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Chapters 4-5 Flashcards

Prepare for Test 2

1
Q

What document was the forerunner of the written constitution in America?

A

Mayflower Compact

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2
Q

What documents emphasized the relationship between the king and the colonies?

A

Charters

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3
Q

What was America’s first national constitution?

A

Articles of Confederation

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4
Q

What type of government did the Articles of Confederation establish?

A

Confederacy

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5
Q

In what type of government is the central government subordinate to state governments and has only the powers which they grant it?

A

Confederacy

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6
Q

How many branches of government did the Articles of Confederation provide for?

A

One

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7
Q

What was the crowning achievement of the Articles of Confederation?

A

The wise disposition of western lands

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8
Q

Under the Articles of Confederation, what provided for the surveying of western lands in the Northwest Territory?

A

Land Ordinance of 1785

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9
Q

Under the Articles of Confederation, what provided a plan of government for the Northwest Territory?

A

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

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10
Q

Name a weakness of the Articles of Confederation

A

You could choose any of the following:
(1) At least nine states had to approve any measure before it could be passed by Congress.
(2) The Articles did not provide for an executive or judicial branch.
(3) The Articles did not grant Congress the power to tax.

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11
Q

What event put the fear of rebellion into the hearts of many Americans?

A

Shays’ Rebellion

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12
Q

What was the purpose of the Mount Vernon Conference?

A

To work out differences between Virginia and Maryland over commercial navigation on the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay

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13
Q

How many delegates attended the Constitutional Convention?

A

55

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14
Q

Name one of the two most famous Americans to attend the Constitutional Convention?

A

You could have chosen:
George Washington or Benjamin Franklin

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15
Q

Which Founding Father is remembered as the “Father of the Constitution”

A

James Madison

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16
Q

Who wrote the final draft of the Constitution?

A

Gouverneur Morris

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17
Q

Who was the youngest delegate of the Constitutional Convention?

A

Jonathan Dayton

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18
Q

What year did the Constitutional Convention take place?

A

1787

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19
Q

Where did the Constitutional Convention take place?

A

Independence Hall

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20
Q

In what governmental system are areas of authority divided between the states and the national government?

A

Federal System

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21
Q

In what governmental system are officials chosen to represent the people and the states?

A

Republican System

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22
Q

Which plan at the Constitutional Convention proposed a bicameral legislature?

A

Virginia Plan

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23
Q

Which plan at the Constitutional Convention proposed a unicameral legislature

A

New Jersey Plan

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24
Q

What compromise between the Virginia Plan and New Jersey plan was accepted by the Constitutional Convention?

