Unit #2 Constitutional Underpinnings

Question 1

Articles of Confederation

Answer 1

America’s first framework for government; very weak national government with most of the power going to the states.

Question 2

Virginia Plan

Answer 2

Plan proposed at the Constitutional convention by Virginia. Would have a strong central government, a bicameral (two house) legislature with representation based on population. The plan was supported by the larger states.

Question 3

New Jersey Plan

Answer 3

Plan proposed at the Constitutional convention by New Jersey. Would give more power to the states, unicameral (one house) legislature, equal representation to the states regardless of size. This plan was supported by the smaller states.

Question 4

Great Compromise

Answer 4

Bicameral (two house) legislature. Number of representatives based on population in one house and each state represented equally in another house. Compromise that brought together the VA and NJ plans.

Question 5

Three-Fifths Compromise

Answer 5

When counting population for the purposes of representation and taxation, 3 out of every 5 slaves would count toward the overall population of a state.

Question 6

Interstate Commerce Compromise

Answer 6

Congress was forbidden to take any action on the slave trade for at least 20 years.

Question 7

Popular Sovereignty

Answer 7

principle that government authority is derived from (comes from) the people; government governs with the consent of the governed (people)

Question 8

Federalism

Answer 8

A system of government in which power is divided between the national and state governments.

Question 9

Separation of Powers

Answer 9

A distribution of government powers among independent branches. Each branch has a specific set of responsibilities.

Question 10

Checks and Balances

Answer 10

Each branch of government possesses the ability to restrain certain actions of the other branches thereby maintaining a balance among the three branches of government.

Question 11

Limited Government

Answer 11

Principle that says government can only exercise the powers that are granted to it and that the government must be conducted according to the rule of law.

Question 12

Federalists

Answer 12

Group of people who supported ratification (approval) of the Constitution.

Question 13

Federalists original position on the Bill of Rights

Answer 13

Did not believe that a Bill of Rights was necessary because they believed that the Constitution was sufficient to protect individual rights.

Question 14

Anti-Federalists

Answer 14

Group of people who did not support ratification (approval) of the Constitution.

Question 15

conditional ratification

Answer 15

many states ratified the Constitution this way, they ratified the Constitution with the understanding that a Bill of Rights would be added shortly after ratification

Question 16

Amendments

Answer 16

changes to the Constitution, there have been 27 Amendments since the ratification of the Constitution.

Question 17

Bill of Rights

Answer 17

First 10 Amendments to the Constitution.

Question 18

Delegated Powers

Answer 18

Powers given to the national government that are specifically written into the Constitution. Examples: print money, declare war, make treaties, ect.

Question 19

Necessary and Proper Clause

Answer 19

Also called the elastic clause because it stretches the coverage of the Constitution. It says that Congress has the power to make all laws that are ‘necessary and proper’ for carrying out the powers in the Constitution.

Question 20

Implied Powers

Answer 20

Powers exercised by the national government under the Necessary and Proper Clause.

Question 21

Inherent Powers

Answer 21

Powers that the national government has because it is the government of a nation. These are not written into the Constitution, they do not need to be spelled out. Examples: expanding territory, securing borders, protecting nation from attack

Question 22

Reserved Powers

Answer 22

Powers that are set aside for the states. These powers mainly involve things that affect the quality of people’s lives. Examples: conducting elections, issuing licenses

Question 23

Concurrent Powers

Answer 23

Powers that both the national and state governments have (shared powers). Example: collect taxes, build roads, make laws, establish courts

Question 24

Denied Powers

Answer 24

Powers that the state and national governments are not allowed to have. Examples: establishing a national religion, convict people without a trial, pass ex post facto laws. Some powers are denied to both the national and federal government and some powers are only denied to one or the other. Example: coining money is only denied to the states.

Question 25

Supremacy Clause

Answer 25

States that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. In practice this means that if a state law and a national law conflict, the national law ‘wins’.

Question 26

Full Faith and Credit Clause

Answer 26

Outlines the obligations that the states have to each other.

Question 27

Persuasion

Answer 27

A process of influencing others into accepting a point of view by means of reasoning and argumentation.

Question 28

Compromise

Answer 28

A process of making concessions to settle differences; one or both sides give up something

Question 29

Consensus Building

Answer 29

A process of working toward achieving general agreement within an argument.

Question 30

Negotiation

Answer 30

A process of settling differences through a discussion of issues.