Category 1
Why did some people want the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution?
They felt it did not protect some of their basic rights.
What is the job of the legislative branch?
Make the laws.
What are the only two ways a Supreme Court decision can be changed?
A Supreme Court decision can only be changed by a later Supreme Court or by amending the Constitution.
What happens when the President signs the bill?
It becomes law
Why is the Constitution known as a living document?
It can be changed or ratified.
What country were the American colonies declaring independence from when they write the Declaration of Independence?
Britain
What are the two parts of Congress?
House of Representatives and Senate
What is the lawmaking body of the federal government?
Congress
What is it called when the President does not sign a bill? How can a bill become a law if the President does not sign it?
A veto
Congress can override his veto by 2/3 vote in both houses.
Name two powers of the federal government and two powers of the state governments.
Federal government- Make money and declare war
State governments- ratify amendments and manage public health and safety.
What is the system of federalism?
The sharing of power between the state and federal government
What is the job of the Executive Branch? Who is the head of the Executive Branch?
To make sure the laws of the United States are obeyed; the President
What 5 freedoms are found within the First Amendment?
Religion, Assembly, Petition, Press, and Speech
What are the three unalienable rights found within the Declaration of Independence?
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
Name two powers that the federal government and the state government share.
Making taxes and borrowing money
What are the three branches of the United States government?
Legislative, Executive, and Judicial
What is the job of the Judicial Branch?
Decides the meaning of the law
What did the founders create so that each branch of government would have equal powers?
Checks and balances
What are the three parts to the U.S. Constitution?
Preamble, Articles, and Amendments
Why were the colonists unhappy with Britain?
They did not have a say in their government and still had to pay taxes.
Who originally wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
What is the name of the highest court in the United States?
U.S. Supreme Court
What has to happen before a bill goes to the President?
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have to vote to pass it.
What did leaders at the Constitutional Convention create to satisfy the large and small states? What did this do to satisfy the large and small states?
Bicameral legislative branch; equal representation for each state in the Senate satisfied the small states and representatives based on population satisfied the large states.
Who was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence?
John Hancock