US Constitution Study Guide – Flashcards
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Legislative Branch
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Makes the laws
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Executive Branch
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Enforces the laws
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Judicial Branch
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Interprets the laws
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Impeachment
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Two step process to remove a federal official: Impeachment by the House of Reps (did something wrong) Trial to Remove by the Senate
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Electoral College
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Group that chooses the President and Vice-President
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Amendment Process
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Two step process: National Proposal by 2/3 vote (Congress or Constitutional Convention) Ratification by 3/4 vote (state legislature or state ratifying convention) (Article 5)
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Checks and Balances
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One branch has the power to influence/limit the power of another branch Example: President (exec) vetoes a law passed by Congress (legislative)
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Separation of Powers
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Guarantees no one branch becomes to powerful by assigning specific roles to each branch of government
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Reserved Powers
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Powers held back for state control by the 10th Amendment (Powers not delegated to the US by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the states, are reserved to the states respectively or to the people)
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Bill of Rights
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Amendments added to the Constitution to calm the fears of Anti-Federalists that individual rights be protected from the stronger national government
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House of Representatives
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2 year term Population determines # per state 25 years old; 7 year citizen; resident of state
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Senate
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6 year term 2 per state 30 years old; 9 year citizen; resident of the state
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Judicial Review
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Ability of the Supreme Court to determine the constitutionality of a law or presidential action
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Speaker of the House
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Leader of the House of Representatives
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Vice President
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Leader of the Senate
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President
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4 year term 35 years old; natural born citizen; 14 year resident
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Supreme Court
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9 members Life term with good behavior
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How many articles are in the US Constitution?
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7
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How many amendments are in the US Constitution?
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27
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What are the three parts of the US Constitution?
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Preamble (introduction), Articles (7), Amendments (27)
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What are the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution called?
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Bill of Rights
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Who influenced the idea of Separation of Powers?
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Montesquieu
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Who influenced the idea of natural rights?
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John Locke
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Who is considered the "father of the Constitution"?
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James Madison
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What is the preamble?
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The introduction to the Constitution.
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How many branches are in the government?
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Three branches
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What are the three branches of the government?
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Legislative, Executive, Judicial
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What are the two houses of the Legislature called?
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The Congress
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Name the two houses of Congress.
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The House of Representatives and The Senate
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How many members in the House of Representatives?
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435
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How is the number of representatives chosen for each state?
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The number is based on the state's population.
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Who is the leader of the House of Representatives?
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The Speaker of the House
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How many members are in the Senate?
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100
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How many senators from each state?
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2
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Who is the leader of the Senate?
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The Vice-President, also called the President of the Senate
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Where does a Bill go first to become a Law?
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It begins either in the Senate or in the House of Representatives.
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After a Bill passes the first House of the Congress, where does it go next?
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To the other House.
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If a Bill passes through both Houses of Congress, where does it go next?
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To the President.
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What two things can a president do to a Bill?
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1. sign it to make it a Law 2. veto it and send it back to Congress
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How can a vetoed Bill become a law?
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Both Houses of Congress must override the veto with a 2/3 vote in each House.
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What are the Powers of Congress?
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1. taxing 2. printing money 3. declaring war
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Define: Habeas Corpus
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The right of the accused to see a judge and be told the charges against him/her.
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What is the 1st Article of the Constitution about?
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The Legislative Branch
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What is the 2nd Article of the Constitution about?
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The Executive Branch
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What is the 3rd Article of the Constitution about?
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The Judicial Branch
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What is the main job of the Executive Branch?
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To enforce the laws.
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Who is the Leader of the Executive Branch?
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The President
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How long is the term of office for the President?
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4 years
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How many terms can a President serve according the the 22nd amendment?
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2 terms (8 years total)
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What are the three requirements to become President?
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1. must be at least 35 years old 2. must be a natural born citizen 3. must be a resident in the U.S. for at least 14 years
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Who elects the President and Vice-President?
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The Electoral College
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How many votes does each state have in the Electoral College?
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Every state gets two (Senate) plus however many representatives they have in the House.
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Who is next in line if something happens to the President?
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The Vice-President is next in line, followed by the Speaker of the House.
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What are some powers of the President?
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1. Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces 2. Appoints ambassadors 3. Represents the nation to foreign countries 4. Vetoes or signs Bills into Law 5. Appoints Supreme Court justices
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What is the main job of the Judicial Branch?
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To interpret the laws
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What is the highest court in the land?
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The Supreme Court
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How many justices are in the Supreme Court?
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Nine
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How long is the term of office for a Supreme Court Justice?
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Life
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Who appoints Supreme Court justices?
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The President
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What are the Lower Federal Courts?
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the District Courts and the Court of Appeals
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Who creates the Lower Federal Courts?
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The Congress
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Fill in the blanks: THE CONSTITUTION IS THE ______ ______ _____ _____ _____
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SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND.
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When was the Constitution signed?
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September 17, 1787
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What are changes to the Constitution called?
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Amendments
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What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution called?
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The Bill of Rights
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What did Amendment #22 do?
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The president can only serve two terms of office, no longer than 8 years.
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Who is the President?
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Barack Obama
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Who is the Vice-President?
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Joe Biden
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How many principles are there represented in the US Constitution?
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7
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What is an example of checks and balances?
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President vetoes a bill passed by Congress. Supreme Court declares a law unconstitutional Congress overrides a Presidents veto
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What freedoms are included in the 1st amendment?
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Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.
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2nd amendment
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right to bear arms (carry a weapon)
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3rd amendment
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Quartering Amendment: right to not have to house and feed soldiers in your home
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4th amendment
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protects people against unwarranted searches and seizures
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5th amendment
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Plead the 5th, right to not self incriminate (testify against yourself), double jeopardy (cant be tried for the same crime twice)
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6th amendment
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right to a trial by jury in a criminal case
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7th amendment
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right to a trial by jury in a civil case
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8th amendment
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Protects against cruel and unusual punishment
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9th amendment
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just because your rights aren't listed doesn't mean you don't have them.
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10th amendment
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rights not specifically given to the federal government goes to the states. (states rights)
