The Constitution

Question 1

Articles of Confederation

Answer 1

the original constitution of the US, ratified in 1781, which was replaced by the US Constitution in 1789.

Question 2

Declaration of Independence

Answer 2

The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important documents in the history of the United States. It was an official act taken by all 13 American colonies in declaring independence from British rule.

Question 3

Treason

Answer 3

the crime of betraying one’s country, especially by attempting to kill the sovereign or overthrow the government.

Question 4

Checks and balances

Answer 4

checks and balances, principle of government under which separate branches are empowered to prevent actions by other branches and are induced to share power. Checks and balances are applied primarily in constitutional governments.

Question 5

Separation of powers

Answer 5

an act of vesting the legislative, executive, and judicial powers of government in separate bodies.

Question 6

Great Compromise

Answer 6

When Sherman proposed the compromise, Benjamin Franklin agreed that each state should have an equal vote in the Senate in all matters

Question 7

Tariff

Answer 7

a tax or duty to be paid on a particular class of imports or exports.

Question 8

Repeal

Answer 8

revoke or annul (a law or congressional act).

Question 9

Civil Discourse

Answer 9

What is the meaning of civil discourse?
A civil discourse is a conversation in which there is a 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

a body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed.

Question 12

Preamble

Answer 12

a preliminary or preparatory statement; an introduction.

Question 13

Legislative Branch

Answer 13

The legislative branch is made up of the House and Senate, known collectively as the Congress. Among other powers, the legislative branch makes all laws, declares war, regulates interstate and foreign commerce and controls taxing and spending policies.

Question 13

Bill of Rights

Answer 13

the first ten amendments to the US Constitution, ratified in 1791 and guaranteeing such rights as the freedoms of speech, assembly, and worship.

Question 14

Executive Branch

Answer 14

The executive branch consists of the President, his or her advisors and various departments and agencies. This branch is responsible for enforcing the laws of the land.

Question 15

Judicial Branch

Answer 15

The judicial branch includes the Supreme Court and other federal courts. It evaluates laws by: Interpreting the meaning of laws. Applying laws to individual cases. Deciding if laws violate the Constitution.

Question 16

Congress

Answer 16

a national legislative body, especially that of the US. The US Congress, which meets at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., was established by the Constitution of 1787 and is composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Question 17

Senate

Answer 17

the smaller upper assembly in the US Congress, most US states, France, and other countries.

Question 18

House of Representatives

Answer 18

As per the Constitution, the U.S. House of Representatives makes and passes federal laws. The House is one of Congress’s two chambers (the other is the U.S. Senate), and part of the federal government’s legislative branch.

Question 19

Equal representation

Answer 19

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 20

Proportional representation

Answer 20

an electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them.

Question 21

President

Answer 21

the elected head of a republic.

Question 22

Supreme Court

Answer 22

the highest judicial court in a country or state.

Question 23

Fugitive Slave Clause

Answer 23

Fugitive Slave Clause, The Constitution of the United States (1787–1992) CONTEXT. This clause of the U.S. Constitution’s Fourth Article gives enslavers the right to seize enslaved people who escaped to free states. The clause was adopted at the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

Question 24

Ratify

Answer 24

sign or give formal consent to (a treaty, contract, or agreement), making it officially valid.
“both countries were due to ratify the treaty by the end of the year”

Question 25

Amendment

Answer 25

a minor change or addition designed to improve a text, piece of legislation, etc.
“an amendment to existing bail laws”

Question 26

1st Amendment

Answer 26

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.

Question 27

2nd Amendment

Answer 27

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 28

4th Amendment

Answer 28

The Fourth Amendment was part of the Bill of Rights that was added to the Constitution on December 15, 1791. It protects people from unlawful searches and seizures. This means that the police can’t search you or your house without a warrant or probable cause. From the Constitution.

Question 29

5th Amendment

Answer 29

The Fifth Amendment is an amendment to the Constitution that guarantees U.S. citizens specific rights, including not having to testify against yourself if you’re accused of committing a crime. It’s part of the first ten amendments to the Constitution called the Bill of Rights.

Question 30

6th Amendment

Answer 30

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 31

13th Amendment

Answer 31

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

Question 32

14th Amendment

Answer 32

No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person

Question 33

15th Amendment

Answer 33

The Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guaranteed that the right to vote could not be denied based on “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” This amendment, or addition to the Constitution, allowed African American men, including former slaves, to vote.

Question 34

19th Amendment

Answer 34

Passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment granted women the right to vote