Mrs. Snipes' Class Notes
Answers Constitution Test Study Guide** Remember to study the amendments! Be able to match them with a description.DefineRatify: to approve an amendment or documentjudicial branch:This branch of government interprets the lawBill: a proposal in Congress takes this formNorthwest Ordinance: established a system for governing new territorieschecks and balances: this helps to ensure that no one branch of government gets too powerfullegislative branch: this branch of government is split into two houses - Senate and the House of RepresentativesThree-fifths Compromise: this agreement allowed states to count slaves in the population to determine representatives in the HouseCompromise: agreement in which each side gives up some demandsFederalism: division of power between the federal government and the statesbill of rights: protects basic liberties of citizenslimited government: term that means that the federal government has only the powers given to it by the Constitutionexecutive branch: this branch of government enforces the law and is headed by the presidentShay’s Rebellion: because of an economic depression the farmers asked for help from the government but didn’t recieve help soConstitution: rules under which a government will operateseparation of powers: term that means that the powers of government are divided among the three branchesArticle I: this part of the Constitution lists the responsibilities of the Legislative branchPreamble: the opening statement to the Constitution which states what the Constitution was intended forArticle II: this part of the Constitution lists the responsibilities of the Executive branchArticle III: this part of the Constitution lists the responsibilities of the Judicial branchThe First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, assembly, and speechWhat documents had an impact on the framing of the Constitution?Magna Carta, Declaration of Independence, English Bill of Rights.What is true about the process of electing the President of the United States?Americans do not vote directly for presidential candidates.Which of the following is most responsible for hiring garbage collectors and firefighters?local governmentsWhat is the Bill of Rights?is the name given to the first ten amendments to the Constitution, addresses the freedoms guaranteed to all citizens, contains an amendment that establishes a citizen’s right to bear arms.What is a right of citizenship identified by federal and state laws but not by the Constitution?equal educational opportunitiesWhat was the function of the Articles of the Constitution?establish the framework of government.A new bill may be introduced by which branch of government?In Congress-in either the House of Representatives or the Senate.What is one way the United States Constitution may be amended?Congress may propose amendments.The most important power of the Supreme Court is the power tointerpret the Constitution.Shay’s Rebellion helped to persuade Government leaders to do what?government leaders to revise the Articles of Confederation.What event happens after Shay leads a rebellion of farmers to seize arms from a state warehouse?The Massachusetts militia arrests Shay and other leaders.Why did smaller states oppose the Virginia Plan?feared they would not have enough power in the new Congress.Besides representation, what other major issue required delegates to compromise during the Constitutional Convention?continuing the slave tradeWhy was it important for the states to stand together and be united?In order for the Union to last, the states must form a strong federal government.What could be considered a responsibility of citizens in the U.S.?to vote in electionsThe First Amendment would protect people who want to do what?put up a Website criticizing a local government official.Why did some people oppose ratification of the Constitution?It did not include protection of individual rights.What was one obstacle to approving the Articles of Confederation?some states did not want to give up their claims to land west of the Appalachian Mountains.How did the Bill of Rights become part of the Constitution?It was added through the amendment process.Under the Bill of Rights, what is protected?freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the pressWhat is one reason many people called for changes to the Articles of Confederation?They believed that a weak central government was ineffective.Which person would be most likely to agree that States had too much power to form a union?Alexander HamiltonThe opening phrase of the Constitution, “We, the people,” means that the Constitution gets its authority from whom?citizensHow did Shays’ Rebellion encourage people to push for a plan to revise the Articles of Confederation?It made people worry about how a weak central government might respond to future rebellions.What did most state constitutions have that the original United States Constitution did not have?bill of rightsThe passage of the Land Ordinance of 1785 meant what?settlers and investors could buy formerly public lands.What resolved the conflict between the two plans of government -Virginia Plan and New Jersey plan?the Great CompromiseAs part of the Great Compromise, what fraction of the enslaved people in a state were included when determining representation in Congress?three-fifthsFill in the blanks with the branches of Government ___Executive___? veto? make appointments? call special sessions of Congress___Legislative__? override vetoes? ratify treaties? impeach___Judicial____? declare laws unconstitutionalShort AnswerExplain why the Framers of the Constitution developed a structure of