Foundations of Gov
Name one of the six principles of the Constitution
1. limited gov
2. republicanism
3. checks and balances
4. federalism
5. separation of powers
6. popular sovereignty
What are the first 10 amendments of the Constitution called?
The Bill of Rights
What branch of gov does the federal bureaucracy belong to?
Executive Branch
Explain why we have the system of checks and balances
To ensure that no branch of the government is more powerful than the others/has too much influence
What role of the president allows him/her to send troops to aid in foreign conflicts?
Commander-in-Chief
Which house of Congress has to have a majority of members vote to approve a bill before it can be sent to the president for signing?
Both houses
What is the primary function of each branch of government?
legislative- makes laws
executive- enforces laws
judicial-interprets laws
The Preamble
What are the two steps to passing a Constitutional Amendment proposed by Congress?
1. majority (2/3) of both houses of Congress must vote to approve it
2. majority (3/4) of state legislatures must vote to ratify it
Explain the concept of judicial review and why it is such an important check on the other branches
Judicial review is the power of the judicial branch to declare actions of the other two branches unconstitutional. Through judicial review, the judicial branch acts as the referee of the U.S. government and has the responsibility of ensuring our government plays by the rules