Branches
How does our constitution prevent our government from becoming too powerful? List the three.
Separation of Powers/Checks and Balances
Legislative, Executive, Judicial
Where was the Constitutional Convention held and what was it's purpose?
Philadelphia and to make improvements to the Articles of Confederation.
What do we call a person born in another country but becomes a US citizens?
As far as having and maintaining citizenship, what the difference between these types of citizens and native-born citizens?
Naturalized Citizens were born in other countries but gained US citizenship.
Native born citizens are born as US citizens and can not lose their citizenship. Naturalized citizens have went through a process of becoming a US citizen and have the ability to lose their citizenship.
What branch of government includes the President, Vice President and his cabinet and where is this branch centered?
The executive branch and is centered at the White House.
List three freedoms given to citizens by the first amendment.
Speech, Religion, Assembly, Petition
Which branch of government enforces laws and name who or what heads this branch?
Executive and the President
The issue of slavery was debated at the convention, explain the difference in the debate by southerners and northerners and what was the final decision?
Southerners wanted slaves to count towards population for representation but not for taxation.
Northerners wanted slaves to count towards taxation but not population for representation.
Came up with the 3/5 compromise, for every 5 slaves 3 could be counted towards population.
What are four requirements of anyone trying to get legal citizenship in the United States?
What happens if someone's citizenship is taken away? They are ____________.
Must be over the age of 18, financially independent, must be able to speak, write and read the English language, must go before a naturalization court and take an oath of allegiance to the United States.
If someone's citizenship is taken away, they are deported to their native country.
This branch passes laws and is divided between two houses of government. What is the branch and how is it divided?
Legislative Branch and divided into the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Which amendment gives citizens the rights to bare arms?
Second Amendment
Which branch of government proposes and passes laws and list who or what heads this branch?
Legislative and Congress
The convention dealt with our constitution and it's establishment of federalism. What is federalism?
The sharing of power between the states and a central/national government.
It's important to be active members of the society that you are a citizen of , such as voting in elections so all members of society are represented. At the Constitutional Convention, what groups of people were NOT allowed or invited to attend.
Native Americans, African Americans nor Women were allowed to attend the convention.
What are the officials appointed by the President that decide if laws are unconstitutional?
What do these officials preside over?
What branch of government is this?
(3 parts)
Justices, they preside over the Supreme Court in the Judicial Branch of government.
What does the fourth amendment give citizens what type of protection? And requires what to be presented?
Unreasonable searches and seizures unless presented with a search warrant.
Congress is divided into two groups, what are these two groups ?
House of Representatives and Senate
States and their representation was a huge debate at convention. What were the two main proposed plans and explain each.
New Jersey Plan said all states should have equal representation regardless of population, and it favored the smaller states.
Virginia Plan said representation should be determined by population, and it would favor the larger more populated states.
Being a citizen of the US, our government is based on a constitution. This constitution has the ability to be changed through a specific detailed process. What is the process called to change the constitution and what is the process of approving these changes.
The constitution can be changed through an amendment process and then it must get a certain amount of support from the states to be ratified, or approved.
By the executive branch , the President
What amendment protects from double jeopardy and what is double jeopardy?
Fifth amendment protects citizens from being tried twice for the same crime and this is called double jeopardy.
What branch of government determines whether laws are unconstitutional and what heads this branch?
Judicial and Supreme Court
What settled the dispute between the two proposed plans for representation at the convention and explain how it settled the dispute.
The Great Compromise. Our government would have a two house legislature, house of representatives and senate. The House of Representatives will have state representation based on population of the state and the Senate will represent equal representation for all states, each state has two representatives.
Our original constitution had to be changed because of something being left out that was demanded by those citizens that were not very supportive of the constitution.
What were the citizens that supported the constitution called and what were those citizens called that did not support it?
What was the original constitution called and what was left out?
How was this fixed? (What specifically was added)
Federalist supported the constitution and Anti-federalist did not.
Articles of Confederation was the original constitution, and it left out a part that ensured citizen's individual basic rights.
This was fixed by amending the constitution and adding guarantees for citizen's basic rights. Ten amendments were added and these were called the Bill of Rights.
First African American Supreme Court Justice?
First Female Supreme Court Justice?
First Hispanic Supreme Court Justice?
Thurgood Marshall was first African American Supreme Court Justice.
Sandra Day O'Connor was the first female Supreme Court Justice.
Sonia Sotomayor was the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice.
What is the right of the government to take property if it will benefit the public?
Eminent Domain