Government Chapter 3 Review – Flashcards
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What is the difference between a principle and an article in the Constitution?
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A principle is a basic truth in the Constitution. An article is a numbered section of the Constitution. The principles are the basic truths, laws, or ideals of behavior outlined in the Constitution. The articles are the numbered sections of the Constitution.
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Which of the following is a principle of the Constitution?
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Limited Government. Limited government is one of the six principles of the Constitution. Essentially it means that the government is not all-powerful.
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Which parts of the Constitution outline the three branches of the federal government?
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Article I, II, & III. Articles I, II, and III outline the structure, powers, and other details about the presidency, the Congress, and the federal court system.
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The Constitution was written and ratified to express the needs of the people. Which of the following terms describes this principle?
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Popular Sovereignty. Popular sovereignty means all political power is held by the people. The federal government gets its power from the people. The same is true for state governments.
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The President and the executive branch of the government see that laws are carried out. Who makes the laws?
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Congress. Congress alone has the power to make laws. Congress cannot give anyone else the power to do so.
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What prevents any one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
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Checks and balances. While the three branches of government have separate duties, the system of checks and prevents any one branch from becoming too powerful.
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Which of the following is a responsibility of the judicial branch of the government?
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Tells what the laws mean. The judicial branch of the government tells what the laws mean. The courts can settle disagreements or disputes brought to them by the government or any person.
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Which term describes a law that goes against the Constitution?
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Unconstitutional. A law that goes against the Constitution is said to be unconstitutional. The Supreme Court and most state courts have the power to decide if a law is unconstitutional.
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Congress passes a law. The President vetoes the law. Who has the power to override the President's veto?
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Congress. When a President vetoes a law, Congress has the power to override the President's veto by a two-thirds vote in both houses.
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Which of the following terms describes the system where government power is divided between a national government and state governments?
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Federalism. Federalism is the system where government power is divided between federal and state governments. Both federal and state governments have their own agencies and officials. Both governments also have the power to make laws.
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Which term describes the process of making changes to the Constitution?
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Amendment. Any change to the Constitution is called an amendment.
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Which of the following begins a formal process to amend the Constitution?
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Congress proposes an amendment at a national convention. One way to propose an amendment to the Constitution is at a national convention called by Congress. Two-thirds of the state legislatures must request Congress to do so.
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The 21st Amendment is the only amendment to be ratified by state convention. What did this amendment accomplish?
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Ended prohibition. The 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment, which had prohibited the making, sale, and use of alcohol (Prohibition).
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Which of the following is true of the amendment process?
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If a state rejects an amendment, it can later reverse its decision. If a state rejects a proposed amendment, it can later reverse itself and ratify the amendment. However, if a state ratifies an amendment, it cannot later change that decision. The President does not need to sign amendments because they are not laws. Congress can set a time limit for ratification, and often does. Finally, amendments are always proposed at the national level and ratified at the state level.
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What is the purpose of the Bill of Rights?
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To protect a person's basic rights. The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the Constitution. These rights guarantee the basic freedoms of each person. The rights include freedom of religion, freedom of speech, the right to trial by jury, and the protection from cruel and unusual punishment.
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Which constitutional principle is being used when the national government proposes an amendment and the state governments ratify it?
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Federalism. The principle of federalism is at work when the national and state governments work together in the amendment process.
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Which amendment came about as a direct result of the Civil War?
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13th Amendment. The 13th made slavery illegal in the United States. This amendment was a direct result of the Civil War, as were the 14th and 15th Amendments.
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One amendment that affected the lives of young people was passed in 1971. What did the 26th Amendment do?
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Changed the voting age to 18. The 26th Amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 in all U.S. elections. Its ratification was brought on by the Vietnam War.
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The 22nd Amendment was proposed following the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Why was this amendment proposed?
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To limit the number of terms a President may serve. President Franklin D. Roosevelt served four terms as President. The 22nd Amendment was proposed to limit the number of terms a President may serve to two.
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The 27th Amendment said that members of Congress could not raise their own pay until the next congressional term. This amendment became part of the Constitution in 1992. Who wrote the amendment?
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James Madison. The 27th Amendment was ratified in 1992. The amendment was written by James Madison. It was among the first amendments to be offered by Congress in 1789.
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In addition to the formal amendments, which of the following are other ways to affect the meaning of the Constitution?
