Test 1

Question 1

Power

Answer 1

The ability to get others to do what you want

Question 2

Sovereignty

Answer 2

Has the final say/the final authority

Question 3

Articles of Confederation

Answer 3

An agreement among the states; the original constitution of the US, ratified in 1781, which was replaced by the US Constitution in 1789

Question 4

Monarchy

Answer 4

Rule by one

Question 5

Tyranny

Answer 5

Unrestrained rule

Question 6

Democracy

Answer 6

Majority rule

Question 7

Constitutional Government

Answer 7

Limited rule

Question 8

Federalism

Answer 8

Government authority shared by national and local governments

Question 9

Nullification

Answer 9

The doctrine that a state can declare null and void a federal law that, in the state’s opinion, violates the Constitution

Question 10

Mandates

Answer 10

Terms set by the national government that states must meet whether or not they accept federal grants

Question 11

Culture

Answer 11

Any learned social behavior comprising one’s way of life

Question 12

Bill of Attainder

Answer 12

A law that declares a person, without a trial, to be guilty of a crime

Question 13

Writ of Habeas Corpus

Answer 13

An order to produce an arrested person before a judge

If you are detained, they must provide the evidence and tell you the reason

Question 14

Ex Post Facto Laws

Answer 14

A law that makes an act criminal even though the act was legal when it was committed

Question 15

Anti-Federalist

Answer 15

Opposed to the Constitution

Question 16

Confederation

Answer 16

A confederation is a type of government made up of a league of independent nations or states. Each state is independent and has its own authority and autonomy, but they come together for some sort of shared government

Question 17

Secession

Answer 17

The withdrawal in 1860–61 of 11 Southern states from the Union to form the Confederacy, precipitating the American Civil War

(In the end, the national government was supreme, and thus the states could not lawfully secede from the Union

Question 18

Unitary System

Answer 18

A system of government where sovereignty is fully vested in the national government, not the states

Question 19

The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)

Answer 19

House of Representatives: Based on population

Senate: Equal representation; 2 senators per state

Question 20

New Jersey Plan

Answer 20

Every state has equal representation

Question 21

Virginia Plan

Answer 21

Legislature represented by population

Question 22

Federalist Papers

Answer 22

Written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay; A collection of “Letters to the Editor” that promoted the ratification of the Constitution of the United States

Question 23

Democracy in America

Answer 23

Written by Alexis de Tocqueville (Frenchman, 1805-1859)

Highlights the contrast between aristocratic Europe and democratic America; examines liberties like freedom of speech; exposes dangers like the tyranny of the majority; and analyzes the impacts of individualism, decentralization, and slavery on American society.

Question 24

State Dependence on Federal Money

Answer 24

Conditions of aid, which are terms set by the national government that states must meet if they are to receive certain federal funds, put the states in a difficult position. In theory, accepting these conditions is voluntary—if you don’t want the strings, don’t take the money. But when the typical state depends for a quarter or more of its budget on federal grants, many of which it has received for years and on which many of its citizens depend for their livelihoods, it is not clear exactly how “voluntary” such acceptance is.

Question 25

The Compromise on Slavery

Answer 25

A slave would count as 60% (3/5) of a person when counting a state’s population

Runaway slaves would be returned to their owner

The importation of slaves would be banned after 1808

Question 26

Shay’s Rebellion

Answer 26

A 1787 rebellion in which ex-Revolutionary War soldiers attempted to prevent foreclosures of farms as a result of high interest rates and taxes

Question 27

America’s Political Values

Answer 27

Freedom of Choice
Equality

Question 28

The Constitutional Convention

Answer 28

Triggered by Shay’s Rebellion

Originally to amend the Articles of Confederation; Instead, the new Constitution was written

Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton were in attendance

Question 29

How did amendments become part of the Constitution?

Answer 29

Congress: 2/3 of both houses
State Legislature: approval by 3/4 of all state legislatures

OR

Constitutional Convention: called by 2/3 of the states
State Conventions: approval by 3/4 of the state conventions

Question 30

What are the branches of government?

Answer 30

Legislative, Executive, and Judicial

Question 31

What is the function of the legislative branch?

Answer 31

Writes the laws; Congress

Question 32

What is the function of the executive branch?

Answer 32

Executes the laws; President

Question 33

What is the function of the judicial branch?

Answer 33

Interprets the laws; The courts

Question 34

McCulloch v. Maryland

Answer 34

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) is one of the first and most important Supreme Court cases on federal power. In this case, the Supreme Court held that Congress has implied powers

Commerce clause: Congress can regulate commerce

“Necessary & Proper” clause: Stretches the powers of the national government, giving them implied powers of sovereignty

“Federal Supremacy” clause: when the national government is sovereign, the states don’t have the right to interfere

Question 35

Anti-Federalist Criticisms

Answer 35

But if a stronger national government was to be created, it should be hedged about with many more restrictions than those in the constitution that was under consideration. They proposed:

Narrowing the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court

Checking the president’s power by creating a council that would review his actions

Leaving military affairs in the hands of the state militias

Increasing the size of the House of Representatives so that it would reflect a greater variety of popular interests

Reducing or eliminating the power of Congress to levy taxes

Adding a bill of rights to the Constitution

Question 36

Federalist Responses (to the Anti-Federalist Criticisms)

Answer 36

It was argued that liberty is safest in large (extended) republics. In small communities, there are few differences in opinion or interest which can lead to the isolation of those with individual interests and opinions. But a large republic will include people with many opinions and interests; as a result, it will be hard for a tyrannical majority to form or organize, and anyone with an unpopular view will find it easier to acquire allies

Question 37

What did the evolution of federalism look like?

Answer 37

The Framers of the Constitution created a federal system of government because they wanted to balance the power of the central government with states. Since the Founding, the balance of power between the national government and the states has shifted over time. Overall, the federal government’s power and responsibilities have increased, particularly with the expansion of programs in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Question 38

What types of grants-in-aid are there? What are the reasons for them?

Answer 38

Grants-in-aid are money given by the national government to the states. A federal grant in aid allows the government to publicly fund a project and still operate independently from the state. The funds come with standards and requirements.

Categorical Grants: has to be used for a specific purpose; there are strict limitations on how it can be spent

Block Grants: block of money given for a general/broad purpose

General Revenue Sharing: can be spent on anything; federal government no longer gives this type of grant out, however, states provide them to local government

Question 39

Federalist

Answer 39

In support of the Constitution

Question 40

America’s Economic Values

Answer 40

Freedom of Choice
Inequality

Question 41

Political Culture

Answer 41

A patterned and sustained way of thinking about how political and economic life ought to be carried out