American Government Review for Final Review

What percentage of Congress can override a presidential veto?

66%

How many Articles are in the United States Constitution?

7

No cruel and unusual punishment/ Excessive Bail

8th Amendment

Abolishment of the poll tax

24th Amendment

Voting age is 18

26th Amendment

The United States has ____ separate court systems.

2; federal and state

Right to bear arms

2nd Amendment

Which Article of the Constitution deals with the judicial branch?

3

For the most part, what percentage of states must agree on ratification of an amendment?

3/4

According to the textbook, about how many Native Americans live in the United States?

5 million

John Marshall and his famous Supreme Court cases 1. Gibbons v Ogden 2. Mculloch v. Maryland 3. Marbury v. Madison

1. (1824) U.S. Supreme Court decision reinforcing the "commerce clause'' (the federal government's right to regulate interstate commerce) of the Constitution; Chief Justice John Marshall ruled against the State of New York's granting of steamboat monopolies. Gave the national govn't undisputed control over interstate commerce by ruling invalid a steamboat monopoly chartered by New York state. This freed internal transportation from state restraint. 2. (1819) Maryland was trying to tax the national bank and Supreme Court ruled that federal law was stronger than the state law. Upheld the right of Congress to charter a national bank, thus putting into national law the doctrine of implied powers. 3. (1803) Chief Justice John Marshall and his associates first asserted the right of the Supreme Court to determine the meaning of the U.S. Constitution. The decision established the Court's power of judicial review over acts of Congress, (the Judiciary Act of 1789).

Identify and explain 3 major principles of the Constitution.

1. Checks and balances: allows every branch of government to put a limit on the amount of power that other branches can have. This process refrains a certain branch from having more power than it should and abusing that power. 2. Federalism: This principle of the Constitution is described as the separation of power between the state government and the national government. 3. Popular Sovereignty: This principle represents the people and that the rule comes from them.

Powers not given to national government are given to the states

10th Amendment

How many original colonies were there?

13

Abolishment of slavery

13th Amendment

Due process of law applies to all citizens in all states. Passed after the Civil War. You are protected by the Bill of Rights.

14th Amendment

Name at least 2 civil liberties you have, the amendments that grant you each one, and a court case supporting your claim.

14th amendment (dealing with the right for equal protection of laws): The Plessy v. Ferguson case supports this liberty because Plessy did not want to sit in a Jim Crow Car and proclaimed that his rights were being violated by making him sit in a separate, secluded area. The 14th amendment changes the laws dealing with severe racial discrimination and makes equality a civil liberty. 2. Minor v. Happersett was a case that developed when a woman, Virginia, was denied to vote because only men were given that ability at the time. This case pertains mostly to the 14th amendment, but also can pertain to the 1st amendment (the liberty "freedom of speech").

Prohibition

18th Amendment

A Woman's right to vote

19th Amendment

Freedom of speech, religion, press, and assembly

1st Amendment

How often do elections for the House of Representatives take place?

2 years

In the United States Congress, the majority party has a substantial influence over the lawmaking process. However, with this numerical advantage there is no guarantee that their specific bills will become laws because of the checks our framers decided to place on them. Describe the process by which a bill becomes a law.

A bill can become a law first when the bill we wish to pass is presented to the House of Reps. It has to be introduced by one of the Representatives and is heard only if the majority wish to. If they like it and it is approved, it goes on to the "rules committee" and if it passes that, it goes to the House floor. Keep in mind that if at any point it is not agreed upon or liked, the bill becomes dead and it stops this process because it is inactive. After, it goes to the Senate and then to a standing committee. Once it is approved, it goes to the floor of the Senate. After, it goes to the conference committee and ultimately, the President. The President can either veto the bill or sign the bill and make it a law!

A power that is shared between the state and central government is called

A concurrent power

Which of the following is NOT part of the Supreme Court lemon test?

