Lesson 8 9 and 10 test Flashcards
What are the six big ideas of the constitution?
Limited Govt
Republicanism
Checks and Balances
Federalism
Separation of Powers
Popular Sovereignty
What is “Limited Govt”?
It is a government that limits the power of the govt and protects the rights of the people. (related to checks and balances)
What is “Republicanism”?
A type of government which is based on the people.
What is “Checks and Balances”?
Each branch of government has power to limit and control the others.
What is “Federalism”?
It divides power between the nation and the states.
What is “Separation of Powers”?
It divides the government into three branches, the Legislative (House of Representatives, and Senate), the Executive (the president) and the Judicial (judges)
What is “Popular Sovereignty?
The idea that the government’s power comes from the people.
How long is a representative’s term?
2 years
What are the requirements to be a representative?
25+ years old, 7 years or more a citizen, live in the state representing for.
What are the requirements to be a senator?
30+ years old, 9 years or more a citizen, live in the state representing.
What are the requirements to be the president?
35+ years old, 14 years or more a citizen, born in the U.S.
How long is a senator’s term?
6 years
How long is a president’s term?
4 years
How long are the Supreme Court justices in office?
For life until they retire or are impeached.
What are the 6 purposes of government established in the Preamble?
Establish Justice
Insure (ensure) domestic tranquility (peace)
Provide for the common defence
Promote the general welfare
Secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity (future)
Form a more perfect union
How does the government decide how many representatives there are?
Based on the population
Which chamber has the “power of the purse” (create revenue bills)
House of Representatives
Which chamber impeaches? Which chamber presides over the impeachment trial?
House of Representatives impeaches
Senate presides over trial
What is the Necessary and Proper Clause (Elastic Clause)
Congress can make necessary laws for the execution of their powers.
What is Article I of the Constitution about?
The Legislative branch of government.
What is Article II of the Constitution about?
The Executive branch of government
List 5 powers the President has
Grant reprieves (cancel punishment) and pardons
Make treaties
Veto laws
Command U.S. military
Sign laws
What can a President be impeached for?
Bribery,
Conviction of Treason
Misdemeanors
Higher crimes
What is Article III of the Constitution about?
The Judicial branch of government
What is the highest court of the land called?
The Supreme Court
When can a person have a trial by jury?
Everyone who commits a crime except those charged with impeachment (fact check me)
What is Article IV of the Constitution about?
The powers and responsibilities of the states.
What does the “Full Faith and Credit Clause” say?
Every state should have faith in and respect other states’ laws.
What does the “Privileges and Immunities Clause” say?
Those who commit a crime and leave the state are returned to the original state and tried. Every state also has the same Federal laws.
What is the “Fugitive Slave Clause”/
Slaves who escape to a slave-free state must be returned to their owner.
What is Article V of the Constitution about?
Ways to change the Constitution (Amendments)
What are the two ways Amendments can be proposed to be added to the Constitution?
2/3 of both the House of Representatives and the Senate deem it necessary
The Application of the Legislatures of 2/3 of the states calls for a convention
What is Article VI in the Constitution about?
It establishes the Constitution as the law of the land, and also debts, treaties and oaths.
What is the “Supremacy Clause”?
The Constitution, the Supreme Law of the Land, and treaties have the highest priority over state laws.
What do all federal reps/members have to swear an oath to?
To protect and uphold the Constitution.
What is Article VII of the Constitution about?
The Constitution will be the Supreme Law of the Land once 9 states ratify it.
What was needed for an amendment to be ratified?
3/4 if state legislatures approve of it
or
3/4 of the state conventions approve it
What is the Bill of Rights?
The first 10 Amendments, passed in 1791, they talk about peoples’ rights.
Why did Anti-Federalists mainly not ratify the Constitution?
It didn’t include rights
What was made to please the Anti-Federalists?
The Bill of Rights
How many Amendments are there today?
27
How long can it take for a Bill to become a Law?
multiple years
Where must revenue/tax bills start?
The House of Representatives.
Who can propose bills?
Members of Congress, though the ideas may come from the people.
