Development of U.S. Government
Before the United States, Americans lived in ____ colonies of ___________.
13 colonies of Britain
Why did the Framers of the Constitution want separation of powers?
They wanted to make sure that no one person or group in the government would become too powerful.
What is 1 example of civic engagement?
Helping your community by voting, working with your city councilors, protesting, doing a community cleanup, raising awareness for an issue, etc.
What is a democracy?
A democracy is a system of government where the people have the power.
What did the Declaration of Independence do?
It declared that the United States was independent from Britain.
Name the 3 branches of U.S. government, who is in each branch, and what they do.
Legislative Branch (Congress = House of Representatives + Senate) writes the laws.
Executive Branch (President, Vice President, Cabinet, Executive Departments) enforce the laws.
Judicial Branch (Supreme Court and other courts) interpret the laws.
What are the 2 ways to be a U.S. citizen at birth?
1) Born to citizen parents
2) Born in the U.S. or in one of its territories (known as birthright citizenship)
What is the U.S. Constitution?
The U.S. Constitution is the document that describes the federal government of the United States.
What is the Bill of Rights?
The Bill of Rights are the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. These 10 amendments describe and protect individuals' rights (freedom of speech, right to a fair trail, etc.) It was the compromise between Federalists and Anti-Federalists.
How many representatives per state are in the House of Representatives and the Senate?
House: depends on the population. Senate: 2 per state.
What is the process of naturalization? Name 2 requirements for this.
The naturalization process is the process of becoming a U.S. citizen after birth.
Any of the following: at least 18, permanent resident of U.S. for at least 5 years, speak English, pass a Civics test, and do an interview
What is federalism?
Federalism is a system of government where power is shared between the federal, state, and local governments.
Describe the positions of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists.
The Federalists supported the new Constitution because it gave the federal government enough power to enforce its laws. The Anti-Federalists did not like the Constitution because they feared individuals' rights would be threatened by a strong government.
Describe one example of checks and balances in the government.
Many correct answers, including: president veto's Congress bills, Congress overrides president's veto, the Supreme Court uses power of judicial review, the president nominates and Senate confirms Supreme Court justices, etc.
What is the difference between primary elections and secondary elections?
Primary elections are within political parties to determine their candidates for the general election, where an actual winner is chosen.
What is judicial review?
Judicial review is the Supreme Court's power to determine if laws or government acts are unconstitutional.
What was one weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation? What was Shay's Rebellion and how did it reveal this weakness?
The Articles of Confederation created the first government of the U.S., but it did not give the federal government enough power. When farmers rebelled and attacked a courthouse during Shay's Rebellion, it revealed that the federal government was not powerful enough.
The Congress of the U.S. has two houses, one with "proportional representation" and one with "equal representation." This was a compromise between ______________ and ______________.
Big states (who wanted proportional representation) and small states (who wanted equal representation).
This was known as "the Great Compromise."
What is the difference between a political party and an interest group?
Political parties are groups that organize around choosing a candidate to represent them in elections.
Interest groups organize around making change for a particular issue or problem.
What is the elastic clause, also known as the necessary and proper clause?
This is a clause in the Constitution that says Congress can stretch its power to make laws about things not directly listed in the Constitution.