Microsoft Word - Constitution Worksheets

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List a few things that you see in this picture.

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Based upon your understanding of the reading, answer the following questions:

1. What are the two main types of government?

2. According to this article, what type of government is the United States?

3. What type of government do you think is represented in the picture (limited or unlimited) and why?

4. What are governments set up to do? (according to the text)

5. Do you know of any governments now or in history that had unlimited power?

In the United States, our government is the system of power

that acts on behalf of its people. The U.S. government was

designed to serve the American people. Our government

protects our rights and preserves our freedoms.

Governments are set up to make and enforce laws. In this

section, we will look at the basic types of governments in

the world, yet the main emphasis will be placed on the understanding our American government system.

All nations of the world have some type of government. Not

all governments are alike. Regardless of the type of

government, its leaders try to justify that amount of power

that the government has. There are different ways in which

leaders are chosen based on the type of government. There

are also varying degrees of power that is held by people in certain types of government.

There are limited governments and unlimited governments

in the world. The United States has a constitutional

government, which means that it is a limited government

system. This prevents leaders from abusing the powers that

they have been given. This type of government system

provides control over the people that are in authority and protects our individual freedoms.

The unlimited governments include those types that are

totalitarian in nature. Unlimited governments are non-

constitutional and its people are powerless to restrain the

governments power. These dictatorships control every

aspect of its people's lives. Leaders cannot be removed peacefully or by legal means.

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1. Where did the original meaning of the term Dictatorship come from?

2. What is our current understanding of what a dictator is?

3. Why do you think that some dictators call themselves presidents? Why not just call themselves kings?

4. Name two ways that dictators can come to power…

5. Why do you think that some people have called George Bush and his cabinet dictators?

Originally a legitimate military office in the Roman

Republic, the dictator was given his powers by the Senate. The dictator had absolute power, but for a limited time.

In the twentieth century, the term dictatorship has come to

mean a government in which absolute power is concentrated

in the hands of a dictator and sometimes his cronies. Many

dictators have held the formal title of "President", but wield

extraordinary, often non-constitutional or de facto powers.

The dictator generally controls the three state powers : legislative, executive and judicial.

In a dictatorship, there is not periodical universal, free,

direct and secret polling of the citizens to elect the leaders.

Sometimes dictators can initially obtain power from

democratic elections (like Adolf Hitler of Nazi Germany),

but shortly after being elected the dictator will ban all

opposing parties and cancel all future elections. Though

free elections will never occur under a dictatorship,

sometimes dictators orchestrate phony elections in an

attempt to grant themselves some illusion of democratic

legitimacy and public support. Usually, the dictator runs for

"re-election" unopposed, with voters being asked to answer

a simple "yes or no" ballot on the leader's continued rule. As

can be expected, coercion and corruption usually plague

such "elections" and dictators will often claim

unrealistically high voter turnouts and results. Dictator

Charles King of Liberia for example once claimed to have

been "re-elected" by a majority that was more than 15% larger than his country's entire electorate.

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1. If someone thinks there is such thing as a good dictator, what do they call that person?

2. How is this good dictator supposedly different than that of a bad or evil dictator?

3. Who are some Dictators who have been called “Benevolent Dictators” in the past?

4. Do you think that, ultimately, dictators can ever be Benevolent?

5. Why do you think Dictators portray themselves as benevolent?

Many people think that dictators, in certain cases, can be a good

thing. Because one of the advantages of a dictatorship/absolute

monarchy is the ability to quickly get things done, there have been

instances when dictators have done great amounts of good for the

poor and downtrodden in society. These types of dictators are

referred to as “Benevolent Dictators”. Benevolent is a word that

means “good”. A benevolent dictator, for example, may focus

government priorities on matters of public importance, such as

healthcare, education, population control, or general city

infrastructure. He or she may be committed to peaceful relations,

rather than wars or invasions of other states, and may even allow

for some democratic decision-making to exist, such as through

public referendums.

Most dictators' regimes unfailingly portray themselves as

benevolent, and often tend to regard democratic regimes as messy,

inefficient, and corrupt.

Such leaders as Napoleon Bonaparte, Fidel Castro, Augusto

Pinochet, Francisco Franco, the Medici and others have been

characterized by their supporters as benevolent dictators. In all

these cases it depends largely on one's point of view as to just how

"benevolent" they were or are. In many cases dictators who serve

in office for a very lengthy period are more likely to be regarded as

benevolent, for the simple reason that they will often be forced to

pay some attention to the public's interests in order to remain in

power, and more importantly, be regarded as politically legitimate.

