The Constitution of the United States

Question 1

Why did the Constitutional Convention meet in Philadelphia in 1787?

Answer 1

• The delegates from 12 of the 13 states met to address problmes that had beocme apparent since the new nation began.
• They decided to create a new set of laws by which the United States would be governed.

Question 2

The delegates of the constitutional Convention decided that the new government should continue to be a republic. What is a republic?

Answer 2

The people of the country elect representatives to govern the county.

Question 3

The delegates of the Constitutional Convention wanted a federal government. What does federal mean?

Answer 3

• It means national. They wanted a national government.
• They wanted a governmetn that shared power between the federal government and the states.

Question 4

How many branches did the delegates of the Constitional Convention devide the national government into? What were they?

Answer 4

• Three
• Legislative, Executive, and Judicial

Question 5

What is the legislative branch and what is it’s purpose?

Answer 5

It is Congress, and it makes the laws.

Question 6

What is the executive branch, and what is it’s purpose?

Answer 6

• The President, Vice President, and the peole who head up departments such as the Treasury and Defense.
• This branch carries out the laws.

Question 7

What is the judical branch and what is its purpose?

Answer 7

• This branch is the courts.
• They interpret the laws

Question 8

Who has the final authority to explain the Constitution?

Answer 8

The Supreme Court. They are the highest court in the land.

Question 9

A big debate at the Convention was over who would control Congress. Large populated states wanted respresentatives in Congress to be based on the number of people in the state. The smaller, less populated states wanted an equal vote with the larger states.

What compromise did they make?

Answer 9

• Congress would consist of two parts, the Senate and the House of Representatives.
• In the Senate, two delegates would be send from each state.
• In the House of Representatives, the population of each state would determine how many delegates they would send.
• In order for a law to be passed, it had to go through both parts of Congress.

Question 10

When did the Constitution go into effect?

Answer 10

June 21, 1788