The Constitution

Question 1

Articles of Confederation

Answer 1

the first constitution of the 13 American states, adopted in 1781 and replaced in 1789 by the Constitution of the United States.

Question 2

Declaration of Independence

Answer 2

the public act by which the Second Continental Congress, on July 4, 1776, declared the Colonies to be free and independent of England.

Question 3

Treason

Answer 3

the offense of acting to overthrow one’s government or to harm or kill its sovereign.

Question 4

Checks and Balances

Answer 4

limits imposed on all branches of a government by vesting in each branch the right to amend or void those acts of another that fall within its purview.

Question 5

Separation of Powers

Answer 5

the principle or system of vesting in separate branches the executive, legislative, and judicial powers of a government.

Question 6

Great Compromise

Answer 6

The Great Compromise promised the creation of a bicameral legislature composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Question 7

Tariff

Answer 7

an official list or table showing the duties or customs imposed by a government on imports or exports.

Question 8

Repeal

Answer 8

to revoke or annul (a law, tax, duty, etc.) by express legislative enactment; abrogate.

Question 9

Civil Discourse

Answer 9

Civil discourse is the practice of engaging in conversation to seek and foster understanding with mutual airing of views. It is not a contest; rather, it is intended to promote mutual understanding.

Question 10

3/5ths Compromise

Answer 10

The Three-Fifths Compromise was reached among state delegates during the 1787 Constitutional Convention. It determined that three out of every five slaves was counted when determining a state’s total population for legislative representation and taxation.

Question 11

Constitution

Answer 11

the system of fundamental principles according to which a nation, state, corporation, or the like, is governed.

Question 12

Preamble

Answer 12

an introductory statement; preface; introduction.

Question 13

Bill of Rights

Answer 13

the Bill of Rights, a formal statement of the fundamental rights of the people of the United States, such as freedom of religion, speech, and the press, incorporated in the Constitution as Amendments 1–10, and in all state constitutions.

Question 14

Legislative Branch

Answer 14

the branch of government having the power to make laws; the legislature.

Question 15

Executive Branch

Answer 15

the branch of government charged with the execution and enforcement of laws and policies and the administration of public affairs; the executive.

Question 16

Judicial Branch

Answer 16

the branch of government charged with the interpretation of laws and the administration of justice; the judiciary.

Question 17

Congress

Answer 17

the national legislative body of the U.S., consisting of the Senate, or upper house, and the House of Representatives, or lower house, as a continuous institution.

Question 18

Senate

Answer 18

an assembly or council of citizens having the highest deliberative functions in a government, especially a legislative assembly of a state or nation.

Question 19

House of Representatives

Answer 19

the lower legislative branch in many national and state bicameral governing bodies, as in the United States, Mexico, and Japan. Abbreviations:H.R., HR

Question 20

Equal Representation

Answer 20

Apportionment (politics), the way that representatives are assigned to voting groups, with equal representation meaning that all groups are fairly represented. One man, one vote, the principle that each vote must have equal value.

Question 21

Proportional Representation

Answer 21

a method of voting by which political parties are given legislative representation in proportion to their popular vote.

Question 22

President

Answer 22

the highest executive officer of a modern republic, as the chief executive of the United States:

Question 23

Supreme Court

Answer 23

the highest court of the U.S.

Question 24

Fugitive Slave Clause

Answer 24

No Person held to Service or Labor in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labor, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labor may be due. Id.

Question 25

Ratify

Answer 25

to confirm by expressing consent, approval, or formal sanction:

Question 26

Amendment

Answer 26

the act of amending or the state of being amended.

Question 27

1st Amendment

Answer 27

The First Amendment provides that Congress make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting its free exercise. It protects freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. The Second Amendment gives citizens the right to bear arms.

Question 28

2nd Amendment

Answer 28

Second Amendment Right to Bear Arms
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Question 29

4th Amendment

Answer 29

The Constitution, through the Fourth Amendment, protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. The Fourth Amendment, however, is not a guarantee against all searches and seizures, but only those that are deemed unreasonable under the law.

Question 30

5th Amendment

Answer 30

A right against forced self-incrimination. A guarantee that all criminal defendants have a fair trial, and. A guarantee that the government cannot seize private property without making a due compensation at the market value of the property.

Question 31

6th Amendment

Answer 31

The Sixth Amendment guarantees the rights of criminal defendants, including the right to a public trial without unnecessary delay, the right to a lawyer, the right to an impartial jury, and the right to know who your accusers are and the nature of the charges and evidence against you.

Question 32

13th Amendment

Answer 32

Passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States.

Question 33

14th Amendment

Answer 33

The Fourteenth Amendment addresses many aspects of citizenship and the rights of citizens.

Question 34

15th Amendment

Answer 34

Passed by Congress February 26, 1869, and ratified February 3, 1870, the 15th Amendment granted African American men the right to vote.

Question 35

19th Amendment

Answer 35

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.