1. Constitution Test Review

2. What was the first government of the United States?
The Articles of Confederation

3. Why were the Articles of Confederation written?
Americans realized they needed a central government to deal with paying soldiers and negotiating treaties.

4. What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
No chief executive
No power to tax
No court system

5. What had the most power under the Articles, the federal government or the state governments?

6. What caused Shays’ Rebellion?
Farmers were mad about being taxed too high
People were angry at having their land taken away from them
the government was too weak to do anything about it

7. What was Shays’ rebellion about?
The farmers were having their land taken away because they were in debt.
The continental money was worthless.
They were highly taxed.

8. Why was the Constitutional Convention held?
To discuss ways to improve the Articles of Confederation

9. What city did the Constitutional Convention meet in?
Philadelphia

10. Who presided (led) over the convention?
George Washington

11. What were the two main disagreements about in the Constitutional Convention?
Representation and slavery

12. How many Houses are there in Congress?2

13. What was the compromise called that dealt with slavery?

14. What did the 3/5 Compromise do?
It allowed the southern states to count each slave as 3/5 of a person so they could have more representatives in the House of Representatives

15. What are the first three words of the Constitution?
We the people

16. What is the introduction to the Constitution called?
The Preamble

17. What branch is Congress?
Legislative branch

18. How many branches of government are there?3

19. What branch makes the laws?
Legislative branch

20. Who is in charge of the Executive Branch?
The president

21. How many representatives serve in the House?
435

22. How old must a member of the House be?25

23. How many senators are there from each state?2

24. How many total senators are there?
100

25. How long is a senator’s term of office?
6 years

26. How old must a senator be to be elected?30

27. How long is the president’s term of office?
4 years

28. How many terms can a president serve?2

29. How old must a person be to become president?35

30. What requirements are there to be elected president?
A citizen by birth
At least 35 years old

31. What branch is the Supreme Court?
judicial

32. The Supreme Court ______ the laws or decides if they are ____
interprets
fair

33. The president nominates Supreme Court justices and they are approved by the …
Senate

34. Who is government based on the consent of?
The people

35. How long are Supreme Court justices appointed for?
life

36. How many amendments to the Constitution have there been?27

37. What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution called?
The Bill of Rights

38. Why were the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution?
Many states wouldn’t sign the Constitution without a bill of rights
Many people believed it was needed to limit the power of the national government.
The writers of the Constitution wanted to protect the people’s personal rights and freedoms.

39. Name the rights the 1st Amendment guarantees.
Freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, petition

40. What does the 2nd Amendment guarantee?
The right to own a gun

41. What does the 4th Amendment protect?
Freedom from search or seizure without a warrant

42. The 5th Amendment contains the double jeopardy clause
The 5th Amendment contains the double jeopardy clause. What does that mean?
If you are found not guilty, you cannot be tried again for the same crime.

43. Thomas Jefferson said there was a wall of separation between
Chuch and state