Name: __________________________________ Block: _____ Date: ________
Government Study Guide
Study your notes from the following lessons:
1. Why is government necessary in the lives of individuals?
2. How has the United States government changed over time?
3. How does the U.S. Constitution balance the rights and responsibilities of
individuals and states?
4. How is TN’s government similar and different to our federal government?
5. How did TN’s past political leaders contribute to the United States?
6. Important Supreme Court cases: Dred Scott v. Sanford and Marbury v.
Madison.
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1.
List three purposes of government in the lives of individuals: to protect individuals,
to keep law and order, to promote the general welfare of citizens.
2.
List three examples of being a responsible citizen: paying taxes, voting, serving the
country when required, helping those in need.
3.
The Articles of Confederation was one of the first documents to guide our nation. It
was weak and needed to be revised because it gave the states too much power.
4.
When the founding fathers wrote the documents to guide our nation, who were they
thinking of when they said all men were created equal? Only white men
5.
Overtime, many additions have been made to the Constitution to allow equality for
all people. These changes are called amendments.
6.
The Bill of Rights is the first 10 additions to the Constitution. It specifies the basic
rights of citizens of the United States.
7.
List the rights and responsibilities detailed in the 1st amendment of the Bill of
Rights: freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to
peaceful assembly, the right to petition the government for redress of grievances.
8.
A federal government system is a system that divides power between two or more
levels of government.
9.
The Legislative branch consists of Congress. Its main responsibility is to make laws.
10.
What are the two branches that Congress is divided into? House of Representatives
and the Senate
11.
List the main responsibility of the U.S. Supreme Court: to interpret whether or not
laws and actions are constitutional.
12.
List the main responsibility of the Executive branch: to carry out (enforce) the laws.
13.
Why is the system of checks and balances necessary? To make sure that one
branch of government does not have more power than the others.
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14.
Explain the system of checks and balances (provide 3 examples): There are three
branches in the United States government as established by the Constitution. First,
the Legislative branch makes the law. Second, the Executive branch executes the
law. Last, the Judicial branch interprets the law. Each branch has an effect on the
other. The powers of one branch can be challenged by another branch. This is what
the system of checks and balances is all about. Examples: The legislative branch
can impeach the president, the president appoints Supreme Court judges but
Congress has the approve them, the president can veto bills passed by Congress,
Judicial branch has the power of judicial review (can declare acts to be
unconstitutional).
15.
TN’s government and our federal government are similar and different. One major
difference is the main source of income. What is the main source of income for the
federal government? Income tax
16.
List three sources of income for TN’s government: sales, property, and fuel tax.
17.
List 4 similarities between the US and TN governments: constitutions, capitals,
allow for individual rights, 3 branches of government.
18.
List 3 differences between the US and TN governments: President/Governor, TN
constitution allows for a lottery, U.S has income tax and TN doesn’t.
19.
Who created the written Cherokee language? Sequoyah
20.
What does the term “talking leaves” refer to? Written communication (letters)
21.
What was the major disagreement between the “radical republicans” and Andrew
Johnson? Andrew Johnson’s plan for reconstruction of the nation did not harshly
punish the southern states that wanted to leave the union.
22.
Was Andrew Johnson impeached? No. Explain why, or why not: The Legislative
branch needed one more vote to impeach Johnson.
23.
Why was Sam Houston important to U.S. history? Helped liberate Texas from
Mexico and became Texas’ first president. He was the youngest governor of TN.
24.
Why was Houston removed from office? He was removed from office because he
did not want Texas to secede (separate) from the Union.
25.
The people thought that Andrew Jackson would make a great leader because he
was a strong military leader.
26.
What was the spoils system? In the politics of the United States, a spoil system
(also known as a patronage system) is a practice where a political party, after
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winning an election, gives government jobs to its voters as a reward for working
toward victory.
27.
Why was James K. Polk such a notable president? He was a dark-horse president.
28.
What goals did Polk complete while in office? He established a treasury, fixed
problems with taxes, established a boundary between Canada and Oregon, and
gained 8 new states.
29.
Dred Scott was a slave that believed that he should be free. His case was appealed
all the way to the Supreme Court. Why did Dred Scott believe that he should be a
free man? He had lived in a free state for a short period of time and the law stated
once free, always free.
30.
Why was the court case Marbury v. Madison important to U.S. history? It
established the system of judicial review and gave the Supreme Court the power to
determine whether or not a law is constitutional.