Pre Constitution

Question 1

What era refers to the intellectual movement
which advocated reason as the basis of
authority and influenced political changes?

Answer 1

The Enlightenment

Question 2

Name the French philosopher whose belief that
powers of government should be separated
into branches influenced the Framers of the
Constitution.

Answer 2

Montesquieu

Question 3

Parliment

In designing the Legislative Branch, the
Framers of the Constitution mainly based their
ideas on _____________.

Answer 3

English Parliament

Question 4

Congress is to the U.S. as ________ is to
England.

Answer 4

Parliament

Question 5

Three major English parliamentary traditions
that influenced our government were:

Answer 5

Magna Carta, English Parliament, English Bill
of Rights

Question 6

What were both the Magna Carta and the
English Bill of Rights designed to do?

Answer 6

Limit the power of the monarch

Question 7

Often referred to as the foundation of the U.S.
Constitution, this social contract was the 1st
document written by common people for
self-government.

Answer 7

The Mayflower Compact

Question 8

What era was a precursor to the War of
Independence and what amendment did it
eventually influence?

Answer 8

The Great Awakening
1st Amendment-freedom of religion

Question 9

What ideas of the English philosopher John
Locke influenced the Framers of the
Constitution that are expressed in the first
section of the Declaration of Independence?

Answer 9

1. Government should protect people’s
   natural rights
2. People have the right to reject a
   government that fails to do so.

Question 10

What is considered to be the founding
document of the U.S. and who is considered
the primary author?

Answer 10

The Declaration of Independence/Thomas
Jefferson

Question 11

The Declaration of Independence guaranteed
all people what three unalienable rights?

Answer 11

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

Question 12

This compromise in the Constitutional
Convention proposed two houses, one based
on population and the other based on equal
representation

Answer 12

The Great Compromise

Question 13

What was the original intention of James
Madison’s meeting, which later became known
as the Constitutional Convention?

Answer 13

To revise the Articles of Confederation

Question 14

This compromise during the Constitutional
Convention decided that Congress would count
3 of every 5 slaves for representation and
taxation.

Answer 14

The 3/5’s Compromise

Question 15

Who presented the Great Compromise at the
Constitutional Convention?

Answer 15

Roger Sherman

Question 16

Once the U.S. had declared its independence,
what document was created to rule the new
country?

Answer 16

The Articles of Confederation

Question 17

A weakness of the Articles of Confederation
was that it gave too much governmental power
to what group?

Answer 17

Individual state governments

Question 18

This farmer’s revolt caused Americans to
evaluate the effectiveness of the Articles of
Confederation.

Answer 18

Shays’ Rebellion

Question 19

What law called for all newly acquired land to
be surveyed and divided?

Answer 19

The Land Ordinance of 1785

Question 20

Under what 3 conditions stated in the
Northwest Ordinance of 1787 could a state
enter the Union?

Answer 20

1. 60,000 free inhabitants w/a state
   constitution and Bill of Rights
2. public education for all citizens
3. slavery banned

Question 21

An increased price for goods and services
combined with the reduced value of money is
called ___________?

Answer 21

Inflation

Question 22

Direct Democracy, a system of government
where ordinary citizens make decisions by
voting, is also known as
______________________.

Answer 22

Popular Sovereignty

Question 23

The division of power between the federal and
state governments is called_________.

Answer 23

Federalism

Question 24

Citizens choosing their representatives to
make laws is known as a _____________.

Answer 24

Republic