The US Constitution Flashcards
(54 cards)
What were the problems of the Articles of Confederation?
The Articles were America’s 1st form of government, an association of states. It was difficult for States to agree on anything because 3/4 of states were needed to pass any law, and the federal government had no right to tax or raise money to pay for the military.
Shay’s Rebellion
farmers in Massachusettes revolted because they couldn’t pay their ever-increasing taxes
(the federal government under the Articles of Confederation was unable to organize an army quick enough to end the revolts)
Northwest Ordinance
a law passed by Congress in 1787 that specified how new western lands would be governed and become new states
3/5 Compromise
a decision to count each slave as a fraction of a person for taxation and representation purposes
How did Southern and Northern states feel about counting slaves for proportional representation in Congress?
- Southern states wanted to count slaves in order to get the most votes in the House
- Northern states didn’t want to count slaves because they didn’t want the Southern slave-holding states to have more representatives in the House
The Great Compromise
an agreement to create a two house Congress; the House with proportional representation and the Senate with equal representation by the states
Which States were more in favor of having representation in Congress based on population?
Larger states because it would give them more votes in Congress
Which states were more in favor of every state getting two votes in Congress?
Smaller states because they didn’t want larger states to have more influence in the government.
electoral college
A group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president
republic
A form of government in which citizens choose their leaders by voting
constitution
A document which spells out the principles by which a government runs and the fundamental laws that govern a society
ratify
(v.) to approve, give formal approval
(3/4 of the states needed to ratify the Constitution before it became the law of the nation)
Why didn’t anti-federalists want to ratify the Constitution?
They feared that it would make the federal government too powerful and take away state’s rights and powers. Many also wanted the constitution to have a Bill of Rights guaranteed to citizens.
separation of powers
power is divided among different branches of government to make sure no one branch has too much power
What is the main job of the Legislative Branch?
The lawmaking branch of government: Congress
How is the Legislative branched divided?
It is divided into two groups: the Senate where each state gets 2 votes, and the House of Representatives, where the number of votes is determined by population
What are the main powers of the Legislative Branch?
write laws, raise taxes, declare war, decide how to spend federal money, approve presidential nominations
What is the main job of the Executive Branch?
the branch of government that carries out, or puts into practice, laws. The president is the leader of this branch of government.
What are the main powers of the executive branch?
commander in chief of the army, make treaties with other countries, nominate judges
treaty
an agreement between two countries (the president can negotiate treaties, but Congress must approve them)
nominate
when the president chooses judges, ambassadors, and leaders of federal departments (However, Congress must approve them)
What is the main job of the Judicial Branch?
to interprets laws and decide if they are constitutional. The Supreme Court is the top court of this branch of government.
checks and balances
A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power
How does the Judicial Branch check the power of the executive and legislative branches?
they can rule that executive orders and laws are unconstitutional
