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Unit 4 Vocabulary

Terms

Bill of Rights:

U.S. Constitution:

Electoral College:

Executive Branch:

Legislative Branch:

Judicial Branch:

Checks and Balances:

People & Places

Cabinet:

House of Representatives:

Senate:

U.S. Supreme Court:

President of the United States

Speaker of the House:

Vice-President of the United States:

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Unit 5 Vocabulary

Concepts

Amend:

Precedent:

Preamble:

Repeal:

Impeach:

Campaign:

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BIRTH OF THE UNITED STATES

ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

The Articles of Confederation served as the _____ _____ of American government. The Articles were both approved and ratified during the Revolutionary War.

Provided a weak _________ government
No Executive or ________ Branch
All powers given to Congress

Congress was funded by the United States
Congress had no power to _____

Under the Articles of Confederation, __ of the 13 states would need to agree in order for new legislation to be ratified. All __ states needed to agree to amend (change) the Articles of Confederation.

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

The Constitutional Convention convened in May 1787 in ___________, as 12 of the 13 states sent representatives. In total, 55 delegates were in attendance. Of the delegates in attendance, 39 had been members of the Continental ________ during the American Revolution, 8 of which had signed the Declaration of Independence.

George Washington of Virginia, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Alexander Hamilton of New York, and James Madison and George Mason of Virginia were the selected ________ of the Constitution.
George Washington was elected as __________ of the Convention.
After five days, the Articles of Confederation were _________ in favor of a new Constitution.

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BIRTH OF THE UNITED STATES

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION: TWO PLANS

Two plans of government emerged at the Constitutional Convention, known as the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan.

Both plans called for _______ branches of government.
The _________ Plan called for a bicameral legislature, meaning that the representatives would be elected by the people and by the respective state.
The ____ _______ Plan called for a unicameral legislature, meaning that every state gets the same number of legislature.
Under the Virginia Plan, the legislature could regulate interstate trade, strike down laws deemed ________________, and use armed forces to enforce laws.
Under the New Jersey Plan, the national government could levy taxes and ________ trade.

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION: COMPROMISES

There were a number of compromises made at the Constitutional Convention in an attempt to find a _______ ground.

The ______-_____ Compromise: northern and southern states that counted slaves as ⅗ of a person for census information.
The ____________ and Slave Trade Compromise: stipulated that in order for the Consitution to include the power to regulate commerce, southern states demanded that slavery be protected for at least 20 years.
The _____________ Compromise: one house of Congress (House of Representatives) be based on state population, while the other (Senate) be based on state equality.

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FEDERALISTS VS. ANTIFEDERALISTS:

TWO SIDES OF RATIFICATION

Federalists	Antifederalists

The subject speaks its own importance; comprehending in its consequences nothing less than the existence of the Union, the safety and welfare of the parts of which it is composed, the fate of an empire in many respects the most interesting in the world.

— Alexander Hamilton, Federalist

The fate of this question and America may depend on this: Have they said, “We the States”? Have they made a proposal of a compact between States? If they had this would be a confederation.

Patrick Henry, Anti-Federalist

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BIRTH OF THE UNITED STATES

THE CONSTITUTION: RATIFICATION

With 11 of the original __ states ratifying, the Constitution went into effect in ______. Federalists and Anti-Federalists had been able to compromise on a number of issues, but the Federalists eventually compromised with the Anti-Federalists over adding a bill of rights.

___ ____ ____ was named the temporary capital of the United States.
George Washington was unanimously elected the first _________ of the United States, with John Adams ____-__________.

U.S. GOVERNMENT: DEMOCRATIC VALUES

There are a number of underlying values of United States government, including:

The power of government needs to be __________, using the methods of separation of powers and system of checks and _____________.
The Constitution needs to be in _________ form; the people have the right to change (amend) or do away with (repeal) amendments.
The people of the nation need to have the ability to ________ what takes place in government.
Each individual has certain rights and freedoms.
Every person is equal under the _____.

