Ursula Furi-Perry - Constitutional Law for Kids: Discovering the Rights and Privileges Granted by the U.S. Constitution

Chapter 1
Introduction to United States Government

Chapter 2
Fundamental Rightsthe Right to Vote

Chapter 3
The Powers of GovernmentFederal and State Levels

Chapter 4
The Powers of Governmentthe Three Branches

What Is a Right?

A right is a claim or title that you are due. It is a legal guarantee.

The United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights contain fundamental rights which are granted to ALL of the citizens of the United States. Fundamental rights are important human rights that cannot be taken away from citizens.

How Do Rights Differ from Privileges?

Rights are not absolute. They have exceptions and limits. Also, some rights are not really rights, but rather privileges.

Rights have limits. For example, a key component to being an individual is the freedom to express yourselfto state your beliefs, to say what is on your mind, and to communicate your ideas and beliefs to other people. The idea of freedom of speech, protected by the First Amendment, guarantees this right. However, freedom of speech has limits. For example, students at school are subject to different rules regarding freedom of speech. If a student significantly disrupts the classroom by speaking, then that student is NOT entitled to the protections of the freedom of speech, according to the US Supreme Court.

Rights also have exceptions. For example, you cannot say something false about another person, and you cannot say something that would cause violence to happen.

Finally, some rights are not really rights, but rather privileges. A privilege is a special status, opportunity, or license that is given to a qualified person. For example, getting your drivers license is a privilege, not a right. You may get your license only after you pass a drivers test. Your license (a privilege) could be taken away if you do not observe traffic laws. At home, playing a video game or using the computer might be a privilege that is afforded to you. You may only use this privilege if you obey your parents rules, and the privilege may be taken away from you if you fail to do so.

The US Constitution, Source: National Archives website. http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/charters_downloads.html

What Is the Constitution? What Is the Bill of Rights?

The US Constitution is the supreme law of the land. It contains the basic beliefs of our nation, and it establishes the powers and duties of the US Government. It also contains the rights guaranteed to citizens.

The United States System of Government

The United States system of government has several important characteristics:

• Our governments operate at three levels: the federal, state, and local levels.
• At each of those levels, laws are created and carried out by three branches of government: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
• Under our system of checks and balances, each branch is on equal footing with the other two branches.

What Is Federalism?

Federalism describes a system of government in which power is purposely divided. Our nation has a central unit of government, known as the federal government. Our nation also has smaller units of government in the form of state and local governments. Each of the fifty states gets to make and enforce its own laws. Each city gets to make and enforce its own local laws. Of course, all states and local units (also called municipalities) must work within the bounds of the federal government.