government with three branches. Discuss how the system of checks and balances helps protect people’s rights.The Framers of the Constitution developed a structure of government with three branches in the hope that kind of structure would keep an all-powerful leader from gaining too much power and depriving the people of their liberty. Even so, they were worried that one branch of government might have too much power. To avoid that possibility, they set up a system of checks and balances so that each of the three branches had some power over the other branches. For example, if the legislative branch passes a law that the President believes will take away people’s rights, the President can veto, or refuse to sign, the law. If both Congress and the President agree to such a law, the Supreme Court has the power to find the law unconstitutional if it violates basic rights guaranteed in the Constitution. By setting up this system of checks and balances, the Framers of the Constitution protected the rights of the country’s people.Using your knowledge of how amendments are added to the United States Constitution, write an essay in which you propose either that the process for adding amendments should be simplified or that the process should remain as it is now. Remember to support your arguments with facts from the text and logical reasoning.Students’ essays should describe the two methods of amending the Constitution: First, the Amendment needs to be proposed, either by a two-thirds vote of the House and the Senate or by a national convention that Congress calls at the request of two thirds of the state legislatures. Similarly, two processes are provided for ratifying the amendment. Either three fourths of all the state legislatures must vote to pass the amendment or the states must call conventions to consider the amendment. If states use the convention method for ratification, three fourths of the state conventions must vote for it. Students who propose to change the process might argue that conditions change much faster today than they did in the past. A cumbersome process might slow down important amendments that are necessary for the good of the country. Those who believe that the process still functions to protect the Constitution might argue that although the Constitution can be amended, any changes must be made slowly in order to avoid repeated alterations that might be made in the heat of the moment or as the result of a fad. The Constitution is too important to be tinkered with whenever a popular idea strikes people’s fancy.Explain how ratification of the Constitution was threatened by disagreements between the Federalists and the Antifederalists. Define the position of each side, and explain how the differences were resolved.When the Constitution was sent to the states to be ratified, two groups took shape. Federalists supported the Constitution and favored a strong national government. They said that the Articles of Confederation had left too much power in the hands of states and that disputes between states kept the government from functioning effectively. They believed that the Constitution solved the problems created by the Articles of Confederation while protecting the rights of states. Antifederalists, on the other hand, worried that the Constitution took too much power from the states. They worried that the national government was too powerful and that the President could become so powerful that he would be like a king. They wanted to make sure that the freedoms they had fought for in the Revolution would not be taken away by a strong federal government. They wanted to protect individual freedoms with a bill of rights. Despite the debates, smaller states began ratifying the Constitution, but New York, Virginia, and other states with large populations held out. Finally, Virginia agreed to ratify the Constitution. New York and the remaining states soon also ratified it. During the first session of Congress under the new Constitution, several amendments were proposed. Ten of them were ratified and became the Bill of Rights.Discuss how the Northwest Ordinance and the Great Compromise affected enslaved people in the United States. What might have happened if the framers of the Constitution had attempted to outlaw slavery? What problems might have arisen during the debate and ratification process?The Northwest Ordinance outlawed slavery in the Northwest Territory and made the creation of new states in the territory dependent on a population of 60,000 free settlers. This meant that five new states—Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin—were free northern states where slavery was not permitted. The Great Compromise, on the other hand, set up a system whereby an enslaved person was counted as three-fifths of a free person, thus making the population of Southern states larger and giving them more seats in the House of Representatives. Furthermore, a compromise on the slave trade made the Constitution acceptable to both Northern and Southern states. Answers to the question about what might have happened if the framers of the Constitution outlawed slavery will vary. It is likely that the Southern states would have brought a halt to the debates if other delegates had pressed the issue of outlawing slavery. This was not an issue on which a compromise could be reached. If, somehow, the Convention had approved the document with a ban on slavery, it is likely that the Southern states would have refused to ratify it, since the practice of slavery contributed significantly to the economy of the Southern states. ................
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