Ch 8: Basic Principles of the U.S. Government

What was America's first constitution called, which was considered too weak because it lacked the power to tax and had no executive or judicial branch?

• The Bill of Rights

• The Articles of Confederation

• The Declaration of Independence

• The Federalist Papers

Which document outlines the principles by which a government runs and the fundamental laws that govern a society?

• The Magna Carta

• The Constitution

• The Emancipation Proclamation

• The Gettysburg Address

In a federal republic, how is power distributed?

• Power is held solely by the national government.

• Power is divided between the national government and the states.

• Power is held solely by the states.

• Power is held by a monarch.

Who were the Framers?

• The group of delegates who drafted the United States Constitution at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787

• The authors of the Federalist Papers

• The first Supreme Court justices

• The signers of the Declaration of Independence

What is the concept of popular sovereignty?

• The idea that the government should be limited in its powers

• The belief that political power rests with the people who can create, alter, and abolish government

• The division of power between different branches of government

• The power of the president to veto legislation

What is the purpose of the Preamble in the Constitution?

• To list the rights of citizens

• To introduce the Constitution

• To outline the powers of the president

• To establish the judicial branch

What does the principle of limited government entail?

• The government has unlimited power over its citizens.

• Certain restrictions are placed on government to protect the natural rights of citizens.

• The government can only operate with the consent of the governed.

• The government is divided into three branches.

What are delegated powers?

• Powers specifically granted to the Federal Government by the Constitution

• Powers reserved for the states

• Powers shared by both the national and state governments

• Powers denied to both the national and state governments

What is federalism?

• A system where power is held by a single central authority

• A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments

• A system where power is held by the states alone

• A system where power is held by the people directly

What are reserved powers?

• Powers specifically granted to the Federal Government

• Powers belonging specifically to the states and the people

• Powers shared by both the national and state governments

• Powers denied to both the national and state governments