Principles of Federalism Guided Notes

Follow along with the Prezi presentation and lecture. Complete the blanks with the
corresponding information.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson…

 Students will understand the __________________________________________

 Students will be able to ____________________ the principles of federalism, dual
sovereignty, separation of powers, and checks and balances.
 Students will be able to ______________________ the principles of federalism, dual
sovereignty, separation of powers, and checks and balances.

Driving Historical Question

How have the properties of federalism shaped the role of the federal government in our nation?

What We Already Know

 The Constitutional Convention takes place in _______________________ in the year

_____________
 Write a brief description of:
o Madison’s Virginia Plan: _____________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
o William Paterson’s New Jersey Plan: ___________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
 The Great Compromise combined proposals from the Virginia (large state) plan and the
New Jersey (small state) plan. There would be two national legislatures in a bicameral
(having two branches or chambers) Congress.
 The Federalist Papers were a series of essays written by __________________________,
_______________________________, and _____________________________ which
aimed to convince states to ratify the new U.S. Constitution.
  The _________________________ believed that a strong central government was
necessary to keep the states together to form a united nation and could best protect
individual rights and freedoms.
 The __________________________ believed that local governments best understood
what citizens needed and would best protect their freedom. They feared that a strong
central government would overpower state governments and strip them of their influence.
 The first ten amendments to the Constitution are called __________________________
and were added in order to convince states to _______________________ the
Constitution.

Critical Thinking Break #1: Make Predictions

 The word “federalism” is similar to the word “federalist”

 Using what you know about the federalists and their beliefs, make a prediction about
what federalism entails: ____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Key Terms- you will be able to complete each definition by the end of the
lesson

 Federalism
 Unitary government
 Confederation
 Dual sovereignty
 Separation of powers
 Checks and balances
 Expressed powers
 Implied powers

Federalism

 Federalism is a type of ____________________ in which the power is ______________

between the ___________________________ and other __________________________
  Federalism contrasts with a unitary government and a confederation

Critical Thinking Break #2: Give Examples

 Unitary government: ______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
o Example: _________________________________________________________
 Confederation: ___________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
o Example: _________________________________________________________
 Dual sovereignty or dual federalism is a system in which power is __________________
between the _______________________ and _________________________ in clearly
defined terms; state governments may exercise these powers without interference from
the _______________________________
 The Constitution sets up a federal system but does not expressly define federalism. The
framers wanted to avoid the trouble that came with the weak _______________________
____________________. The Constitution clearly favors the ______________________
____________________ in terms of the balance of power.

Layer Cake Federalism

 Dual sovereignty/federalism looks at the federal system as a sort of _________________

________________.
 Each layer of government performs the tasks that make the most sense for that layer.
 Different from cooperative federalism which we will learn at a later date.

Separation of Powers & Checks & Balances

Watch the Three-Ring Government clip and consider the following:

 What are the three branches of government?

 How do the three branches keep an eye on each other to ensure one doesn’t get too much
stronger than the others?
 What are the different powers of each branch?
  The separation of powers is the division of a government into ____________________,
each with separate, independent ______________________ and ____________________
 The Legislative Branch (Congress): __________________________________________
 The Executive Branch (President): ___________________________________________
 The Judicial Branch (Supreme Court): ________________________________________

Critical Thinking Break #3: Organize

Organize the powers listed on the slide into the appropriate branch category. Each category gets
two powers:

Legislative Executive Judicial

Checks and Balances

 A system that allows each branch of government to __________________ or _________

acts of another branch so as to _____________________ any one branch from ________
______________________________
 Include one example of a branch checking another from the graphic on the slide: _______
________________________________________________________________________

Federalism and the Constitution

 Article VI of the Constitution is known as the __________________________________.

This states that the Constitution and any laws passed under it form the _______________
____________________________________. This implies that the __________________
______________________ has authority over the _______________________________.
 Expressed powers are those ____________________________ to the federal
government in Article ___, Section ___ of the Constitution (also called ______________
or _____________________)
 o Examples include: __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
 Implied powers are not _________________________________ in the Constitution but
may be inferred from the ___________________________________________________.
These are powers which Congress has ___________________ in order to ____________
______________________________. The _____________________________________
often decides what constitutes an implied power.

In Closing

Be sure that the definitions of your key terms are completed on their corresponding slides. You
do not have to write the definitions again on the key terms page unless you think you need to.

Looking ahead to our next steps in this course, we will be focusing on the foundations of
America’s political system and how citizens participate in this system. We will also look at the
conflicts between America’s first political parties: the Federalists and the Democratic-
Republicans. We will discuss early domestic uprisings like Shays’ Rebellion and the Whiskey
Rebellion and how the government responded to these. Finally, we will start to understand the
basic law-making process established in the United States.