Principles of the U.S. Constitution
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This is a paper civics investigation. You will read short summaries written for this packet, study a diagram of how the U.S. government is organized, and answer questions using a pencil. You do not need a computer, a textbook, or the internet — everything you need is printed in this packet. Work by yourself and do your best thinking. Write in complete sentences where you are asked to explain. If a question is hard, skip it, keep going, and come back. Reading the passages aloud quietly to yourself is allowed and encouraged. Keep your answers non-partisan — describe how the system is designed to work, not which side you favor.
Start Observe a Source 5 min
A principle is a basic rule or idea that guides how something is built. Warm up before you read.
1Read this short public-domain excerpt, then answer below.
Public-domain excerpt — the opening of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution (1787): "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union … do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
Type: primary source, public domain · Creator: the framers at the Constitutional Convention · Date: 1787 · Only the first and last phrases are shown; the middle is left out (…).
Notice: Write one thing you notice about who the excerpt says the government comes from.
Predict: Based only on the words "We the People," predict one idea the framers thought was important.
2Why do you think the framers might have wanted to divide the government's power among different groups instead of giving it all to one person? Give one reason in your own words.
Build Read the Sources 5–10 min
Source A — The five core principles (written for this packet)
When the framers wrote the U.S. Constitution in 1787, they built it on a small set of guiding ideas. Five of these principles appear again and again:
Popular sovereignty means the government's power comes from the people. Voters choose the leaders, and leaders are supposed to answer to the public. The Preamble begins "We the People" to signal this idea.
Limited government means the government may only do what the Constitution allows. Rulers are not above the law; the written rules apply to officials too.
Separation of powers means the work of government is split among three branches: the legislative branch (Congress) makes laws, the executive branch (the President) carries out laws, and the judicial branch (the courts) interprets laws and settles disputes.
Checks and balances means each branch can limit the other two, so no single branch grows too strong. For example, Congress can pass a bill, the President can veto it, and Congress can override that veto with a large enough vote.
Federalism means power is shared between the national (federal) government and the state governments. Some powers belong to the nation, some belong to the states, and some are shared.
Type: original explanatory summary · Focus: U.S. constitutional principles, 1787
Source B — A design note (written for this packet)
This is an original summary, not a real quotation. It restates a common idea historians use to describe the framers' goal:
"The framers had lived under a distant king and had also seen a national government too weak to work. They wanted a middle path: a government strong enough to act, but tied down by written rules so that no one person or single branch could seize control."
Type: original summary of a historical viewpoint · Creator: not a real person · Focus: the framers' intent, about 1787 · Not a genuine primary quotation.
Word Bank
- principle
- a basic rule or idea that guides how something is built or run.
- popular sovereignty
- the idea that the government's power comes from the people.
- limited government
- the idea that government may only do what the law allows.
- separation of powers
- splitting government work among three branches.
- checks and balances
- each branch can limit the others so none grows too strong.
- federalism
- power shared between the national government and the states.
- branch
- one of the three parts of government: legislative, executive, judicial.
- fact
- a statement that can be checked and shown true or false.
- interpretation
- an explanation of what evidence means; reasoned from facts.
- opinion
- a personal belief or preference; not proven by evidence.
3Using the diagram, write the job of each branch in a few words. Legislative: ____________________ · Executive: ____________________ · Judicial: ____________________.
Apply Analyze the Sources 20–25 min
4Match the principle to the example. Write the letter of the best example next to each principle. Use Source A and the diagram. Each is used once.
| Principle | Letter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Popular sovereignty | ____ | A) The President can veto a bill, and Congress can override the veto. |
| Limited government | ____ | B) Voters elect the members of Congress. |
| Separation of powers | ____ | C) Some powers belong to the nation and some to the states. |
| Checks and balances | ____ | D) Officials must follow the written rules of the Constitution. |
| Federalism | ____ | E) Congress makes laws, the President carries them out, the courts interpret them. |
5Source analysis. Look back at the Preamble excerpt in Question 1 and fill in what you can tell about it.
Creator: _______________________________________________
Date: ________________________________________________
Type of source (primary or secondary? public domain?): ____________________
What it shows: Name one principle from Source A that the words "We the People" help show, and explain in one sentence.
6Why did the framers include this? Use Source B and the diagram. In 2–3 sentences, explain why the framers built in checks and balances — what problem were they trying to prevent, and how does one branch checking another help?
7Fact, interpretation, or opinion? Write F (fact you can check in the sources), I (interpretation reasoned from facts), or O (opinion / personal belief).
____ a) The Constitution divides the national government into three branches.
____ b) The framers probably included checks and balances because they feared one branch gaining too much power.
____ c) The judicial branch is the most important branch of all.
____ d) Under federalism, power is shared between the national government and the states.
8Evaluate a claim using the sources. A student claims: "Separation of powers and federalism are just two names for the same thing." Do the sources support this claim?
- Yes — both mean splitting power among the three branches.
- No — separation of powers divides power among three branches, while federalism divides power between the nation and the states.
- The sources never mention federalism.
Explain your choice using one detail from Source A or the diagram:
Explain Claim–Evidence–Reasoning 5–10 min
Question 9. Read this scenario, then answer.
Scenario (written for this packet): "Congress passes a new law. The President disagrees and refuses to sign it, sending it back. Congress then votes again, and this time enough members vote for it that it becomes law anyway."
Which single principle does this scenario best illustrate, and how does the evidence support that? Write a claim that names one principle, give two pieces of evidence from the scenario, Source A, or the diagram, then explain your reasoning.
Sentence stems you may use: "This scenario best illustrates ______ because…" · "One piece of evidence is… (from the scenario / Source A / the diagram)." · "A second piece of evidence is…" · "This shows the principle because…"
Close ACE Wrap-Up 5 min
In your own words, explain what checks and balances means, as if teaching a friend.
Point to one arrow or box in the diagram, or one line in a source, that shows one branch limiting another. Name it.
Name one everyday group (a team, club, or family) where power is divided so no one person decides everything, and give one reason that helps.
Continue Early Finisher optional · ~15 min
Remove a check and predict. On the back of this page, imagine the Constitution had no way for Congress to override a presidential veto. Using only the sources and the diagram, predict two ways the balance of power might change. For each prediction, name the check you removed and the effect you expect on how the branches work together.