US Constitution Worksheet – Flashcards
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
What is the purpose for the constitution?
answer
- to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America
question
What is the name of article 1?
answer
Legislative Branch
question
Of what does the Congress consist?
answer
Senate and House of Representatives
question
How often are the members of the House of Representatives chosen?
answer
Every 2nd year
question
What are the requirements for a Representative?
answer
-have to be above 25 years of age
-7 years a US citizen
-live in the place you are representing
question
On what basis are Representatives chosen?
answer
-equality and population
-1 for every 30,000 and all states must have at least 1
question
Who presides over the House of Representatives?
answer
the Speaker
question
Who has the sole power of impeachment?
answer
House of Representatives
question
What is the number and term of Senators?
answer
-two senators from each state (chosen by legislature)
-six year term
question
What are the requirements for Senators?
answer
-at least 30 years old
-9 years a citizen
-be from the state you are representing
question
Who presides over the Senate?
answer
Vice President (does not get a vote unless there is a tie)
question
What is the role of the Senate in impeachments?What is the required vote?
answer
-the Senate has sole power to try all impeachments (try the case/hold the trial)
-vote is 2/3 of members present
question
Are Senators and Representatives compensated for their services?
answer
yes
question
Where do revenue bills begin?
answer
House of Representatives
question
How can the legislative branch override a Presidential veto?
answer
2/3 of the Senate and House of Representatives
question
List 5 enumerated powers of Congress
answer
1. Power to lay and collect taxes
2. Power to borrow money
3. Power to declare war
4.Power to constitute tribunals (inferior to the supreme court)
5. Power to regulate trade between states
question
Explain the "necessary and proper clause"/"elastic clause"
answer
Congress has the power to make laws outside of the 17 enumerated laws, if both necessary and proper
question
What powers are denied to the federal government?
answer
-can't violate the laws
-can't grant titles of nobility
-can't tax goods going in and out of states
question
What powers are denied to the states?
answer
-can't enter into treaties and alliances
-can't coin money
-can't impose taxes on other states
-can't keep an army
-can't grant titles of nobility
question
What is the name of article 2?
answer
Executive Branch
question
What is the term of the President and Vie-President?
answer
4 years
question
How is the president chosen?
answer
electoral college
question
What are the requirements for president?
answer
-at least 35 years old
-natural born citizen
-14 years a resident in the US
-can't be holding a spot in an office of trust or profit
question
List the Powers of President
answer
-fill in vacancies in the Senate when in recess
-grant pardons except with impeachments
-Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy
question
Is it possible to be removed from office? How?
answer
yes -- impeachments for/conviction of treason, bribery, other high crimes or misdemeanors
question
What is the name of article 3?
answer
Judicial Branch
question
What is the highest court in which judicial power is vested?
answer
Supreme Court
question
Who established the inferior courts?
answer
Congress
question
What is the term of federal judges?
answer
life with good behavior
question
Explain original and appellate jurisdiction
answer
original jurisdiction -- when the supreme court hears the case for the first time
appellate jurisdiction -- when the case has been moved from a lower court to the supreme court
question
What cases are of original jurisdiction to the Supreme Court?
answer
cases with ambassadors, public ministers and counsels, and when the state shall be a party
question
What cases are of appellate jurisdiction to the Supreme Court?
answer
law and fact cases (with exceptions and under regulations as Congress can make)
question
Who has the power to admit and govern new territories?
answer
Congress
question
What protection does the federal government guarantee the states?
answer
against invasion, and domestic violence
question
What is the name of article 5?
answer
Amending the Constitution
question
Who proposes amendments? How?
answer
Congress with 2/3 vote of both houses or a 2/3 vote of several states
question
Who ratifies? How?
answer
Legislature in special convention with a 3/4 vote
question
What is the name of article 6?
answer
Supremacy
question
What does it mean that the Constitution represents the "supreme law of the land?"
answer
the constitution and all past, present and future treaties made will be under the authority of the United States
question
What is the name of article 7?
answer
Ratification
question
How many states would it take to ratify?
answer
9
question
What is the 1st amendment?
answer
freedom of religion, speech, peaceful assembly, petition of redress and press
question
What is the 2nd amendment?
answer
right to bear arms
question
What is the 3rd amendment?
answer
No soldier can live in a house unless okay with the owner
question
What is the 4th amendment?
answer
Right of privacy
question
What is the 5th amendment?
answer
No person has to answer for a crime, unless in front of a jury except if they are serving the country. The rights of life, liberty and property will not be taken without a reason. You do not have to testify against yourself.
question
What is the 6th amendment?
answer
right to a lawyer, jury of peers, and quick trial in criminal cases
question
What is the 7th amendment?
answer
Right to a jury if the case is worth more than $20 in civil cases
question
What is the 8th amendment?
answer
bail and punishment must be reasonable
question
What is the 9th amendment?
answer
the laws in the Constitution can not be denied
question
What is the 10th amendment?
answer
Powers not given to the government in the constitution are reserved for the states and the people
question
In which four states was their little or no opposition to the Constitution?
answer
Delaware, New Jersey, Georgia and Maryland
question
In which four states was support for the Constitution strong -- two to one or three to one -- but not overwhelming?
answer
Pennsylvania, Connecticut, South Carolina and North Carolina
question
In which five states was the Constitution ratified by a very slender margin?
answer
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York and Rhode Island
question
Of the top five states in population, how many had extremely narrow votes in favor of the Constitution (less than 20 vote difference)?
answer
3 (Massachusetts, New York and Virginia)
question
About how many years after the Constitution was officially guaranteed approval did the last state ratify?
answer
2 years
question
Frontiersmen were generally anti-federalist, but in which two large states was their a greater federalist support or a more evident division on the issue?
answer
Virginia and Pennsylvania
question
In general, which areas tended to support ratification and which did not?
answer
Coastal was for it but Inner land was not
