gov final
What were the first and last states to ratify the Constitution?
Delaware= 1st Rhode Island = last
Which powers can the National Government legally exercise?
Delegated powers
Who is the father of the Constitution?
James Madison
How can Congress effect change in the Constitution?
can pass laws to clarify the Constitution can expand the Constitution
What is the formal amendment process and what is it based on?
changes written words of the Constitution; based on Federalism
What is the Full Faith and Credit Clause?
courts have to recognize and accept/respect the validity of rulings made by other courts
Where does sovereignty lie in a democracy compared to that of a dictatorship?
democracy: rests with the people dictatorship: rests with the person/small group in charge
What is an Enabling Act and what purpose does it serve?
directs people of a territory to draft a state constitution for admission into the union
What does the system of Federalism include?
divides powers of government between Federal and state governments
What did the delegates at Philadelphia agree to?
draft a new constitution
What best describes checks and balances?
each branch of government is subject to a number of constitutional checks and restraints by the other branches
What are the 27 Amendments to the Constitution?
pages 80-81
What is the basis for the words We The People?
popular sovereignty
What are the characteristics of a state?
population, territory, sovereignty, government
What are the expressed powers?
powers delegated to the National Government in the Constitution (ex: collect taxes, declare war)
What are the implied powers?
powers of the federal government that are not directly stated but are implied by the expressed powers (ex: building an interstate highway)
What are the inherent powers?
powers that belong to the National Government because it is the government of a sovereign state (ex: immigration, acquire territory)
What are the exclusive powers?
powers that can only be exercised by the National Government (ex: coin money, treaties with foreign states)
What are the concurrent powers?
powers that the National Government and states can exercise (ex: define crimes, levy/collect taxes)
What was the New Jersey Plan and what is its significance to the Constitution?
retained unicameral Congress with each of the states equally represented; favored small states
Basic concepts of American gov
worth of the individual, equality of all persons, majority rule/minority rights, necessity of compromise, individual freedom
Describe The Federalists, their purpose, who wrote them, why, etc
written by Madison, Hamilton, and Jay to support the Constitution; hoped they would convince states to ratify
What was the Connecticut Compromise?
"The Great Compromise" Congress is 2 houses. Smaller = Senate, states represented equally House = bigger, States represented by population
What are the broad facts about the Bill of Rights?
10 amendments that set out guarantees of freedom of belief and expression, of freedom and security of the person, and of fair/equal treatment before the law
What Supreme Court decision was used to uphold the Doctrine of Reserved Powers?
10th amendment declares the states are governments of reserved powers; reserved powers are powers that are not granted to the National Government, but not denied to the states
What are the Civil War amendments?
13- abolished slavery 14- citizenship, equal protection, due process 15- right to vote ( Af Americans)
When were the basic Constitutional rights of the people first set out?
1791
What best describes the Separation of Powers?
3 separate branches of government: legislative, executive, judicial
What was the Three-Fifths Compromise?
3/5 of slaves would be counted in the House of Representatives Southerners could count their slaves, but they would have to pay for them too
How many states were needed to ratify the US Constitution?
9
What are the characteristics of a unitary government?
Central government has power, creates local governments Local governments only have powers that the central government gives to them
What branch of government added the "flesh and bones" to the Constitution?
Congress (Legislative)
How can Congress check the Supreme Court?
Congress can impeach federal judges and create lower courts
What was the Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise?
Congress was forbidden to tax export of goods from any state and forbidden power to act on slave trade for at least 20 years
Why is it ironic that VA was one of the last states to ratify the Constitution?
Constitution was based on the VA plan Madison (a Virginian) wrote the Constitution
Where did the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists differ on their view of the US Constitution?
Federalists wanted strong government Anti-Federalists thought the government would have too much power
Who is the father of our nation?
George Washington
Who were the philosophers and what were their beliefs?
Hobbes, Harrington, Locke, and Rosseau: challenged divine right, believed State arose out of voluntary act of free people, state serves the will of the people, all wrote the Social Contract Theory
Which state constitution is the oldest and still in force today?
Massachusetts
What were the critical states and why was each state critical to the adoption of the US Constitution?
Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia MA and VA had the biggest populations. NY separated New England from the rest of the nation
How can the President check Congress?
President can veto any act of Congress appoints Supreme Court justices and federal judges
What distinguishes the presidential form of government from the Parliamentary form of government?
Presidential: legislative/executive branches are separate but coequal; Chief Executive chosen by the people Parliamentary: executive branch is made up of the prime minister and their cabinet
What are the criticisms of the Formal Amendment process?
Proposal at the national level is too far removed from the people. Proposal should be at the state level, by the people, not the legislature
What single issue contributed the most toward the realization that the nation needed a stronger central government?
Shay's Rebellion
What was Shay's Rebellion? Why is it significant?
Shays was a farmer who led an uprising that took over courthouses to stop farm foreclosures. Forced Massachusetts to reorganize tax laws and ease the burden of debtors. This was the main event that led to the Constitution
What theory underlines modern democracies?
Social Contract Theory
Why has the Constitution endured for more than 200 years?
Some of the Constitution is the same and some of it isn't It was designed to grow and change with time It can be updated as necessary
What are the main points of the Social Contract Theory?
State arose out of voluntary act of free people, state serves will of the people, people created sovereign state, people are the sole source of political power
What is an example of the informal amendment process?
