Principles of the American Revolution
Which of the principles had to do with rights? What were these called?
Natural Rights
What was the only branch of government included in the Articles of Confederation?
What event sparked the move to change the Articles of Confederation? (Hint; “I’m angry)
Shay's Rebellion: farmers rebelled because they were in debt
What was the name of the group that supported the Constitution and what was the name of their leader?
The Federalists; Alexander Hamilton
How many branches of government did the Founders create and what are they?
3. Executive, Legislative, and Judicial
What was the idea that people should have the right to choose their leaders or have some say in their government?
Popular Sovereignty
The central government could not pay off its debts because it did not have the power to _______________
Tax
How did the Founders handle the issue of slavery and representation?
The 3/5th Compromise. Enslaved people counted as 3/5th of a person in a state's population
What was the name of the group that opposed the Constitution?
The Anti-Federalist
How can the Legislative branch limit or check the power of the Executive Branch?
It can impeach (remove) the president
It can reject the president's appointment to a government agency
Which principle stated that government leaders could not just take random actions and do whatever they wanted; they had to follow laws
Rule of Law
One problem was that the government could pass laws, but it couldn’t __________ them
Enforce or Execute
What was the Great Compromise?
Congress was divided into two parts:
House of Representatives was based on population
The Senate was based on equal representation for each state
What was one of the arguments in favor of the new Constitution?
The U.S. needed a strong central government to avoid the problems under the Articles of Confederation.
How can the Judicial branch check the power of the Executive or legislative branch?
What are the three principles of the American Revolution?
1. Natural Rights
2. Popular Sovereignty
3. Rule of Law
The government could not settle arguments between the states because it did not have a
_______________ branch or ___________ system (either one will count)
Judicial or Court
What was the name of the group that was given the power to elect the president?
The electors or Electoral College
What was one of the arguments of the Anti-Federalists against the Constitution?
They believed that the central government would become too powerful and would take away power from the states.
How can the Executive branch limit the power of the Legislative Branch?
It can veto a law
It can issue executive orders (temporary rules or laws that do not require Congress to pass a law)
What were the three natural rights referred to in the Declaration of Independence?
Who wrote this document?
Which Enlightenment thinker influenced the author of the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
John Locke
Name three weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
1. Couldn't tax
2. Couldn't enforce laws
3. Had to have unanimous agreement to pass laws
4. No court system/Judicial branch to resolve conflicts
What did the Founders decide about electing the president? Did they believe in direct democracy, pluralist democracy, or elite democracy?
What was one of the Federalist's response to the Anti-Federalist's argument that the central government would become too powerful and take away people's rights?
The central government would not become too powerful because its powers would be spread out over three separate branches.
What are the three branches of government and what are the functions of each branch?
Executive: Executes/enforces/carried out laws
Legislative: Makes Laws
Judicial: Interprets Laws