SS Unit Test Flashcards
What is Popular Participation in the Government?
Elections serve the vital function of expressing the will of the people. People also participate in government by joining political parties and taking part in interest groups.
What was the main difference between the Virginia and New Jersey plans?
Virginia plan wanted the legislative branch to have 2 houses (was bicameral), unlike the New Jersey plan which wanted 1 (was unicameral).
Who were the Anti-Federalists?
People who did not support the Constitution and worried that having one main ruler would make them a tyrant like King George III.
How long are the elected terms for the H.o.R. (House of Representatives)?
2 years
What was the Great Compromise and the Three-Fifths Compromise?
In 1787, delegates met at the Constitutional Convention and agreed to replace the Articles. The Great Compromise established how states were to be represented in the legislative branch. In the Senate, the states are represented by each of their 2 Senators. In the H.o.R., states are represented by their population.
The three-fifths compromise settled the question of how slaves were to be counted in determining a state’s population.
What power does the judicial branch have over the executive branch?
It can reject treaties that are unconstitutional.
What is Checks and Balances?
The framers developed a system of checks and balances that enables each branch of government to limit, or check, the power of the other two branches. The Constitution provides checks and balances in the powers of each branch
What did the Preamble say?
The Preamble tells us that the Constitution’s authority comes directly from the people, not the states. This is known as popular sovereignty. It also lists the roles the government has.
What is the Fifth Amendment?
The right to remain silent (no self-incrimination). There shall be a fair trial, you have the right to a grand jury, no double jeopardy, there is due process and just compensation.
What are the 2 ways an Amendment can be added to the Constitution?
1: A national convention called for by 2/3 of the state legislatures.
2: Congress proposes it and it gets 2/3 majority vote in both the H.o.R. and the Senate
What is the Executive branch and what are its jobs?
Article II creates the executive branch, which is headed by the president. The president serves a four-year term and may be reelected once. The president carries out laws passed by Congress. Other powers of the president include making treaties and appointing Supreme Court justices.
What is the Third Amendment?
No quartering soldiers.
What is the Legislative branch and what are its jobs?
Article I of the Constitution creates a bicameral [2 house] Congress with House of Representatives and a Senate. Every state is represented by two senators and a number of representatives based on the state’s population. Congress’s primary job is to make laws.
What power does the legislative branch have over the judicial branch?
It can approve appointments of Supreme Court justices.
What is the right to remain silent also called?
No self-incrimination. The right to not be forced to testify against oneself. This is often called the right to remain silent.
What is: grand jury?
The right to have a grand jury hear a case before deciding whether to indict (a formal charge or accusation of a serious crime) someone.
What is the Nineth Amendment?
Just because the constitution doesn’t mention a certain right, doens’t mean its not a right.
What is the First Amendment?
The freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.
What power does the executive branch have over the judicial branch?
It can nominate Supreme Court justices.
What is the Tenth Amendment?
Any law not specifically mentioned or decided on by the Constitution can be decided by each state (like state laws about education).
What are the protective rights in the Bill of Rights?
The Second, Third, and Fourth Amendments protect people against the abuse of government power.
What is due process?
The right to have a fair and impartial hearing before being denied life, liberty, or property.
How many states ratified the Bill of Rights, when, and which Amendments?
By 1791, 9 of the 13 states, and they are the first 10 Amendments to the Constituation.
As a result of another compromise, who did the Electoral College gets to choose?
The Electoral College gets to choose the single chief executive.
