CLEP American Government Unit 1 Study Guide

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 privilege held by the Supreme Court to declare laws unconstitutional Marbury vs. Madison (1803) - Answer-established judicial review Checks and Balances - Answer-A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power Legislative checks on executive branch - Answer-to impeach executive officials, override presidential vetoes, and approve nominations Legislative checks on Judicial branch - Answer-Confirms/rejects nominees, impeach judges Executive checks on Legislative branch - Answer-veto bills, propose bills/budgets Executive checks on Judicial branch - Answer-nominates judges, pardons individuals Judicial checks on Legislative Branch - Answer-Judicial review for laws and treaties