Constitutional Principles Essay

Submitted By hcacclark
Words: 589
Pages: 3

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Courtney Clark
U.S. History
Mr. Hiatt
8 December 2014
Many things play an important role in keeping the United States together as a country.
The key in keeping the country together is the Constitution, which would not be anything without the eight principles that were used to compose it. These principles include Republican
Ideology, Limited Government, Separation of Powers, Checks and Balances, Federalism,
Popular Sovereignty, Electoral College, and Amendments. Of those eight principles, the most important are Separation of Powers, Popular Sovereignty, and Amendments.
The Separation of Powers is an act of investing in the legislative, executive, and judicial powers of government in separate bodies. In other words, each branch of the government has their own responsibilities. Each branch of the government cannot have the same responsibilities as the other branches of the government. The Separation of Powers is necessary because it prevents a person in power from abusing the power that they have been given. If only one person were to have power over the entire country, then that person would be able to abuse their power and do whatever they wanted without anyone contradicting them or telling them that what they are doing is not in the best interest of the country they are governing.
Popular Sovereignty is also known as the sovereignty of the people. It is the principle that the authority of the government is created and sustained by the consent of its people, through their elected representatives, who are the source of all political power. Popular Sovereignty allows the people of the nation to have the liberty and freedom to have a say in the government

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of their nation. It protects the rights and liberties of the citizens of the nation by national and international standards. The power that a nation has helps to protect the nation. If a nation does not have very much power, it would be much easier for another country, that has more power, to take over the country with a lack of the people in the government.
Lastly, Amendments play a large role in the Constitution, which plays a large role in how the United States runs today. An amendment is a change or addition to a legal document. The opinions of the people change as well as standards that the