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WorksheetsWe the People
Total questions: 62
Worksheet time: 31mins
The sharing and balancing of power among different branches of government so no one branch can completely control the others.
colony
Founders
separation of powers
checks and balances
The division of powers among the different branches of government. In the United States, powers are divided among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
natural rights
social contract
separation of powers
checks and balances
Americans who supported Great Britain during the Revolution.
Founders
Patriots
Bill of Rights
Loyalists
The people who were important in the establishment of the United States.
Founders
Patriots
Bill of Rights
Loyalists
An agreement among the people to set up a government and obey its laws.
social contract
Democracy
Bill of Rights
Constitutional Government
A government in which the powers of the ruler or rulers are limited by a constitution. Rulers must obey the constitution.
social contract
Democracy
Republican Government
Constitutional Government
The war fought by the American colonists to gain their independence from Great Britain. It took place from 1775 to 1781.
separation of powers
Democracy
American Revolution
Patriots
The good of the community as a whole.
natural rights
liberty
common good
Bill of Rights
A person under the authority or rule of another.
Patriots
colony
subject
Dictatorial Government
A form of government in which power is held by the people. The people exercise their power either directly or through elected representatives.
Constitutional Government
Republican Government
Democracy
Dictatorial Government
The first ten amendments to the Constitution. It lists some basic rights of the people that the federal government may not interfere with and must protect.
natural rights
Declaration of Independence
Bill of Rights
social contract
The branch of government that interprets and applies the laws and settles disputes.
Legislative Branch
Executive Branch
Judicial Branch
American Revolution
Those Americans who supported the war for independence against Great Britain.
colony
Founders
Patriots
Loyalists
Such basic rights as those to life, liberty and property.
Bill of Rights
liberty
natural rights
common good
The right to be free. Some examples of liberties are the rights to believe what you wish, to read what you want, to speak freely, and to travel wherever you want to go.
Bill of Rights
liberty
natural rights
common good
A settlement or territory ruled by another country.
subject
colony
Democracy
Patriots
Statement that listed the basic principles of democratic government and gave reasons why the colonists wanted to free themselves from British rule. It was signed by the members of Congress on July 4, 1776.
American Revolution
Declaration of Independence
Bill of Rights
Patriots
The branch of government that carries out the laws made by the legislative branch.
Judicial Branch
Executive Branch
Legislative Branch
Loyalists
A government in which power is held by the people who elect representatives to run the government for the common good. The term does not refer to a political party.
Dictatorial Government
Republican Government
Constitutional Government
Democracy
The branch of government that makes the laws.
Executive Branch
Legislative Branch
Judicial Branch
Democracy
Government in which the rulers have unlimited power.
Dictatorial Government
Republican Government
Constitutional Government
Democracy
The Founders were the
people who opposed the Articles of Confederation
political leaders of the colonies
British governors of the colonies
people who supported the king.
The Founders believed that natural rights meant the right to
education, privacy, and security
life, liberty, and property
clothing, food, and shelter
freedom, work, and protection
An agreement to create a government and follow its laws is known as the
natural agreement
constitution
social contract
declaration of intent
Citizens who put the common good above their own selfish interests demonstrate
democracy
separation of powers
balance of powers
civic virtue
a constitutional government always includes
a strong executive
a limitation of powers
a written constitution
the idea of judicial review
A constitution is considered a higher law if it
must be obeyed by those running the government
can never be changed
comes from a divine source
keeps the government above the people
Dividing the government into different branches is an example of
federalism
constitutional government
separation of powers
private domain
The system of checks and balances was established to
prevent political parties from being created.
provide government officials with unlimited powers.
prevent branches of government from abusing power.
guarantee that people's rights are never limited.