A

Great Compromise or Connecticut Compromise

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25
What compromise decided that three-fifths of a state's slave population would be counted in determining both taxation and representation?
Three-Fifths Compromise
26
What compromise decided that Congress could regulate interstate and foreign commerce and trade with Native Americans but could not levy import taxes or regulate the save trade, except by a small head tax?
Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
27
What did those who favored the Constitution call themselves?
Federalists
28
What were those who opposed the Constitution called?
Anti-Federalists
29
Name one of the three men who wrote the Federalist Papers
You could have chosen: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, or John Jay
30
What is considered the premier commentary on the Constitution?
The Federalist Papers
31
What city was chosen as the temporary capital of the new government?
New York City
32
When did the new government begin to function?
When George Washington was inaugurated in 1789
33
What is the introduction to the Constitution?
Preamble
34
Name one of the six purposes for the Constitution
You could have chosen one of the following: (1) To form a more perfect government (2) To establish justice (3) To ensure domestic tranquility (4) To provide for the common defense (5) To promote the general welfare (6) To secure the blessing of liberty
35
What is a form of government in which voters elect others to represent them in government?
A Republic
36
What is a division of the power between the national government and the state governments.
Federalism
37
What are the powers that have been given to the *national* government by the Constitution?
Delegated Powers
38
What are powers not given to the national government by the Constitution or prohibited by the Constitution?
Reserved Powers
39
What are powers given to both the national and state governments?
Concurrent Power
40
Who did the Founding Fathers get the idea of separation of powers from?
Charles de Montesquieu
41
Which branch makes laws?
Legislative
42
Which branch carries out or "executes" laws?
Executive
43
Which branch interprets laws?
Judicial
44
What is a system in which each branch of government exercises a measure of control over the other branches in an effort to balance the power within the national government?
Check and Balances
45
Which articles describe the legislative, executive and judicial branches?
Articles I, II, and III
46
Which article outlines the federal relationship among the states and between the national government and the states?
Article IV
47
Which article provides for making amendments?
Article V
48
What are changes to the Constitution called?
Amendments
49
Which article establishes that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land?
Article VI
50
Which article sets fort the manner in which the Constitution was to be ratified?
Article VII
51
What is the name of the legislative branch?
Congress
52
What is the power to make laws?
Legislative power
53
What are the names of the two houses of Congress?
The Senate and House of Representatives
54
Which house is the lower house of Congress?
House of Representatives
55
How many members are in the House of Representatives?
435
56
How long is a term in the House?
Two years
57
What is the proportional distribution of congressional seats among the states?
Apportionment
58
What is a counting of the number of people in a specific area?
Census
59
What is a practice in which a state legislature draws its district boundaries so as to purposely favor the party in power?
Gerrymandering
60
Which house is the upper house of Congress?
Senate
61
How long is a term in the Senate
Six years
62
How many members of the Senate are there?
100
63
How is representation in the Senate based?
Equal representation
64
Which Amendment changed the way senators are chosen?
17th
65
How are senators chosen?
At-large, by all the voters of their state
66
What is the name of the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years?
General Election Day
67
What are the three qualifications of serving in Congress?
Age, citizenship, and state residency
68
Name one of the three leadership positions in Congress
You could have chosen one of the following: (1) Speaker of the House (2) president of the Senate (3) president "pro tempore"
69
What is the name of the party with the most members in the House?
Majority Party
70
What does the term "pro tempore" mean
"For the time being"
71
Who is the chief spokesman of his party and is responsible to secure his party's interests in the legislative process?
Floor leader
72
Who assists the floor leader in his responsibilities?
Party whip
73
What is a private meeting of political party members to decide on policy or to choose their party leaders?
Caucus
74
What is the most often used system to assign committee or subcommittee chairs?
Seniority system
75
Who is the senior member of the minority party?
Ranking member
76
What kind of committee is used for investigations
Select committee
77
What kind of committee is made up of members from both houses?
Joint committee
78
Who is the chief protocol and law enforcement officer for his house?
Sergent at arms
79
Who is to advise house officials on rules?
Parliamentarian
80
Who ministers to the spiritual needs of members, staff, and their families?
Chaplains
81
Who is the official record keeper for his house
Secretary
82
Who helps maintain much of the operational infrastructure in the House?
Chief administrative officer
83
How long does each term in Congress last?
Two years
84
How many sessions of Congress are there every term?
Two
85
What changed both the meeting time of Congress and the day on which members assume their duties.
20th Amendment
86
What constitutes a quorum?
Simple majority
87
What is a required number to do business?
Quorum
88
Where is a thorough record of everything said on the Senate floor kept?
Congressional Record
89
What states that any pay raise that Congress gives itself cannot go into effect until the next congressional election?
27th Amendment
90
What privilege means that congressmen are not charged postage on official mail?
Franking privilege
91
What privilege says that congressmen cannot be held liable for any statements made in speeches on the floor of Congress?
Congressional immunity
92
What term means "to officially condemn"?
censure
93
What is the greatest penalty which either house of Congress may impose on a disorderly member?
Expulsion
94
What is the chief responsibility of Congress?
Legislating
95
What is a proposed law?
Bill
96
What kind of bills apply to the nation at large?
Public bills
97
what kind of bills apply to only individuals or groups of people?
Privet bills
98
What is a formal statement of opinion or determination adopted by a legislative assembly?
Resolution
99
What is a resolution passed by only one house and dealing with matters dealing with that house?
Simple resolution
100
What is a resolution passed by both houses and dealing with matters that need joint action but no formal law?
Concurrent resolution
101
What term means "to act together"?
Concure
102
What is a box on the side of the Clerk's desk?
Hopper
103
What is a bill that is sponsored by both parties?
Bi-partisan Bill
104
What term means a bill is purposely put aside and forgotten?
Pigeonhold
105
What means that if a house member can get 218 signatures on his petition, he can get his bill out of committee and onto the floor?
Discharge Petition
106
What is an attempt to kill a bill by stalling the vote on it?
Filibuster
107
What is the only effective way to prevent a filabuster?
To invoke the senate's cloture rule
108
What limits each senator to a max of 1 hour to speak on a bill under consideration?
Cloture Rule
109
In what procedure does the House sit temporarily under one committee?
Committee of the Whole
110
What is a temporary committee composed of members of both houses for the purpose of working out a compromise on a bill?
Conference Committee
111
Congress forbidding the implementation of an agency's policy without input by the President?
Legislative veto
112
Powers given explicitly to Congress
Express Powers
113
Powers that are not specifically stated in the Constitution
Implied Powers
114
What gives Congress the authority to put into operation both the expressed and implied powers given by the Constitution
"Necessary and proper clause"
115
The House of Rep. has what 3 powers?
1. Origination of all revenue bills 2. selecting a president from the top 3 candidates 3. conferring charges of impeachment against a federal official
116
The Senate has what 4 powers?
1. choosing a vice president 2. approving all presidential appointments 3. trying all cases of impeachment 4. approving all presidential treaties
117
The House of Reps. has the sole power of what?
Impeachment

American Government (6 decks)

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