Anti-Federalist |
an individual who opposed the ratification of the new Constitution in 1787; opposed to a strong central government |
bicameral legislature |
(two-chamber); a legislature made up of two parts called chambers; U.S. Congress (HOR and Senate) is a ___________ legislature |
checks and balances |
a major principle of the American system of government whereby each branch of government can check the actions of the others |
confederation |
a political system in which states or regional governments retain ultimate authority except for those powers they expressly delegate to a central government; a voluntary association of independent states, in which the member states agree to limit restraints on their freedom of action |
electoral college |
a group of persons called electors selected by the voters in each state and the D.C.; group officially elects the president and vice president of the US; the number of electors in each state is equal to the number of each stat;s representatives in both chambers of Congress; 23rd amendment to the Constitution grants DC as many electors as the state with the smallest population |
executive agreement |
an international agreement between chiefs of state that does not require legislative approval |
executive order |
a rule or regulation issued by the president that has the effect of law; implemented and give administrative effect to provisions in the U.S. Constitution, treaties, or statutes |
federal system |
a system of government in which power is divided between a central government and regional, or subdivisional, governments; each level must have some domain in which its policies are dominant and some genuine political or constitutional guarantee of its authority |
Federalist |
the name given to one who was in favor of the adoption of the U.S. Constitution and the creation of a federal union with a strong central government – more knowledgeable than Anti-Federalists |
Great Compromise |
the compromise between the New Jersey and Virginia Plans that created one chamber of Congress based on population and one chamber, representing each state equally; a.k.a. Connecticut Compromise |
judicial review |
the power of the Supreme Court and other courts to declare unconstitutional federal or state laws and other acts of government |
Madisonian model |
a structure of government proposed by James Madison in which the powers of the government are separated into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial; no branch had enough power to dominate the others; Congress=pass laws; president=enforce and administer laws; Court=interpret laws in individual circumstances |
natural rights |
rights held to be inherent in natural law, not dependent on governments; John Locke stated that natural law, being superior to human law, specifies certain rights of "life, liberty, and property." ; rights were altered to become "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," are asserted in the Declaration of Independence |
ratification |
formal approval |
representative assembly |
a legislature composed of individuals who represent the population |
separation of powers |
the principle of dividing governmental powers among different branches of government |
social contract |
a voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules |
state |
a group of people occupying a specific area and organized under one government; may be either a nation or a subunit of a nation |
supremacy doctrine |
a doctrine that asserts the priority of national law over state laws; principle is rooted in Article VI of the Constitution, which provides that the Constitution, the laws passed by the national government under its constitutional powers, and all treaties constitute the supreme law of the land |
unicameral legislature |
(one body) a legislature with only one legislative chamber, as opposed to a bicameral (two-chamber) legislature, such as the U.S. Congress; Nebraska is the only state to have this type of legislature |
The Jamestown colonists set a political precedent by |
C. instituting a representative assembly |
The major historical and political significance of the Mayflower Compact was that it |
E. both a and c |
During the colonial period, all of the following developments took place EXCEPT |
D. Louisiana was established as the last of the colonies |
Taxes were imposed on the colonists to |
C. pay the costs of Britain’s defense of the colonies during the French & Indian War |
Taxes that the British attempted to impose in the years leading up to the Revolution included all of the following EXCEPT |
e) an income tax |
A colonists’ fury over taxation climaxed in |
d) the Boston Tea Party |
The 1st Continental Congress |
c) asked the colonies to boycott British trade and raise troops |
One of the main actions of the 2nd Continental Congress was |
a) to establish an army and appoint a commander in chief |
Thomas Pain’s pamphlet "Common Sense" advocated |
d) the idea that a government of our own is our natural right |
The first draft of the Declaration of Independence was written by |
c) Thomas Jefferson |
"We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal" are the first words of the |
b) Declaration of Independence |
A voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules is called a |
b) social contract |
The inalienable rights stipulated in the Declaration of Independence included the right |
d) to privacy from governmental intervention |
The term "confederation" or "confederal" refers to a |
b) a voluntary association in which states have most of the power |
Which of the following was not true of the Articles of Confederation? |
d) The president was chosen by Congress |
Which of the following was a weakness of the Articles of Confederation? |
e) all the above |
The Constitutional Convention in 1787 was brought on by the |
c) failure of the Articles of Confederation |
At the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, |
e) there were different views among the delegates about the powers that should be given to the national government |
The Virgina Plan |
a) called for a bicameral legislature |
The New Jersey Plan called for all of the following EXCEPT |
b) the creation of a new and very powerful central government |
The supremacy doctrine asserts the superiority of |
c) national law over state law |
Under the supremacy clause of the Constitution |
d) local, sate, and federal laws can’t conflict with the Constitution |
The Great Compromise |
b) proposed a bicameral legislature with equal representation in the Senate |
The three-fifths compromise did all of the following EXCEPT |
c) give African Americans representation that was equal to what free white received |
All of the following were compromises in the Constitution EXCEPT that |
c) slavery was outlawed |
The USA is among he few countries that don’t tax their exports because |
c) the South obtained a promise that export taxes would not be imposed |
The concept of separation of powers was included in the Constitution to prevent |
e) tyranny either of the majority or the minority |
Which of the following in NOT correct under the concept of separation of powers? |
d) Congress has the right to interpret law |
The concept of checks and balances allows |
a) each branch of government to be able to check the actions of others |
The group that actually elects the president of the United States is called |
d) the Electoral College |
The Constitution that was to be ratified established the following fundamental principles EXCEPT |
e) presidential infallibility |
Compared to the Articles of Confederation, the federal government under the Constitution is |
a) stronger |
Ratification of the Constitution was to occur by |
b) approval by nine out of thirteen state conventions |
The Federalists advocated |
c) ratification of the new Constitution |
The Anti-Federalists advocated |
a) the status quo |
The Bill of Rights was important for ratification of the Constitution because |
c) some states would not have voted to ratify the Constitution without the promise of the Bill of Rights |
The Bill of Rights provided for |
e) both b and d |
The Bill of Rights is an example of the way in which government power is |
b) limited |
A constitutional amendment can be proposed by |
e) both a and b |
A constitutional amendment can be ratified by |
e) both a and b |
Which groups are involved in proposing and ratifying amendments to the Constitution |
d) Senate, HOR, and states |
The only method used so far to propose an amendment to the Constitution is |
b) a 2/3 vote in favor of it by both houses of Congress |
Judicial review is |
c) the ability of the courts to declare acts of the legislative and executive branches of government unconstitutional |
The voting age of eighteen was set by |
b) the Constitution |
According to "Federalist #51" it is important to guard the society against the oppression of |
e) both a and b |
Informal methods of constitutional change include |
c) the use of judicial review by the courts |
The power of the Supreme Court to declare actions of the other branches of government to be unconstitutional is known as |
a) judicial review |
The right to carry a gun in places like school campuses and churches is |
b) addressed by the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution |
International agreements between the president and other nations that do not require the approval of the Senate are known as |
b) executive agreements |
Political Science 1310 Chapter 2- The Constitution
Share This
Unfinished tasks keep piling up?
Let us complete them for you. Quickly and professionally.
Check Price