A constitution is a set or __________ and laws that explain how a government is set up and how it should be run.
rights
rules
liberty
Who said that all human beings have what he called "natural rights"
Thomas Jefferson
George Washington
John Locke
John Smith
Which is not a natural right?
life
property
liberty
happiness
Our founding Fathers got their ideas about how our government should be run by
Roman Republic
Greek Empire
Great Britain
What does it mean what people elect representatives to make decisions for them in government?
roman republic
republican government
direct democracy
What government that has limits on its power.
dictorial government
constitutional government
republican government
Which is not one of the 3 parts of the Declaration of Independence?
Complaints against the king.
Reasons not to be taxed.
Reasons why they had the right to be free of England
Basic ideas about people and government.
The colonists wrote in the Declaration of Independence that the basic ideas about people and government. They said all people are created _________
liberty
equal
together
Which is not a complaint to the king in the Declaration of Independence?
He stopped their trade with other countries.
He taxed the colonists without their consent.
He took away their right to trail by jury.
He would't give them an army.
Choose the 3 branches of government.
executive
judical
legislative
constitutional
The common good means what is good for
government
most people
the rich
the poor
Civic virtue means that citizens
put the common good ahead of their own good
put their own good ahead of common good
rule themselves
limit the power of government
Most Americans in the 1770s were
farmers
slaves
indentured servants
rich
One way a constitution might limit a government's power is
to hold elections to remove people from office if they do not obey the constitution
to rebel
to create a dictator to force people to behave
all of the above
Which is not true in a republican government?
the people hold the power of government
the people give power to leaders they elect to represent them
representatives are responsible to help all the people in a country, not just a few
all of these are true
A government is a constitutional government when
It has a written constitution
the people ratify the constitution
government protects the right to trial by jury
there are limits on the power of the government
a social contract is an agreement
among the people to get along with one another
among people that is not written
among the people to set up a government
between two governments
For what reasons did the colonists leave their home country?
To get away from King George III
Boredom
Religious freedom and/or to own land.
To get more work.
How did living in the colonies influence the Americans' ideas about government?
The colonists learned they could govern themselves.
They appreciated King George III
They felt like slaves.
They became indentured servants
According to John Locke, what might happen if there were no rules, laws, or government?
King George the III would take over.
Indentured servants would refuse to work off their debt.
Nobody's rights would be protected; it would be a state of nature.
It would become a democracy.
What happens in a DIRECT democracy?
People work by themselves to solve problems.
One ruler controls all.
The people themselves decide what laws they need.
King George III gets mad.
What are the three branches of government?
The White House and the Capitol building
senators and representatives
we the people
Legislative, executive, judicial
Why did states write a bill of rights in their constitutions?
It protected the rights of the states' citizens.
To protect slaves.
In order to elect a president.
to organize the laws
Who were the Founders?
People looking for meaning.
Women seeking equal rights.
The people who were important in the establishment of the United States
Civil Rights workers.
What is Civic Virtue?
Putting the common good above individual interests.
People who think only of themselves.
The Sons of Liberty/
Doing whatever YOU want.
What is the common good?
Being selfish.
Thinking of only your family.
Helping only the poor.
Good of the community as a whole, for the largest number of people.
What is a constitution?
a group of ideas.
A set of rules and laws that tells how a government is organized and run. Every country has one.
Only certain countries have one.
a state of nature.
What is a constitutional government?
A government in which there are LIMITS on the powers of the government. Not every country is a constitutional government.
Every country is a constitutional government
A dictatorship.
A set of ideas.
What is a republican government?
One ruler reigns supreme.
A government of direct democracy.
Power is held by the people who elect representatives to run the government for the common good.
King George III practiced this type of government.
What is a dictatorial government?
A groups of people work together for the common good.
Life, liberty and property
a governor is in charge.
One ruler has supreme power.
What are checks and balances?
A bank where you can get money.
Making sure all the people are treated equally.
The sharing of power among the branches so no one branch gets too much power.
People who work together for themselves.
What is separation of powers?
legislative branch rules
The division of powers into the three branches of legislative, executive and judicial.
executive branch rules
judicial branch rules.
What is a social contract?
a way to stop conflict
the judicial branch.
a state of nature
an agreement among the people to set up a government.