A law must be neutral towards a religion A law cannot provide excessive entanglement with a religion A law must have a secular purpose -----> A law can favor religion.

election of 1800 controversies (midnight judges)

Adams begins writing appointments to give the Federalists a foothold in the judiciary. Jefferson becomes the President and denies Marbury his commission. Marbury deserves his commission. He should be given it. Jefferson is violating the law. Btw case is heard in 1803 because court was shut down. BUT the Judiciary Act of 1789 is illegal. Violation of separation of powers and expanded the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court (according to Marshall)

Regents of University of California v. Bakke set precedent for what controversial issue?

Affirmative action

Supreme Court Case: Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka Kansas

After its decision in Brown (1) which declared racial discrimination in public education unconstitutional, the Court convened to issue the directives which would help to implement its newly announced Constitutional principle. Given the embedded nature of racial discrimination in public schools and the diverse circumstances under which it had been practiced, the Court requested further argument on the issue of relief. Question What means should be used to implement the principles announced in Brown I? Conclusion The Court held that the problems identified in Brown I required varied local solutions. Chief Justice Warren conferred much responsibility on local school authorities and the courts which originally heard school segregation cases. They were to implement the principles which the Supreme Court embraced in its first Brown decision. Warren urged localities to act on the new principles promptly and to move toward full compliance with them "with all deliberate speed."

Supreme Court Case: Miranda v. Arizona

Background: Ernesto Miranda, a Mexican immigrant living in Phoenix, Arizona, was identified in a police lineup by a woman, who accused him of kidnapping and raping her. Miranda was arrested and questioned by the police for two hours until he confessed to the crimes. During the interrogation, police did not tell Miranda about his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination or his Sixth Amendment right to an attorney. The case went to trial in an Arizona state court and the prosecutor used the confession as evidence against Miranda, who was convicted and sentenced to 20 to 30 years in prison. Miranda's attorney appealed to the Arizona Supreme Court, which upheld the conviction. Then he appealed to the United States Supreme Court, which agreed to hear it along with four similar cases. In taking the case, the Court had to determine the role police have in protecting the rights of the accused guaranteed by the Fifth and Sixth Amendments. Decision: The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of Miranda. This decision gave rise to what has become known as the Miranda Warning. While jurisdictions have their own regulations as to the precise warning given to a person interrogated in police custody, the typical warning states:

Where can a bill be introduced?

Both the House and the Senate

What does the term parochial mean?

Church related

What is the difference between Civil Liberties and Civil Rights?

Civil rights are the right to be free from treatment that is anything but equal. Civil liberties are our basic freedoms that we are given to protect ourselves against forces, such as the government. I remember in the live lesson you said, "When you're given a civil right, it is made into a civil liberty essentially." The government cannot take your liberties away.

What type of system did the Articles of Confederation establish?

Confederacy

Why did the Founding Fathers create a Confederate system? What specific concerns were they addressing when creating the Articles of Confederation?

During the Revolutionary War, the Founding Fathers created a Confederate System because they feared a strong central government. The lack of power within central government is also a main reason why this system failed in the first place. Some concerns that they were addressing when creating the Articles of Confederation was that they did not have a national army or navy or the ability to tax because they did not have a strong central government, and thus were less powerful. Also, no plans or supplies were made to have an executive branch to conduct power and enforce the laws they wanted. They only had a legislative congress without much power, which came directly from the individual states. As an end result of this, the economy dropped drastically and money itself was not as valuable as it used to be.

The power to tax is an example of an

Expressed power

Supreme Court Case: NY Times v. Sullivan

Facts of the case Decided together with Abernathy v. Sullivan, this case concerns a full-page ad in the New York Times which alleged that the arrest of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. for perjury in Alabama was part of a campaign to destroy King's efforts to integrate public facilities and encourage blacks to vote. L. B. Sullivan, the Montgomery city commissioner, filed a libel action against the newspaper and four black ministers who were listed as endorsers of the ad, claiming that the allegations against the Montgomery police defamed him personally. Under Alabama law, Sullivan did not have to prove that he had been harmed; and a defense claiming that the ad was truthful was unavailable since the ad contained factual errors. Sullivan won a $500,000 judgment. Question Did Alabama's libel law, by not requiring Sullivan to prove that an advertisement personally harmed him and dismissing the same as untruthful due to factual errors, unconstitutionally infringe on the First Amendment's freedom of speech and freedom of press protections? Conclusion The Court held that the First Amendment protects the publication of all statements, even false ones, about the conduct of public officials except when statements are made with actual malice (with knowledge that they are false or in reckless disregard of their truth or falsity). Under this new standard, Sullivan's case collapsed.

