COnstitution

Question 1

When was the Constitutional Convention?

Answer 1

May-September 1787

Question 2

What was the tension in the country?

Answer 2

How to balance freedom and the right to resist with stability and effective governance.

Question 3

What was emphasised in the final constitution?

Answer 3

Representative government - NOT democracy.
The original constitution didn’t have any one person, one vote ideas.
Further seen in the indirect election of the President, elected by electoral college
The senate was also initial chosen indirectly by state legislatures.

Question 4

Which amendment made the senate democratically elected?

Answer 4

17th

Question 5

What did the constitution fear?

Answer 5

Mass democracy
They wanted stability not democracy.

Question 6

How does the constitution reflect its time period?

Answer 6

It was written by all white christian males, who were all slave and lad owners, and wanted no desire to shift power away from the elite.

Question 7

How is the order of the articles significant?

Answer 7

Congress goes first, suggesting it is the principal player
The president is then envisaged as more of a trouble-shooter
SCOTUS come last, with no specific details mentioned.

Question 8

Why was the President not wanted to be powerful?

Answer 8

hey had escaped the tyranny of one monarch, and didn’t;t want to just have a US version of that.

Question 9

In which three ways was the consitutiton a big old compromise?

Answer 9

-Connecticut Compromise
-Compromise between states with large populations of enslaved people
-Compromise between founding fathers who wanted central government and those who wanted state government

Question 10

What is an implied power?

Answer 10

Powers outlined vaguely in the constitution

Question 11

What is an example of an implied power?

Answer 11

COngress was given the power to provide for the defence and welfare of the country
What does this mean? What does this justify?

Question 12

What are enumerated powers?

Answer 12

Specific powers delegated, such as President acting in power.

Question 13

What is sovereign in America?

Answer 13

The Consituttion. It is the supreme law of the land.

Question 14

Why is the constitution deliberately hard to amend?

Answer 14

The constitution is fundamental law, so it is very important. The founding fathers didn’t want it to be chopping and changing all the time. This also means that it provides stability and effective governance.

Question 15

What is the first route an amendment a take to be ratified?

Answer 15

2/3rds majority in both houses
Ratified by 3/4 of states

Question 16

What is the second route an amendment can be ratified through?

Answer 16

At a constitutional convention called by 2/3rds state
3/4 states must ratify it.

Question 17

How many amendments have there been

Answer 17

27

Question 18

What is the main reason amendments are passed?

Answer 18

Response to specific situations, such as the 22nd Amendment.

Question 19

Are all amendments built equally?

Answer 19

No - some have more power than others.
Example is 23rd which gave DoC electoral college votes.

Question 20

When was the 13th amendment passed + what did it do?

Answer 20

1865 - banned slavery

Question 21

When was the 17th amendment passed and what is in it?

Answer 21

Introduced direct election to the senate in 1913

Question 22

What are the 3 arguments that the constitution is too hard to amend:

Answer 22

-Rights can’t be properly protected
-Informal amendments are allowed to occur
-Amendements can easily go out of date

Question 23

Rights are not protected in the consitutiton

Answer 23

It’s stopped from being updated due to how hard it is for amendments to be passed.

Question 24

Amendments can easily go out of date

Answer 24

Electoral college and second amendment.

Question 25

How many mass shootings was there inn 2023

Answer 25

623

Question 26

What are informal amendments to the constitution

Answer 26

Supreme court judgements which interpret the constitution in varying ways vi judicial review.

Question 27

When was Obergefell v Hodges?

Answer 27

2015

Question 28

What is the debate around informal amendments?

Answer 28

There is no way we can know the framers intentions about whether gay people deserve rights or other modenr issues, so decisions should be left to state legislatures.

Question 29

What are 3 arguments that the constitution is NOT too hard to amend

Answer 29

-clauses can be repealed and reformed
-Informal clauses are good!
-change should only happen when there is wide spread support due to the weight and amendment can carry