The Constitutional Convention
Why did the delegates meet in Pennsylvania in 1787?
The Articles of Confederation were not working and they had to either fix them, or write a new type of government.
Name the three branches of government.
Executive, Legislative, Judicial
What is the highest court in the nation?
The supreme court.
What is the Bill of Rights?
What is a preamble?
An introduction to something.
Secretive, 55 attendees, white, landowning, educated men, met in the summer, argued and compromised...etc.
What is the main job of the Legislative Branch?
To create laws.
Who leads the Executive branch, and what are some of their jobs?
The president of the United States
* Commander-in-Chief of the military
* Symbol of the people
* Enforces laws
* Nominates ambassadors and supreme court members
* Vetoes and passes laws
* Gives the annual "State of the Union" address
* Makes most political decisions for the country
How many amendments are there?
27
What is the function of the electoral college?
To elect the president of the United States.
What were the two biggest arguments at the Constitutional Convention?
The issues of slavery and proportional representation in Congress.
What is Judicial Review?
It is the main job of the Judicial Branch where they review laws and determine if they are Constitutional or un-Constitutional.
Name the two houses of Congress.
The Senate and House of Representatives
Name at least three of our 10 rights in the Bill of Rights.
1. Religion, press, petition, assembly, speech
2. Right to bear arms
3. No quartering of soldiers
4. No illegal search and seizure
5. The right to remain silent and be innocent until proven guilty
6. The right to a fair trial and speedy judicial process
7. The right to a jury trial in criminal cases
8. No cruel and unusual punishment
9. More rights exist than just those listed here (such as privacy, health, etc...)
10. Any powers not assigned expressly to the federal government are given to the states.
What is a presidential veto?
When the president rejects a proposed law and sends it back to Congress.
What did the 3/5th compromise decide, and WHY was it needed?
That for every five slaves, three would count towards population count and for tax purposes. This appeased the large slave states that wanted more votes in Congress because they felt like they had more people and did not like the Connecticut Compromise.
What is one way that one branch of government checks and balances the other? (Ensures that one branch does not become more powerful than another)
Congress has to approve all presidential nominations
The Supreme Court can overturn any law
The President can be impeached by Congress
Congress has to approve a President's request to declare war
The President is commander in chief of the military
The vice-president is a tie-breaker in the Senate
100, 2 for each state
They serve 6 year terms with no term limits
What nearly stopped the Constitution from ever being ratified?
Anti-federalists wanted a Bill of Rights and demanded that one be included before their states would ratify (agree) to the new government.
What does it mean to amend something?
To add or change it.
What did the Connecticut Compromise (the Great Compromise) do?
It combined the Virginia and New Jersey plans to create a bicameral congress where one house had representatives determined by population, and the other house would have equal representation (2 votes per state)
Recite the Preamble
We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and ensure the blessings of liberty, to ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America.
How many members are there in the house of representatives and how long do they serve?
There are 435, determined by state population and they serve for 2 years at a time with no term limits.
Name two of the 11-27 amendments and tell me WHY we have them.
Various answers
The ultimate law of the land.
The Constitution of the United States