topic 4 study guide

Question 1

to approve

Answer 1

ratify

Question 2

to change

Answer 2

amend

Question 3

to reject, as when the President rejects a law passed by congress

Answer 3

veto

Question 4

to bring charges of serious wrongdoing against a public official

Answer 4

impeach

Question 5

government by consent of the governed

Answer 5

Popular Sovereignty

Question 6

a proposed law

Answer 6

bill

Question 7

related to lawsuits involving the private rights of individuals

Answer 7

civil

Question 8

a system of transit lines, highways, bridges, and tunnels

Answer 8

infrastructure

Question 9

a person who owes loyalty to a particular nation and it entitled to all its rights are protections

Answer 9

Citizen

Question 10

a person who enters another country in order to settle there

Answer 10

Immigrant

Question 11

a feeling of love and devotion to one’s country

Answer 11

Patriotism

Question 12

What was the purpose of the Articles of Confederation?

Answer 12

They wanted to create a loose alliance of 13 independent states.

Question 13

Who was in charge of enforcing the laws that Congress passed under the Articles of Confederation?

Answer 13

The states.

Question 14

What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

Answer 14

Congress had very limited powers and they could not regulate trade or ask for funds from the states. They also had no president to execute laws.

Question 15

What was the Northwest Ordinance?

Answer 15

A 1787 law that set up a government for the northwest territory.

Question 16

What were the farmers involved in Shay’s Rebellion angry about?

Answer 16

Unfair taxes

Question 17

What was the original purpose of the Constitutional Convention of 1787?

Answer 17

To revise the Articles of Confederation.

Question 18

Who was elected president of the Constitutional Convention?

Answer 18

George Washington.

Question 19

How did the Virgina Plan favor large states?

Answer 19

The number of representatives would be based on population.

Question 20

What did the Virginia and New Jersey Plans have in common?

Answer 20

They both called for 3 branches of government and they also both had a legislative branch that had elected representatives.

Question 21

How did the Great Compromise appease both the large and small states?

Answer 21

The smaller states liked that each state would have 2 representatives in the senate no matter what and the larger states liked that seats would be based on population in the house.

Question 22

What was the purpose of the three-fifths compromise?

Answer 22

To solve the issue of slavery being counted in the population or not.

Question 23

What effect did the ⅗ compromise have on the southern states?

Answer 23

It gave them more representatives in congress

Question 24

Why did some delegates refuse to sign the Constitution?

Answer 24

They wanted a Bill of RIghts added to the Constitution.

Question 25

What essential idea in the Magna Carta influenced the U.S. government?

Answer 25

People have basic rights

Question 26

What ideas in the English Bill of Rights influenced the U.S. government?

Answer 26

elections and fair trials.

Question 27

Only ____________ males who owned ______________ could vote or hold office in much of the country.

Answer 27

white, property

Question 28

How did Montesquieu propose to keep any one person or group from holding too much power through the idea of separation of powers?

Answer 28

Dividing power between 3 branches of government

Question 29

The Constitution would go into effect when _______ of the 13 states had ratified it.

Answer 29

9

Question 30

Explain the difference between Federalists and Antifederalists.

Answer 30

The Federalists were people who favored a strong government and supported the constitution. The Antifederalists were against the Constitution and giving the government too much power.

Question 31

What was the purpose of the Federalist Papers?

Answer 31

to explain and defend the constitution

Question 32

Who were the authors of the Federalist Papers?

Answer 32

James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay.

Question 33

Why did the Antifederalists believe that it was important for the Constitution to include a bill of rights?

Answer 33

The thought that the Constitution did not have a specific bill or guaranteed protections of individual rights and the government could ignore their rights easily

Question 34

Where was the first capital of the United States?

Answer 34

NYC

Question 35

How is representation different in the House of Representatives compared to the Senate?

Answer 35

Unlike the House, based on population, the Senate is based on equal representation of the states.

Question 36

What powers does the Executive Branch (president) have?

Answer 36

The President has the duty to carry out the nation’s laws and direct foreign policy. S/he can also make treaties with other nations and to appoint ambassadors. Also head and chief of military

Question 37

How are Supreme Court justices chosen? How many justices serve on the Supreme Court at a time? How long do they serve in office?

Answer 37

It has a Chief Justice and 8 associate justices. They serve for life. The President appoints the Justices but Congress must approve the appointments.

Question 38

What does the term “judicial review” refer to?

Answer 38

The power of the Court to declare whether acts of the President or laws passed by Congress are unconstitutional

Question 39

What is the process for Congress to remove a president from office?

Answer 39

The House must impeach the president and the senate conduct a trial with ⅔ vote to remove president from office

Question 40

How are amendments to the Constitution proposed?

Answer 40

By two thirds of both the House and the Senate, or by a national convention called by Congress at the request of two thirds of the states legislatures.

Question 41

What does the First Amendment protect?

Answer 41

basic individual liberties

Question 42

What does the Fifth Amendment protect?

Answer 42

States that people can not be forced to incriminate themselves.

Question 43

What issue did the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments address?

Answer 43

They are the Civil War amendments and talked about African Americans rights.

Question 44

How can a state amendment be amended?

Answer 44

the state legislature proposes an amendment and the people of the state have to approve it.

Question 45

What is a naturalized citizen?

Answer 45

Someone who has completed the legal process of becoming a citizen. Specifically being under 18 when parents are naturalized

Question 46

What is a resident alien?

Answer 46

Someone who has submitted documents and photographs and attended several interviews to receive permission to remain in the country or a noncitizen living in the country.

Question 47

How does a citizen responsibly exercise his or her night to vote?

Answer 47

By actually voting and researching each candidate thoroughly to decide who you want to vote for.