Name That Doc
Which foundational document does the following quote come from?
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."
The Declaration of Independence
The first amendment protects which right?
(5 possible answers)
Free speech; Freedom of religion; Freedom of the press; Freedom to petition the gov't; Freedom to assemble
Also accepted: Freedom of expression
Who was the author of the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
Describe the purpose of the Articles of Confederation.
To set up a government for the new US.
First government of the United States.
To organize the US to fight against the British during the American Revolution.
To create a weak central government to prevent tyranny.
Which foundational document does the following quote come from?
"The Congress shall have Power...To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes"
The US Constitution
(Bonus 50 if you included Article I/Article I Section 8!)
Where in the Constitution can you find the powers of Congress listed?
Article I Section 8
Who were the authors of the Federalist Papers.
(Bonus 50 if you can also state the pseudonym they wrote under)
John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison.
(Publius)
Describe the purpose of the Federalist Papers
To convince people (specifically the state of NY) to vote IN FAVOR of ratifying the Constitution
Which foundational document does the following quote come from?
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
What power does the necessary and proper clause grant to Congress?
To make any law necessary to carry out their enumerated powers.
What principle(s) of government was the author of Federalist 51 arguing in favor of?
Separation of powers/checks and balances/federalism
Describe the purpose of the ANTI-Federalist papers.
To convince people (specifically New York state) that the Constitution was unnecessary and dangerous
Which foundational document does the following quote come from?
"If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary."
Federalist 51
What political process is described by the text below?
"The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress"
The Amendment Process/process for amending the Constitution
Name one weakness of the Articles of Confederation.
-Congress did not have the power to tax
-Congress could not coin money
-Could not regulate interstate or intrastate commerce
-No national court system to protect the rights of citizens
-No executive to enforce the laws
Why was the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution?
Anti-Federalists believed that the Constitution would give too much power to the central government, so they refused to ratify it unless a Bill of Rights was added to protect individual liberties.
Which foundational document does the following quote come from?
"In a republic of such vast extent as the United-States, the legislature cannot attend to the various concerns and wants of its different parts. It cannot be sufficiently numerous to be acquainted with the local condition and wants of the different districts, and if it could, it is impossible it should have sufficient time to attend to and provide for all the variety of cases of this nature, that would be continually arising."
Brutus I
Choose 3 Constitutional amendments and explain what they protect.
Answers will vary.
Why did the author of Brutus I believe that it would be impossible to govern a nation as large as the US as a republic?
-The voice of the people wouldn't be heard
-Representatives would abuse their power
-There would be too many people needed to represent everyone and that would make it impossible to effectively govern
What was the reason behind the framers deliberate exclusion of the word "slave" from the Constitution?
(Don't misunderstand this to mean that the system of slavery itself is not described in the Constitution, because it definitely is!)