A | B |
What did the colonies produce for the economic trade known as mercantilism? | natural resources/raw materials (ex. tobacco, lumber, grain, etc) |
Why did the Pilrims, Puritan, Quakers and Catholics establish new English colonies? | religious freedom |
Which economic system helped Britain keep a favorable balance of trade | mercantilism |
What was the first colonial legislature to be established in the British colonies? | House of Burgesses |
What document established self-government for the Pilgrims? | Mayflower Compact |
Which English philosopher said the citizens make a "social contract" to create governments for the protection of their rights? | John Locke |
Prior to the French and Indian war, what was the British policy of allowing colonies to govern their own day-to-day affairs? | salutary neglect |
After the French and Indian War, which act levied the first-ever direct tax on the colonies? | Stamp Act |
Protests against the Quartering Act resulted in British troops firing on protestors in which historical event? | Boston Massacre |
Which historical event involved a protest by the Sons of Liberty against the taxes levied by the Tea Act? | Boston Tea party |
Which acts were passed by Parliament to try to regain control over the colonists in Boston, Massachusetts? | Coercive or "Intolerable" Acts |
What was the primary cause of the American Revolution? | taxation without representation |
What did Thomas Paine’s Common Sense urge colonists to do? | declare independence from Britain |
Which document described American political beliefs and listed the reasons for breaking away from Great Britain? | Declaration of Independence (1776) |
Which document established the national government of the United States after the Revolutionary War? | Articles of Confederation |
Which event showed that a constitutional convention was needed to strengthen the national government? | Shays Rebellion |
Which plan resulted in the creation of a bicameral Congress for our legislative branch? | Great Compromise |
Which political party supported the ratification of the Constitution? | Federalists |
Which political party opposed the Constitution because it didn’t have a Bill of Rights? | Anti-Federalists |
What was the name of the essays that were written to gain support for ratification of the Constituton? | Federalist papers |
What form of government allows the people to choose representatives who will make and enforce the laws? | republic or representative democracy |
What features of the U.S. Constitution limit the power of government? | separation of powers; checks & balances |
At the Constitutional Convention, which plan favored a new government with representation based on population? | Virginia plan |
At the Constitutional Convention, which plan favored a government with equal representation for each state? | New Jersey plan |
Which part of the U.S. constitution protects personal freedoms such as expression, right to bear arms, and rights of the accused? | Bill of Rights |
Which act established a method of organizing and preparing U.S. territories for statehood? | Northwest Ordinance of 1787 |
Which constitutional principle is reflected in the Preamble when it says "We the people...do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America"? | popular sovereignty |
Which constitutional principle divides powers between the different branches of government? | separation of powers |
Which branch of government makes laws? | legislative (U.S. Congress) |
What constitutional principle enables one branch to counteract the powers of another branch? | checks & balances |
Which branch of government enforces or carries out the law? | executive (President and executive agencies) |
Which branch of government interprets the law? | judicial (Supreme Court and lower federal courts) |
What constitutional principle enables the Supreme Court to strike down a law or government action that it has determined to be unconstitutional? | judicial review |
How can the president's power to select federal judges and executive officials be limited or blocked? | majority vote in the Senate |
What enumerated powers are specifically delegated to Congress in Article I, Sec. 8 of the Constitution? | tax, declare war, borrow, coin money, regulate interstate commerce |
What powers are delegated to Congress by the “necessary and proper” or "elastic" clause? | implied powers |
According to the 10th Amendment, who do the reserved powers belong to? | the states |
Which clause in the U.S. Constitution makes the national government and all laws made under it the "supreme law of the land"? | the supremacy clause |
Which clause in the U.S. Constitution requires each state to honor any public acts, records, or legal contracts that are made in another state? | "full faith and credit" |
Which power enables the House of Representatives to bring charges against the president for "high crimes or misdemeanors"? | impeachment |
Which constitutional protection limits government by preventing people from being jailed without charge? | writ of habeus corpus |
Which power of the president can be used to forbid a bill passed by Congress? | veto |
Which two legislative bodies make up the U.S. Congress? | the House of Representatives and the Senate |
What is the most basic function of the U.S. Congress? | to make laws |
How can the Constitution be changed? | amendment process |
How are amendments to the U.S. Constituion normally proposed? | passage by a 2/3 majority in each house of Congress |
How are amendments to the U.S. Constitution normally ratified? | by a majority vote in 3/4 of the state legislatures |
What freedoms are guaranteed by the 1st Amendment? | expression (speech), the press, assembly, religion, petition |
Which freedom is protected by the principle of “separation of church and state”? | religious freedom |
What right is protected by the 2nd Amendment? | right to bear arms |
What freedom is protected by the 4th Amendment? | no unreasonable searches and seizures |
What rights for the accused are guaranteed by due process in the 5th Amendment? | no double jeopardy, right to remain silent, indictment by grand jury |
What features of the 6th Amendment protect the rights of the accused? | right to an attorney and trial by jury |
Which Amendment guarantees “equal protection” under the law? | Fourteenth Amendment |
Which court case upheld the principle of "separate but equal"? | Plessy v. Ferguson |
Which court case overturned the principle of “separate but equal” by declaring that segregation in schools was unconstitutional? | Brown v. Board of Education |
What enables school officials to search the personal belongings of students, based on the ruling of the Court in New Jersey v. T.L.O.? | reasonable suspicion |
Which court case expanded the rights of criminal suspects by requiring law enforcement officers to inform them of their rights? | Miranda v. Arizona |
What court case confirmed that the right to an attorney is guaranteed by the 6th Amendment? | Gideon v. Wainwright |
In which form of government features one-person or one-party rule? | dictatorship |
Which characteristic of American government divides powers between the national government and the state governments? | federalism |
Which civic responsibility is necessary to maintain our judicial system? | jury duty |
What is required for a citizen to be able to vote? | at least 18 years old, registered with the County Board of Elections |
What is the most basic civic responsibility that a person can take to influence their government? | voting |
What are some of the legal responsibilities (duties) that citizens have? | obeying the law, paying taxes, jury duty, defending the nation |
What are some of the civic responsibilities that citizens have? | voting, volunteering, getting informed |
What characteristic of American government divides the powers and duties between different branches? | separation of powers |
What qualifies as person as a "natural born" citizen? | American birth or parents who are citizens |
What is the process called by which aliens can become U.S. citizens? | naturalization |
What form of government does the United States have? | republic or representative democracy |
Which branch of government has the power to make laws? | legislative |
Which form of representative democracy has a prime minister as the executive that runs the government who is chosen by the majority party in the legislative branch? | parliamentary |
Which form of government uses elections to allow citizens to choose public officials who will make and enforce laws? | republic or representative democracy |
Which branch of government has the power to carry out/enforce the law? | executive (president) |
Which branch of government has the power to apply the law like a "referee"? | judicial (courts) |