Constitution
This document, signed in 1787, creates the framework for the U.S. national government and is the supreme law of the land.
The U.S. Constitution (1787)
This is the purpose of checks and balances in the U.S. government.
To prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful; to ensure each branch can limit the others.
The separation of powers divides the national government into these three branches.
Legislative, Executive, Judicial.
Federalism divides power between these two levels of government.
National (federal) government and state governments.
How many Supreme Court justices are there?
9 at a time.
Name the first 10 amendments to the Constitution that protect individual rights.
The Bill of Rights
Give one example of a check the president has over Congress.
Examples: The president can veto legislation; the president can call special sessions of Congress; the president can negotiate treaties (subject to Senate approval).
Which branch makes laws? Which branch enforces laws? Which branch interprets laws? (Name each branch with its main function.)
Legislative makes laws; Executive enforces laws; Judicial interprets laws.
Give one example of a power reserved to the states and one example of a power given to the federal government.
Reserved to states: conduct local elections, establish schools; Federal: coin money, regulate interstate commerce, declare war.
The original U.S. Constitution has a spelling error, misspelling the name of this state.
Pennsylvania as "Pensylvania" (missing an"n")
This compromise at the Constitutional Convention decided how enslaved people would be counted for representation and taxation.
The Three-Fifths Compromise
Describe one way the judicial branch can check the other branches.
Example: Judicial review—courts can declare laws or executive actions unconstitutional (Marbury v. Madison established this principle in 1803).
Explain why the Framers wanted to separate powers among branches rather than concentrating power in one place.
To prevent concentration of power and protect liberty; to allow each branch to check others and balance power.
Explain how the Supremacy Clause affects conflicts between state and federal laws.
The Supremacy Clause states federal law is the "supreme Law of the Land," so federal law takes precedence when valid federal law conflicts with state law (Article VI).
The oldest person to sign the Constitution was Benjamin Franklin. The youngest was Jonathan Dayton of New Jersey. How old were they?
Franklin was 81 years old and Dayton was 26 years old.
Identify two weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation that motivated leaders to write the Constitution.
Examples: Congress could not tax, no national executive to enforce laws, no national judiciary, each state had one vote regardless of size, Congress lacked power to regulate interstate commerce, required unanimous consent to amend.
Explain how Congress can check the president if the president vetoes a bill.
Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate.
Provide an example of how one branch relies on another branch to perform its duties (a specific shared power or responsibility).
Example: The president appoints federal judges (executive), but the Senate (legislative) must confirm them. Or Congress passes laws that the president enforces (executive); the courts (judicial) interpret those laws.
Describe how federalism allowed different states to handle issues differently during the early 1800s (give one specific example).
Example: Different states had different laws on slavery, education, and suffrage in the early 1800s—states set many policies like voting qualifications and school systems. Another example: state responses to tariffs or internal improvements varied, with debates over federal funding.
This word is notably missing from the Constitution.
Democracy.
Explain how the Preamble of the Constitution begins and name two goals listed in it.
Preamble begins: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union..." Goals include: "establish Justice," "insure domestic Tranquility," "provide for the common defence," "promote the general Welfare," "secure the Blessings of Liberty."
Describe a historical example (before 1877) when checks and balances affected a national decision or outcome.
Example: Marbury v. Madison (1803) established judicial review, shaping the balance among branches; or the impeachment of a federal official (House impeaches, Senate tries).
Analyze how separation of powers relates to protecting individual rights and preventing tyranny, using a specific Constitutional feature as an example.
Example: The system of separated powers limited the ability of any single branch to override citizens' rights—for instance, judicial review allowed courts to protect constitutional rights against legislative or executive overreach.
Analyze a situation from U.S. history (1600–1877) where federalism played a key role in shaping policy or action. Explain the roles of national and state governments in that situation.
Example: The Fugitive Slave Act (part of the Compromise of 1850) forced states to cooperate with federal law regarding escaped enslaved people, showing federal authority over state policies; or disputes over nullification (e.g., the Nullification Crisis of 1832) where states tried to resist federal tariffs, highlighting tensions in federalism.
What is the address of the White House?
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.