SOL REVIEW

GOVERNMENT

What agreement signed by What agreement signed by the male settlers at Plymouth the male settlers at Plymouth helped establish the notion of helped establish the notion of

self-government in the self-government in the Americas?Americas?

• The Mayflower The Mayflower CompactCompact

Where did the Where did the Puritans practice a Puritans practice a

form of direct form of direct democracy?democracy?

•At Town MeetingsAt Town Meetings

What was the first elected What was the first elected assembly (lawmaking assembly (lawmaking

body) in the New World?body) in the New World?

•The House of The House of BurgessesBurgesses

What did the What did the Proclamation of 1763 Proclamation of 1763

do?do?

• Forbid American colonists to Forbid American colonists to move move westwest of the Appalachian of the Appalachian MountainsMountains

What is the name of What is the name of Great Britain’s Great Britain’s

lawmaking body?lawmaking body?

•ParliamentParliament

Who issued the Who issued the Proclamation of 1763?Proclamation of 1763?

• The British governmentThe British government

• or King George IIIor King George III

Who wrote Who wrote Common SenseCommon Sense??

•Thomas PaineThomas Paine

What did What did Common Common SenseSense say? say?

• Challenged the rule of Challenged the rule of the American colonies the American colonies by the King of Englandby the King of England

Who wrote the Who wrote the Declaration of Declaration of Independence?Independence?

•Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson

Who was John Who was John Locke?Locke?

• English political philosopherEnglish political philosopher

• Locke’s ideas influenced Locke’s ideas influenced Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson

Who wrote that Who wrote that government should protect government should protect

“Life, Liberty, and “Life, Liberty, and Property”?Property”?

•John LockeJohn Locke

Who wrote that all men have Who wrote that all men have the right to “Life, Liberty and the right to “Life, Liberty and

the pursuit of Happiness”?the pursuit of Happiness”?

•Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson

Whose ideas did Thomas Whose ideas did Thomas Jefferson borrow when he Jefferson borrow when he wrote the Declaration of wrote the Declaration of

Independence?Independence?

•John LockeJohn Locke•Thomas PaineThomas Paine

•What is a republic?

•A representative democracy

• What is the basic principle of republican government?

• The people elect representatives who make the laws.

• What was the first attempt at workable government in the United States?

• The Articles of Confederation

• What was wrong with the government under the Articles of Confederation?

• It was too weak!

•What does the legislative branch of a government do?

•Makes the laws

• What does the judicial branch of a government do?

• Interprets or explains the meaning of the laws

•What does the executive branch do?

•Enforces the laws

What was the Virginia Plan?

• A framework proposed by the Virginia delegation to the Constitutional Convention under which the national government would have a legislature consisting of two houses. Representation in both houses would be based on population. Big states would have more representatives.

What was the New Jersey Plan?

• A framework proposed by the New Jersey delegation to the Constitutional Convention under which the national government would have a legislature consisting of one house. Under the New Jersey Plan each state had one vote. This plan benefited small states.

What was the Great Compromise or Connecticut Compromise?

• A plan providing for a two-house Congress in which the people would be represented in a House of Representatives and the states in the Senate. In other words, the House of Rep. would be based on population, while each state would have 2 U.S. senators.

Which one became part of the Constitution: the Va. Plan, the

N.J. Plan, or the Great Compromise?

•The Great Compromise

What was the Great Compromise or Connecticut Compromise?

• A plan providing for a two-house Congress in which the people would be represented in a House of Representatives and the states in the Senate. In other words, the House of Rep. would be based on population, while each state would have 2 U.S. senators.

What is federalism?

• The division of power in the United States between the national government and the state governments.

Who leads the executive branch of the federal government?

•The President

Who leads the judicial branch of the federal government?

•The Supreme Court

What is the name of the legislative branch of the federal

government?

• Congress

What are the two houses of Congress?

• The House of Representatives

• The United States Senate

How is a state’s membership in the Senate decided?

• Two senators from each state

How is a state’s membership in the House of Rep. Decided?

