Social Studies

Question 1

What are the three levels of government in the United States?

Answer 1

Local, State, National (Federal)

Question 2

What is the National (Federal) government?

Answer 2

The government that operates on the national level and is responsible for overseeing the entire country.

Question 3

What is a Constitution?

Answer 3

A set of laws and principles that states the powers and duties of the government.

Question 4

What is the State Constitution?

Answer 4

A constitution that governs a specific state.

Question 5

What is the National Constitution?

Answer 5

The constitution that governs the entire nation.

Question 6

What were the Articles of Confederation?

Answer 6

The first constitution of the United States from 1781 to 1787.

Question 7

Weaknesses included:

Answer 7

Weaknesses included:
Power was held by the states.
No executive or judicial branches.
One vote per state, and votes had to be unanimous.
No central monetary system.
Weak Government

Question 8

What was the first constitution of the United States?

Answer 8

The Articles of Confederation

Question 9

How long did the articles of confederation last?

Answer 9

From 1781-1787

Question 10

What were some strengths of the Articles of Confederation?

Answer 10

Land Ordinance of 1785.
Northwest Ordinance of 1787.
Prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territory.

Question 11

What event highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

Answer 11

Shays’ Rebellion, led by Daniel Shays, against high taxes in Massachusetts.

Question 12

What led to the Constitutional Convention of 1787?

Answer 12

Weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation and the economic problems caused by them.

Question 13

What was the goal of the Constitutional Convention?

Answer 13

To improve/revise the Articles of Confederation; they created a whole new document – the U.S. Constitution

Question 14

When was the Constitutional Convention held?

Answer 14

May-September 17, 1787

Question 15

How many delegates attended the constitutional convention?

Answer 15

55 delegates know as the “Founding Fathers.”

Question 16

Who was the President of the Constitutional Convention?

Answer 16

George Washington.

Question 17

Who is known as the “Father of the U.S. Constitution”?

Answer 17

James Madison.

Question 18

Why didn’t African Americans and Native Americans take part?

Answer 18

They were not yet citizens

Question 19

What was the Great Compromise?

Answer 19

A combination of the Virginia Plan and New Jersey Plan that created a bicameral legislature (House of Representatives and Senate).

Question 20

Who proposed the Great Compromise?

Answer 20

Rodger Sherman

Question 21

House of Representatives

Answer 21

(435 representatives) – number is based on population; the more population a state has, the more representatives it has

Question 22

House of the Senate

Answer 22

(100 senators) – every state has two senators (50 states x 2 senators = 100)

Question 23

What is the Three-Fifths Compromise?

Answer 23

The issue was whether to count the slaves as people for representation in the House of Representatives
The northern states opposed counting them because the southern states (with more slaves) would then get more representatives
3/5 Compromise – slaves would be counted as 3/5 of the population
The delegates omitted the word slavery in the U.S. Constitution and instead referred to “free persons” or “all other persons.”
The Slave Trade would be abolished in 1807.

Question 24

What is popular sovereignty?

Answer 24

The idea that power belongs to the people, as stated in the phrase “We the People.”

Question 25

Federalism

Answer 25

Powers are shared between the federal and state governments

Question 26

Checks and Balances

Answer 26

Each branch has certain powers that can check and balance each branch so that no one branch is too powerful

Question 27

Separation of Powers

Answer 27

Power is divided among three branches of government

Question 28

Legislative Branch

Answer 28

MAKES LAWS Article 1 of the Confederation-10 sections; Section 8 lists Powers of Congress Divided into 2 houses- House of Representatives and Senate Both can serve unlimited terms of office. Political part with more members is the majority members. Today- Republican A president can be impeached/removed from office

Question 29

House of Representatives

Answer 29

435 members Cenus taken every 10 years for representation in the house Members must be 25 years old, live in the state where elected, and been a US citizen for 7 years Serve 2 year terms

Question 30

Senate

Answer 30

same for every state no matter what 2 senators for every state senators must be 30 years old, live in the state they represent, and been a US citizen for 9 years Serve six year terms Vice president serves as president of the senate

Question 31

Executive Branch

Answer 31

Enforces/signs laws Article 2 of the US constitution President or Vice president must be native-born US Citizen, at least been a US resident for 14 years, 35 years of age, Elected in every November 4 years Inaugurated on January 20 Can only serve 2 terms (8 years) Includes cabinet to advise the president- 16 departments President can veto laws, issue forgiveness of people's crimes President is the commander in chief of all military.

Question 32

Judicial Branch

Answer 32

Interprets laws Includes the US Supreme court, 13 court of appeals ,and 94 district courts US Supreme court can declare laws unconstitutional or constitutional 9 justices on the US Supreme court, 4 are women

Question 33

What were the main arguments during the debate over the U.S. Constitution?

Answer 33

Disagreements over the power of the federal government, states' rights, and the lack of a bill of rights.

Question 34

Who were the Federalists?

Answer 34

People who supported the U.S. Constitution, believing it would create a strong central government.

Question 35

What are the Federalist Papers?

Answer 35

A series of essays written by Madison, Hamilton, Jay, tried to reassure Americans that the states would not be overpowered by the federal government.

Question 36

Who were the Antifederalists?

Answer 36

Led by George Mason and opposed the Constitution largely because it did not have a section that guaranteed individual rights to people

Question 37

What is the Bill of Rights?

Answer 37

They are the first ten (10) amendments to the document. These amendments ensure basic rights to all people: freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, petition; right to bear arms; right to a jury trial

Question 38

Who encouraged the Bill of Rights?

Answer 38

James Madison encouraged that these rights be added to the U.S. Constitution (1791).

Question 39

Which state was the first to ratify the U.S. Constitution?

Answer 39

Delaware.

Question 40

What was the last state to ratify the US Constitution?

Answer 40

Rhode Island in 1790

Question 41

What is the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution?

Answer 41

The introduction to the Constitution, stating the goals of the document: "We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union..."

Question 42

How many amendments are in the U.S. Constitution?

Answer 42

27 amendments 10 were the Bill of Rights 17 were additional amendments

Question 43

How many articles are in the U.S. Constitution?

Answer 43

7 articles

Question 44

List the Bill of Rights as best as you can

Answer 44

Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Speech, and the Press Amendment 2 - The Right to Bear Arms Amendment 3 - The Housing of Soldiers Amendment 4 - Protection from Unreasonable Searches and Seizures Amendment 5 - Protection of Rights to Life, Liberty, and Property Amendment 6 - Rights of Accused Persons in Criminal Cases Amendment 7 - Rights in Civil Cases Amendment 8 - Excessive Bail, Fines, and Punishments Forbidden Amendment 9 - Other Rights Kept by the People Amendment 10 - Undelegated Powers Kept by the States and the People

Question 45

Veto

Answer 45

to reject or cancel; the President can veto laws and refuse to sign them; the Congress can override the President’s veto with ⅔ majority vote of each House

Question 46

Impeach

Answer 46

vote to bring charges against someone for breaking the law; the House of Representatives can impeach the President; the Senate conducts the trial to decide whether the President is to be removed from office

Question 47

Suffrage

Answer 47

the right to vote

Question 48

Pardon

Answer 48

to forgive; the President can pardon criminal

Question 49

Ratify/Ratification

Answer 49

approve or pass