Constitutional Principles

Open Ended

What might happen in a school if there were no rules, no principal, and no teachers to help?

Open Ended

Why is it important for a country to have a set of rules or a constitution to govern itself?

Open Ended

What might happen if a country had no central government? Consider laws, safety, and decision-making.

Multiple Select

Which of the following were problems caused by the lack of a central government under the Articles of Confederation?

• States made different laws

• There was a strong national army

• States always helped each other in emergencies

• There was chaos and lack of protection

Open Ended

Shays’ Rebellion was an example of the problems caused by the Articles of Confederation. Explain how this event demonstrated the weaknesses of the government at the time.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following was NOT a reason the Articles of Confederation failed?

• No taxing power

• No national army

• States acted independently

• Strong enforcement of laws

Multiple Choice

What was the main goal of the delegates at the Constitutional Convention of 1787?

• To create a stronger national government

• To dissolve the United States

• To keep the Articles of Confederation unchanged

• To give all power to the states

Multiple Choice

Which Founding Father is known as the 'Father of the Constitution' and pushed for a strong federal system with checks and balances?

• George Washington

• James Madison

• Benjamin Franklin

• Alexander Hamilton

Match

Match the following

• George Washington

• Alexander Hamilton

• James Madison

• Benjamin Franklin

President of the Constitutional Congress

Believed in strong national power

"Father of the Constitution"

Author, Philosopher, and Statesman

• President of the Constitutional Congress

• Believed in strong national power

• "Father of the Constitution"

• Author, Philosopher, and Statesman

Open Ended

How did the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights influence the creation of the U.S. Constitution?

Multiple Select

Which of the following are ideas that influenced the U.S. Constitution?

• Natural Rights

• Popular Sovereignty

• Separation of Powers

• Divine Right of Kings

Open Ended

Why do you think the Founding Fathers believed it was important to separate the powers of government into different branches.

Multiple Choice

What is the definition of 'separation of powers'?

• Dividing government into branches to prevent any one from becoming too powerful.

• Government can only do what the Constitution allows; leaders must follow laws.

• People have the power to rule; government gets authority from the people.

• Basic rights like life, liberty, and property that belong to all people.

Match

Match the following

• Basic rights like life, liberty, and property

• Government can only do what the Constitution allows; leaders must follow laws.

• People have the power to rule; government gets

  authority from the people.

• Dividing government into branches to prevent any

  one from becoming too powerful.

Natural Rights

Limited Government

Popular Sovereignty

Separation of Powers

• Natural Rights

• Limited Government

• Popular Sovereignty

• Separation of Powers

Open Ended

Why do you think we often describe federalism as a precarious balancing act?

Open Ended

Should the federal government have more power than state governments, or should states make their own rules on key issues like education? Why?

Multiple Select

Which of the following statements are true about the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan?

• The Virginia Plan favored large states and representation based on population.

• The New Jersey Plan favored small states and equal votes for each state.

• Both plans proposed a single house of Congress.

• The Virginia Plan gave each state equal votes.

Open Ended

How did the Great Compromise address the concerns of both large and small states regarding representation in Congress?

Multiple Choice

Which event happened first during the Constitutional Convention?

• Roger Sherman suggests compromise

• Virginia Plan proposed

• New Jersey Plan proposed

• Congress becomes two houses

Open Ended

Why do you think the three-fifths compromise is often described as a moral failure, even though it helped keep the union together?

Open Ended

How did the different compromises made during the Constitutional Convention affect the relationship between Northern and Southern states?

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements about the Slave Trade Compromise is correct?

• Congress could immediately ban the slave trade.

• Congress could not ban the slave trade for 20 years.

• The ban could take effect in 1820.

• Federal government lost power to regulate trade.

Open Ended

If you could consider only one civic virtue as critical to the success or failure of American society and governance, what would it be? Why?

Open Ended

Why is it important for a country to have a constitution or a set of rules to govern itself?