The President's cabinet
Who is the father of the Social Contract Theory?
Thomas Hobbes?
Who is the Father of the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
How can the Federalists be called a "Campaign Document"
written to convince voters to support the new Constitution
What is an Extradition Clause?
a fugitive from justice in one state can be returned to that state
What is an Executive Agreement?
a pact made by the President directly with the head of a foreign state; doesn't need Senate approval
What is an Interstate Compact?
agreement among states and with foreign states
What is the significance of the Judiciary Act of 1789
all federal courts have been created by Congress
What is public policy?
all of the things that a government decides to do, from taxation to health care
What is the state admission process?
ask for admission -> enabling act -> act of admission
How have Presidents avoided the Check and Balance system?
being the same political party as the majority in the houses
What was the Virginia Plan and what is its significance to the US Constitution?
called for legislative, executive, and judicial branches; Congress would be bicameral; representatives based on the states population; favored large states
How can the Supreme Court check both Congress and the President?
can declare either of their acts unconstitutional
How can Congress check the president?
can override a veto, impeach the President, approve appointments of judges, approve treaties
What ideas can be found in the Declaration of Independence?
every person is created equal, unalienable rights, consent of the governed; ordered government, limited government, representative government, Magna Carta, Petition of Rights, English Bill of Rights
What obligations does the national government have to the states?
every state is Republican form of government protects states against invasion respect territory of states
What are the examples for Federal-State cooperation?
federal grants
What are the purposes spelled out in the Preamble to the Constitution?
form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for common defense, promote general welfare secure blessings of liberty
What is Article V of the Constitution?
formal amendments may be added to the Constitution
Where do local governments derive their powers?
from the states
What is meant by "promote the general welfare"
government performs tasks for the benefit of the people (public schools, FDA, etc)
What are examples of federal aid to the states?
grants-in-aid programs categorical, block, and project grants
What is the Rule of Law?
holds that the government and its officers are always subject to-never above- the law
What has led to the majority of changes in the US Constitution?
informal amendments
What is the purpose of the informal amendment process?
it changes the Constitution without changing its words
What is the significance of Article VI of the Constitution?
it declares that the Constitution is the nation's supreme law
What does the Bill of Rights guarantee? Why was it added to the Constitution?
it is a basic list of rights held by the people it was added to the Constitution so that the states would ratify it
What is judicial review and how does the court usually rule?
it is the power to determine the constitutionality of a governmental action court usually rules it as constitutional
What is the Supremacy Clause and what is the order?
it states that the Constitution, laws, and treaties of the US are the supreme law of the land Acts of Congress -> treaties -> Constitution
What must a government's majority agree?
majority must always recognize the right of any minority to become the majority by fair and equal means
What problems plagued the US government after the Revolutionary War?
many debts, no power to tax/regulate trade between states, couldn't make states obey laws Articles made, Articles could only be changed with consent of all 13 state legislatures
Describe the Framers of the Constitution
many fought in Revolution, had been members of Continental Congress new generation in American politics
What were the major objectives of the Annapolis Convention and the Philadelphia Convention?
movement to change the existing government, create an entirely new government (fix the Articles -> Constitution)
What influenced the Framers in developing the Constitution?
need for a stronger government, revising the Articles because they were weak
Describe the relationship between the states during the Articles of Confederation?
not unified, disagreements
What advantages does Revenue Sharing have over Federal Grants in Aid programs?
revenue sharing gave an annual share of federal tax revenues to the States and their local governments. federal grants in aid programs are grants of federal money or other resources to the States and/or their cities, counties, and other local units
What does the Bill of Rights guarantee?
rights of citizens
Examples of equal opportunity
school system, fire department, bus system, build roads; respect for equality of all persons
What are the basic characteristics of the US Constitution?
sets out principles of US government/politics popular sovereignty, limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, judicial review, federalism
What basic characteristics of a state do the individual 50 states lack?
sovereignty (do not have supreme/absolute power)
What are the characteristics of a sovereign state?
supreme and absolute power, decides foreign and domestic policies, determine own form of gov, frame own economic system
What is Separation of Powers?
the 3 branches of government are separated and powers are distributed to each. each branch is independent
What did Jefferson mean when he said that the Constitution "belongs to the living and not the dead"?
the Framers wrote the Constitution with the intention of it changing as time moved forward
What constitutional change came as a result of party practice?
the electoral college
What best describes the concept of limited government?
the government may only do those things that the people have given it power to do
What is the dominant political unit in the world today?
the state
How did the framers of the Constitution reconcile the need for an effective central government with respect for state governments?
they constructed Federalism
What was the purpose of the Mount Vernon and Annapolis Convention?
to meet and change the government needed stronger government
What were the characteristics of the government established under the Articles of Confederation?
unicameral Congress made up of delegates chosen by states; each state has 1 vote; no executive or judicial branch; states had majority of power; Articles could only change with consent of all states
Where is political power concentrated in the following types of government?: Unitary, Federal, and Confederate
unitary: powers held by the government belongs to a single central agency (central gov) federal: powers divided between central and local governments confederate: local governments; central government has limited power
What is the necessity of compromise?
way of achieving majority agreement in a society of different opinions; Compromise allows citizens to make public decisions. Compromise is not an end in itself but a means to reach a public goal
