Lesson #5: Power and Balance

^[1]

“...I say, that Power must never be trusted without a check.”

― John Adams, Adams-Jefferson Letters^[2]

Summary:

Some powers are explicitly stated in the Constitution as belonging to one or more levels/branches of government, while others are implied. Understanding the difference between enumerated and implied powers is tricky. Federalism involves the concept that government powers in the U.S. is shared between state governments and a central government. The Supremacy Clause reminds us that if federal and state laws are ever in conflict, federal law prevails. In addition to separating power between the federal and state governments, the framers of the Constitution also separated power between the three branches of federal government: legislative, executive, and judicial. By separating the powers among the three branches, the Constitution created a system that allowed each branch to hold the others accountable, and also limited the overall power of government.

Social Studies Standard:

9.1.4.6: The United States government has specific functions that are determined by the way that power is delegated and controlled among various bodies: the three levels (federal, state, local) and the three branches (legislative, executive, judicial) of government. 

Social Studies Benchmark:

9.1.4.6.5: Describe the systems of enumerated and implied powers, separation of powers, and checks and balances.

Reading Benchmarks:

9.12.2.2: Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.

9.12.4.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, geographic, historical, or economic aspects of history/social studies.

Essential Question:

What is the separation of powers and the system of checks and balances? What is the difference between enumerated and implied powers?

Activities:

5.1: Enumerated & Implied Powers: What’s the Difference?

5.2: The “Federal” in Federalism

5.3: Branches of Power

5.4: Checks & Balances