US Constitution and Government Principles exam with correct answers 2024

Constitution - answer-A single written document that creates government institutions, defines government power, and guarantees civil liberties. State Constitution - answer-The first constitution was adopted by New Hampshire's provincial congress on January 5, 1776. Bicameral - answer-Congress with two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Confederation - answer-When a group forms an alliance; a group of individuals or state governments. Articles of Confederation - answer-The written document that established the functions of the US national government after independence from Great Britain. Ordinance - answer-A law created by a local government, such as a city council or county board of supervisors. Ordinance of 1785 - answer-Laid out the survey and sale of lands west of the Appalachian Mountains. Northwest Ordinance - answer-Chartered a government for the Northwest Territory and provided a method for admitting new states to the Union. Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation - answer-Congress commanded little respect and no support from state governments anxious to maintain their power. Shays's Rebellion - answer-A violent insurrection in the Massachusetts countryside during 1786 and 1787. Constitutional Convention - answer-A convention of delegates from all states (except Rhode Island) that met in Philadelphia in May of 1787. Virginia Plan - answer-Proposed a strong central government composed of three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. New Jersey Plan - answer-Designed to protect the security and power of small states by limiting each state to one vote in Congress. Great Compromise - answer-Promised the creation of a bicameral legislature composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Three-Fifths Compromise - answer-Counted three out of every five slaves when determining a state's total population for legislative representation and taxation. Federalists - answer-Supporters of federal government. Federalism - answer-The division and sharing of power between the national and state governments. Electoral College - answer-The process by which the US elects the President, not explicitly mentioned in the US Constitution. The Federalist Papers - answer-A series of 85 essays on the proposed new US Constitution and on the nature of republican government. Anti-Federalists - answer-Opposed to a system of government with power divided between a central government and regional ones. Preamble - answer-An introduction to the highest law of the land. Seven Articles - answer-Detail the structure of the US government, including the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, amendment process, debts, supremacy, and ratification. Amendments - answer-Freedoms, rights, and processes added to the US Constitution. Legislative Branch - answer-Made up of the House and Senate, known collectively as the Congress. Executive Branch - answer-Consists of the President, advisors, and various departments and agencies. Judicial Branch - answer-Includes the Supreme Court and other federal courts. Amendment Process - answer-Congress must call a convention for proposing amendments upon application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the states. Informal Amendments - answer-Constitutional amendment by any other means, uncontemplated by, unstated by, or contrary to the declared rules or announced structures of the legal system being modified. Necessary and Proper Clause - answer-Gives Congress the power to make laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution other federal powers. Implied Powers - answer-Abilities and powers of a government branch not explicitly stated in the US Constitution but suggested to be applicable. Loose Interpretation - answer-The Federal government can do what is good for the country even if the Constitution doesn't explicitly allow it. Strict Interpretation - answer-A legal philosophy of judicial interpretation that limits interpretation only to the exact wording of the law. Five Basic Principles of Government - answer-Popular sovereignty, limited government, rule of law, separation of powers, and checks and balances. Popular Sovereignty - answer-Government based on consent of the people. Limited Government - answer-The concept of a government limited in power. Rule of Law - answer-All persons, institutions, and entities are accountable to publicly promulgated laws. Checks and Balances - answer-The separation of power in the government, ensured through the establishment of three different branches. Enumerated Powers - answer-Powers specifically identified in the US Constitution. Reserved Powers - answer-Powers not specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution. Concurrent Powers - answer-Powers shared by both the federal government and state governments. Supremacy Clause - answer-Establishes that the federal constitution and federal law take precedence over state laws and constitutions.