Roots of Merica
Which philosopher proposed that governments exist to protect life, liberty, and property?
John Locke
What was the name of America's flawed first constitution?
Articles of Confederation
Who is known as the "Father of the Constitution"?
James Madison
Which group favored a strong central government and supported the ratification of the Constitution?
Federalists
Which branch of government is established in Article I of the Constitution?
The Legislative Branch (Congress)
What system dividing government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches was introduced by Montesquieu?
Separation of Powers
What requirement made amending the Articles of Confederation virtually impossible?
Unanimity (approval of all 13 states)
Which plan at the Constitutional Convention favored large states by proposing representation based on population?
The Virginia Plan
What essay collection was written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay to support the Constitution?
The Federalist Papers
What is the opening statement called in the Constitution that defines its overall purpose?
The Preamble
Rousseau argued that legitimate political authority comes from a social contract based on what concept?
The General Will
Which 1786 armed uprising of farmers in Massachusetts exposed the central government's weakness?
Shays' Rebellion
Which plan proposed a unicameral legislature with equal representation for every state?
The New Jersey Plan
What addition to the Constitution did Anti-Federalists demand, that would ensure individual liberties, before agreeing to ratification?
A Bill of Rights
Which power allows the Judicial branch to declare laws or presidential actions unconstitutional?
Judicial Review
What civilization did the framers of the U.S. Constitution get the idea of democracy from?
Ancient Greece
What critical power did the Continental Congress lack under the Articles that left them unable to pay war debts?
The power to tax
What compromise settled the dispute over how to count enslaved people for representation and taxes?
The Three-Fifths Compromise
Why did the Federalists believe checks and balances within the U.S. Constitution were a positive thing?
Prevention of tyranny
Which amendment states that powers not granted to the federal government belong to the states or the people?
The 10th Amendment
Which text by Montesquieu laid out his ideas on dividing governmental power?
The Spirit of the Laws
Which meeting was called directly as a result of Shays' Rebellion right before the Constitutional Convention?
The Annapolis Convention
What does the Great Compromise propose?
Proposed by Roger Sherman, this created a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives based on population and a Senate where every state receives two seats.
According to Anti-Federalists, what figure created by the Constitution risked becoming "monarchical"?
The President ( Executive Branch)
What does the first amendment protect?
Individual Freedoms: speech, religion, press, assembly, and the right to petition the government