Constitution 101
This document replaced the Articles of Confederation and created a stronger national government with three branches.
What is the U.S. Constitution?
A student writes an article criticizing the school lunch menu in the student newspaper. The principal allows it. Which amendment protects this?
What is the First Amendment (freedom of speech/press)?
This English document from 1215 limited the king’s power for the first time and influenced the idea of limited government.
What is the Magna Carta?
This first President warned the U.S. in his Farewell Address to stay neutral and avoid permanent alliances.
Who is George Washington?
The Great Compromise created this two-house (bicameral) legislature with a Senate and a House of Representatives.
What is Congress?
This branch of government enforces the laws.
What is the executive branch (the President)?
Police enter a person’s house and search their bedroom without a warrant or permission. Which amendment is meant to protect against this?
What is the Fourth Amendment (no unreasonable searches and seizures)?
This 1620 colonial agreement created a form of self-government for the Pilgrims in Plymouth.
What is the Mayflower Compact?
This 1803 land deal doubled the size of the United States and gave the U.S. control of the Mississippi River.
What is the Louisiana Purchase?
In this compromise, states agreed that representation in one house would be based on population and in the other each state would have equal representation.
What is the Great Compromise?
This principle means power is shared between the national government and the state governments.
What is federalism?
A person accused of a crime refuses to answer a question in court so they don’t incriminate themselves. Which amendment protects them?
What is the Fifth Amendment (protection against self-incrimination)?
These essays were written to convince Americans to ratify the Constitution and argued for a strong national government.
What are the Federalist Papers?
This Supreme Court case established judicial review, which allows the Court to strike down laws that violate the Constitution.
What is Marbury v. Madison?
This compromise said that a certain portion of enslaved people would count toward a state’s population for representation and taxation.
What is the Three-Fifths Compromise?
This principle means each branch can limit the power of the other branches, like vetoes and judicial review.
What are checks and balances?
A group of citizens gather in front of city hall holding signs and chanting against a new law. Which amendment AND freedom protects this?
What is the First Amendment (freedom of speech/assembly)?
This group opposed the Constitution at first because they feared a strong central government and wanted a Bill of Rights added.
Who were the Anti-Federalists?
In this Supreme Court case, the Court said states cannot tax the national bank, which strengthened federal power.
What is McCulloch v. Maryland?
Explain why small states liked the Great Compromise.
They got equal representation in the Senate, so big states couldn’t fully dominate them.
Name two weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation that were fixed by the Constitution.
- No power to tax → Congress can tax;
- no executive → president/executive branch;
- no national court system → federal courts;
- 1 vote per state → representation based on population in the House, etc.
Explain how the Bill of Rights answered at least one complaint (grievance) listed in the Declaration of Independence.
The colonists complained about being denied fair trials; the 6th and 7th Amendments guarantee fair, public jury trials. OR They complained about having soldiers housed in their homes; the 3rd Amendment bans quartering soldiers in peacetime.
Name one famous Federalist and one famous Anti-Federalist, and briefly state what each side wanted.
Federalist: Alexander Hamilton or James Madison – wanted a strong national government and supported ratification of the Constitution.
Anti-Federalist: Patrick Henry or George Mason – worried about too much central power and demanded a Bill of Rights to protect individual liberties.
This 1823 foreign policy statement warned European nations not to interfere in the Western Hemisphere or try to recolonize Latin America.
What is the Monroe Doctrine?
Give one specific problem under the Articles of Confederation that led delegates to meet at the Constitutional Convention.
- Can’t tax → no money;
- can’t enforce laws; Shays’ Rebellion showed the national government was too weak
- no power to regulate trade between states, etc.