US Constitution and Government Study Guide

US Constitution and Government Study Guide

By Heidi Smith

• The United States of America was created

• The founding fathers had to establish a new and lasting government

• Many loyalists returned to Great Britain​

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​effects of revolutionary war​

• The Founding Fathers believed the purpose of government was to protect the right of the people.​

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​the purpose of government

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• The founding fathers believed the government needed to be stronger, so they met to write the Constitution

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THe united states constitution

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• The United States Constitution outlines the powers of the national government.

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outline of powers

• The framers of the Constitution wanted a Bill of Rights to protect the rights of the people through a set of amendments to the Constitution.​

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​bill of rights

Multiple Select

What were the effects of the American Revolutionary War? Choose all that apply.

• The Unites States of America was created

• The founding fathers had to establish a new and lasting government

• Many loyalists returned to Great Britain.

   

• King George kept lands in the United States

Multiple Choice

What did the founding fathers believe was the purpose of government?

• The founding fathers believed that the purpose of government was to protect the rights of the people.

   

• To collect taxes

• To protect people from invading countries

• To serve as a way for people to complain

Multiple Choice

Why did the founding fathers meet to write the U.S. Constitution?

• They believed the federal government needed to be stronger and wrote the U.S. Constitution, which outlined the powers of the national government.

• They wanted to send a message to King George that the United States was a complete country

• They believed that it was necessary to show that all citizens had rights

• They wanted to explore the land and felt that a Constitution was needed to do so

Multiple Choice

Why did the framers of the Constitution want a Bill of Rights?

• They wanted to protect the rights of the people through a set of amendments to the Constitution.

• They wanted to create a bill in Congress to be passed by the President

• They felt the Bill of Rights could serve in place of the Constitution

• They decided that in order to collect taxes, a Bill of Rights would be needed

Multiple Choice

What is the purpose of separation of powers and checks and balances?

• Separation of powers prevents one person or group from having too much power.

• It ensures that the President does not veto any bill

• It balances the checks that the government writes

• There is no separation of powers

The government cannot stop people from practicing whatever religion they want, saying what they want, or publishing what they want in the news.​

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​Amendment 1 (First)

Freedom of Speech​

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The government cannot stop citizens from owning weapons.​

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​Amendment ii (Second)

right to bear arms​

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The government cannot make citizens let soldiers live in their homes.​

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​amendment iii (third)

​Protection against housing soldiers in civilian homes

No one can search a citizen, their houses, or any other belongings without a warrant or a very good reason that can be proved in court.

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​amendment iv (fourth)

​Protection against unreasonable search and seizure

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Protection against trial without indictment, double jeopardy, self-incrimination, property seizure​

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​amendment v (fifth)

​Due Process

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Citizens have the right to a trial by a fair jury, to not have to wait too long for the trial, to have the trial in the state where the crime was committed, to be well-informed about the charges, to have witnesses both for and against, and to have a lawyer​

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amendment vi

​Rights of the accused (sixth)

Citizens can take other citizens to court and have a jury decide the outcome of the lawsuit​

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​amendment vii (seventh)

​Civil Trials

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The government cannot require you to pay a ridiculous amount of money to get out of jail for a minor offense. This amendment also protects prisoners from punishments that involve pain and/or starvation.

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​amendment viii (eighth)

​Protection against excessive punishments

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​No one can say you can’t do something because it isn’t specifically written in the Constitution.

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​amendment ix (ninth)

​Enumerated Rights

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Unless it is stated in the Constitution that a certain power belongs to the federal government, it belongs to the states​

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amendment x (tenth)

​Reserved Powers

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