Final answer:
The six basic principles that the Constitution is built around are popular sovereignty, limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, judicial review, and federalism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Constitution of the United States is built around six basic principles:
- Popular Sovereignty - This means that the power of government comes from the people. Citizens have the right to vote and choose their leaders.
- Limited Government - The Constitution limits the powers of the government to protect individual rights. The government only has the authority granted by the Constitution.
- Separation of Powers - The government is divided into three branches: the executive branch (President), legislative branch (Congress), and judicial branch (Supreme Court). Each branch has specific powers and responsibilities.
- Checks and Balances - Each branch of government has the ability to check the power of the other branches to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
- Judicial Review - The Supreme Court has the power to interpret the Constitution and determine if laws and actions are constitutional.
- Federalism - Power is shared between the national government and state governments. Both levels of government have their own areas of authority.