The principles, values, and issues of our constitutional heritage that should be emphasized in citizenship education are based on the concepts of liberty and power. The Constitution is not a sacred icon formulated by immortals, but rather a changing and controversial framework guided by a diverse group of practical politicians, sensitive to their own condition, willing to compromise, and able to borrow from the best political thought in the western world. Most importantly, they learned that power must be limited and carefully watched if liberty is to be preserved. Three issues constitute the origins, pervasiveness, and the heart of the Constitution for citizenship education: (1) separation of powers and checks and balances, designed to prevent corruption and protect liberty by intentionally and necessarily forcing the branches of government to avoid quick and simple solutions; (2) federalism, the idea that states' rights protect against encroachment of federal authority and provide a governmental forum for local citizens; and (3) civil liberties, which most easily bring to the surface the tensions between liberty and power by raising the question of protection afforded by the Bill of Rights. (TRS)