Dictators who hold office for a brief period of time, or are simply

members of a rotating dictatorial elite (for example see the

Generals) may have less memorable personality and prove to be forgettable and easier to demonize.

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1. What do you think the artist of this cartoon thinks about George Bush?

2. Explain what the Bill of Rights is.

3. What founding father wrote the Bill of Rights?

4. Explain what happened to the second amendment omitted…

5. What rights are you thankful that you have as an American citizen?

The Bill of Rights is the name for the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution, which limited the power

of the federal government and guaranteed citizens of the United States certain rights. The amendments were written in

1789 by James Madison, and were based on important ideas about personal rights.. The Bill of Rights went into effect

in 1791, when 3/4 of the states agreed that they were fair. Originally, the Bill of Rights had 12 different amendments,

but the first two were not passed by enough states. The second amendment that was omitted was eventually added to

the Constitution in 1992. It is now the 27th Amendment to the Constitution, and deals with pay changes for the

government.

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1. Why is John Peter Zenger considered to be an early advocate for a free press?

2. What is the definition of libel? Did Zenger’s writings meet that definition?

3. Do you think this case influenced the First Amendment? If so why or why not?

4. Can you think of any times when the government should stop a newspaper from printing something?

5. Do you think that the United States truly has a free press?

Supported by members of the popular party, Zenger's New-York Weekly JOURNAL continued to publish articles

critical of the royal governor. Finally, Cosby issued a proclamation condemning the newspaper's "divers scandalous,

virulent, false and seditious reflections." On Sunday, November 17, 1734 Zenger was arrested and charged with

seditious libel. Libel is defined as a false and malicious publication printed for the purpose of defaming a living

person

After more than eight months in prison, Zenger went to trial defended by illustrious Philadelphia lawyer Andrew

Hamilton. The case was now a cause celebre with public interest at fever-pitch. Rebuffed repeatedly by Chief

Justice Delancey during the trial, Hamilton decided to plead his client's case directly to the jury. After the arguments

for both sides were finished, the jury was retired, only to return shortly with a verdict of not guilty.

In the latter part of 1733 John Peter Zenger

began publishing a newspaper in New York to

voice opposition to the bad laws and activities of

newly appointed colonial governor William

Cosby.

Upon his arrival in New York Cosby plunged

into a huge argument with the Council of the

colony over his salary. Unable to control the

state's Supreme Court he removed Chief Justice

Lewis Morris, replacing him with a Chief Justice

that would give him what he wanted.

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1. What are the two religious freedom clauses called?

2. The reading says that the first amendment does not promise absolute freedom of religion. What do you

think this means?

3. Why did the framers of the constitution want freedom of religion written into the constitution?

4. What is the significance of freedom of religion being the first freedom listed within the first

amendment?

5. What do you think the artist is trying to say with this picture?

The First Amendment reads:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of

religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the

freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people

peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a

redress of grievances."

The first phrase in the First Amendment states: "Congress shall

make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." is called the

establishment clause.

The following phrase "Congress shall make no law...prohibiting the

free exercise thereof... is called the free exercise clause; it

guarantees freedom of religion. This passage, however, does not

promise absolute freedom of religion.

The framers of the U.S. Constitution were concerned that European history

might repeat itself in the new world. They wanted to avoid the continual wars

motivated by religious hatred that had decimated many countries within

Europe. They decided that a church/state separation was their best assurance

that the U.S. would remain relatively free of inter-religious strife. Many

commentators feel that over two centuries of relative religious peace in the

U.S. have shown that they were right.

In 1789, the first of ten amendments were written to the Federal Constitution;

they have since been known as the Bill of Rights.

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1. What does the 2nd amendment guarantee?

2. What do gun control advocates want to do?

3. What do gun control advocates point to for their arguments?

4. What do gun right groups want?

5. Who do you side with in this argument and why?

The debate over gun ownership is centered on the Second Amendment to the Constitution, which protects "the right of the people to keep and bear arms."

Gun control advocates believe that right does not extend to ownership of military-style firearms that are otherwise known as assault weapons. They point to incidents such as the Columbine high school massacre in April 1999, which resulted in the deaths of 14 students (including the two gunmen) and a teacher, in support of banning assault weapons. They also support measures intended to curb gun-related violence, such as mandatory child safety locks, background checks on those wishing to purchase a gun, limits on the number of guns a person can buy and raising the age limit for gun ownership.

Gun rights groups, led by the National Rifle Association, argue that these and other proposals infringe on the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.

