Government Powers Limited in the Constitution

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CONTENT STATEMENT

  1. The U.S. Constitution protects citizens’ rights by limiting the powers of government.

CONTENT ELABORATION

The U.S. Constitution including the Bill of Rights, protects the rights of citizens by placing limits on the powers of the government. The federal government, for example, is prohibited from infringing on the freedoms of speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition.

Citizens also are entitled to due process of law, guaranteed the right to trial by jury and the right to counsel, and are protected from cruel and unusual punishments. After the Civil War, Reconstruction Amendments extended basic rights to the formerly enslaved Americans.

EXPECTATIONS FOR LEARNING

Evaluate how the U.S. Constitution protects citizens’ rights by limiting the powers of government.

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