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Standard Indicator 8-3.3 (Answer Key)
SC’s role in developing new national government
1.
From 1783 until 1789, the United States was governed by the __Articles of Confederation__.
2.
Why was the Articles of Confederation too weak to meet the needs of the new nation?
States retained too much power
To meet those deficiencies, what was created in 1787, ratified in 1788, and went into effect in 1789?
United States Constitution
What did the Constitution of the United States establish?
A limited government based on power shared between national & state governments
What are the first ten amendments of the Constitution called?
The Bill of Rights
What did the Bill of Rights provide?
A written guarantee of individual rights of citizens
What must all laws conform to? Why?
The US Constitution because it is the highest law in the United States
Do states have constitutions? If so, which law is the supreme law, US or state constitution?
Yes, state constitutions are the highest law for the state, but the US Constitution is the highest or supreme law
of the land
The basic principles of American government include: __Popular Sovereignty_, _Individual Rights__________,
__Federalism_, ___Separation of Powers_______, ___Checks & Balances__, __Limited Government___,
__Representative Democracy___.
Popular Sovereignty occurs when the authority for government flows from whom? What amendment covers
this?
Authority of government flows from the people (9th Amendment & Preamble)
Individual Rights are unalienable rights guaranteed to all citizens in the _Preamble_ and the _Bill of Rights___.
Federalism occurs where the federal system _divides__governmental powers between national government
and the governments of the states. (10th Amendment)
Separation of Powers was created when the structure of the new national government established _Three _
_Separate __Branches_ _of _ __government__ to limit the power of any one branch. The _Legislative Branch is
the United States Congress which makes the laws. Congress is a two-house legislature. The _Judicial___ Branch
consists of federal courts. The highest court is the _US Supreme _Court_ which determines if laws made by
Congress are constitutional. The _Executive_ Branch is headed by the President and carries out the laws. The
Vice President and the Secretaries of all departments are also in the _Executive___ branch.
A system of __Checks_ _and_ __Balances_ occurs when each branch can check the power of the other. These
checks keep any one branch from gaining too much power (Articles I, II, III). An example of _Checks _and_
_Balances is the process by which a bill becomes a law. The bill must be passed by both houses of the Congress.
Then the President may sign it or veto it. If the bill is vetoed, then the Congress may override the president’s
veto with a two thirds vote.
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15. Limited Government occurs when powers of the government are restricted by the Constitution as stated in
Articles I, II, and III and by the Bill of Rights which protects the rights of the individual against _excessive _
_power_ by the government.
16. _Representative Democracy__ occurs when the constitution recognizes that the authority of the government
derives from “We, the People.” Voters hold the sovereign power but elect representatives to exercise power
for them, including the President, Senators and Representatives (The Preamble and Article I, II).
17. What do most state government’s mirror?
The organization of the national government with an executive, legislative, & judicial branch including the
concepts such as checks & balances