• By Population; States with large populations have more representatives than states with small populations.

What is separation of powers?

• The division of power among different branches of government.

What is the checks and balances system?

• A system of government by which each branch of government can check or stop the actions of the other branches

• How many of the states had to ratify or approve the Constitution before it could take effect?

• 9

What is the Bill of Rights?

• The first ten amendments to the Constitution

What was the basic idea of the Virginia Declaration of Rights?

• That government should not violate basic human rights.

Who wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights?

•George Mason

Who wrote the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom?

•Thomas Jefferson

• What two documents did Madison consult when he was working on the Bill of Rights?

• The Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom

What did the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom do?

• Outlawed the established church in Virginia

• Supported the idea of freedom of religion

What rights does the First Amendment guarantee?

• Freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, and the right of petition

What does the term What does the term ratifyratify mean? mean?

•ApproveApprove

To what did the phrase To what did the phrase “ratification of the “ratification of the

Constitution” refer?Constitution” refer?• 9 of the states approving 9 of the states approving

the Constitution so that it the Constitution so that it would take effectwould take effect

What First Amendment What First Amendment freedom allows people to freedom allows people to

gather at public gather at public meetings?meetings?

•Freedom of Freedom of AssemblyAssembly

What First Amendment freedom allows Americans to

make written requests to make changes in the

government?

•Freedom of PetitionFreedom of Petition

On what document On what document was the Bill of Rights was the Bill of Rights

based?based?

• The Virginia The Virginia Declaration of RightsDeclaration of Rights

What is a What is a constitutional constitutional amendment?amendment?

•An An additionaddition to the to the ConstitutionConstitution

Define Define politicalpolitical partyparty..

• A group of people with A group of people with similar beliefs about how similar beliefs about how to run the government.to run the government.

Who led the Who led the Federalists?Federalists?

•Alexander HamiltonAlexander Hamilton

•John AdamsJohn Adams

What were the beliefs What were the beliefs of the Federalists?of the Federalists?

• Strong national governmentStrong national government

• Industrial economy (factories Industrial economy (factories or manufacturing)or manufacturing)

Who led the Who led the Republicans?Republicans?

•Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson

•James MadisonJames Madison

What were the beliefs of What were the beliefs of the Democratic-the Democratic-

Republicans?Republicans?• Weak national governmentWeak national government

• Strong state governmentsStrong state governments

• Agricultural economy (farming)Agricultural economy (farming)

Who served as Chief Who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Justice of the Supreme

Court during the first 30 Court during the first 30 years of the 19th century?years of the 19th century?

•John MarshallJohn Marshall

Why were the Marshall Why were the Marshall court’s decisions court’s decisions

important?important?

• Made the federal courts a Made the federal courts a co-equal branch of the co-equal branch of the United States governmentUnited States government

How did the Supreme How did the Supreme Court rule in Court rule in Marbury v. Marbury v.

MadisonMadison??

•Declared a federal Declared a federal law unconstitutionallaw unconstitutional

What is the power of What is the power of judicial review?judicial review?

• A court’s power to A court’s power to declare a law declare a law unconstitutionalunconstitutional

What is the Supreme What is the Supreme Court’s main check on Court’s main check on the power of Congress?the power of Congress?

•Judicial ReviewJudicial Review

How did the Marshall court How did the Marshall court rule in rule in McCulloch v. McCulloch v.

MarylandMaryland??

• Forbid the states from taxing Forbid the states from taxing agencies of the federal governmentagencies of the federal government

• Declared a Maryland state law Declared a Maryland state law unconstitutionalunconstitutional

Who said “the power Who said “the power to tax is the power to to tax is the power to

destroy”?destroy”?

•John MarshallJohn Marshall

Why was Why was McCulloch v. McCulloch v. MarylandMaryland important? important?

• Established the power of the Established the power of the federal government over the statesfederal government over the states

• Strengthened the federal courts’ Strengthened the federal courts’ power of judicial reviewpower of judicial review

What is a republic?What is a republic?