They maintain that bans on the sale of certain types of weapons have not proved effective in reducing violent crime, and that proposals for stricter background checks at gun shows are designed to eliminate gun shows themselves. Some gun manufacturers have volunteered support for safety locks, but the NRA has criticized safety locks for placing an undue burden on gun manufacturers without a proven benefit to the public.

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1. What is the joke in the picture?

2. Briefly explain the two different sides in the 2nd amendment interpretation debate.

3. What two states ban gun ownership for personal protection?

4. Do you think that the 2nd amendment should apply to individual citizens?

5. Who do you side with in this argument and why?

There is much argument about what the 2nd

amendment really means. There have been,

historically, two different points of view. The first

point of view is that the 2nd amendment gives

individual citizens an unfettered right to keep and own

weapons. These people feel that weapons should be

used not only against criminals, but also against the

possibility of an oppressive government. The other

interpretation of the 2nd amendment says that gun

ownership only applies to the right of states to have

and regulate militias. And because the right to “bear

arms” relates to militias, states and the federal

government can pass laws regulating firearms. These

same people feel that making weapons harder to obtain

will make people safer. The fewer the guns on the

street, the fewer number of crimes will be committed.

Opponents of this point of view point out that

criminals will continue to own firearms, while law

abiding citizens will not be able to own one for

protection.

Two states, Illinois and Wisconsin have laws that specifically state that a handgun cannot be owned for protection.

These states feel that there is nothing in the Constitution that says someone has the right to own a gun for protection.

All of this may change, however, as the Supreme Court is about to intervene. The Supreme Court is set to decide if a

Washington DC ban on handguns violates the 2nd amendment.

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1. What is taking place in the picture

2. What do gun control advocates want?

3. What do gun rights advocates want?

4. What kind of incidents do gun control advocates point to in order to make their arguments?

5. What does the NRA say about gun control?

on the number of guns a person can buy and raising the age limit for gun ownership.

Gun rights groups, led by the National Rifle Association, argue that these and other proposals infringe on the constitutional

rights of law-abiding citizens. They maintain that bans on the sale of certain types of weapons have not proved effective in

reducing violent crime, and that proposals for stricter background checks at gun shows are designed to eliminate gun

shows themselves. Some gun manufacturers have volunteered support for safety locks, but the NRA has criticized safety

locks for placing an undue burden on gun manufacturers without a proven benefit to the public.

The debate over gun ownership is centered on the

Second Amendment to the Constitution, which

protects "the right of the people to keep and bear

arms."

Gun control advocates believe that right does not

extend to ownership of military-style firearms that

are otherwise known as assault weapons. They

point to incidents such as the Columbine high

school massacre in April 1999, which resulted in

the deaths of 14 students (including the two

gunmen) and a teacher, in support of banning

assault weapons. They also support measures

intended to curb gun-related violence, such as

mandatory child safety locks, background checks

on those wishing to purchase a gun, limits

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1. Why did the framers of the Constitution want a “separation of powers?”

2. What was wrong with the “articles of confederation?”

3. List the 3 articles of the constitution and what power they give to the government.

4. What do “checks and balances” ensure?

5. List one thing that each branch can do to another branch to check its power.

Though in this system of a "separation of powers" each branch operates independently of the others. However, there are built in

"checks and balances" to prevent tyrannous concentration of power in any one branch and to protect the rights and liberties of citizens.

For example, the President can veto bills approved by Congress and the President nominates individuals to serve in the Federal

judiciary; the Supreme Court can declare a law enacted by Congress or an action by the President unconstitutional; and Congress can

impeach the President and Federal court justices and judges.

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention faced a difficult

challenge. They wanted to ensure a strong, cohesive central

government, yet they also wanted to ensure that no individual or

small group in the government would become too powerful.

Because of the colonies’ experience under the British monarchy,

the delegates wanted to avoid giving any one person or group

absolute control in government. Under the Articles of

Confederation, the government had lacked centralization, and the

delegates didn’t want to have that problem again. To solve these

problems, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention created

a government with three separate branches, each with its own

distinct powers. This system would establish a strong central

government, while insuring a balance of power.

Governmental power and functions in the United States rest in

three branches of government: the legislative, judicial, and

executive. Article 1 of the Constitution defines the legislative

branch and vests power to legislate in the Congress of the United

States. The executive powers of the President are defined in

Article 2. Article 3 places judicial power in the hands of one

Supreme Court and inferior courts as Congress sees necessary to

establish.

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1. Which articles of the constitution explain which branches we’ll have in our government?

