Early Days/ AoC
Sort these documents in the order they were created:
- Articles of Confederation
- the Constitution
- Declaration of Independence
1: Declaration of Independence
2: Articles of Confederation
3: The Constitution
What state did NOT send a representative to the Constitutional Convention?
Rhode Island
Which section of the Constitution begins with "We the People..."?
The Preamble
What is the role of the legislative branch?
What two houses make up this branch?
- To draft, debate, and create federal laws.
- The Senate and the House of Representatives
The principle that a government’s power is created and sustained by the consent of its people, expressed through voting and elections.
Popular sovereignty
Why were some colonists scared of a strong federal government/ why did they make the Articles of Confederation so weak?
- Because they didn't want another king
Describe the main difference between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.
Federalists: Supported the Constitution and saw a need for a strong national government; Wanted a system of government in place which shared power between national government and the states
Anti-Federalists: Feared tyranny and demanded stronger states' rights; Insisted that a Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution in order to protect people’s rights
Sort these parts of the Constitution:
- Amendments
- Articles
- Preamble
1. Preamble
2. Articles
3. Amendments
Which section of the Constitution describes each branch of government and their abilities, roles, and people involved?
- The first 3 Articles
The electoral college is an example of our country being a _________ democracy.
- representative
Where did the colonists meet to sign the Declaration of Independence?
Where did they meet to draft The Constitution?
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
This group argued for a strong national government.
What were the pamphlets/documents published by this group called that attempted to persuade voters to ratify the Constitution?
- Federalists
- The Federalist Papers
How many amendments are there today? How many of those are the Bill of Rights?
- 27 as of 2026
- First 10 are Bill of Rights
The existence of our three distinct branches of government is an example of ________ . (Which principle?)
Separation of Powers
A system where the power of the government is restricted by law, like in the Constitution, to protect individual rights and prevent tyranny.
Limited Government
Name three groups of people who were missing from the Constitutional Convention, where they were gathering to decide on a new form of government for the entire nation.
- Women
- Slaves/ African Americans
- People of color (Latinos, Asians, Native Americans)
- Poor people
Describe the main difference between the New Jersey Plan and the Virginia Plan.
- NJ Plan: Equal representation for every state no matter the size/population; favored smaller states
- VA Plan: Wanted proportional representation for states; more people=more votes/representatives; favored larger states
Why was the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution, and in which section can it be found?
- Because Anti-Federalists demanded it be added to protect the rights of individuals
- Can be found in the Amendments
Name three people/groups of people that are part of the Executive Branch.
What is the role of this branch of government?
- The President, Vice President, cabinet members
- Enforce laws by directing agencies, implementing, and administering federal laws.
Define federalism.
Provide an example.
- A system of government that divides and shares power between a central national government and regional state / local governments within the same territory.
- No leader of the country
- No taxes
- No national army
- No regulation of commerce (interstate or foreign)
- No federal court system
- Amending needed unanimous approval from all states, making reform difficult
- No standard currency
Explain the Great Compromise:
- What did they decide on?
- What two houses of Congress were created as a result?
- What is the term for when a legislature has two houses like this?
- A compromise to include both ideas.
- The Senate (Equal # of votes) and the House of Representatives (Proportional representation)
- Bicameral
FINAL JEOPARDY:
Team with the closest answers without going over wins:
How many people are elected into the House of Representatives?
435 Representatives
What does it mean to "interpret" a law?
Which branch of government has this role?
- Decide if it is Constitutional or not. (if it is forbidden by the Constitution/Bill of Rights/All Amendments)
- Judicial Branch
Explain the difference between "separation of powers" and "checks and balances".
Separation of powers divides government into three distinct branches—legislative (makes laws), executive (enforces laws), and judicial (interprets laws)—to ensure no one group holds complete power.
Checks and balances are the specific mechanisms allowing these branches to limit or "check" the powers of the others (veto, impeachment, declaring a law unconstitutional).