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BIRTH OF THE UNITED STATES

U.S. GOVERNMENT: CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES

There are also number of underlying principles of United States government, including:

___________: the distribution of power among the federal, state, and local governments.
Separation of Powers: each branch of government has separate, but equal powers.
__________ ____ _________: different branches maintain the balance of power by keeping one another in check.
Judicial Review: court’s ability to review the constitutionality of cases.
______________ ___________: citizens elect a small group of people to represent them while running the government.

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BRANCHES OF

U.S. GOVERNMENT

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BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT

BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT: EXECUTIVE

The purpose of the Executive Branch is to enforce the laws of the United States and recommend new laws. The President is the head of the Executive Branch.

The President serves as _________-__-_____ of the military
The President meets with leaders of other __________.
The Vice-President, who serves as the head of the _______, along with the cabinet, _______ the President.

PRESIDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

To become President of the United States, based on those stipulations in the U.S. Constitution, one must meet three key requirements:

At least ___years of age
_______ born citizen of the United States
Must have lived in the country for the past 14 years.
Steps to election

_________
Party nomination
General ________
Inauguration

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BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT

DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT

In addition to representing all U.S. citizens, there are a number of key duties of the President of the United States.

_______ of the Executive Branch: the main job of the President is to oversee the federal government.
Commander-in-Chief of the United States _______: the Constitution divides the power to make war between the President and Congress.
Head of Foreign ________: the President maintains the United States’ role as a world leader.
Head of ______: the President serves as the highest living symbol of the United States.

PRESIDENTIAL CABINET

There are many cabinet departments that comprise the administration of a U.S. President.

The Department of __________ provides money for public education and loans to help people attend college.
The Department of _________ collects taxes, recommends ways to help the economy, and manufactures coins and currency.
The Department of ________ is responsible for providing the military forces needed to protect our country.

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BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT

There are many other departments within the Executive Branch, including:

Department of __________
Department of Justice
Department of ________ and Human Services
Department of Housing and ______ Development
Department of Homeland _________
Department of the Interior
Department of ______

BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT: LEGISLATIVE

The Legislative Branch, Congress, _______ the laws of the United States.

Congress is made up of the _______ and the House of ______________.
Congress meets at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
The primary duties of Congress are to ______, debate, and ____ bills, which are then sent on to the President for approval.
There are ____ members of the House of Representatives and ____ members of the Senate.

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BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

In the House of Representatives, representation is based on the number of ______ living in each state. Therefore, the more people, the more representatives in the House.

Each state has at least ____ representative in the House.
Each representative serves a __-____ term. When the term is over, people from that state may choose to elect a new ______________ or keep the same one.
To run for the House, a person must be at least ___-____-___ and have been a U.S. citizen for the past ___ years.

U.S. SENATE

In the Senate, each state has __ representatives. Therefore, each state has equal representation in the Senate.

Each senator serves a __-____ term. When the term is over, people from that state may choose to elect a new representative or keep the same one.
To run for the Senate, a person must be at least __-____-____ and have been a U.S. citizen for the past __ years.
Like the House, each senator must reside (_____) in the state they represent.

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BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT

DUTIES OF CONGRESS

When ___________ was the capital of the United States, the House and the Senate convened (met) at Independence Hall. The Senate met on the upper floor and the House met on the lower floor. Today, the Senate is often referred to as the _____ House, while the House of Representatives is the ______.

Duties of the Senate include: voting on ________, reviewing and approving Presidential __________(nominees), and holding trials for __________ officials.
Duties of the House include: recommending ____ bills to become law and deciding if government officials should be put on trial for crimes.

BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT: JUDICIAL

The Judicial Branch, comprised of the ______ system, has the important role of _________ laws and determining the constitutionality of laws.

In addition to interpreting laws, the Judicial Branch determines how laws should be _________.
The U.S. _________ Court, established by the Constitution, is the _______ court in the United States.
The federal courts, established by Congress, help to decide arguments of the __________ of laws.

