The Basics of Government: Intro. to the Constitution

When did the U.S. officially become its own country?

• Feb. 7th, 1783

• July 4th, 1776

• Sept. 14th, 1690

• Oct. 24th, 1804

What would life probably be like in a "state of nature" where there's no government?

• just like it is today, no different

• way better - safer, people would be happier, etc.

• crazy - it would probably be chaotic and dangerous

What did the Founding Fathers think the purpose of government was?

• To protect our rights (life, liberty & property)

• To tell us what to do

• To give us jobs and make us pay taxes

• To make sure other countries took us seriously as a new country

What were the Founding Fathers afraid of when creating the new government?

• it not being powerful enough to be taken seriously

• it being too powerful, and taking people's rights away

• they weren't afraid of anything, they were the Founding Fathers!

What type of government did the Founders want to create?

• A direct democracy

• A monarchy

• A republic

Who did they model their government off of, from history?

• the Egyptians

• the Romans

• the Babylonians

• the Aztecs

What was the name of the first government that the United States had?

• The Constitution of the United States

• The Articles of Confederation

• The American Government

• The Revolutionary Government

How many states had to agree in order to pass national laws under the first government?

• 5/13

• 7/13

• 9/13

• 30/50

Why did the Articles of Confederation not stick around as our system of government?

• people got bored with it and wanted to try something new

• the national government was too powerful again, just like Britain's was, and people were fed up

• the rich people wanted to take it over and make it corrupt, so they did

• the national government didn't have enough power...it was too weak, and was at risk of falling apart - it couldn't even afford an army

What was it called when Congress met and decided to change the government from the Articles of Confederation, to what we have now?

• The Treaty of Paris

• The Declaration of Indepedence

• The Constitutional Convention

• Woodstock