1st Quarter Exam Flashcards
Power is shared by a powerful central government and states.
Federal government
A weak or loose organization of states that are separate, but have a common purpose.
Confederation (A confederal form of government)
States give power to the central government
Confederal government
The Central government and the states give each other power
Federal government
The articles of Confederation was a _____________ form of government.
Confederal
The 7 weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation is…
Unicameral Congress
no executive branch
Few powers given to national government
All 13 states had to agree in order to make changes
Congress had no power to regulate trade
Congress had no power to coin money
Congress had no power to establish Armed Forces
The 7 strengths of the Federal Constitution is…
Bicameral Congress
President given powers to enforce laws
Congress elected by the people (Senate after Amendment 17)
Simple majority needed to pass laws
Congress given power to collect taxes
Congress given power to coin money
Congress given power to form Army and Navy for national defense
The central government is in charge and holds most of the power
Unitary government
What does the Constitution describe?
It describes the structure of the government and the rights of the American people.
No one may be passed that contradicts its principles.
No person, state, or the government, is exempt from following it. This is why it is commonly called the “supreme law of the land”
What are the three parts of the Constitution?
- Preamble
- Articles
- Amendments
Describes the purpose of the document and government.
Preamble
Establishes how the government is structured and how the Constitution can be changed. There are ___ __________.
Articles; 7 Articles
Changes to the constitution; the first 10 are called the ____________.
Amendments; Bill of Rights
Why was the Constitutional Convention held?
The Articles of Confederation were not working
a stronger central government was needed as demonstrated by Shays’ Rebellion.
The farmer’s uprising because of high taxes.
Shays’ Rebellion
A written plan for the structure of the U.S. Government.
The U.S. Constitution
What are the five major principles of government?
Separation of powers, checks and balances, limited government and rule of law, popular sovereignty, and federalism
Divides the government into three branches
Separation of powers
A system created so that no branch was too powerful
Checks and balances
Guarantees equality under the law with majority rule and the rights of the minority protected
Limited government and rule of law
The idea that the government can do only what the people allow it to do
Limited government
The law applies to everyone
Rule of law
Establishes that power of the government comes from the people –”people POWER!”
Popular sovereignty
Limits the power of the government. Power is divided among the national government and the states
Federalism
The ______ goal of the Preamble, “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union” means…
1st; To create a better government than that provided by the Articles of Confederation
The ______ goal of the Preamble, “Establish justice” means…
2nd; to make laws and establish a fair court system
The ______ goal of the Preamble, “insure domestic tranquility” means…
3rd; To maintain law and order at home
The ______ goal of the Preamble, “provide for the common defense” means…
4th; To protect the nation against its enemies
The ______ goal of the Preamble, “Promote the general welfare” means…
5th; to ensure the well-being of the entire population
The ______ goal of the Preamble, “and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity” means…
6th; to safeguard people’s personal freedom
The ______ goal of the Preamble, “do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America” means…
7th; Create this form of government for the country
“By creating a policy making executive branch and by giving Congress the power to tax, the new Constitution avoided the worst difficulties of the Articles of Confederation” is represented by what goal of the Preamble?
“We the people of United States, in order to form a more perfect union”
“The Constitution created the U.S. Supreme Court and the judiciary act of 1789 created the rest of the federal court system” Is represented by what goal of the Preamble?
“Establish justice”
“The federal government shares with state governments the task of maintaining law and order at home. Together they are responsible for enforcing laws.” Is represented by what goal of the Preamble?
“Ensure domestic tranquility”
“the Constitution authorized Congress to create an army and a navy.” Is what goal of the Preamble?
“provide for the common defense”
“Over time, the U.S. government has given all citizens the right to vote.” Is represented by what goal of the Preamble?
“Promote the general welfare”
The Bill of Rights is represented by what goal of the Preamble?
“and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity”
A written thesis – why the Constitution was written.
Preamble
Describes the duties of the legislative branch
Article 1. Legislative
Describes the duties of the president
Article 2. Executive
Describes the duties of the Supreme Court
Article 3. Judicial
Describes the relationship of the states to the national government
Article 4. States
Describes how amendments can be added to the Constitution
Article 5. Amendment process
States that the Constitution is the law of the land
Article 6. Supremacy Clause
Describes how the Constitution was to be ratified (voted on)
Article 7. Ratification process
Congress is the lawmaking branch
Legislative branch
Executes the country’s laws
Executive branch
Interprets laws
Judicial branch
Made up of two houses: the state and the House of Representatives
Legislative branch
Headed by the president
Executive branch
Supreme Court is the head of the ________ ________.
Judicial branch
Makes the laws, confirms presidential appointments, approves treaties, grants money, declares war, Is powers of the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ branch.
Legislative
Proposes laws, Approves or vetoes laws, Administers and executes the laws, commands the Armed Forces, appoints ambassadors, federal judges and others, conducts foreign policy, makes treaties, Is the powers of the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ branch.
Executive
Interprets the Constitution and other laws, reviews lower court decisions, is the powers of the ____________ branch
Judicial
Each branch has powers that no other branch can have.
Each branch has powers that limit the powers of the other two branches.
Ensures that no branch becomes too powerful.
These are examples of the principal __________.
Checks and balances
The chop the snake represented the colonies that wanted to_____________.
Declare independence from Great Britain
Which example from the Declaration of Independence is evident today?
Equal employment opportunities
How long the president is in power.
Term limits
Which is the best summary of the natural rights?
People have rights that can’t be denied
The people in the country get to make the laws. What is this an example of?
Self government
Which one is a unitary government?
A central government
This pamphlet is about independence.
Common sense
In this country, the people choose the president by voting every four years.
Popular sovereignty
New York State cannot sign a treaty with a foreign country.
Federalism
Congress cannot pass a law that violates freedom of speech.
Limited government
The government cannot arrest a person unless there is good reason to believe that he or she has violated a law.
Limited government
The Senate may vote against a treaty that the president has negotiated.
Checks and balances
The Supreme Court rules on the constitutionality of laws.
Judicial review
Massachusetts must respect the laws of both neighboring Connecticut and distant Alaska
Federalism
The president and all other government officials must obey the laws of the United States.
Limited government
The Result of the Magna Carta was
Self-government
“You shall make no laws but what I please.” Which complaint against the king from the Declaration of Independence would Thomas Paine agree?
Taking away political rights
Who wrote common sense?
Thomas Paine
Which of the following played an important role in the new England economy?
Shipbuilding
Which of the following groups wrote the Declaration of Independence?
The Second Continental Congress
Why did the students protest in Tiananmen Square? What was the result? Which of the four ideals is the focus of this document?
They wanted liberty; it resulted in the death of 3,000 people; consent of the governed
This enlightenment thinker believed that people have rights to life, liberty, and property that the government must protect for the common good.
John Locke
Limited the Kings power. It forbade him from placing certain taxes on the Nobles without their consent. It gave rights to free man. This included the rights to equal treatment under the law and to trial by one’s peers. It gave nobles the right to rebel if the king broke his part of the agreement.
Magna Carta
Ended the struggle between Parliament and the monarch. The result was Parliament being the leading force in English government.
The English Bill of Rights
A document written to explain to the world why the colonists should be free.
The Declaration of Independence
A document that started with the preamble, declaration of natural rights, list of grievances, and resolution of independence.
Declaration of Independence
What was the original purpose of the Constitutional convention?
To revise the articles of Confederation. However they felt that the current government was too weak to deal with the nation’s many problems so they created an entirely new plan of government and created the U.S. Constitution.
Which branch of government is bicameral?
The legislative branch
