PACKET 7-REVIEW SHEET

DEMOCRACY

•A government ruled by the people-The citizens hold the political power

BILL OF RIGHTS• Lists the

freedoms of individual citizens that a government promises to protect-First 10 Amendments

CONSTITUTION• A document

that sets out the basic structure, functions and powers of a government

The Articles of Confederation• The first American

Constitution

• Was too weak to work effectively

• Only had one branch of government-Legislative

• Did not have the power to tax or create an army

NORTHWEST ORDINANCE

Provided a method for states to enter the Union- a territory had to have a population of 60,000 free settlers-Then it could ask Congress to become a state

SHAY’S REBELLION• In 1786, Daniel Shays a

Massachusetts farmer organized an uprising. 2,000 farmers attacked courthouses and prevented the state from seizing farms.

• It showed that the Articles were not working and the national government needed to be changed

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

Convention to rewrite the Articles of Confederation

• 55 delegates met in Philadelphia in May 1787

RATIFY

•To approve

DELEGATED POWERS• Powers given to the national

government

• Declare war and raise an army, Coin money, regulate trade between the states and foreign countries

RESERVED POWERS

• Powers given to state governments

• Make laws about marriage and divorce, education laws, regulate trade within the state

SHARED OR CONCURRENT POWERS•Powers given to both the states and the national government

•Raise taxes, borrow money

FEDERALISM

• The division of power between the state and national government

SEPARATION OF POWERS

• Division of power into 3 branches: Legislative, Executive and Judicial

CHECKS AND BALANCES• System by which each branch

of government can check or control the actions of the other two branches

VETO

•Power of the President to reject a bill passed by Congress

OVERRIDE

• Congress can overrule a presidential veto-Two thirds of both houses must vote to override

IMPEACH

• To bring formal charges against the President or another public official

AMENDMENT

• The only way to change the Constitution-It allows the Constitution to change with the times

• There are 27

CENSUS

• Population count taken every 10 years to determine representation in the House of Representatives

PREAMBLE

• Introduction to the Constitution which states that the power to govern comes from the people

• “We, the people…”

ELECTORAL COLLEGE

• Group of electors who meet every 4 years to choose the President and Vice President

THE FEDERALIST PAPERS

• A series of essays defending and supporting the Constitution

WHY WAS A WEAK CENTRAL GOVERNMENT CREATED UNDER THE

ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION?

• The founders were afraid of creating another tyranny like they had under King George so they purposely created a weak government-THEY WERE PARANOID ABOUT POWER!!!

VIRGINIA PLAN

• Big states plan-Called for 2 houses of Congress- The number of representatives from each state would be determined by population

NEW JERSEY PLAN

Plan of the small states-Called for a one house legislature and each state would get one vote regardless of population

THE GREAT COMPROMISE• Solved the problem of

representation in Congress• Created a bicameral (2

house) Congress!!!• House of Reps-

representation determined by population

• Senate-each state gets 2

THE THREE-FIFTHS COMPROMISE

• Solved the problem of whether to count slaves as population

• Three-fifths of a states slaves would be counted as population when figuring out how many representatives each state got in the House of Reps

THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT• Legislative Branch -

passes the laws

• Executive Branch -carries out the laws

• Judicial Branch -decides if the laws are carried out fairly or interprets the laws

WHY DID THE ANTI-FEDERALISTS OPPOSE THE CONSTITUTION? WHAT DID THEY WANT ADDED?

• 1. They thought it made the national government too strong and left the states too weak.

• 2. They thought the Constitution gave the President too much power.

• They wanted a Bill of Rights added

PURPOSE OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS

•To protect the rights of individual citizens

WHY IS THE CONSTITUTION A “LIVING DOCUMENT”?

• Because it has the ability to change with the times through the Amendment Process and the Elastic Clause