse by those in power through both the structure of government and a guarantee of individual rights. The Constitution creates a republic form of government in which people vote for representatives.

Popular Sovereignty

The very first principle of government appears in the first three words of the Constitution . . . "WE THE PEOPLE". The Preamble of the Constitution states that ultimate power and final authority rest with the people of the United States. The president and members of congress were not given their positions, they are elected by the people and serve the will of the people. All government power comes ONLY from the consent (agreement) of the people.

Limited Government

The principle of limited government is connected to popular sovereignty. If "We the People" can create a government and give it power, then "We the People" can state exactly what powers our government can and cannot have. Government powers are limited to the laws created by the Constitution. With a limited government, power is limited to what is stated in the Constitution. The government is not all powerful.

Republicanism

Popular sovereignty and limited government are linked to the principle of republicanism. "We the People" elect representatives to work for us in government. The people do not govern themselves directly, but instead, through elections, they choose those who govern them. Representatives are chosen citizens who could vote for them based on merit (reputation and past leadership). Frequent elections prevent any one individual from gaining to much power.

The ideal of republicanism can be found in many places in the Constitution. In Article I, the Constitution states, "The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several states." This is one of many examples of the ways American citizens elect representatives to run government.

Separation of Powers

If you read the Constitution, you will find that the majority of it describe the different rules for government. This is where you find the next principle that deals with power, and the prevention of any one person or group of people from gaining too much power. It was important to the men who wrote the Constitution that they form a government that did not allow one person to have too much control. While under the rule of the British King they learned that this could lead to government abuse. With this in mind, The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution to provide for three separate, but equally powerful branches of government: The Legislative Branch (which writes the laws), the Executive Branch (which has the power to enforce and administer the laws), and the Judicial Branch (which reviews the way laws are applied). Each branch has certain powers that only they are allowed to use.

Checks and Balances

In addition to having certain powers in the government, each of the three branches of government has certain controls (checks) over the other two branches. This balances power between the three branches of government. The Founding Fathers were determined to prevent any one person or group from gaining complete control over the government.

Federalism

One other less obvious example of separation of power is the concept of federalism. Power is divided between the national government (federal) and the governments of the individual states. In a federal system, some key powers are kept by the national government (the United States) while others are reserved for state governments. When the Constitution was written, state governments were more powerful than they are now. These state governments were reluctant to relinquish all of their authority to the federal government. Federalism resolved the issue of the states granting too much power to the central government. Federalism gives the states local control over issues that impacted their citizens, especially those that dealt with the different cultures and economies of each state. This principle of government also allowed one more check, as both the federal government and the state government would always have ways to limit laws. Federalism is most clearly seen in the 10th 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."

Individual Rights

One of the key principles of government at first wasn't even included in the Constitution, the concept of protecting individual rights. The Federalists and Anti-Federalists strongly disagreed about creating a list of individual rights protected in the Constitution. However, in order for the Constitution to pass and be ratified (approved) by the states, it became necessary to include a Bill of Rights. These individual rights are the personal freedoms, protections, and equality under the law that are guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. These individual rights are most evident in the First Amendment which is the basis for all civil rights laws in the United States. The First Amendment states "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Of all the principles, the most important is the role you play in government. In order for a government to function, its citizens must be involved. The Founding Fathers recognized the importance of civic virtue. Citizens mush participate in government by voting responsibly for those who represent their ideals. Elected representatives should be committed to public good, not private gain, so it is important to understand and share the values of the representative you are electing. If you are unhappy with government, you have the civic right and duty to change it. After all, "Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting."

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