Pre-Constitution
This was America's very first rules document, but it was too weak and didn't give the national government enough power.
Articles of Confederation
This word means a deal where two sides disagree, but both sides give up a little bit to get along.
Compromise
What does this branch do?
Executive
enforcing or carrying out the laws.
What type of government is run by Kings?
What type of government is run by the people?
Monarchy
Representative Democracy
The Bill of Rights is made up of the first ten of these changes added to the Constitution.
What are Amendments?
Under the Articles, the US Government was too weak because it was not able to do what?
No power to tax or keep an army
Big states and small states fought over how many votes they should get. The compromise created a Congress with two parts: the House of Representatives and the Senate.
How do we determine how many representatives each state gets in each part?
Senate: Equal Representation - 2 each
House: Based on Population
Which Branch has the Senate and the House of Representatives?
What do they do?
Legislative
Write and make the laws
What is the difference between federal and state laws?
Federal laws are passed by the National government. (President, Congress, Supreme Court) and therefore rule over more than state laws
Name three rights listed in the Bill of Rights
Freedom of Speech
Freedom of the Press
Freedom to Assemble
Right to remain silent
Right to a lawyer
Right to a fair trial with a jury
Can't search without a warrant
Because the Articles were failing, leaders met at a convention in Philadelphia. Their original goal was just to fix the Articles, but what did they end up writing instead?
The Constitution
This group of people wanted a strong national government to keep the country stable and safe.
Federalists
Which branch includes the Supreme Court?
What do they do?
Judicial
Make sure laws or constitutional.
This is the name for the highest, ultimate rulebook in the United States that every citizen and leader must follow.
Constitution
The Fourth Amendment acts like a shield for your privacy, stating that the police cannot search your home or property without one of these official legal documents.
Warrant
Under the Articles of Confederation, this level of government held almost all the power, leaving the national government helpless.
States
This group was afraid a big government would take away individual rights, so they refused to sign the Constitution unless a Bill of Rights was promised.
Antifederalists
The Constitution keeps the branches equal so no single branch can become a bully. This concept is known as
Checks and Balances
What is the Separation of Powers?
Instead of letting one king hold all the power, the founders used this principle to split government power into three completely separate parts.
If you are accused of a crime, the Constitution guarantees you a fair trial by
Right to a trial
Right to Remain Silent
Right to a jury
Right to a lawyer
This major protest by angry farmers proved to George Washington and others that the government under the Articles was too weak to keep national security.
Shay's Rebellion
Northern and Southern states arguments over taxation and representation led to this famous, unfair compromise regarding how enslaved people would be counted.
3/5ths Compromise
To keep judges fair and independent from political drama, Supreme Court Justices are given this unique term limit.
If the President does not like a law passed by Congress, they can use this power to reject it and say "no."
What is a veto?
Why was the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution?
To protect individual freedoms against a tyrannical government