History Games (Constitution & First President)

What did the executive branch of government consist of when it was set up in 1789?

• the Senate and House of Representatives

• the Supreme Court and federal district and circuit courts

• the president, vice president, and the president's cabinet

• a national bank under the Department of the Treasury

The first _____ consisted of three department heads, the attorney general, and the postmaster general.

• Congress

• State Department

• cabinet

• judiciary

Which power given to the president by Congress established the president’s authority over the executive branch?

• the ability to appoint cabinet members

• the ability to appoint the executive branch members

• the ability to dismiss senators and representatives

• the ability to dismiss cabinet officers without Senate approval

Disagreements arose in Congress between those favoring a(n) _____ national legal system and those who wanted to keep state courts.

• uniform

• judiciary

• attorney general

• Supreme Court

Why was the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution?

• to protect individual liberties

• to protect the government

• to satisfy Southern states

• to satisfy Northern states

President Washington focused on _____ and military matters.

• economic policies

• suggesting new laws to Congress

• raising the federal debt limit

• foreign affairs

The first secretary of the treasury was_____.

• James Madison

• Alexander Hamilton

• Thomas Jefferson

• John Jay

Why did the United States face serious financial trouble in its early years?

• Each state had a different currency.

• The government needed to pay back the money it had borrowed to pay for the Revolution.

• There was a recession.

• Congress would not vote to raise the federal debt limit.

What was one result of the compromise on Hamilton's plan to pay off bonds issued during the American Revolution?

• the removal of trade barriers

• the nation’s capital was relocated in the South

• protests by the Federalists

• reduced taxes in the North

James Madison and Thomas Jefferson opposed the establishment of a national bank because _____.

• They feared bank robbers.

• They believed the Constitution did not give Congress the power to create a bank.

• They were against raising taxes.

• They did not think people would want to keep their money in a bank.