Define Federalism. What was the purpose of the Federalist Papers?

Federalism is a form of government in which power is divided between a central government and other states. The purpose of the Federalist Papers, as spoken about by James Madison, is to promote the ratifying of the Constitution.

Another term for Founding fathers could be

Framers

Which of the following best describes the Evolutionary Theory of government?

Government has evolved from the head of the family.

Define government. What is its fundamental purpose? What are some different systems that people have established to carry out its purpose?

Government is defined as a society and community-made institution established to enforce its own policies and rules. This means that the fundamental purpose of a government is to keep bodies of people believing and enforcing the same policies throughout their families and lives. The systems of government are autocracy, theocracy, and democracy. An autocracy, also known as a dictatorship, is when the power of the government is held within one single person or a few people. The next form of government is a theocracy. By governing this way, the policies are determined by "divine guidance," which are determined majorly by religious beliefs. The third and last system of government is called a democracy. A democracy is a way of governing by having a majority of the authority resting within the citizens that make up that country or territory. For example, the United States is a democracy. It is important to note that the 3 different systems of government all think that they are the best forms of governing.

How did these two ideas come together to form the Great Compromise?

However, even though these two plans contradict each other in almost every way, they were able to come together by making an agreement on their differences. The Great Compromise was the name of this settlement that the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan came upon. The two plans agreed that Congress would have two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. They agreed that states would have equal representation (every state would get the same portion of the vote) in one house and representation that was based on population (the amount of people in one state) in the other house.

Do you feel that there is a modern day civil rights movement? Regardless, what do you feel is the best way to go about bringing change (Think Letter from Clergy and From a Birmingham Jail)? Do you feel that the government does an adequate job protecting your rights?

I certainly do feel that there is a modern day civil rights movement. You see football players who won't stand for their country's national anthem to support the Black Lives Matter community, and people burning flags left and right in support of a similar matter. Like the 8 clergymen wrote to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I do not think that violence is the best answer. I think that peaceful protest (like what Rosa Parks and Homer Plessy participated in) is the best and most efficient way to invoke change on a country, especially one that has been dealing with discrimination for many, many years. I do feel that the government is doing an adequate job protecting my rights nowadays because of our just constitution and Bill of Rights that almost all citizens seem to agree with. Unlike the 60's, people aren't wishing to change it at every point because we have all come to a conclusion, it seems like, where the topics can be agreed upon.

Identify and explain 3 major weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

I mentioned some above when answering my last question, but some major weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation was that it did not have a strong central government, there was no power to tax, there was no president, and there was no currency. Also, the lack of strong central government resulted in economic disorganization, lack of leadership for the US, and limitations when making laws.

Do you think the Central or State government holds more power today, or do you think it is equal? Use historical and modern examples to support your claim.

I think the Central government is much more powerful than the State government from the examples I have seen and witnessed in my real life. When the Constitution was ratified, it granted the Central government all sorts of power such as: the right to collect taxes from citizens, the right to make an army, etc. The name "Supreme Court" says it all: it is "supreme" to the State government. The job of the Central government is to control the major important relations between other countries and make sure the US is secure. State governments do not hold that responsibility; they only really hold the responsibility for their own state. They both hold different kinds of power, but the way I see it is that the Central government is the umbrella of power over all of the states, which also have their own amount of power on a smaller scale.