2. What are two reasons the constitution has power divided among the three branches?

3. List a power of the Executive Branch…

4. List a power of the Judicial Branch…

5. List a power of the Legislative Branch…

For example, congressional authority to enact laws can be checked by an executive veto, which in turn can be overridden by a two-

thirds majority vote in both houses; the President serves as commander-in-chief, but only the Congress has the authority to raise and

support an army, and to declare war; the President has the power to appoint all federal judges, ambassadors, and other high government

officials, but all appointments must be affirmed by the Senate; and the Supreme Court has final authority to strike down both legislative

and presidential acts as unconstitutional. This balancing of power is intended to ensure that no one branch grows too powerful and

dominates the national government.

Anchored by the first three articles of the Constitution,

Congress (legislative), the presidency (executive) and the

judiciary (judicial) make up our three branches of

government.

By distributing the essential business of government among

three separate but interdependent branches, the

Constitutional Framers ensured that the principal powers of

the government, legislative, executive and judicial, were

not concentrated in the hands of any single branch.

Allocating governmental authority among three separate

branches also prevented the formation of too strong a

national government capable of overpowering the

individual state governments. The Separation of Powers, by

which the executive, legislative, and judicial branches are

to be independent and not infringe upon each other's rights

and duties, is one of the basic doctrines in the US

Constitution. Nevertheless, governmental powers and

responsibilities intentionally overlap.

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1. Who does this article see as the “Father of the Constitution?”

2. How did Madison’s physical disposition and his mental disposition differ?

3. What system did Madison propose at the convention that his borrowed from Montesquieu?

4. What does this quote of Madison’s mean? “Liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty as well as by

the abuses of power,”

5. What do you think that the cartoon is trying to say about the Bill of Rights?

James Madison, a wealthy Virginia planter, grew

up small, thin and sickly. Physically, he could not

compete with many of the Founders. Intellectually,

he was a giant.

Madison had the imagination and intelligence to

nurture a nation in ways no one else could. In 1787,

he was a leader at the Constitutional Convention.

He took notes, spoke often, and helped people

come to compromises. He was wise enough to be

worried about factions. He suggested a system of

checks and balances. He also worked to balance the

power of the states and federal government. Both

are key parts of American government. When the

Constitution was sent to the states, Madison wrote

newspaper articles to defend it. “Liberty may be

endangered by the abuses of liberty as well as by

the abuses of power,” he warned.

When it became clear that the Constitution would not pass without it, he drafted the Bill of Rights.

Madison believed the new government was “the work of many heads and many hands.” History, however, has made

him famous as the “Father of the Constitution.”

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1. How many members are there in the House of Representatives?

2. After a Bill is approved in the house that came up with it, where does it then go?

3. What is one thing that congress can do if the president refuses to sign a bill into law?

4. Why do you think that the founding fathers made it difficult for a bill to become law? What purpose

does this serve?

If your congressperson thinks that your idea has a good chance of becoming a law,

then he or she promises to sponsor it. This means that he or she will support it and

speak out in favor of it, in Congress and in public. Once your idea has support from

a member of Congress, it's on the fast track to success.

First, your congressperson introduces your idea as a bill. The bill is sent to the right

committee. The members of the committee discuss the bill and then vote on it. If

they approve it, then the bill goes to the full house of Congress.

So, your bill has been approved by the Agriculture Committee. It goes to the full

House. All 435 members of the House discuss it, debate it, and then vote on it. One

more than half of the members have to approve it. In the House, this is 218. If they

approve it, then the bill goes to the other house of Congress, the Senate. If the

House doesn't approve the bill, they may either send it back to the committee it

came from or abandon it.

Now, let's say that your bill has passed the House. It now goes to the Senate, first to

the right committee. In the Senate, this is the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry

Committee. Then, the process repeats. This committee discusses it, then votes on it.

If they approve of the bill, then it goes to the full Senate. All 100 Senators discuss

it, debate it, then vote on it. If 51 Senators vote in favor of the bill, then it passes

and goes to the President to sign.

If the President signs the bill, it becomes a law. If he doesn't like it, he can veto it and send it back to Congress. Both houses of Congress

then have three choices:

* They can change the bill so it is more to the President's liking;

* They can agree that the bill will never be passed and let it go;

* They can vote to override the President's veto.

For this last thing to happen, they need to have two-thirds of the members of both houses vote to override. In the Senate, this is 67. In the

House, this is 290. If either house fails to get to that number, then the President's veto stands and the bill will not become a law.

Good news for you: The Senate passed your bill, and the President has signed it. Your bill is now a law.

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Microsoft Word - Constitution Worksheets

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