Pre-Constitution

Question 0

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

Answer 0

Montesquieu

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

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

Answer 2

English Parliament

Question 3

Congress is to U.S. as __________ is to England.

Answer 3

Parliament

Question 4

Three major English parliamentary traditions that influenced are government were:

Answer 4

Magna Carta, English Parliament, English Bill of Rights

Question 5

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

Answer 5

Limit the power of the monarch

Question 6

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 6

The Mayflower Compact

Question 7

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

Answer 7

The Great Awakening

1st Amendment–freedom of religion

Question 8

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 8

1. Government should protect people’s natural rights

2. People have the right to reject a government that fails to do so

Question 9

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

Answer 9

The Declaration of Independence/Thomas Jefferson

Question 10

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

Answer 10

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

Question 11

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

Answer 11

The Great Compromise

Question 12

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

Answer 12

To revise the Articles of Confederation

Question 13

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

Answer 13

The 3/5’s Compromise

Question 14

Who presented the Great Compromise at the Constitutional Convention?

Answer 14

Roger Sherman

Question 15

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

Answer 15

The Articles of Confederation

Question 16

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

Answer 16

Individual state governments

Question 17

This farmers revolt caused Americans to evaluate the effectiveness of the Articles of Confederation.

Answer 17

Shay’s Rebellion

Question 18

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

Answer 18

The Land Ordinance of 1785

Question 19

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

Answer 19

1. 60,000 free inhabitants with a state constitution and Bill of Rights
2. Public education for all citizens
3. Slavery banned

Question 20

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

Answer 20

Inflation

Question 21

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

Answer 21

Popular sovereignty

Question 22

The division of power between the federal and state governments id called __________.

Answer 22

Federalism

Question 23

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

Answer 23

Republic