STUDY GUIDE IRSC
What\historic\document\(17th\century)\created\a\"civil\body\politic"?\-\ans✔Mayflower\
Compact
What\was\the\Magna\Carta?\-\ans✔document\that\started\to\limit\the\power\of\the\king,\
establish\habeas\corpus\and\limit\taxation
What\document\did\American\colonists,\protesting\the\Stamp\Act\in\1766,\claim\gave\
them\rights\such\as\"no\taxation\without\representation"?\-\ans✔British\Constitution
Americans,\especially\by\the\19th\and\20th\centuries,\claimed\what\about\the\Magna\
Carta?\-\ans✔the\people's\reassertion\of\rights\against\an\oppressive\ruler
What\was\Thomas\Paine's\Common\Sense?\-\ans✔a\47-page\pamphlet\written\by\
Thomas\Paine\in\1775-1776\advocating\independence\from\Great\Britain\to\people\in\the\
Thirteen\Colonies
What\was\the\influence\of\Common\Sense?\-\ans✔inspired\American\colonists\to\declare\
independence\from\England.
What\is\the\Declaration\of\Independence?\-\ans✔It\is\a\document\that\declared\
independence\from\Britain\and\the\formation\of\a\new\country,\the\USA.
What\are\the\three\rights\mentioned\in\the\Declaration\of\Independence?\-\ans✔Life,\
Liberty,\and\Pursuit\of\Happiness
Which\of\the\following\was\a\weakness\of\the\Articles\of\Confederation?\-\ans✔Congress\
did\not\have\the\power\to\regulate\foreign\and\interstate\commerce.
What\did\Shay's\Rebellion\and\an\economic\crisis\lead\to?\-\ans✔the\Philadelphia\
Convention\of\1787.\The\Convention\elected\Washington\as\its\president\and\ultimately\
produced\the\Constitution\of\the\United\States.
The\idea\of\self-government\is\in\the\first\three\words\of\the\Constitution.\What\are\these\
words?\-\ans✔We\the\people
, What\is\the\Supreme\Law\of\the\Land?\-\ans✔The\constitution
What\were\the\88\essays\published\in\newspaper\to\support\ratification\of\the\Constitution\
are\known\as?\Who\wrote\those\essays?\-\ans✔The\Federalist\Papers,\written\by\
Alexander\Hamilton,\John\Jay,\and\James\Madison
What\type\of\government\does\the\US\have?\-\ans✔representative\democracy
What\is\federalism?\-\ans✔sharing\of\powers\between\federal\and\state\governments.
What\type\of\economic\system\does\the\U.S.\have?\-\ans✔capitalism\and\a\mixed\market\
system
In\a\representative\democracy\(republic),\who\is\sovereign?\-\ans✔The\people
Under\the\U.S.\Constitution,\what\has\the\power\to\declare\war,\conduct\foreign\policy,\
and\coin\currency?\-\ans✔Congress
Under\the\U.S.\Constitution,\what\usually\has\the\power\to\regulate\local\safety,\schools,\
and\grant\driving\licenses?\-\ans✔States
What\is\the\highest\court\in\the\US?\-\ans✔Supreme\Court
What\does\the\judicial\branch\do?\-\ans✔reviews\laws
explains\laws
resolves\disputes\(disagreements)
decides\if\a\law\goes\against\the\Constitution
What\are\the\two\houses\of\Congress?\-\ans✔Senate\and\House\of\Representatives
How\is\representation\in\the\Senate\decided?\How\many\years\is\the\term\for\a\senator?\-\
ans✔Two\Senators\per\state,\100\senators\total;\Terms\are\6\years
How\is\representation\in\the\House\of\Representatives\decided?\How\many\years\is\the\
term\for\a\representative?\-\ans✔apportioned\among\the\states\by\population,\every\state\
gets\at\least\one;\Terms\are\two\years.
How\many\voting\members\does\the\House\currently\have?\-\ans✔435
The\Constitutional\Convention\decided\that\the\chief\executive\would\be\chosen\by?\-\
ans✔The\Legislature
Who\is\the\Commander\in\Chief\of\the\military?\-\ans✔president
How\many\years\is\the\term\for\a\President?\-\ans✔4\years