Vocabulary
This type of government is ruled by one person with absolute power, often obtained through force.
Authoritarian/Dictatorship
This document formally declared the American colonies independent from Great Britain.
Declaration of Independence
This early national government was criticized for being too weak.
Articles of Confederation
This principle means that government power comes from the consent of the people.
Popular sovereignty
This group opposed ratification of the Constitution until protections for individual rights were added.
the Anti-Federalists
The first 10 amendments of the Constitution are known as what?
Bill of Rights
This document created America's first national government but proved too weak to effectively govern the new country.
Articles of Confederation
This event helped reveal the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation because the national government struggled to respond to an uprising.
Shays' Rebellion
This principle divides government power among different branches.
Separation of powers
The Great Compromise resolved a disagreement between these two groups of states.
Large and Small states
A government in which power is divided between national and state governments uses this principle.
Federalism
This document replaced the Articles of Confederation and established the framework of the U.S. government that exists today.
U.S. Constitution
The Articles of Confederation were considered weak partly because the national government lacked strong powers such as this important ability to raise money.
The power to tax
This principle allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches.
Checks and balances
The Great Compromise created a legislature with two chambers. What is this type of legislature called?
Bicameral legislature
The formal process by which states approved the Constitution was called this.
Ratification
This addition to the Constitution was especially important to Anti-Federalists because it guaranteed individual freedoms and protections.
the Bill of Rights
The Constitution addressed the weaknesses of the Articles by creating a stronger national government with separate branches and powers divided between national and state governments. Name two principles or structures that helped accomplish this.
Federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, representative government.
The president vetoes a bill passed by Congress. Which constitutional principle does this demonstrate, and why?
Checks and balances
The Great Compromise combined equal representation in one chamber with proportional representation in another. Why did this help satisfy both large and small states?
Small states received equal representation in the Senate, while large states received greater representation in the House based on population.
A country has elections in which citizens choose representatives to make laws for them. Which form of government does this describe, and what role do citizens play?
A a republic; citizens exercise political power by electing representatives
Put these documents in the correct historical order: Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, Bill of Rights.
Declaration of Independence -> Articles of Confederation -> Constitution -> Bill of Rights
Explain how the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation contributed to the creation of the Constitution. Give at least two specific examples.
The Articles created a weak national government that struggled to raise money and respond effectively to problems such as Shays' Rebellion. The Constitution created a stronger national government with greater powers while also limiting and dividing that power.
A student says, "The government gets its authority from the people, and elected officials are responsible for representing those people." Identify two principles demonstrated by this statement and explain each one.
Popular sovereignty and republicanism. Popular sovereignty means government power comes from the people; republicanism means citizens elect representatives to govern on their behalf.
Why was compromise necessary at the Constitutional Convention? Give an example of a disagreement and explain how the compromise helped create the new government.
Delegates had competing interests and disagreed over issues such as representation. The Great Compromise created two chambers with different forms of representation, allowing both large and small states to accept the Constitution.