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Party practices. There are five ways the Constitution can be changed through the daily operations of the government. A party practice is one of those ways. The others are basic legislation, executive action, Court decisions, and custom.
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Which of the following are two of the basic principles of the Constitution?
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Separation of powers and checks and balances. The Constitution is built around six basic principles: separation of powers, checks and balances, limited government, popular sovereignty, judicial review, and federalism.
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Some of the laws that Congress passes help to explain the meaning of the Constitution. Which of the following is an example of this type of basic legislation?
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The creation of the lower federal courts. The Constitution establishes only the Supreme Court. It leaves it to Congress to create the courts below the Supreme Court.
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Which of the following is one way an amendment to the Constitution can be proposed?
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At a national convention called by Congress. Amendments to the Constitution can be proposed at a national convention called by Congress at the request of 2/3 of the state legislatures.
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Americans heard the State of the Union speech for the first time in 1923. Which President delivered his speech on the radio?
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Calvin Coolidge. Calvin Coolidge was the first President to use the radio to deliver his State of the Union speech. Doing so allowed Americans to hear the speech for the first time.
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Which of the following best describes a limited government?
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Government has only those powers given to it by the people. A limited government has only those powers given to it by the people.
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The Constitution says only Congress can declare war. The Constitution also makes the President commander in chief of the armed forces. What kind of constitutional change is the President making when he sends troops into?
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Executive action. The executive action of a President can expand the meaning of the Constitution. When the President sends troops into combat, he or she is taking some authority away from Congress.
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George Washington began the "no-third-term" tradition. Which President broke that tradition?
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Franklin Roosevelt. Franklin Roosevelt broke the no-third-term tradition. He ran and won a third and a fourth term in the White House.
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What is the name of the agreement a President can make with leader of a foreign country?
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Executive agreement. An executive agreement is an agreement made by the President with the leader of a foreign country. Executive agreements do not have to be approved by Congress.
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A proposed constitutional amendment is not sent to the President for approval. Why is that?
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Amendments are not laws. Proposals for amendments are not sent to the President because they are not laws.
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The courts interpret and apply the Constitution in many of the cases they hear. What gives them the power to do so?
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Judicial review. The power of judicial review was established by the Court in 1803. Judicial review allows the nation's courts to interpret and apply the Constitution. This power is not specifically mentioned in the Constitution.
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Thought the Constitution never mentions them, political parties have helped to shape the country. How have they done so?
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They choose the candidates for the presidency. The Constitution does not mention political parties. They were formed as the country expanded. Since the 1830s, political parties have chosen the candidates for the presidency.
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What did Congress do with the Judiciary Act of 1789?
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Created federal courts below the Supreme Court. In the Judiciary Act of 1789, Congress created federal courts below the Supreme Court.
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What makes the electoral college so important to the election process?
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It formally selects the President and Vice President. The electoral college began as a group who actually elected the President. Now the electoral college is simply a "rubber stamp: for each state's popular vote.
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Which of the following demonstrates the importance of unwritten customs in our government?
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The cabinet. The Cabinet grew out of a custom that developed in order to advise the President. The Cabinet is not part of the Constitution.
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Which of the following is not a part of the Constitution?
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Laws. The Constitution begins with a short introduction, the Preamble. The Preamble is followed by seven articles and 27 amendments. The Constitution does not contain laws.
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Which amendment is an example of a tradition being made part of the actual Constitution?
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The 25th Amendment. In 1967 the custom of a Vice President taking over when a President died in office became the 25th Amendment. Until then, the Constitution said only the powers and duties of the presidency should be given to the Vice President.
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Which basic principle of government is found in the opening of the Preamble ("We the People of the United States...") of the Constitution?
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Popular Sovereignty. The principle of popular sovereignty is found in the Preamble of the Constitution. Popular sovereignty means that, in the United States, the people hold all political power.
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Which of the following is not a true statement about executive agreements?
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They are described in Article II of the Constitution. An executive agreement is made between the President and the leader of a foreign country. The President's power to make an executive agreement is an expanded power and is not found anywhere in the Constitution.
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Which of the following firmly established the power of judicial review?
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Marbury v. Madison. The case of Marbury v. Madison firmly established the power of judicial review. In this case, the Supreme Court applied the Constitution to an existing law and declared the law unconstitutional.
