1. Road to the Constitution Test
2nd 9 Weeks Test Study Guide

2. 2. This was a government document which limited the power of the king
This “Big Idea” said that all people must follow the laws, and that the laws are enforced fairly.
Rule of Law
2. This was a government document
which limited the power of the king
and protected the rights of the English
nobility.
Magna Carta
3. Self-Government is the idea that
people can create and run their own government.

3. 4. The first Englishmen came to America looking for what 3 things?
Silver, gold, and a water-way to Asia
5. Englishmen were granted a _____________ which gave them permission to set up a colony in America.
charter
6. This agreement signed by the Plymouth colonists while still on board the Mayflower, established a majority-rule government where all men would vote on issues that came up.
The Mayflower Compact

4. 9. The ________________ forced colonists to house British troops.
7. What are Rights?
A set of things that people believe they should be free to do without restriction.
8. The representative group that makes laws and stands up for people’s rights in England, and is similar to the U.S. Congress is called
Parliament
9. The ________________ forced colonists to house British troops.
Quartering Acts

5. Paint, glass, paper, lead, and tea
10. The Townshend Revenue Act taxed things the colonists couldn’t make for themselves like
Paint, glass, paper, lead, and tea
11. The __________________________ was a government document that gave more power to Parliament, more rights to people, and limited the power of the King.
English Bill of Rights
12. Because of this act, the colonist were dependent on the King and had to follow the laws of England.
Declaratory Act

6. 14. The British passed the Stamp Act which forced colonists to
Cato’s Letters
13. _________________was a collection of letters that were written to convince people to support freedom of expression and to fight against the rule of the British Government.
14. The British passed the Stamp Act which forced colonists to
put expensive stamps on legal documents
as well as newspapers, calendars, and almanacs.
15. This “Big Idea” says that people have a right to fair and reasonable laws. Officials have to follow rules when enforcing laws and treat all people the same. What is the name of this “Big Idea”?
Due Process

7. 16. This type of government has been limited in power by a constitution or a written agreement.
Limited Government
17. After gaining their independence from Britain, colonists were seeking a government that ……..
Had enough power to do its job
Didn’t give anyone too much power
Considered the needs of all of the states
Let citizens have a say in government
Protected individual rights
18. A ____________________________is a group of individuals united together for a purpose.
confederation

8. 19. According to the Articles of Confederation, the 13 states would be governed as one nation. What are the 4 basic concepts of how states would be governed under the Articles of Confederation?
Each state was independent and had its own government
Each state would send representatives to the “Congress of the Confederation”, a lawmaking body
Congress was the only branch of government (no president or courts)
In Congress, each state got one vote

9. 20. Articles of Confederation
Pros
States got to keep their power and independence
There was no powerful government telling states what to do
Created a military
Cons
Did not give Congress the power to enforce laws
Congress couldn’t collect taxes to pay for military
In order to change the Articles, every single state had to agree

10. 21. What was the name of the meeting that was held in Philadelphia in 1787 that was supposed to fix the Articles of Confederation?___________________
Instead of Fixing the Articles of Confederation, representatives created this document that allowed the states to finally reach a compromise and is still used to govern our country today?_______________
Constitutional Convention
Constitution

11. 22. Under the Constitution, the government would have 3 branches
22. Under the Constitution, the government would have 3 branches. What are the three branches of government, who makes them up, and what are the jobs of each branch?
Legislative Branch-The duties of making laws are carried out by Congress.
Executive Branch-The duties of executing laws are carried out by the President.
Judicial Branch-The duties of interpreting laws are carried out by the courts.

12. House of Representatives
______________was a pamphlet written
to convince the American colonists to support becoming independent from Great Britain.
24. Under the Constitution, Congress is divided into two chambers: the__________and the
____________________. In the __________, each state gets two votes no matter what size it is. This favors small states. In the ____________________,
the more people a state has, the more votes it gets. This favors large states.
Common Sense
Senate
House of Representatives
Senate
House of Representatives

13. 25. What were some other problems in the Articles of Confederation that the Constitution was able to solve?
The Constitution required states to treat citizens from other states the same as their own citizens
The Articles couldn’t be changed unless all states agreed, but the Constitution can be changed if ¾ of the states agree.
The Constitution says federal laws are superior to state laws.

14. Foundations of Government/9 Weeks Test
26. What are our natural rights? Explain each one.
Life-refers to the fact that people want to live and will fight to survive.
Liberty-means that people want to be as free as possible to make their own decisions.
Property-represents the fact that people want to own things that help them survive, such as land, food, and tools.

15. 27. What are the 4 roles of government? Makes Laws
Protects the State/Country
Keeps Order
Helps Citizens
28. What is democracy? What are the two types of democracy? Explain each type.
Democracy-a form of government where citizens hold the power.
Representative Democracy-citizens elect leaders to represent their rights and interests in governments.
Direct Democracy-there are no representatives. Citizens are directly involved in the day-to-day work of governing the country.

16. A form of government where
29. This type of government is ruled by a king or queen. In modern times, it usually shares power with other parts of government.
monarchy
A dictatorship is ________________________
_______________________________________
A form of government where
one leader has absolute control over citizen’s lives.
31. This type of government is when a small group of people has all of the power. _____________ Give an example and explain it.
oligarchy
A junta is a small group of
people, usually military officers who rule a country after taking over by force.

17. __________ is a government that recognizes
God or a divine being as the ultimate authority. This type of government can be a democracy, dictatorship, monarchy, or just about any other kind of government.
Theocracy
33. This type of government is where nobody is in charge or everyone is.
anarchy
34. This person believed people were born with a mind like a blank slate, and also believed if the government didn’t deliver its promise to protect the people then they could revolt.
John Locke

18. 35. Who believed a social contract was not a two-way street
35. Who believed a social contract was not a two-way street. If people agreed to give up some rights and power in exchange for protection, they COULD NOT say anything if they government failed to do what it was supposed to do.
Thomas Hobbes