Supreme Court Case: Tinker v. Des Moines

In December 1965, a group of students in Des Moines held a meeting in the home of 16-year-old Christopher Eckhardt to plan a public showing of their support for a truce in the Vietnam War. They decided to wear black armbands throughout the holiday season and to fast on December 16 and New Year's Eve. The principals of the Des Moines school learned of the plan and met on December 14 to create a policy that stated that any student wearing an armband would be asked to remove it, with refusal to do so resulting in suspension. On December 16, Mary Beth Tinker and Christopher Eckhardt wore their armbands to school and were sent home. The following day, John Tinker did the same with the same result. The students did not return to school until after New Year's Day, the planned end of the protest. Through their parents, the students sued the school district for violating the student's' right of expression and sought an injunction to prevent the school district from disciplining the students. The district court dismissed the case and held that the school district's actions were reasonable to uphold school discipline. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed the decision without opinion. Question Does a prohibition against the wearing of armbands in public school, as a form of symbolic protest, violate the students' freedom of speech protections guaranteed by the First Amendment? Yes. Justice Abe Fortas delivered the opinion of the 7-2 majority. The Supreme Court held that the armbands represented pure speech that is entirely separate from the actions or conduct of those participating in it. The Court also held that the students did not lose their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech when they stepped onto school property. In order to justify the suppression of speech, the school officials must be able to prove that the conduct in question would "materially and substantially interfere" with the operation of the school. In this case, the school district's actions evidently stemmed from a fear of possible disruption rather than any actual interference. In his concurring opinion, Justice Potter Stewart wrote that children are not necessarily guaranteed the full extent of First Amendment rights. Justice Byron R. White wrote a separate concurring opinion in which he noted that the majority's opinion relies on a distinction between communication through words and communication through action. Justice Hugo L. Black wrote a dissenting opinion in which he argued that the First Amendment does not provide the right to express any opinion at any time. Because the appearance of the armbands distracted students from their work, they detracted from the ability of the school officials to perform their duties, so the school district was well within its rights to discipline the students. In his separate dissent, Justice John M. Harlan argued that school officials should be afforded wide authority to maintain order unless their actions can be proven to stem from a motivation other than a legitimate school interest.

Define the necessary and proper clause. Do you think that Congress has the right to this power? Why or why not?

In a nutshell, the Necessary and Proper Clause grants Congress power to make laws that are "necessary" in America. I do think Congress has the right to this power because I think that since they already have the responsibility and the ability to make a law a law, then they should be able to decide if a key aspect is missing from the US and should be put into legislation.

Who was the first Vice President?

John Adams

Who was the Supreme Court justice who gave the Marbury decision (and subsequent decisions that gave power to the Court)?

John Marshall

Who is the current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?

John Roberts

judicial review what is it? who has it? how was it given?

Judicial review is the idea, fundamental to the US system of government, that the actions of the executive and legislative branches of government are subject to review and possible invalidation by the judicial branch. Judicial review allows the Supreme Court to take an active role in ensuring that the other branches of government abide by the constitution. Judicial review was established in the classic case of Marbury v. Madison, 5 US 137 (1803).

How long does a federal judge serve for?

Life

Reverse discrimination occurs when discrimination takes place against a

Majority group

What Supreme Court decisions established the exclusionary rule?

Mapp v. Ohio

Supreme Court Case: Mapp. v. Ohio

Mapp was convicted of possessing obscene materials after an admittedly illegal police search of her home for a fugitive. She appealed her conviction on the basis of freedom of expression. Question Were the confiscated materials protected by the First Amendment? (May evidence obtained through a search in violation of the Fourth Amendment be admitted in a state criminal proceeding?) Conclusion The Court brushed aside the First Amendment issue and declared that "all evidence obtained by searches and seizures in violation of the Constitution is, by [the Fourth Amendment], inadmissible in a state court." Mapp had been convicted... on the basis of illegally obtained evidence. This was an historic -- and controversial -- decision. The decision launched the Court on a troubled course of determining how and when to apply the exclusionary rule.

Which Supreme Court decision granted them the power of judicial review?

