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Midterm Study Guide
Ch. 1 Questions
1.
What are the Three Types of Power in Gov’t (Branches)? What does each do?
2.
How did government originate? What are the four main theories? Explain.
3.
How does the Preamble of the Constitution explain the purpose (or goals) of our government?
4.
What six main ideas are highlighted in the Preamble of the Constitution?
5.
How many justices are there on the Supreme Court?
6.
Who is the current Supreme Court Chief Justice?
7.
How many Senators are there in the US senate? How is that determined?
8.
How many Representatives are in the US House of Representatives? How is that determined?
9.
Describe the basic beliefs of the Republican Party.
10. Describe the basic beliefs of the Democratic Party.
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11. How are democracies and dictatorships different?
12. How do direct democracies and indirect democracies differ?
13. How do presidential governments and parliamentary governments differ?
14. What is the difference between Capitalism and Democracy?
15. What is ISIS? What is their goal? What have they done?
Ch.1 Key Terms
Section 1.1
1. Legislative
2.
Executive
3.
Judicial
4.
Constitution
5.
state (not in US)
6.
nation
7.
Public policies
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8.
divine right theory
9.
evolutionary theory
10. social contract theory
11. force theory
12. Sovereignty
Section 1.2
13. Direct Democracy
14. Indirect Democracy
15. Autocracy
16. Oligarchy
17. Presidential Governments
18. Parliamentary Governments
19. Unitary Government
20. Federal Government
21. Confederate Government
22. Bicameral
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Section 1.3
23. Majority
24. Minority
25. Majority Rule
26. Minority Rights
27. free enterprise system
28. bipartisanship
29. polarization
30. Collective Societies
31. Individualistic Societies
32. Emancipation Proclamation (Significance?)
33. 13th, 14th, 15th Amendments (Significance?)
34. 19th Amendment (Significance?)
35. Civil Rights Movement (1960s)
36. Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)
37. Tyranny of Majority
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Ch. 2 – Questions
1. Name four important European political documents which preceded the USA. What
is the significance of each?
2. What was the Enlightenment? How did it impact the founding of the US Gov’t?
3. Which Enlightenment philosophers’ ideas’ were important to the founding of the US
Gov’t? Who was responsible for which idea?
4. By tracing the events of the Stamp Act, Stamp Act Congress, Boston Massacre,
Boston Tea Party, the 1st Continental Congress, and the 2nd Continental Congress,
explain how each contributed to the Colonies declaring independence from Great
Britain.
5. How did the Seven Years War (a.k.a. French-Indian War) lead to the American
Independence movement? Be specific.
6. In class you made a timeline of nine (9) events leading to American Independence.
The list of these events can still be found in Notes 2-2. Please list these events.
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7. Be able to identify the following key phrases from the Declaration of Independence
and be able to explain their meanings in simple terms.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men
are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among
these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness.”
Significance?
“That to secure these rights, Governments are
instituted among Men, deriving their just powers
from the consent of the governed, That whenever
any Form of Government becomes destructive of
these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or
abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying
its foundation on such principles, and organizing its
powers in such form, as to them shall seem most
likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
Significance?
8. What weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation made a lasting government
impossible?
9. What was the structure of the Gov’t under the Articles of Confederation? (Branches,
Houses)
10. Keeping in mind the historical context under which the Articles of Confederation
were written, why might they have been written this way?
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11. What compromises enabled the Framers to create the Constitution?
12. By looking at the structure of our government today, what elements are from the NJ
Plan? What elements are from the VA Plan?
13. Why did the 3/5ths Compromise come about? What did it declare? How may this
have contradicted a major statement in the Declaration of Independence?
14. What one major issue was the “elephant in the room” at the Constitutional
Convention?
15. What was the goal of the Federalists?
16. What did the Anti-Federalists fear? What did they want added to the Constitution?
17. Who ultimately won the argument (in 1789), the Federalists or the Antifederalists?
18. How did each side (Federalists and Antifederalists) use the media and propaganda
to influence public opinion? Be specific for each.
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Ch.2 – Key Terms
Section 2.2
1. limited government
2. representative government
3. due process
4. charter
5. bicameral
6. proprietary
7. unicameral
8. landmark
9. arbitrary
10. venture
11. levy
12. haven
13. Rule of Law
14. The Enlightenment
15. John Locke
16. Voltaire
17. Montesquieu
18. Hammurabi’s Code
19. Magna Carta
20. English Bill of Rights
21. 2nd Treatise on Government
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Section 2-2
22. Confederation
23. delegate
24. popular sovereignty
25. duty
26. repeal
27. boycott
28. ablest
29. unalienable
30. King George III
31. Seven Years War
32. Albany Plan (1754)
33. Stamp Act of 1765
34. Stamp Act Congress
35. “Taxation without Representation”
36. Declaration of Rights and Grievances
37. Boston Massacre (1770)
38. Boston Tea Party (1773)
39. Intolerable Acts (1774)
40. 1st Continental Congress
41. 2nd Continental Congress
42. Declaration of Independence
43. Preamble
44. Grievances
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Section 2-3
45. Articles of Confederation
46. Ratification
47. jurisdiction
48. presiding officer
49. arsenal
50. Unicameral
Section 2-4
51. Framers
52. Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
53. envoy
54. apt
55. Constitutional Convention
56. Virginia Plan
57. New Jersey Plan
58. Connecticut Compromise
59. 3/5th Compromise
Section 2-5
60. Federalist
61. Anti-Federalist
62. amend
63. inauguration
64. quorum
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65. unanimous
66. Ratify
67. Federalists
68. Anti-Federalists
69. Patrick Henry
70. James Monroe
71. Thomas Jefferson (sort of)
72. Federalist Papers
73. James Madison
74. Alexander Hamilton
75. John Jay
76. Importance of the VA ratification
77. Importance of the NY ratification
Ch. 3 – Questions
1.
