constitution Flashcards
What was put into the constitution to allow for the changing needs of society?
The elastic clause. Amendments and Implied Powers Clause. Congress can make all laws that they deem necessary and proper.
What are Natural Rights?
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
What part of the Constitution gives power to the people?
Preamble (we the people)
What was the purpose of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense?
To convince the colonists to break away from England.
What exposed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
Shays Rebellion exposed the weaknesses of the AOC of being unable to raise an army (and tax).
What are some early forms of representative governments?
Virginia House of Burgesses, Mayflower Compact, and town hall meetings
What was the proclamation line of 1763?
Stated colonists had to stay east of the Appalachian Mts in order to avoid conflict with the Native Americans.
Why did the colonists boycott British goods?
To rebel against the unfair taxes placed on them by Britain
What is Mercantilism?
Colonies exist to benefit the mother country by providing raw materials which the Mother Country turns into manufactured good and then resells the products to the colonies.
How has the Declaration of Independence influenced other countries?
It has provided a framework for countries seeking independence from unjust governments.
Where did the Articles of Confederation place all the power? Why?
The state governments because the people feared a strong central government.
Why did the writers of the Constitution decide to give congress the power to tax?
In order to correct a weakness under the Articles of Confederation.
What was Great Compromise? NJ Plan? Virginia Plan?
It was a compromise between large and small states in regards to taxation and representation. NJ Plan was for the small states and gave everyone an equal number of representatives (2) and created the senate. The VA plan was for large states and based representation on population leading to the House of Reps.
What is a bicameral legislature?
A two chamber government, known as congress and is seen in the Legislative branch.
What are the Constitutional Compromises?
The Great Compromise, the ⅗ compromise, The bill of rights, slavery, electoral college.
Who are the Federalists? Who are the Anti-Federalists?
Federalists- Support a strong central government and want to ratify the Constitution
Anti-Federalists- Fear a strong central government and want to protect individual liberties. They are against the ratification of the Constitution. Only agree to constitution after the Bill of Rights is added
What protects our individual liberties in the Constitution?
The Bill of Rights
What is Federalism?
Also known as the the Federal System, it is the separate and shared powers between the Federal and State Governments.
What is the House of Reps and how are representatives decided?
A representative body in our Legislative branch which is decided by a states population.
What is separation of powers?
It is where each branch has a specific role in our government. Prevents any branch from getting too powerful. Legislative- Writes Laws, Executive-Enforces Laws, Judicial-interprets laws and rules them constitutional or unconstitutional.
What is checks and balances?
Prevents any one branch from becoming too powerful by allowing the other branches to stop the progress of the other two by “checking” them. An example would be a Presidential Veto on a law passed by congress. Or the legislative branch impreaching the president.
Presidential Election/Electoral College:
We vote for the elcectors and they vote for the president. They are afraid people would be tricked.
Slavery:
The south was aloud to have slaves because they had more to land to grow crops, but the north didnt find a reason for it. Because agriculture wasn’t the norths speciality.
3/5th Compromise:
Was when the bigger southern states wanted more say in the government because they have more people in there state. But the smaller northern states didnt agree because they saw the slaves as property not as people. So they came to the agreement that for every 5 slaves they would count as 3 people.
Bill of Rights:
The Bill of rights was put in play to get the AntiFederalists to agree to the Constiution.
