Pre Constitution Flashcards
What era refers to the intellectual movement
which advocated reason as the basis of
authority and influenced political changes?
The Enlightenment
Name the French philosopher whose belief that
powers of government should be separated
into branches influenced the Framers of the
Constitution.
Montesquieu
Parliment
In designing the Legislative Branch, the
Framers of the Constitution mainly based their
ideas on _____________.
English Parliament
Congress is to the U.S. as ________ is to
England.
Parliament
Three major English parliamentary traditions
that influenced our government were:
Magna Carta, English Parliament, English Bill
of Rights
What were both the Magna Carta and the
English Bill of Rights designed to do?
Limit the power of the monarch
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.
The Mayflower Compact
What era was a precursor to the War of
Independence and what amendment did it
eventually influence?
The Great Awakening
1st Amendment-freedom of religion
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?
- Government should protect people’s
natural rights - People have the right to reject a
government that fails to do so.
What is considered to be the founding
document of the U.S. and who is considered
the primary author?
The Declaration of Independence/Thomas
Jefferson
The Declaration of Independence guaranteed
all people what three unalienable rights?
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
This compromise in the Constitutional
Convention proposed two houses, one based
on population and the other based on equal
representation
The Great Compromise
What was the original intention of James
Madison’s meeting, which later became known
as the Constitutional Convention?
To revise the Articles of Confederation
This compromise during the Constitutional
Convention decided that Congress would count
3 of every 5 slaves for representation and
taxation.
The 3/5’s Compromise
Who presented the Great Compromise at the
Constitutional Convention?
Roger Sherman
Once the U.S. had declared its independence,
what document was created to rule the new
country?
The Articles of Confederation
A weakness of the Articles of Confederation
was that it gave too much governmental power
to what group?
Individual state governments
This farmer’s revolt caused Americans to
evaluate the effectiveness of the Articles of
Confederation.
Shays’ Rebellion
What law called for all newly acquired land to
be surveyed and divided?
The Land Ordinance of 1785
Under what 3 conditions stated in the
Northwest Ordinance of 1787 could a state
enter the Union?
- 60,000 free inhabitants w/a state
constitution and Bill of Rights - public education for all citizens
- slavery banned
An increased price for goods and services
combined with the reduced value of money is
called ___________?
Inflation
Direct Democracy, a system of government
where ordinary citizens make decisions by
voting, is also known as
______________________.
Popular Sovereignty
The division of power between the federal and
state governments is called_________.
Federalism
Citizens choosing their representatives to
make laws is known as a _____________.
Republic