Marbury v. Madison

Which of the following is NOT protected by the 1st Amendment?

Privacy

Identify at least 2 cases that deal with Federalism. Explain how each case gave further power to the Central government.

Marbury v. Madison - In this case, president Jefferson made it so that commissions would not be granted to people who were justices of peace. By doing this, he was taking control and keeping all of the power within the government and himself because he was not allowing for commissions to be given. The case was decided and ending with Madison winning. Marbury lost and did not receive his commission because the president did not give consent, and therefore, could not be passed. McCulloch v. Maryland - In this case, McCulloch won because he found that the constitution did not agree with what the government was doing (taxing the banks.) In the end, the government had less power because they could not longer tax the banks like that, but before the case was decided, the government had incredible power over them. This taxation was not only unsafe, but also unjust because the constitution itself does not agree with that.

According to the text, what Supreme Court decision made the court the 'umpire' of the federal system?

McCulloch v. Maryland

How Federal court judges are appointed and term

Names of nominees are sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for background checks.also to the American Bar Association (ABA) which rates the nominees for their qualification. After senate investigation, then the Senate Judiciary Committee begins its own investigation. This is when the senate ask the nominees probing questions. executive sessions: after hearings senate judiciary committee makes a suggestion

The creation of the Senate was based on the

New Jersey Plan

Who was the last key state to ratify the Constitution?

New York

How Supreme Court judges are apponted and their terms

Nominated by the President and confirmed by majority vote in the Senate. Serve for life terms.

Which state was the last key state in the ratification process?

North Carolina

How does our legislative branch represent the majority of the people and the majority of the states today? What is this branch commonly referred to as?

Our legislative branch represents the majority of people and states today since we, as a people, choose (vote) for who we want in this branch. There are a lot more people in this branch than in others, so by voting for these representatives, we can more accurately represent the American People than by voting just for the President (executive branch) or the Supreme Court (judicial branch). The 3 branches balance each other perfectly and each branch is given its own field and amount of government authority. The legislative branch, also known as the US Congress, is responsible to make and pass laws.

The 17th Amendment made it so that Senators were elected by

Popular vote

What was the main issue debated at the Convention?

Representation

Which of the following states did not send delegates to the Constitutional Convention?

Rhode Island

Which of the following best describes the ideas of John Locke concerning the founding of government?

Rights were from God and existed before government.

Supreme Court Case: Marbury v. Madison

See above with Midnight Judges

From 2008-2010, we had a unified government in which the same party controlled both houses of Congress. Why was it still difficult for the majority party to pass laws?

Since the democrats controlled both houses of Congress in 2008-2010, it was still difficult for the majority party to pass laws because there are so many different people in each house that it doesn't matter who overrules in the end. There are still going to be republicans in the houses and the President and different committees will still be able to veto the bill at any point.

What is the difference between a loose and strict constructionist.

Someone who is a strict constructionist does not listen to outside opinion, but instead listens to the existing law and the law alone to make decisions and points. A loose constructionist is just the opposite. They take in a more broad idea and apply it to the context of the idea or document.

In a confederacy, who holds most of the political power?

States

A Federalist would agree with which of the following statements?

The Articles of Confedertion are too weak

Who presided over the impeachment trial?

The Chief Justice

Describe the Civil Rights movement and name at least 2 cases that were a part of it.

The Civil Rights Movement was the struggling journey of African Americans to obtain the same equality as white people had and get the civil rights they all deserved. One case that I hold especially true to my heart is the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Rosa parks boarded a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, and after a few stops was told to give her seat up to a white man. She refused. The act of her refusal began a very long journey which sparked the Civil Rights Movement in my opinion. Another very important case regarding the Civil Rights Movement is the Plessy v. Ferguson case. In this case, an African American man named Homer Plessy refused to sit in a separate car on a train in Louisiana because of the color of his skin. Plessy v. Ferguson is similar to Rosa Parks in story, but treated dramatically different. The decision made by the court the first time was against Plessy, but was eventually made just by a different decision later on.

