After winning independence, America built a brand-new framework of government — with power carefully split so no one could ever rule alone.
📜Why Build a New Government?
😟Weak Start
The first plan — the Articles of Confederation — was too weak. It couldn't collect taxes or enforce laws.
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🏛️1787 Meeting
Delegates met in Philadelphia to fix it. They decided to write a brand-new plan instead.
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📃The Constitution
They wrote the Constitution — the supreme law that organizes the whole U.S. government.
🏛️The Three Branches
⚖️LEGISLATIVE
JobMakes the laws
🏛️ Congress (Senate + House)
🦅EXECUTIVE
JobCarries out the laws
🦅 President (can veto)
👩⚖️JUDICIAL
JobDecides what laws mean
👩⚖️ The Courts (Supreme Court)
🔄 Checks & Balances
Each branch can limit the other two.
The President can veto a law Congress passes.
This keeps any one branch from getting too powerful.
🗺️Sharing the Power: Federalism
✋The Bill of Rights
1Free Speech & ReligionYou can speak, write, and worship freely.
⚖️A Fair TrialEveryone has the right to a fair, speedy trial.
📢Assemble & PetitionYou can gather peacefully and ask government to change.
🛡️Protect the PeopleThese rights guard individual freedoms from the government.
🔑Key Terms
📃ConstitutionThe supreme law that sets up how the government works.
✏️AmendmentA formal change or addition to the Constitution.
🔄Checks & BalancesEach branch can limit the powers of the others.
🤝FederalismPower is shared between national and state governments.
🚫VetoThe President's power to reject a law passed by Congress.
✅RatifyTo formally approve a document like an amendment.
⭐Remember: the Constitution splits power three ways — and the Bill of Rights protects YOUR freedoms — so no single person or branch can ever rule alone.
✏️ Social Studies Anchor Chart · The US Constitution and Bill of Rights