Fill in the blank: The Great Compromise decided how the ___________ branch would work.
a) legislative
b) judicial
c) executive
a) legislative
What is a check?
a limit on another branch
Name the 3 branches of government.
executive, judicial, legislative
What was the purpose of the Constitutional Convention?
to write a constitution describing how the US government would work
Which ocean is to the west of North America?
Pacific Ocean
Name the two chambers (parts) that Congress was split into after the Great Compromise
the senate and the house of representatives
Why do we need checks and balances in the government?
so no one branch has too much power
Who works in the executive branch?
The President, the Vice-President, and the cabinet (presidential advisors)
Where was the constitutional convention?
Philidelphia
Which state has the smallest amount of land?
Rhode Island
What kind of representation did the smaller states want in Congress and why?
Small states (fewer people) wanted equal representation, b/c wanted the same power in Congress as large states
How can the executive branch check the legislative branch?
can veto laws
the supreme court judges
What is a constitution?
document that decides how the government works
What is it called when the president strikes down a law?
a veto
What kind of representation did the larger states want in Congress and why?
Larger states (more people) wanted proportional representation b/c felt that if state had more people, should have more power in Congress
How can the judicial branch check the legislative branch?
can strike down laws for being unconstitutional
What is the legislative branch? What does it do?
congress, makes the laws
Explain the 3/5 compromise
The 3/5 Compromise = one enslaved person would count as ⅗ of a free person in counting a state’s population. For example, 500 slaves would count as 300 people in the population count.
Which region (part) of the United States allowed slavery?
the south
How many senators does each state elect to congress?
two
How can the executive branch check the judicial branch?
can nominate judges
What is the term limit of the executive branch? how long is a term?
no more than twice, four year terms
When did the Constitutional Convention take place?
1787
What is the name of the building where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed?
Independence Hall