America under the Articles
What was the name of the first written plan of government for the United States?
Articles of Confederation
What was the result of the Convention?
The creation of the U.S. Constitution
What are Checks and Balances?
A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of another branch to maintain balance in the government.
What is the main job for each branch of government?
Legislative: Makes laws
Executive: Enforces the laws
Judicial: Interprets the laws
What is the purpose of the Bill of Rights?
protect individual rights and civil liberties from the government.
Why did the states want a weak central government after the Revolution?
They feared that a strong central government might become tyrannical.
How many delegates attended the Constitutional Convention?
55 delegates from 12 states' Rhode Island boycotted
What does Limited Government mean?
Government has only the powers granted by the Constitution, and everyone has to obey the law.
Who is part of the Executive Branch, and what are their main responsibilities?
The President leads the nation, enforces the law, and serves as Commander in Chief
Vice President supports President, and presides over senate
Cabinet advises the President and oversees federal departments
What 5 freedoms are protected by the first amendment?
Freedom of:
Religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition
How many states had to agree in order to make changes to the Article of Confederation?
All 13 states had to agree.
Who is often called the "Father of the Constitution"?
James Madison
Give one example of a check the President has on Congress.
The power to veto laws passed by Congress
Who makes up the Legislative Branch?
Congress which includes the Senate and House of Representatives
What issue does the 3rd amendment address, and why was it important to early Americans?
3rd amendment addresses the issue of quartering soldiers in private homes. This was important to early Americans because under British rule, colonists were forced to house British soldiers in their home.
How did the Articles handle taxation?
Congress had to ask states to pay taxes. They were not forced to.
How did delegates agree on counting enslaved people in the population?
3/5 of a person
If rights are not directly listed in the Constitution, who is it up to?
The States, also listed in the 10th amendment of Constitution.
Who can declare a law unconstitutional?
The Supreme Court
What does the Nineth Amendment protect?
Even if certain individual rights are not listed in the Constitution, there are more rights that are retained by the people!
What role did Shay's Rebellion play in changing the government?
It highlighted how weak the Central Government was under the Articles of Confederation, and forced Delegates to come together and create a new form of government under the Constitution.
What was the Great Compromise?
Under this plan, representation in the House of Representative is based on each state's population. In the Senate, each state has equal representation (2 senators)
What does Popular Sovereignty mean?
The idea that the people are the source of all government power; the government gets its authority from the people
What did the landmark Supreme Court decision, Marbury V. Madison (1803) establish?
Established the principle of judicial review, which gave the Supreme Court the power to declare acts by the executive and legislative branch as unconstitutional
Who supported the inclusion of the Bill of Rights?
Anti-Federalist's were supportive of the Bill of Rights because they feared a strong central government will interfere with protecting individuals' rights.