What do Committees of either the House of Representatives or the Senate do to Bills?
Revise, Rewrite, Approve or KILL IT
What happens after one of the Committees approves a Bill?
It gets “Floor Action” and is debated and discussed, then voted on.
After a Bill gets “Floor Action” and is approved, where does it go next?
To the other house, where the process of revising, rewriting, debating and discussing repeats.
What happens if a Bill is passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate (seperately)?
A Joint Committee is formed which resolves differences between the two versions of the bill.
Once the Joint Committee resolves the Bill, where does it go?
The whole Congress votes (both houses)
Once the whole Congress votes, and a Bill is approved, where does it go?
The President can sign it (becomes a law) or veto it (goes back to the Senate, but Congress can override the veto and it automatically becomes law if 2/3 of Congress approves of it)
What is a “Pocket Veto”
A bill automatically becomes a law after 10 days if Congress is no longer in session.
What can the Legislative Branch do to the Judicial Branch? What about the Executive Branch?
Judicial: Approve or reject Supreme Court nominees.
Executive: Can override vetoes
What can the Judicial Branch do to the Legislative Branch? What about the Executive Branch?
Legislative: Can reject laws
Executive: Can reject treaties that are unconstitutional
What can the Executive Branch do to the Judicial Branch? What about the Legislative Branch?
Judicial: Can nominate Supreme Court Justices
Legislative: Can veto bills
What was the Articles of Confederation?
The first founding document outlining the nation’s government, a “Firm League of Friendship”
Where did the power reside in the AoC?
The states
Where was the first time use of “The United States of America”
The AoC
When did the delegates meet at the Constitutional Convention to revise the AoC? What did they do?
1787, they threw it away and created the Constitution.
What were some strengths of the AoC?
Every state was equal
States have power
Coin and print money
Declare War
Can create postal system
Can negotiate treaties and pass laws
What was the Northwest Ordinance?
It outlined how territories became states and also outlawed slavery in Northwest states.
What was the Land Ordinance of 1785?
It established territories which were 6 square miles, each was divided into 36 smaller areas, It also set asde land for schools.
What were some weaknesses of the AoC?
Couldn’t collect taxes
Needed agreement of most states
Couldn’t enforce law
In debt
No executive, no judiciary
New laws require agreement of 9 states
Changes to the AoC required agreement of all 13 states.
What were the 5 new states when the Land Ordinance of 1785 was introduced?
Ohio,
Indiana,
Michigan,
Wisconsin,
Illinois
Who led Shays Rebellion?
Daniel Shays, a former revolutionary war hero from Massachusetts
What did Shays Rebellion reveal?
The weaknesses of the AoC
What were the challenges of making a new government?
Who has power? How is power shared/divided?
Protection/Military?
Resources/Goods/Trading?
Money?
Land division/expansion/statehood?
Laws? How are they passed, enforced and changed?
Needed 13 states to agree to change it
What was the Virginia Plan?
It based representation on population (favouring more populated states)
It had 2 houses
What was the New Jersey plan?
It based representation on equality (favoured smaller states)
1 house
What did both the Virginia and New Jersey plan have in common?
They both had 3 branches, Executive, Judicial and Legislative.
Who proposed the Great Compromise?
Roger Sherman
What was in the Great Compromise?
It had 2 houses, H. of R. and the Senate which made up congress.
House of Representatives was based on population, senate was based on equality (2 senators for each state)
What was the 3/5 Compromise?
When calculating population, slaves only count as 3/5 of a person.
What was the Electoral College?
It was based on the number of representatives and senators that a state has in congress (not the same people), and they vote for president.
What was the Importation of Slaves?
For 20 years, the states wouldn’t interfere with the importation of slaves, till 1808, and slave trade would continue.
Who supported the ratification of the Constitution? Who didn’t?
Federalists support
Anti-Federalists don’t
Who is the president in the military?
The commander in chief.
What are district courts?
They are courts which handle criminal and civil trials by applying the law to them.
What are appellate courts?
If a case is appealed from district courts to appellate courts, it will be reviewed.
