U.S. Constitution

Congress creates laws, but those laws can be vetoed by the president or overturned by the Supreme Court. This is an example of a Constitutional principle known as:

checks and balances

Articles one, two, and three in the Constitution reflect which constitutional principle:

separation of powers

Which part of the U.S. Constitution declares it to be the supreme law of the land?

Article VI

The concept of self-government can be found in:

the preamble beginning with "we the people"

How many amendments have been added to the Constitution?

27

Which of the following best describes the concept of 'rule of law':

No one is above the law, including government and elected officials.

Which of the following best describes federalism:

a dual system of sovereignty where both national and state governments have authority.

What is the purpose of the 22nd amendment:

Limits the president to two terms.

Which amendments expanded protections for voting rights (check all that apply):

15, 19, 24, and 26

The Constitution established a system of "dual sovereignty," under which the states have surrendered some of their powers to the federal government, but also retained some sovereignty. All other powers were to be held by the states, local communities, or the people themselves in a concept known as:

Federalism

The Constitution used the Virginia Plan's two-house, or "bicameral," legislature, but it accorded proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate. This feature of Congress is a result of:

The Great Compromise

During the ratification of the Constitution, Federalists eventually agreed to support further ratification of ten amendments to the Constitution in order to appease Anti-Federalists' fears of an overwhelming national government that could impinge upon personal liberties. The first ten amendments to the Constitution are collectively known as the:

Bill of Rights

Signing a petition in support or in opposition to pending legislation is an exercise of which Amendment?

The First Amendment

The Fourth Amendment:

prevents "unreasonable searches and seizures," and requires authorities to show probable cause to obtain warrants to search dwellings and seize property.

Which Amendment provides that "no persons shall be compelled in any criminal case to testify against themselves," that is, to submit to self-incrimination?

The Fifth Amendment

Which founding document directly influenced the American Bill of Rights (1791)?

English Declaration of Rights (1689)

Which feature of the Constitution did the Anti-Federalists fear would lead to the emergence of tyranny?

the provisions that created a government without direct responsibility to the citizens

During the ratification process of the Constitution, two major camps emerged: the _______ who opposed ratification, and ______ who supported its ratification.

Anti-Federalists, Federalists

The Anti-Federalists opposed the ratification of the Constitution because they were afraid that the new national government would be too powerful and thus threaten individual liberties. They favored all of the following EXCEPT:

the indirect election of government officials

To appease some of the fears of the Anti-Federalists and to ensure the ratification of the Constitution, the Federalists promised that they would:

add amendments specifically protecting individual liberties