Development of US Government
What was name of the tax introduced in 1765 on printed materials and legal documents imposed by the British government to pay off the French and Indian War debt?
What is the Stamp Act?
What are the three branches of government AND what is the primary responsibility of each branch?
What is the exective branch- enforces laws? Legislative branch- makes laws? Judicial branch- interprets laws?
What are the Bill of Rights?
Who passed the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act to dismantle racial segregation and eliminate barriers preventing African Americans from voting?
What is the US Congress?
Where is often hailed as the birthplace of democracy because it introduced the concept of direct participation in decision-making by all eligible citizens?
What is Ancient Athens?
What was the name of the series of punitive measures imposed by the British government in 1774 in response to growing colonial resistance? The were designed to reassert British authority over the colonists.
What were the Intolerable Acts or Coercive Acts?
What system ensures a single branch of government doesn't become dominant and infringes upon the rights and liberties of US citizens?
What is checks and balances?
Which amendment grants powers to state governments and establishes clear limits to their authority?
What is the 10th Amendment?
Which amendment was ratified in 1868 and emerged after the Civil War to ensure that the newly freed slaves were granted the same legal protections as other citizens?
What is the 14th Amendment?
Which Republic's separation of powers is a cornerstone of modern democratic governance with its checks and balances?
What is the Roman Republic?
What was the name the first attempt at a creating a unified framework for governance among the newly independent states adopted in 1777 and ratified in 1781? AND What was it's primary weakness?
What was the Articles of Confereration?
AND
What was there no strong central government?
What is the system when citizens vote in the general election they are actually selecting a slate of electors chosen by their party's candidate who then cast their votes for President on behalf of the state? The candidate who receives at least 270 wins.
What is the electoral college?
Which state's Constitution adopted in 1780 is the oldest functioning written constitution in the world and safeguards the right to education and the protection of voting rights? It emphasizes the importance of individual privacy as well.
What is Massachusetts?
Which amendment was ratified in 1920 and emerged from the women's suffrage movement? This amendment gave women the right to vote.
What is the 19th Amendment?
Who was the English philosopher who profoundly influenced the American Revolution with his ideas on natural rights and social contract theory? He introduced the idea that government should exist to protect the inherent natural rights of life, liberty, and property.
Who was John Locke?
What rebellion illustrated the weakness of the Articles of Conferederation and the federal government's inability to levy taxes and raise revenue to maintain a standing army?
What is Shay's Rebellion?
What is the US Senate?
How many Senators are in the Massachusetts Senate?
There are 160 Representatives and the Governor is the highest ranking official in the state. The MA Supreme Judicial Court consists of seven justices, including a Chief Justice.
What is 40?
Which amendment was passed in 1971 and emerged from the turbulence of the Vietnamese era when young people were being drafted into military service, but lacked the right to vote? This amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.
What is the 26th Amendment?
Where did many of the fundamental rights enshrined in the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights originate? These ideas include: right to fair trial, prohibition of cruel & unusual punishment, system of checks & balances, due process, protection of individual rights and limitations on government authority.
What is the Magna Carta?
What is the collection of essays written between 1787 and 1788 by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay?These essays argued for a strong central government to maintain order, resolve interstate disputes, safeguard national interests.
What are the Federalist Papers?
Which groups engage in extensive campaign activities to endorse candidates, represent diverse interests, shape policy agendas, and mobilize voters?
What are political parties?
What safequards individuals' rights by ensuring that legal procedures are followed before depriving them of life, liberty, or property? It guarentees a fair and just legal system.
What is due process?
Which 1896 Supreme Court case legalized racial segregation with its "separate but equal" decision? It wasn't overturned until the 1954 Brown v Board of Education decision which declared segregated schools inherently unequal and unconstitutional.
What is Plessy v Ferguson?
What was name of the written agreement created by the Pilgrims upon arriving in Plymouth, Massachusetts? This document was to establish a just form of self-governance.
What is the Mayflower Compact?