Describe the structure of the Declaration of Independence

The Declaration begins with a short introductory statement called the Preamble that explains the reason for the document, which is to "declare the causes" that have created the need for the colonies to "dissolve the political bands" with England and reinvent itself as an independent nation. The second section begins with a list of "truths" that the persons being represented by the Declaration consider to be "self-evident." This list sets out rights, or ends, that all people should expect to be granted and states the rights people have when those rights are not honored. whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. The section leads into the next, which is the "long train of abuses and usurpations" that have driven the people to now take action and create a new government for themselves. This is justification of the revolution, explaining to the world all the wrongs that have been committed against the colonies. After listing the "facts" regarding the ways in which the colonies have been treated, the fourth section of the Declaration goes on to detail the ways in which the colonies have responded to these actions, trying to help the Parliament and King understand the error and injustice of their actions, saying there was no lack of "attentions to our Brittish brethren." We have warned them...We have reminded them...We have appealed...we have conjured them All these efforts have fallen on "deaf" ears, forcing the colonies to finally take the drastic measures being announced in the Declaration. The final paragraph summarizes the action being announced. It states that "the Representatives of the united States of America" by Authority of the good People of these Colonies solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown Part of this fifth section goes on to list specific functions that the new government has the power to carry out as a new nation establishing itself among the other nations of the world. The final sentence confirms the promise of mutual "support of this Declaration" among those signing the Declaration.

Define and explain the New Jersey Plan.

The New Jersey plan is the second plan formed. This plan proved very important, especially concerning the smaller states. Since they had less of a voice, the New Jersey Plan was proposed by New Jersey delegate, William Paterson. His idea was that states, no matter how big or small, should get the same number of representatives in congress. This greatly opposed Madison's idea. The New Jersey Plan also brought forth the idea that one state got one vote. Paterson completely threw the idea that bigger states had more of a voice out the window, which was bound to create conflict.

According to the theory of popular sovereignty, who is the only source of governmental power?

The People

Who is the only person who can call a special session of Congress?

The President

Know Presidential succession positions in order

The Vice President Joseph Biden Speaker of the House Paul Ryan President pro tempore of the Senate1 Patrick Leahy Secretary of State John Kerry Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter Attorney General Loretta Lynch Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewel Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Mathews Burwell Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson

Define and explain the Virginia Plan.

The Virginia Plan was one of two plans formed after the Founding Fathers made arrangements to replace the Articles of Confederation. Virginia was the first state to come up with an idea of what the new constitution should look like under the delegate, James Madison. The Virginia Plan embodied the idea of incorporating the three branches; legislative, executive, and judicial. It proposed a strong national government that could act only upon the states, and not citizens. The Virginia Plan gave the legislative branch the power to make and enforce laws and states got a specific number of representatives according to the number of people in their population. It was clear that the Virginia Plan favored the large states, since they would have a bigger voice because they had a greater population.

Describe the process by which a case makes it to the Supreme Court. Once there, how is a decision reached?

The first step by which a case makes it to the Supreme Court is when a case itself is filed within a Federal District. Next, a case is appealed to that Federal Court. Lastly, the case is appealed to the US Supreme Court. Then, a decision is made. Once a case had made it there, a case can either be accepted or unaccepted. If a case is not accepted, the case can be reconsidered or the ruling can be allowed to stay put. It is important to note that a Supreme Court does not hear that many cases considering how many are appealed to them. The Supreme Court is also not required to hear anyones cases. They do not "need" to do anything with any case.

The framers of the Constitution created a legislative system that is bicameral. However, it is not simply bicameral; the framers also established two houses of distinctly different character. Define and describe the creation of our bicameral legislature.

The framers established the House of Representatives as well as the Senate. The two were created so as to make sure one government would not have more power than the other and that they could share power. The House of Reps is the result of the Great Compromise and the Senate is the result of the New Jersey Plan. Once established, it was the job of the Congress to look over and regulate each house's power.

What is the main duty of the legislature? Why did the framers grant this power to them?

