Founding & Documents
This document served as the original governing document of the 13 colonies before the Constitution.
What are the Articles of Confederation?
This plan proposed a strong central government and representation based on population.
What is the Virginia Plan?
This part of the Constitution establishes the Legislative Branch.
What is Article I?
These are powers specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution.
What are enumerated powers?
These are the first ten amendments to the Constitution.
What is the Bill of Rights?
This 1776 document announced that the American colonies were separating from Great Britain.
What is the Declaration of Independence?
This plan proposed maintaining a weaker central government and giving each state equal representation.
What is the New Jersey Plan?
This part of the Constitution establishes the Executive Branch.
What is Article II?
These are powers retained by the states.
What are reserved powers?
This amendment protects several fundamental freedoms, including religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.
What is the First Amendment?
The Founders used this concept to describe rights that people possess naturally.
What are natural rights?
This compromise resulted in a bicameral Congress with a House based on population and a Senate with equal representation.
What is the Great Compromise?
This part of the Constitution establishes the Judicial Branch.
What is Article III?
These are powers shared by the federal and state governments.
What are concurrent powers?
This amendment protects citizens from being deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process and includes protections involving self-incrimination and double jeopardy.
What is the Fifth Amendment?
This 1786–1787 uprising by Revolutionary War soldiers helped convince many leaders that the national government under the Articles was too weak.
What is Shays' Rebellion?
This group supported ratification of the Constitution and included writers who published essays under the name "Publius."
Who were the Federalists?
This article establishes the process for changing the Constitution.
What is Article V?
This system divides governmental power among different branches so that each branch can limit the others.
What are checks and balances?
This amendment says that the listing of certain rights in the Constitution does not mean that people do not possess other rights.
What is the Ninth Amendment?
These were the two major groups that disagreed over whether the Constitution should be ratified.
Who were the Federalists and Anti-Federalists?
This group opposed ratification and included writers who published arguments under the pen name "Brutus."
Who were the Anti-Federalists?
This article establishes that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land and includes provisions concerning debts and oaths.
What is Article VI?
This principle divides governmental power between the national government and state governments.
What is federalism?
This amendment changed the selection of U.S. senators from selection by state legislatures to direct election by the people.
What is the Seventeenth Amendment?