Founding Documents
Which document officially declared the American colonies' independence from Britain?
Declaration of Independence
Which Enlightenment thinker is known for his ideas about natural rights, including life, liberty, and property?
Johne Locke
Which 1776 pamphlet by Thomas Paine argued for independence from Britain?
Common sense
Which group argued that the Articles of Confederation were too weak and needed to be replaced with a stronger central government?
The U.S. Constitution established how many branches of government?
Three
Which document was the first attempt at a national government in the United States?
Which concept from Montesquieu influenced the structure of the U.S. Constitution?
What is the separation of powers?
The Mayflower Compact was an early form of what?
Self-government
What was one of the main weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation regarding national defense?
Inability to have a military
The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution are known as what?
Bill of Rights
Which 1689 document established parliamentary supremacy and further limited the powers of the British monarchy?
English Bill of Rights
The idea that government’s authority comes from the consent of the governed is known as what?
Popular Sovereignty
Which British document, signed in 1215, limited the powers of the king and influenced American political thought?
Magna Carta
The Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution because they believed it lacked what?
A bill of rights
Which branch of government is responsible for interpreting laws under the U.S. Constitution?
Judicial Branch
Which document established the framework for the current U.S. government?
Constitution
Which principle ensures that all citizens, including government officials, are subject to the law and no one is above it?
Rule of Law
Which event was a protest against British taxation, where American colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor?
Boston Tea Party
One weakness of the Articles of Confederation was that the national government could not enforce its laws. Who had more power under the Articles?
The States
The system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches is called what?
Checks and balances
Which agreement, signed by the Pilgrims in 1620, established a framework for self-government in the Plymouth Colony?
Mayflower compact
The concept that government power is restricted by laws and must respect individual freedoms, such as free speech and fair trials, is known as what?
Limited Government
How did events such as the Boston Tea Party, the Intolerable Acts, and the Battles of Lexington and Concord lead to the writing of the Declaration of Independence?
These events showed increasing British oppression and violations of colonial rights, which fueled colonial anger and a desire for independence, leading to the writing of the Declaration of Independence to formally separate from Britain.
What did the Federalists and Anti-Federalists agree on about governemnt?
That government power should remain limited
How does the U.S. Constitution establish federalism, and how does it divide powers between the national and state governments?
The U.S. Constitution establishes federalism by dividing powers between the national government and the states, with certain powers reserved to the states (10th Amendment), shared powers like taxation, and delegated powers such as regulating interstate commerce and declaring war.