The main duty of the legislature is to pass legislation, as it is the only branch that can actually pass a new law. The framers granted this power to them because they wanted them to be able to make laws and tax and just be slightly more powerful than the only branches so it would be of benefit to them. However, much has changed since that time.

Our government was founded on the principles of separation of powers and checks and balances. No one branch was to hold the majority of the power; they were to work together for the betterment of the United States. Using your knowledge from Unit 5, answer the following questions about the Judicial Branch. What is the main power of the Judicial Branch? What gives (gave) them this power?

The main power of the judicial branch is to interpret the constitution of the United States. The judicial branch does not make or enforce any laws, but interprets them and makes everything more clear for the other two branches. They make the decisions as to whether or not the Constitution agrees with whatever law Congress is trying to pass. The judicial branch holds such a special and unique kind of power, when compared to the other branches, that the President must determine the members, not the people.

All Congressmen are placed on specific committees. What do the make-up of these committees look like? Why is it like this?

The make-up of these committees are made to aid in the process of different law making and for making different decisions necessary at that time for the bill to become a law. It is like this because there are different requirements from different committees, so different approvals need to be made at different times for the bill to become a law.

Constitutional Convention (why it was called?)

The meeting of state delegates in 1787 in Philadelphia called to revise the Articles of Confederation. It instead designed a new plan of government, the US Constitution. It was formed to decide whether to amend the articles of the confederation or make a whole new system.

After gaining their independence from Britain, the founding fathers choose to establish a confederate system of government for the colonies. Using your knowledge of the Articles of Confederation, answer the following questions. Why did the framers opt to create a confederacy? How was this system different than what they were used to?

The only reason the Articles of Confederation were created in the first place was since the colonies were at war, they needed some kind of compact or agreement to bind them as a nation. The framers (founding fathers) made the decision to create a confederacy because they feared a powerful central government. They did not know, however, how many problems a noncentral government would cause them. This system was different than what they were used to because the Articles of Confederation did not give the federal government enough power. There was no basis or separation of powers: no president, no currency, no power to tax, etc. The central government was too weak since what power they did have was within the states. Since the Articles of Confederation did not give them what they needed or wanted, the Constitution was created.

What was the original goal of the Constitutional Convention in 1787? Why were the framers fearful of a strong central government?

The original goal of the Constitutional Convention in 1787 was to decide how America was going to be governed going forward and revise the Articles of Confederation. The Constitutional Convention had much to deal with besides this though, such as the big issue of slave owning.

Due process of law can be best defined by...

The right to have equal treatment under the law

The Litmus Test is...

The term used in politics to mean a test of ideological purity, a way of finding out whether a person is a liberal or conservative; tests your beliefs

Great Compromise

This compromise, also called the Connecticut Compromise, agreed that Congress would be made up of two houses, where in the Senate each state would have equal representation and in the House of Reps each State's representation was based upon its population. This Compromise allowed for the larger state's to wield their strength of population in representation, and allowed for the smaller state's to each have a voice equal to the larger state's. The compromise allowed for the union to decide peacefully together and come to a decision that pleased all parties involved, and it now is the constant machine that works our central government each day.

What was the outcome of the Great Compromise?

This disagreement between the big states (who favored the Virginia Plan) and the small states (who favored the New Jersey Plan) ultimately led to what is called the Great Compromise. This compromise gave the same representation to each and every state, but also gave representation in agreement with the population in different sections of the house.

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson

What label best describes the participants in Shay's Rebellion?

Veterans

The Connecticut (Great) Compromise brought together which two plans?

Virginia and New Jersey

Most cases reach the Supreme Court by the Court issuing a...

Writ of Certiorari

While the House works with the President on tax policy, the Senate works closely with the President in regards to...

foreign policy

Title IX forbids discrimination in any education program or activity that receives federal funding on the basis of...

gender

Although the President nominates a judge, the _______ must approve them before beginning their term.

senate

In a democracy, supreme political authority rests with the

people