5-3, 5-4 Flashcards
To add an amendment to the Constitution, what are the two ratification options?
Three-fourths of the 50 states legislatures or three- fourths of special constitutional conventions called by the 50 states
To add a new amendment to the Constitution, what are the two proposal options?
A two thirds vote of both houses of Congress; or a Constitutional convention called by Congress on petition of two thirds of the 50 states
What are the five major principles of the government?
Popular sovereignty; limited government and rule of law; separation of powers; checks and balances; federalism
Limits the power of government– power is divided between the national government and the states. Some powers are also shared.
Federalism
Each branch can limit the power of the other two branches
Checks and balances
Divides the government into three branches
Separation of power
The idea that the government can only do with the people allow it to do; the law applies to everyone
Limited government and rule of law
The idea that the government comes from the people
Popular Sovereignty
What are the three main parts of the Constitution
The preamble, articles, amendments
What does the preamble state?
It states the purposes of the Constitution
What are the six purposes of the preamble?
To unite the states, to make sure people are treated equally, to keep peace and order and protect the citizens, to defend the country from attack, to help the people live healthy and happy lives, to guarantee people’s basic rights
What are articles, how many are there, and what do they describe?
Articles are sections; there are seven articles; they describe how the government is to be set up
What is Article l?
Article l describes the legislative branch, or Congress
What is Article ll?
Article ll describes the executive branch.
What is Article lll?
Article lll describes the judicial branch
This branch has the power to make laws, the lawmaking branch of government
Legislative branch
This branch carries out the laws and makes sure laws are obeyed
Executive branch
Branch of government that interprets laws and sees that they are fairly applied. This branch is made up of the Supreme Court and lower courts
Judicial Branch
What is the main purpose of The Constitution?
To provide a plan of government
The head of the judicial branch
Supreme Court
Decide what laws mean, and make sure laws are enforced fairly
Interpret
Article lll Also describes
Cases the courts may hear
The rest of the articles state what?
Explain the relationship between the states and the federal government and they also tell how the constitution can be changed
Changes that have been added over time
Amendments
How many amendments are there?
27
The first 10 amendments are the
Bill of Rights
The writers of the Constitution new that changing the Constitution would have a major effect on the government. However they wanted to make sure it could be changed when people demanded it. What are the two steps of the process of amending, or changing the Constitution?
First, an amendment must be proposed, and then it must be ratified
Amendments that are in the constitution are called
“Formal” amendments
Who assumed, or excepted, the powers of the president as authorized by the Constitution after William Henry Harrison died?
John Tyler
John Tyler took the presidential oath which meant he was president, not just acting president. His action became an
Informal amendment
In 1967 the ____ amendment was ratified. It made Tyler’s action a formal part of the Constitution.
25th
What is the amendment process?
Two thirds of Congress votes to propose an amendment and then lawmakers and citizens debate the amendment then three fourths of states vote to approve the amendment
The Constitution gives Congress the power to make all laws that are
“Necessary and proper”
The Constitution allows Congress to use
Powers that are not directly used in the Constitution.
Powers that are not directly used in the Constitution.
Implied powers
Regulating, or controlling, air pollution is an example of an
Implied power
Basic beliefs that guide people’s lives
Principles
The Constitution ensures, or guarantees, _______________by giving citizens the right to vote
Popular sovereignty
All elected officials have to answer to
The people who put them in positions of power
The writers of the Constitution did not
Want the government to have to much power
The Constitution states what the _______________ and ______________ may and may not do
Federal government; the states
What is the reason the writers of the Constitution put checks and balances into the Constitution?
The writers of the Constitution feared that one branch could still control the other after separation of powers
What are ways that each branch can limit the power of the other two branches?
Different tasks are assigned to different branches of government
A Bill passed by Congress must be signed by the president but they can veto, or refuse, to sign the bill. This veto is a check on ___________ power. How can Congress override the veto? What is the check on then?
Legislative; if two-thirds of Congress vote to override it. This is a check on executive power.
