AMERICAN GOVERNMENT CLEP – TERMS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Which era influenced the making of the Declaration of Independence most? - Answer- Enlightenment What are the three "natural rights"? - Answer- life, liberty, and prosperity natural rights - Answer- unalienable rights not dependent on laws, customs, or beliefs of any particular culture or government What is King George III most known for? - Answer- being in reign when colonies gained independence When and where was Thomas Paine's "common sense" published? - Answer- January 1776 in Philadelphia What were the two main points that Thomas argued in "Common Sense"? - Answer- (1) Independence from England (2) creation of a democratic republic Treaty - Answer- a formally concluded and ratified agreement between countries ratify - Answer- to sign or give formal consent to an agreement to make it official Why was the Articles of Confederation designed to be weak? - Answer- because colonists feared a strong leader like King George III What kind of economic issues did the weakness of the Articles of Confederation lead to? - Answer- states could impose trading tariffs on one another and even coin their own currencies, making trading very difficult What year was the Philadelphia Convention? - Answer- 1787 Shay's rebellion () - Answer- a rebellion in Massachusetts over property taxes Annapolis Convention (1786) - Answer- meeting of 12 delegates from 5 different states to agree to promise a Constitutional Convention in 1787 Separation of Powers - Answer- dividing power among different branches of government What Enlightenment figure argued for the Separation of Power? - Answer- Montesquieu Montesquieu - Answer- Enlightenment era French judge, historian, philosopher who came up with the idea of Separation of Powers What does Article 1 state about Congressional powers? - Answer- that Congress can declare war, levy (impose) taxes and tariffs, and control trade On how many occasions has Congress declared war? - Answer- 11 occasions Henry Clay - Answer- famous Speaker of the House What special ability does the House have? - Answer- to impeach officials Who plays the role of jurors in the impeachment trial called for by the House? - Answer- senators What do senators approve? - Answer- appointments and treaties Which article defines Presidential Powers? - Answer- Article 2 Presidential Powers as defined by Article 2 - Answer- President is the Commander in chief, can appoint officials, and can enforce laws What powers does Article 3 define? - Answer- Judicial Powers Commander in chief - Answer- a head of state or official in supreme command of a country's armed forces Why do Supreme Court justices serve for life? - Answer- so that Justices won't be swayed by public opinion in order to win elections and simply make the right choice rather than the popular choice Judicial Review - Answer- a privile