Component 3- US Constitution Flashcards
In what year was the US Constitution ratified?
1789
As of now (2023), how many amendments have there been to the US Constitution?
27 (2 of these cancel one another out)
What are the first 10 amendments commonly known as (bonus: who wrote them?)
The Bill of Rights (written by James Madison)
What do the first 3 articles of the Constitution establish?
I - Legislative, II - Executive, III - Judiciary
What does Article V lay out?
The amendment procedure
What is Article I, Section 8, commonly known as?
‘The Necessary and Proper Clause’ OR ‘The Elastic Clause’
What are Amendments 13, 14, and 15, commonly known as?
The Reconstruction Amendments
The Amendment Process is entrenched, meaning there is a specific way to go about things. What is needed for ratification of an Amendment?
Assent from 2/3 of Congress, and 3/4 of States
What are the advantages to this process?
- Protects states and upholds federalism thus
- Protects key principles of the political process
- Prevents abuse of power
- Prevents hideous rashness in amending.
What are the disadvantages to this process?
- Undemocratic
- Gives great power to the Supreme Court (with the power of judicial review)
- Difficult to remain contemporary (tricky to modernise, difficult to remove the antiquated bits)
What was the 19th amendment?
Gave women the right to vote
What are examples of Obama’s increased government activity? (in terms of undermining federalism)
- Economic stimulus package 2009
- Re-authorisation of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) 2009
- The expansion of Medicaid (health insurance for low income families)
- ‘Obamacare’- reform of the US healthcare system 2010
What are examples of Trumps’s attempts to expand his power as president? (in terms of undermining federalism)
- Tried to end state lockdowns during Covid
- Policies toward illegal immigrants and opposition to ‘sanctuary cities’
- The use of the national guard and federal troops during the Black Lives matter movement of 2020