How often are Representatives to be elected?
2. How old must a Representative be to be elected?
3. How long is the term for a senator?
4. How old does someone have to be to be a senator?
5. Who is the president of the Senate and when may that person vote?
6. Which legislative body has the power of impeachment?
7.
Which legislative body has the power to try an impeached official?
8.
Who shall officiate the impeachment trial when a president is tried for impeachment?
9.
What is the required vote that is necessary to convict someone who has been impeached?
10.
What is the only penalty that can be imposed on someone who has been impeached?
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11.
Who decides the times, places, and manner for holding elections for Congress?
12.
In which house of Congress do all bills concerning taxes originate?
13.
What fraction of both houses must vote to override a veto?
14.
What happens when a president doesn’t return a bill in 10 days?
15.
Name the two houses of Congress.
16.
How many Senators are there in the Senate?
17.
How many representatives are there in the House of Representatives?
18.
In Section 8, the Constitution lists or enumerates the powers of Congress. List six of them.
19.
In Article I - Section 8, which clause gives Congress the most general, non-specific powers?
20.
When may the writ of habeas corpus be suspended?
21.
Name three limits on the powers of the states.
Article II
22.
How old does someone have to be to be elected president?
23.
How is it determined how many electors (Electoral College) each state has for President?
24.
Name three powers of the President.
25.
Name the body of Congress that must approve a treaty that the president has negotiated and the
fraction of the vote they must approve it by.
26.
Which body of Congress approves nominations?
27.
When can the president appoint people without approval by anyone else?
28.
What can a president or other officers be impeached for?
Article III
29.
What is the term of office for Supreme Court justices?
30.
What must be necessary to convict someone of treason?
Article IV
31.
What is the topic of Article IV?
32.
What does the Constitution say about how one state must regard the laws of another state?
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33.
What limitation is put on admitting new states to the Union?
Article V
34.
What fraction of the houses of Congress is necessary to approve a proposed amendment?
35.
What fraction of the states must approve a proposed amendment for it to be ratified?
36.
What fraction of the states can ask for a convention to propose new amendments?
Article VI
37.
What does the Constitution say about which law shall predominate if there is any conflict between
laws?
38.
What qualification for holding any public office is forbidden?
Article VII
39.
How many states had to ratify the Constitution?
Amendments
40.
Name the five basic civil liberties guaranteed in the First Amendment.
41.
Which amendment prevents a citizen of California from suing the state of Nevada?
42.
Which amendment said that states couldn’t prevent people from voting based on their race?
43.
Which amendment said that a person couldn’t be tried twice for the same crime?
44.
When can the government take private property and what must the government give the owners?
Which amendment establishes this?
45.
Which amendment prohibited alcohol? Which Amendment repealed the prohibition on alcohol?
46.
Which amendment gave women the right to vote and in what year was it passed?
47.
Which amendment decided that a person could be president for only two terms?
48.
On what day does the Constitution state that a new president shall be inaugurated?
49.
Based on an Amendment, when must the new Congress meet?
50.
Which amendment establishes the date for the Presidential Inauguration?
51.
Which amendment requires a warrant to search someone's property?
52.
Which amendment gave government the power to impose an income tax?
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53.
Which amendment establishes what to do if the president is incapacitated and can’t perform his
duties?
Structure of the Constitution
Be able to identify each of the Articles of the Constitution and what each dealt with.
Article I - _____________________________________________
Article II - _____________________________________________
Article III - _____________________________________________
Article IV - _____________________________________________
Article V - _____________________________________________
Article VI - _____________________________________________
Article VII - _____________________________________________
Amendments
1. Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition
2. Right to Keep and Bear Arms
3. Lodging Troops in Private Homes
4. Search, Seizures, Proper Warrants
5. Criminal Proceedings, Due Process, Eminent Domain
6. Criminal Proceedings
7. Jury Trials in Civil Cases
8. Bail, Cruel and Unusual Punishment
9. Unenumerated Rights
10. Powers Reserved to the States
11. Suits Against the States
12. Election of President and Vice President
13. Banned Slavery
14. Citizenship for all, rights for all (Freed Slaves)
15. Right to vote (Freed Slaves)
16. Income Tax
17. Popular Election of Senators
18. Prohibition
19. Women’s Suffrage
20. Inauguration Dates
21. Repeal of Prohibition
22. Presidential Term Limit (2)
23. Electoral College Votes for DC (3)
24. Banned Poll Taxes
25. Presidential Succession
26. Vote - 18 years old
27. Congressional Pay
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Ch. 4 – Sorting: Be able to sort each as a Federal, State, or Concurrent Power
Borrow Money
Collect Taxes
Declare War
Define Crimes & Set Punishments
Driver’s Licenses
Establish a Police Force
Establish Courts
Establish local governments
Establish public Schools
Grant Patents and Copyrights
Lay Duties on Imports
Maintain Roads
Make Treaties with Foreign Governments
Print Money
Professional Licenses (ie/ Lawyers, teachers)
Protect National Borders
Raise Armies
Regulate Foreign Trade
Regulate Immigration
Regulate Interstate Trade
Set Environmental Standards
Set Health Standards
Set Marriage Laws
Speed Limits
Voting Registration
Zoning and Ordinances
Federal
State
Concurrent
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Federalism – A timeline of Change. Describe how each changed Federalism
1.
Alexander Hamilton
2.
The Civil War
3.
Teddy Roosevelt
4.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
5.
War on Terror