Democratic Ideas
This means that government gets its power from the people.
What is popular sovereignty?
In what year was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
What is 1776?
This was America's first national governing document.
What are the Articles of Confederation?
What meeting in 1787 was held to address problems with the Articles of Confederation?
What was the Constitutional Convention?
How many amendments are included in the Bill of Rights?
What is 10?
This democratic idea means that everyone, including government leaders, must follow the law.
What is the rule of law?
The Declaration says that people have these three important rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
What are natural rights?
Under the Articles, this was a major problem because Congress could not easily collect money from the states.
What is the inability to tax?
This part of the Constitution begins with the words “We the People.”
What is the Preamble?
This amendment protects freedoms such as speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.
What is the First Amendment?
In this type of government, citizens elect representatives to make decisions for them.
What is a republic?
According to the Declaration, where does government get its “just powers”?
What is the consent of the governed?
This event involved Massachusetts farmers and convinced some leaders that the national government was too weak.
What is Shays' Rebellion?
What system prevents one branch of government from becoming too powerful by allowing each branch to limit the others?
What are checks and balances?
Why did Anti-Federalists want a Bill of Rights added to the Constitution?
They were concerned that the national government might become too powerful and wanted specific protections for individual rights.
This system divides power between the national government and state governments.
What is federalism?
According to the Declaration, what can people do if a government becomes destructive of their rights?
What is alter or abolish the government and create a new one?
Give one reason the Articles of Confederation created a weak national government.
Possible Answers: Congress couldn't tax directly, there was no executive branch, there was no national court system, or the national government had difficulty enforcing its decisions.
Name the three branches of the U.S. government.
What are the legislative, executive, and judicial branches?
Which democratic ideal is protected when the government is limited from taking away people's basic freedoms?
What are individual rights?
The Constitution divides the national government into three branches. What democratic principle does this demonstrate?
What is separation of powers?
Explain how the Declaration of Independence reflects the democratic idea of popular sovereignty.
The Declaration says that government gets its power from the people. If a government does not protect people's rights, the people have the right to change or replace it.
A student says, “The Articles were successful because they gave the national government a lot of power.” Is the student correct? Explain.
No. The Articles created a weak national government and gave most power to the states. The national government had difficulty raising money, enforcing laws, and solving major problems.
Why did the Framers create three branches and use checks and balances?
To divide government power and prevent one person or branch from becoming too powerful.
A student says, “The Bill of Rights gives the government more power over citizens.” Is the student correct? Explain.
No. The Bill of Rights protects individual rights and limits the government's ability to interfere with certain freedoms.