Chapter 7 Flashcards
What is a bicameral legislature?
A government with 2 houses
What is a gov’t in which citizen rule through elected representatives?
Republic
What was America’s 1st constitution?
The Articles of Confederation
When was that constitution adopted (Month and Year)?
November 1777
How many votes did each state get in Congress under the AoC?
1
Why was the AoC unsuccessful?
The government couldn’t raise taxes
What created one territory out of the lands north of the Ohio River and East of the Mississippi River?
Northwest Ordiance
The Northwest Ordinance was a _______ of ________ for the new settlers.
Territory ; Land
The Northwest Ordinance was the first attempt to stop the spread of what?
Slavery
What is the name of the state in modern Northeast Tennessee that tried to become the 14th state in America?
State of Franklin
What year did Tennessee become a state and what number state was it?
1796 ; #16
What is a depression?
Slow economic activity and high unemployment
What was Shays’ Rebellion?
An uprising by Massachusetts farmers to fight the government’s taxes on poor farmers
What were the two plans presented at the Constitutional Convention?
The Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan
What combined those two plans and established the model for Congress that is used to this day?
The Great Compromise
What is the Three Fifths Compromise?
It allowed Southern states to count slaves as 3/5 of one person for representation.
Where would the southern states gain more delegates due to the Three Fifths Compromise?
the House of Representatives
What was a Federalist?
Someone who supported the Constitution
What was a book of essays that supported the Constitution?
The Federalist Papers
What is an amendment?
A change to the Constitution
How many states approved the Constitution originally? ____ out of _____ States
9 out of 13
What is the supreme law of the land?
The Constitution
What was James Madison considered to be the father of?
The Constitution
Who was an influential writer from the Enlightenment who believed every person had natural rights?
John Locke
What type of system states that power should be shared between the national and state level gov’ts?
Federal System
What is the final authority in a federal system?
The Constitution
What are the 3 branches of gov’t as stated in the Constitution?
Executive, Legislative, Judicial
Which branch makes laws and consists of Congress?
Legislative Branch
Which branch carries out the laws?
Executive Branch
What did the Constitution have the AoC did not have? (Hint: Chief Executive)
A President
What power does the President have to check Congress?
Veto power
Who elects the President of the United States?
Electoral College
Which branch interprets laws and makes decisions based on the Constitution?
Judicial Branch
What is the most distinctive feature of our gov’t?
Separation of powers (The system of checks and balances)
Why did the Constitution provide a system of Checks and Balances?
To keep the branches from gaining too much power (keeping it balanced)
