The Constitution Unit Flashcards

1
Q

What were the problems with the Articles of Confederation?

A

The government was too weak to keep order

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2
Q

What event proved the Articles of Cenfederation were not working?

A

Shays Rebellion

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3
Q

How did Magna Carta influence the Constitution?

A

Limited kings power

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4
Q

How did Ancient Greece influence the Constitution?

A

Created the first Democracy

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5
Q

How did Ancient Rome influence the Constitution?

A

Created the first Republic

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6
Q

How did John Locke influence the Constitution?

A

Believed in natural rights (life, liberty, and property) (Contract Theory)

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7
Q

How did Jean Jacques Rousseau influence the Constitution?

A

People should be willing the give up some freedom for the needs of the greater good (Social Contract)

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8
Q

How did Baron De Montesquieu influence the Constitution?

A

Government powers should be limited (Checks and Balances)

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9
Q

What was the purpose of the Constitutional Convention?

A

To revise the Articles of Confederation

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10
Q

Who was the president of the Constitutional Convention?

A

George Washington

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11
Q

When was the Constitutional Convention held?

A

1787

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12
Q

Where was the Constitutional Convention held?

A

Philidelphia

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13
Q

Who is the “father of the Constitution”?

A

James Madison

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14
Q

What was the Virginia Plan?

A

of reps a state could send to Congress depended on its population

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15
Q

What was the New Jersey Plan?

A

Each state had an equal vote in Congress

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16
Q

What was the 3/5 Compromise?

A

Compromise saying a slave would count as 3/5 of a person

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17
Q

What is a Federalist?

A

A supporter of the Constitution

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18
Q

What is an Anti-Federalist?

A

An opponent of the Constitution

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19
Q

Why didn’t Anti-Federalists like the Constitution?

A

Believed it didn’t list any rights of the people

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20
Q

How many parts of the Constitution are there?

A

3 parts. The Preamble, The Articles (I, II, III) and The Bill of Rights

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21
Q

What are the 3 branches of the U.S. government and what is the main responsibility of each?

A

Legislative Branch - To make laws (Article I), Executive Branch - To enforce laws (Article II), Judicial Branch - Interprets the laws (Article III)

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22
Q

How many members are in the House of Representatives?

A

435

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23
Q

What are the qualifications for Representatives? (3 Qualifications)

A

U.S. citizen 7 years, Resident of District, 25 years old or older

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24
Q

How do you determine how many Representatives a state gets?

A

Population of a state

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25
Q

How long does a Representative serve?

A

2 years

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26
Q

What are the specific powers of the House of Representatives? (2 powers)

A

Can choose a president if there is no majority in the electoral college, can impeach government officials

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27
Q

Who and what is the Speaker of the House?

A

The leader of the House of Representatives, John Boehner

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28
Q

How many members are in the Senate?

A

100

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29
Q

What are the qualifications for Senators? (3 Qualifications)

A

U.S. citizen 9 years, Resident of state representing, 30 years old

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30
Q

How many Senators does a state get?

A

2 Senators

31
Q

How long a Senator server?

A

6 years

32
Q

What are the specific powers of the Senate? (3 powers)

A

Can approve treaties by 2/3 vote, can approve major presidential appointments, can conduct the trial when the house impeaches an official

33
Q

Who is the President of the Senate?

A

Joe Biden

34
Q

Who and what is the President Pro Tempore?

A

Selected by the Senate - Patrick Leahy

35
Q

What does it mean to impeach?

A

To accuse of wrong doing

36
Q

How does the impeachment process work?

A

Starts in the House ? Simple majority ? Moves to the Senate ? 2/3 vote

37
Q

What is the elastic clause?

A

Implied powers - powers that the Constitution gives to Congress that are not listed in detail

38
Q

What are the qualifications for President/Vice President? (3 Qualifications)

A

Must be a natural born citizen, 35 years old or older, Resident of the U.S. for at least 14 years

39
Q

What are the main responsibilities of the President?

A

To carry out/enforce the laws

40
Q

How long does a president serve?

A

4 years (up to 8 years)

41
Q

Who is the President and Vice President?

A

President - Barack Obama, Vice President - Joe Biden

42
Q

What is the Electoral College?

A

The group of people chosen from each state and the District of Columbia to elect the president

43
Q

Why did the writers of the Constitution create the electoral college?

A

They believed that the common people were not informed enough to make an educated decision

44
Q

What is the order of succession for President? (Down to Secretary of State)

A

Vice President ? Speaker of the House ? President Pro Tem of the Senate ? Secretary of State

45
Q

What is the Cabinet? How are those individuals selected?

A

The group of top advisors to the president that are selected to help advise him on decisions. Cabinet members are selected by the President

46
Q

How are Supreme Court Justices chosen? (3 Steps)

A

The president selects a candidate ? Senate Judiciary Committee interviews nominee ? The Senate votes on a nominee

47
Q

How long does a Justice server?

A

Life

48
Q

How many Justices are there on the Supreme Court?

A

9

49
Q

How do cases get the the Supreme Court?

A

From lower state or federal courts

50
Q

Who is the current Chief Justice?

A

John Roberts

51
Q

Who was the first woman Justice on the Supreme Court?

A

Sandra Day O’Connor

52
Q

What are appellate and original jurisdiction?

A

Appellete - US Supreme Court hears a case that has already been heard in a lower court, Original - a case goes to a court that has never been heard before

53
Q

What is judicial review?

A

The power of the courts to decide whether laws or acts of the government are unconstitutional

54
Q

What are the two ways the Judicial Branch can “check” the other two branches?

A

Judicial ? Legislative: Can declare acts/laws of congress unconstitutional, Judicial ? Executive: Can declare executive actions unconstitutional

55
Q

What are amendments and what are the 2 ways they get passed?

A

A change to the Constitution. They get passed by: 3/4 of state legislatures vote yes OR conventions held in 3/4 of states must approve

56
Q

What kind of government structure do we have?

A

Democratic

57
Q

Define: Constitution

A

Laws and principles

58
Q

Define: Impeach

A

To accuse of wrong doing

59
Q

Define: Bicameral

A

To have two houses or chambers

60
Q

Define: Democracy

A

Government by the people

61
Q

Define Republic

A

System of government in which people elect representatives to govern them

62
Q

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence and when was it?

A

Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence on June 11, 1776

63
Q

Who is the Illinois Governor?

A

Pat Quinn

64
Q

Who is the Illinois Attorney General?

A

Lisa Madigan

65
Q

Who is the Illinois Treasurer?

A

Dan Rutherford

66
Q

Who is the Illinois Secretary of State

A

Jesse White

67
Q

When did Illinois become a state?

A

December 3, 1818

68
Q

What number state was Illinois?

A

21st State

69
Q

Where is our current state capital?

A

Springfield

70
Q

Which state did not attend the Constitutional Convention?

A

Rhode Island

71
Q

What was the Great Compromise? (In detail)

A

The plan of government adopted at the Constitutional Convention that established a two-house Congress. In the House of Representatives, representation from each state is based on state population. In the Senate, each state is represented by two senators

72
Q

What is needed to override a presidential veto?

A

A 2/3 vote (super majority) in both houses

73
Q

Who must approve a Justices appointment?

A

The Senate

74
Q

Who were the important people at the Constitutional Convention? (6 People)

A

James Madison, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Roger Sherman, John Jay