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BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT

U.S. SUPREME COURT

The U.S. Supreme Court, comprised of __ justices, hears cases that have made their way through the ______ courts. The Supreme Court has the _____ word in appealed cases.

The Supreme Court has more than 7,500 appealed cases each year, only ____-___ of which are accepted.
Members of the Supreme Court are nominated by the _________ and confirmed (approved) by the _______.
Members of the Supreme Court can serve for ____.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., who served on the Supreme Court for ___ years, is the oldest Justice to ever serve (___-years-old)

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THE BILL OF

RIGHTS

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BILL OF RIGHTS

OVERVIEW

The first ____ amendments to the Constitution comprise the Bill of Rights. Written by James Madison, the Bill of Rights are _________ personal liberties for U.S. citizens.

The Bill of Rights _______ the power of government, allowing people to have the freedom of speech and religion, right to _____ ____ (possess guns), and due process of law, among other rights.
Most of the amendments to the Bill of Rights were created in response to the ________ of colonists’ rights by the British during the Revolutionary Era.
The Bill of Rights is strongly influenced by the Magna _______.

BILL OF RIGHTS: AMENDMENTS 1 & 2

The first amendment to allows for freedom of ________, religion, ______, petition, and ________ for all U.S. citizens.

Historical Roots: the English government had ____________ speech, assembly, and press rights in an attempt to put an end to colonial discontent.

The second amendment allows for the right to bear ______.

Historical Roots: during the Revolutionary Era, the British attempted to ______ militia activity in anticipation of a revolution.

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BILL OF RIGHTS

BILL OF RIGHTS: AMENDMENTS 3 & 4

The third amendment protects citizens from having to _______ troops in their ______ during peacetime.

Historical Roots: The Quartering Act, passed by British parliament during the Revolutionary Era, required colonists to _____ and _____ British troops stationed in the colonies.

The fourth amendment protects citizens from unreasonable ________ and _________.

Historical Roots: During the Revolutionary Era, British troops regularly searched houses and properties at _____, an attempt to suppress ________ and organizations aimed at revolting.

BILL OF RIGHTS: AMENDMENT 5

The fifth amendment has three critical protections as part of the right to due process. First, citizens cannot be tried for the same crime _______ (double jeopardy), cannot be forced to testify against ________ (self-incrimination), and the right to fair compensation for eminent __________.

Historical Roots: Many of those accused in the British colonies were jailed _________ being accused of a crime(s). In addition, those charged in crimes were subject to ______ courts, rather than local ____________.

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BILL OF RIGHTS

BILL OF RIGHTS: AMENDMENT 6

The sixth amendment, much like the ________, has several protections for U.S. citizens. Under the sixth amendment, citizens have the right to be ___________ of charges against them, the right to a fair and _______ public trial, and the right to a fair and __________ jury.

Historical Roots: During the Revolutionary Era, ______ courts could keep a person in jail without ___________ of a crime(s). Many found themselves imprisoned for _______, only to be determined innocent and __________.

BILL OF RIGHTS: AMENDMENTS 7 & 8

The seventh amendment allows citizens the right to a trial in a _______ (non-criminal) case.

Historical Roots: ___________ of the right to trial by jury.

The eighth amendment protects citizens against ______ and ______ punishment and protection against excessive bail and fines.

Historical Roots: British courts in the American colonies were notoriously _______ in the eyes of the colonists, imposing _________ fines and sentences for ______ offenses.

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BILL OF RIGHTS

BILL OF RIGHTS: AMENDMENTS 9 & 10

The ______ amendment allows for citizens’ rights not _______ in the Constitution to be protected.

Historical Roots: The framers of the Constitution wanted to assure rights _____ listed in the Bill of Rights were protected.

The tenth amendment guarantees ________ and ________ have rights not specifically delegated to the federal government.

Historical Roots: The framers of the Constitution feared the ___________ of the people and the states by a powerful national _________ , much like the same way the British dominated the ________. People and states would therefore be granted all the ______ the federal _____________ was not.