KTQ 02: Constitutions

Unit 1 examination practice quiz #2

Thomas Hobbes

Philosopher credited with the idea of just government under the social contract

John Locke

Philosopher credited with the idea of the fundamental right to life, liberty, and property

Brede et de Montesquieu

Philosopher credited with the idea of checks and balances

John Adams

Defense attorney for British troops who committed the Boston Massacre and leader of the revolutionary war

Samuel Adams

Leader of the radicals and the Boston Tea Party

Thomas Jefferson

Primary writer of the Declaration of Independence

Daniel Shays

Person who led the rebellion against Massachusetts's taxes

Mob of farmers

People that rebelled against Massachusetts's taxes

Radicals

People who wanted independence from British rule and to change the political system

Northern merchants and southern planters

Groups hurt the most by British taxes and led protest

Shopkeepers, artisans, laborers, and small farmers

Groups that tended to be radical revolutionaries

Royalists

People that held British title to royal lands, office, and patents

East India Company

Sold tea directly to colonists instead of through local merchants

Boston Tea Party

Radicals destroyed a tea shipment, which caused the British to retaliate harshly, which caused colonists to favor independence

First Continental Congress

Created to organize colonial response to harsh British tactics and oversee the possible independence movement

Articles of Confederation

First constitution of the United States, which lacked powers necessary for effective governance

Confederalism

A system of governance where the sub-units of a nation shares power with a central unit but keeps ultimate control

Federalism

A system of governance where the national units and subunits of a nation share power

Unitary system

A system of governance where the central unit of a nation shares power with the subunits but keeps ultimate control

Virginia Plan

Proportional Congressional representation by population, favoring large states

New Jersey Plan

Equal Congressional representation by states, favoring small states

Great Compromise

A bicameral Congress, with proportional representation in one house based on population and equal representation in the other based on states

Three-Fifths Compromise

Seats in the House of Representatives would be apportions by population, where only a proportion of enslaved people would be counted.

Bicameral legislature

A legislature with two chambers or houses.

Checks and balance

Each branch of government has a few powers to influence the activities of the others

Separation of Powers

Each branch of government has almost exclusive control over the major power of its sphere of influence, forcing branches to cooperate

Electoral College

States were given the power to select officials to vote for the president

Bill of Rights

The first 10 amendments to the Constitution, focusing on enumerating liberties

Article I

Defined the bicameral Congress, the qualifications and representatives, and the types of laws that could be made

Article II

Defined the powers of the presidency

Article III

Defined the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and power of the judiciary

Article IV

Defined the comity among the states and the supremacy of the national government

Article V

Defined the amendment procedure of the U.S. Constitution

Article VI

Defined constitutional supremacy and national oath of office

Article VII

Defined the ratification procedure of the U.S. Constitution

Expressed powers

Specific powers given to Congress and the presidency

Implied powers

Powers needed to carry out specific powers but not specifically written in the Constitution

Elastic clause

Another name for the "necessary and proper" clause that is used for the justification of implied powers

Judicial review

The judicial power to determine laws in violation of constitutions or other laws

Marbury v. Madison

The Supreme Court takes the extra-Constitutional power to strike down acts of Congress

Supremacy clause

Valid laws made by the national government is superior to laws made by state governments

Federalists

Those that supported ratification of the Constitution and a stronger national government than the Articles of Confederation created

Antifederalists

Those that did not support ratification of the Constitution because it may create a stronger national government than they wanted

Federalist Papers

Essays published in support of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution

Amendment

A formal change made to a document