Constitutional Principles
The Bill of Rights
Debating the Constitution
Government Structure & Checks
Historical Documents & Weaknesses
100

This principle ensures that each branch of government is divided from the other two

What are Separation of Powers?

100

These two First Amendment freedoms help create an informed public and hold government officials accountable.

What are Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Press?

100

They believed a strong central government would provide stability to the country.  

Who are the Federalists?

100

Giving Congress the power to do this to a presidential veto was influenced by King George's refusal to approve laws.

What is override a veto?

100

Both the Magna Carta and this English document provided protections for individual freedoms.

What is the English Bill of Rights?

200

The idea that elected officials must obey the law.

What is Limited Government?

200

Included in the BOR because British troops tried to seize colonists' weapons without legal permission during the Revolution,

What is the Second Amendment?

200

Written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay to explain and defend the Constitution.

What are the Federalist Papers?

200

The Supreme Court exercises a check on the legislative branch by declaring a law to be this.

What is unconstitutional?

200

Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress lacked the power to collect these.  

What are taxes?

300

This principle gives each branch of government the ability to limit the power of the other two.

What are Checks and Balances?

300

Protects citizens from double jeopardy, self-incrimination, and guarantees due process of law.

What is the Fifth Amendment?

300

Anti-Federalists opposed ratifying the Constitution partly because it gave state governments less power than this government.

What is the National (Federal) government?

300

Voting, participating in a census, and serving on a jury are all examples of these.

What are Civic Responsibilities?

300

A major weakness of the Articles of Confederation was that individual states could create their own version of this.

What is currency (money)?

400

This principle states that powers not delegated to the national government are reserved to the states and citizens. It is found in the 10th Amendment! 

What is Federalism?

400

Guarantees the right to a trial by jury (in a criminal case.) 

What is the Sixth Amendment?

400

This plan for the legislature called for proportional representation based on population

What is the Virginia Plan?

400

The arrival of Pilgrims and the founding of Pennsylvania and Maryland demonstrate this freedom developing in the colonies.

What is religious freedom?

400

Under the Articles of Confederation, approval from at least this number of states was required to pass new laws.

What is nine?

500

The principle reflected in the idea that Congress represents us, the American citizens. 

What is Republicanism?
500

Protects citizens from cruel and unusual punishment, such as long prison sentences for minor offenses.  

What is the Eighth Amendment?

500

This agreement balanced power between small and large states by creating both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

What is the Great Compromise?

500

This ordinance established the formal process by which new states were admitted into the Union.

What is the Northwest Ordinance? 

500

The Articles of Confederation limited national power out of fear of this type of government.

What is a strong central government?