The Constitution and the Bill of Rights

Question 1

What does the phrase “We the people” mean?

Answer 1

It means the constitution was made with the consent of the people, which is a great difference in ideals back then.

Question 2

What does the phrase “In order to form a more perfect union” mean?

Answer 2

It means that the constitution was the plan to help the problem of having a weak unified government and country because of the Articles of Confederation.

Question 3

What does the phrase “Establish justice” mean?

Answer 3

It means that the constitution was the new government the founders made to have justice because they thought that the British government was not fair or just.

Question 4

What does the phrase “Insure domestic tranquility” mean?

Answer 4

It mean that the government will make sure that there is peace within the country.

Question 5

What does the phrase “Provide for the common defense” mean?

Answer 5

It means that the government will make sure that the country is safe from foreign threats.

Question 6

What does the phrase “Promote the general welfare” mean?

Answer 6

It means that the government will have the job of taking care of the well-being of US citizens.

Question 7

What does the phrase “Secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.

Answer 7

It was an old fashioned way of saying that the government will protect the liberty of its citizens and their children.

Question 8

What does the statement “do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America” mean?

Answer 8

It mean that as this statement was being made by the America people, that the people give their consent to establish the Constitution and its government.

Question 9

What doe the phrase “Separation of powers” refer to?

Answer 9

It refers to the system of government where instead having all the power in one place, it divided and separated the power among three branches.

Question 10

What is the name of the system that gives each branch the power to stop or influence the actions of other branches?

Answer 10

The name of this system is checks and balances.

Question 11

What is Congress’s power?

Answer 11

Congress has the power to override a veto, controls the US budget, has the power to impeach judge or president and can approve presidential nominees to Supreme Court and other positions.

Question 12

What is the president’s power?

Answer 12

The president has the power to veto laws and call special sessions of Congress, as well he/she has the power to appoint members of Supreme Court.

Question 13

What is the Supreme Court’s power?

Answer 13

The Supreme Court has the power to declare an action from the president or a law from the Congress unconstitutional.

Question 14

What does Federalism refer to?

Answer 14

It refers to how the nation and the national government share governing powers, with a system similar to the separation of powers.

Question 15

How many articles does the constitution have?

Answer 15

Seven articles.

Question 16

What does the first article state?

Answer 16

It states the power, form and process of Congress.

Question 17

What does the second article state?

Answer 17

It states the power, qualifications for office, the process of indirectly electing the president and vice president through an Electoral college and all the departments serve under the president.

Question 18

What powers does the president have?

Answer 18

Vetoing legislation, acting as supreme military officer, appointing executive and judicial officers, pardoning those accused of a crime and as well the power to conduct foreign affairs.

Question 19

What does the third article state?

Answer 19

It states that the Supreme Court will be the chief court of the land, it also states that the Supreme Court and other federal courts has the power to review other branches by reviewing laws and executive actions to decide whether it is constitutional or not.

Question 20

What does the fourth article provide?

Answer 20

The fourth article provides cooperation among the states and cooperation between the states and the national government, as well this article requires the states to respect one another’s laws and court action to bring criminals to justice, and to return runway apprentices, indentured servants and slaves, and also the government must assist the states in preserving rights of self-government, repelling invasions, and keeping order.

Question 21

What does the fifth article state?

Answer 21

It states the process of how, to propose and ratify an amendment.

Question 22

What is the process of making an amendment?

Answer 22

First, you have two options, to choose from on how to propose your amend(you can either propose by having Congress do a two-thirds vote in both houses or have Congress call a national convention by request of two-thirds votes from states legislatures, then you can ratify in two ways, either by having three-fourths of state legislatures approve it or by having conventions in the states approve it by three-fourths vote.

Question 23

What does article five state?

Answer 23

It states that the constitution and the all national laws are more superior than state law.

Question 24

What does article six state?

Answer 24

It briefly states on how it requires nine of thirteen states to ratify a law.

Question 25

Which two viewpoints come up the most when amending the constitution.

Answer 25

The two viewpoints that come up the most is loose constructionism and originalism.

Question 26

What does the first amendment state?

Answer 26

It states the basic rights of: freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of religion, the right to peaceably assemble and the right to petition the government.

Question 27

What can the government not do with religion?

Answer 27

The government cannot favor one religious group or limit any exercise of religion.

Question 28

What does the second amendment state?

Answer 28

It states the right of citizens to bear firearms.

Question 29

What does the third amendment state?

Answer 29

It prohibits the government from forcing US citizens from to house military units.

Question 30

What does the fourth amendment state?

Answer 30

It states that police officers must have search warrants to search and confiscate a person’s property so that one privacy does not get illegally intruded.

Question 31

What does the fifth amendment state?

Answer 31

It states that before a person can be brought to trial, there must be accusation made against him/her and it also states that the accused person can not be force to testify against themselves and can not be charged twice with the same crime.

Question 32

What does the sixth amendment state?

Answer 32

It states the rights of an accused person: what crime you are accused of and the right to be assisted by a lawyer. (the right of a speedy trial)

Question 33

What does the seventh amendment state?

Answer 33

It states the right to have a jury trial for a case related to civil law.

Question 34

What does the eighth amendment state?

Answer 34

It states that the government cannot impose excessive fines or bails on a criminal, nor deal with him/her harshly.

Question 35

What does the ninth amendment state?

Answer 35

It states that just because the Bill of Rights states a few certain rights, that does not mean some other rights do not exist.

Question 36

What does the tenth amendment state?

Answer 36

It states that the powers not given to the government are reserved for the states and the people.

Question 37

What does the thirteenth amendment state?

Answer 37

It states that the US abolished forced labor and slavery.

Question 38

What does fourteenth amendment state?

Answer 38

It states that all US citizens whether born in the country or formerly were slaves are given full US citizenship and that all American are guaranteed equal protection by the law and can not be denied of privileges or rights from the states.

Question 39

What does the fifthteenth amendment state?

Answer 39

It states that all people have the right to vote, whether of different color or race.

Question 40

What does the nineteenth amendment state?

Answer 40

It states women’s right to vote.

Question 41

What does the eighteenth amendment forbid?

Answer 41

It forbids the creation, sale and transportation of alcohol.

Question 42

What does the twenty-first amendment repeal?

Answer 42

It repealed the eighteenth amendment.

Question 43

What does the twenty-sixth amendment state?

Answer 43

It states that the age requirement needed to vote is lower from 21 to 18.