Systems of Government
In this system, one person holds nearly all political power.
What is an autocracy?
These are the first ten amendments to the Constitution.
What is the Bill of Rights?
This branch makes federal laws.
What is the Legislative Branch?
Powers specifically listed in the Constitution as belonging to the federal government are called these.
What are enumerated/expressed powers?
Speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition are protected by this amendment.
What is the First Amendment?
This group supported ratification of the Constitution and generally favored a stronger national government.
Who were the Federalists?
In this system, a small group of powerful people controls the government.
What is an oligarchy?
This article establishes the Legislative Branch.
What is Article I?
This branch enforces federal laws.
What is the Executive Branch?
Powers belonging to state governments are known as these.
What are reserved powers?
These protect individuals from improper government interference with freedoms such as speech and religion.
What are civil liberties?
This group feared that the new Constitution gave the national government too much power.
Who were the Antifederalists?
This system divides power between a national government and state governments.
What is federalism/a federal system?
This article establishes the Executive Branch.
What is Article II?
This branch interprets laws and determines whether they violate the Constitution.
What is the Judicial Branch?
If a valid federal law conflicts with a state law, this clause generally means the federal law takes priority.
What is the Supremacy Clause?
These protect people from discrimination and promote equal treatment under the law.
What are civil rights?
The promise to add this helped convince many Antifederalists to support ratification.
What is the Bill of Rights?
This system consists of strong, independent states joined together under a relatively weak central government.
What is a confederation/confederal system?
This article establishes the Judicial Branch.
What is Article III?
The president vetoes a bill passed by Congress. This is an example of this constitutional principle.
What are checks and balances?
Georgia creates requirements for obtaining a driver's license. Is this primarily an enumerated federal power or a reserved state power?
What is a reserved power?
A government attempts to punish a citizen simply for criticizing the president. What constitutional freedom is most directly involved?
What is freedom of speech?
This landmark Supreme Court case ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional.
What is Brown v. Board of Education?
The United States and the Articles of Confederation both divided governmental power differently. Explain the major difference between the two systems.
The Constitution created a stronger federal system with power shared between national and state governments; the Articles created a confederation with stronger states and a weak central government.
Article V allows the Constitution to change over time through this process.
What is the amendment process?
Congress passes a law, the president vetoes it, and Congress responds by overriding the veto. What principle is being demonstrated, and why?
Checks and balances, because each branch has powers that can limit another branch.
Congress establishes a national military while Georgia establishes rules for its public schools. Identify the type of power being exercised in each example.
Military = enumerated/expressed federal power; education = reserved state power.
One student says, “Civil rights and civil liberties mean the same thing.” Explain why that student is incorrect.
Civil liberties protect individual freedoms from government interference, while civil rights focus on equal treatment and protection from discrimination.
Antifederalists feared that a strong national government could threaten individual freedom. What major constitutional addition addressed that concern? Explain how.
The Bill of Rights; it specifically protects individual liberties and limits government power.