Enlightenment Thinkers
Which Enlightenment thinker believed government was needed to keep order and provide security?
Thomas Hobbes
What part of the Constitution introduces the document and explains its goals?
The Preamble
What principle means that government power comes from the people?
Popular sovereignty
According to the Declaration of Independence, where does government get its power?
From the people / consent of the governed
What is a formal change or addition to the Constitution called?
An amendment
Which Enlightenment thinker believed people have natural rights and government gets its power from the consent of the governed?
John Locke
Which Article creates the Legislative Branch and Congress?
Article I
What principle means people elect representatives to make decisions for them?
Republicanism
What did the American Revolution teach Americans to value?
Liberty, representation, self-government, and protection from tyranny
What is the first step of the amendment process called?
Proposal
Which Enlightenment thinker is most closely connected to separation of powers?
Montesquieu
Which Article creates the Executive Branch and the President?
Article II
What principle says government power is shared between the national and state governments?
Federalism
What major problem did the Articles of Confederation reveal?
The national government could be too weak
What does ratification mean?
Official approval
Which Enlightenment thinker is connected to popular sovereignty, or the will of the people?
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Which Article creates the Judicial Branch and federal courts?
Article III
What principle divides government responsibilities among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches?
Separation of powers
What important power did Congress lack under the Articles of Confederation?
The power to levy taxes directly
What is the most common way an amendment is proposed?
Two-thirds of both houses of Congress approve it
Which Enlightenment thinker supported tolerance, freedom of thought, and religious freedom?
Voltaire
What do Articles IV, V, VI, and VII deal with?
Relations among states, the amendment process, supremacy of federal law, and ratification of the Constitution
The President vetoing a bill passed by Congress is an example of what principle?
Checks and balances
What document added important individual freedoms and legal protections to the Constitution?
The Bill of Rights
What is the usual way an amendment is ratified?
Three-fourths of the state legislatures approve it