US constitution

Question 1

Constitutions

Answer 1

A collection of rules, principles and conventions that outlines the political system, location of sovereiginity and the realtionship between the government and those being governed

Question 2

Federal government

Answer 2

The national government of the USA, consisting of three branches - Congress, the presidency and the judiciary

Question 3

Federalism

Answer 3

A system in government in which power and sovereignity are shared between the federal government and individual states

Question 4

The founding fathers

Answer 4

A term used for those who helped shape the newly formed nation of the USA

Question 5

What did the founding fathers do?

Question 6

How was the US constitution formed?

Question 7

Principle

Answer 7

A fundamental belief or ideal.
Constitutional principles mmay not be named in the constitution but they underpin the entire document and can be seen throughout the text

Question 8

Limited government

Answer 8

A government that is subject to restrictions on the power it can excercise over a country or its citizens. In the USA, these limits are laid out through checks and balances in the constitution

Question 9

Separation of powers

Answer 9

The complete seperation of the three branches of government; congress (the legislature), the presidency ( the executive) and the judicairy ( the supreme court).
This includes separation of their powers, buildings and personnel

Question 10

Checks and Balances

Answer 10

The power of one branch to directly prevent the action of another branch
All branches of government can do this which provides a balance of power

Question 11

Bipartianship

Answer 11

Bipartianship = the ability for two or more parties to work together to achieve an outcome. This is enforced by the supermajorities required by the constitution

Question 12

Codification

Answer 12

Codification = A single written document containing all of the constitutional rules and principles

Question 13

Judiciable

Answer 13

Judiciable = a constitution that contains a higher form of law and therefore allows other laws to be judged against it and be deemed either constitutional or unconstitutional

Question 14

Entrenched

Answer 14

Entrenched = a constitution that is protected from change through a legal process. For the US constitutioon this is the two stage amendment process, which requires supermajority approval from congress and the states

Question 15

Enumerated powers

Answer 15

Enumerated powers = powers that are specifically and explicitly written down in the US constitution

Question 16

Implied powers

Answer 16

Implied powers = powers that are not specifically granted in the constitution but are assumed or implied from the wording of the document and the powers that it does grant

Question 17

Neccesary and proper clause

Answer 17

Necessary and proper clause = a clause within article 1 of the constitution which allows the vongress to assume any powers which are neccessary for it to be able to carry ouy yje enumerated powers.

Question 18

Supermajorit

Answer 18

Supermajorities = a required majority of more than half usually in a vote. The US constitution specifies supermajorities of 2/3 and 3/4 fir a varieyy of processes

Question 19

What is the US constitution outlined?

Question 20

What is the amendment process?

Answer 20

The amendment process is to ensure that the constitution did not become outdated
Two stage process requires a supermajority in both stages to ensure that the constitution is not too flexible or too rigid

Question 21

What stages does an amendment have to go through?

Answer 21

A proposal stage
A Ratification stage

Question 23

What are the key amendments outlined?

Question 24

What are the advantages of the amendment process?

Question 25

What are the disadvantages of the amendment process?

Question 26

What are republican ideals?

Question 27

What are checks by congress on president?

Question 28

What are the checks by congress on the supreme court?

Question 29

What are the checks by president on congress?

Question 30

What are the checks by president on supreme court?

Question 31

What are checks by supreme court?

Question 32

What is judicial review?

Answer 32

Judicial review = the power of the supreme court to judge actions of the presidential branch or acts and actions of congress against the constitution