American Government
Unit 1 Guide: Foundations, Principles, and Institutions of American Government
Learning Targets
Knowledge Targets
“What I need to know.”
Reasoning/Skills Targets
“What I can do with what I know.”
“What I can demonstrate.”
Name: ______________
Learning Target Statements
❑ The government of the United States is a representative form of
democracy
❑ The U.S. Constitution and American democracy both have
strengths and weaknesses
❑ The U.S. Constitution established America’s national government
and fundamental laws, and it guarantees certain basic rights to its
citizens
❑ The U.S. Constitution was not our nation’s first attempt at the
creation of a government
❑ The U.S. Constitution was created and ratified on the basis of
compromise
❑ U.S. Constitution and American Democracy were created and
founded on six basic principles
❑ Our government has five purposes, and they are noted in the
Preamble of the U.S. Constitution
❑ There are two ways the U.S. Constitution can be amended in
order to bring change to our government
❑ The Framers purposefully made the amendment process time
consuming and difficult, so that the Constitution couldn’t be changed
by the whims of the people
❑ The powers that belong to our government have been divided up
into federal, state, and local governments, in order to promote
diversity and sovereignty
❑ The Constitution bestows enumerated powers to each branch of
government
❑ There are times when the institutions of government don’t
effectively work together
❑ I can use the Preamble to explain the purpose of the government
and how it aids and protects the country and its people
❑ I can analyze various opinions on the purpose of government
❑ I can compare and contrast different types of government
❑ I can explain how the framers experiences with various types of
government influenced the U.S. Constitution
❑ I can explain how the Constitution has been and can be amended
through a formal amendment process and an informal process
❑ I can define separation of powers, explain why it is important, and
give examples of how power is distributed in our government
❑ I can define checks and balances, explain why they are important,
and give examples in each branch of government
❑ I can identify the requirements and the length of terms for those in
the legislative, executive and judicial branches
❑ I can identify and explain the major roles and powers of each
branch
❑ I can explain the importance of having an independent judiciary
branch
 ❑ I can define and explain judicial review and how it impacts
Americans rights
❑ I can evaluate the leadership qualities important to the success of
a president
❑ I can analyze the expansion of presidential power from the 1800’s
to present day
❑ I can explain what the Bill of Rights is and its role and purpose in
the Constitution
❑ I can define federalism and explain why it is necessary and how it
promotes representative democracy
❑ I can identify and explain how power is shared in American
government as a result of Federalism
❑ I can identify various people in a number of different institutions of
government

Key Vocabulary ❑ Government ❑ Separation of Powers

❑ Checks and Balances ❑
“I can explain all of these vocabulary
Judicial Interpretation
terms in my own words, and can
appropriately use them in a sentence.” ❑ Constitution ❑ Democracy
❑ Ratify ❑ Representative
democracy
❑ Federalism ❑ Articles of Confederation
❑ Amendment ❑ Enumerated powers
❑ Government ❑ Implied powers
❑ Monarchy ❑ Necessary and Proper
Clause
❑ Oligarchy ❑ Supremacy Clause
❑ Dictatorship ❑ Popular Sovereignty
❑ Totalitarian