• A Representative DemocracyA Representative Democracy

• The People elect The People elect representatives to make the representatives to make the lawslaws

What is a bill?What is a bill?

•A proposed lawA proposed law

What is an act?What is an act?

•A Law

What political party was formed in opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska

Act?

•The Republican Party

What was the Supreme Court’s

decision in the Dred Scott case?

• Since Dred Scott was a slave, he could not sue in federal court

• African-Americans were not citizens of the United States

• Since Congress had no power to prohibit slavery in the territories, the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional

What did the Dred Scott decision say about the

Missouri Compromise?

• The Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional.

In Dred Scott v. Sandford did the Supreme Court rule that Scott should

remain a slave or gain his freedom?

•Remain a slave

What power did the Supreme Court use in Dred

Scott v. Sandford?

•The power of judicial review

By the end of the 1850s, what By the end of the 1850s, what did Southerners argue states did Southerners argue states

could do?could do?

• States could nullify laws passed by Congress

• States could secede from the Union

What did it mean for a What did it mean for a state to state to nullifynullify a law? a law?

•Void it

•Do Away with it

What did it mean for a state to secede?

•Leave the UnionLeave the Union

What did several Southern What did several Southern states do, when Lincoln states do, when Lincoln

won the 1860 presidential won the 1860 presidential election?election?

•Seceded from the Seceded from the UnionUnion

What constitutional What constitutional debate did the Civil War debate did the Civil War

involve?involve?

•Federal Power vs. Federal Power vs. States’ RightsStates’ Rights

What country did the What country did the seceded Southern seceded Southern

states form in 1861?states form in 1861?• The Confederate States of The Confederate States of

America America oror

• The ConfederacyThe Confederacy

What did it mean What did it mean for a state to for a state to secedesecede

from the Union?from the Union?

• Leave the Union, Leave the Union, oror

• Withdraw from the UnionWithdraw from the Union

What was the period when the federal

government tried to rebuild the South and restore the Union after

the Civil War?

•Reconstruction

Define impeachment.

•Bringing an official to trial for misconduct in office

Under the Constitution, which house of Congress

can impeach the President?

•The House of Representatives

Under the Constitution, which house of Congress

sits as the jury at a President’s impeachment

trial?

•The Senate

Under the Constitution, which house of Congress can remove the President

from office?

•The Senate

What proportion of senators must vote to

convict the President in order to remove him

from office?

•2/3

Which constitutional amendments are the

Reconstruction amendments?

• 13th, 14th, 15th Amendments

Identify the 13th Amendment.

•Freed the Slaves

Identify 14th Amendment.

• Granted citizenship to African-Americans

• Forbid the states from denying any American “equal protection of the laws”

Identify the 15th Amendment.

•Gave African-American males the right to vote

What are the key words to remember the Reconstruction

Amendments?

• 13th = Freedom

• 14th = Citizenship

• 15th = Vote

What does one call the group of people who cast the

official votes for president and vice president?

•The Electoral College

How many electoral votes does each state

have?

• 2 for senators + # of representatives in House

Identify the Compromise of 1877.

• A political deal between Southern Democrats and northern Republicans

• Democrats supported Rutherford Hayes’ election as President and Republicans ended the military occupation of the South

What was the 1862 What was the 1862 Homestead Act?Homestead Act?

• Law that gave free public land to settlers in the western territories

• Settlers promised to live on and farm this land for five years

• What type of reforms were theWhat type of reforms were the 1717thth Amendment and anti-trust Amendment and anti-trust laws?laws?

• Progressive reforms on the Progressive reforms on the national level.national level.

• What was the 17What was the 17thth Amendment?Amendment?

• Direct election of United Direct election of United States senatorsStates senators

• Name a leader of the Name a leader of the Women’s Suffrage Women’s Suffrage Movement.Movement.

• Susan B. AnthonySusan B. Anthony

• Which constitutional Which constitutional amendment gave women amendment gave women the right to vote?the right to vote?

• 19th Amendment19th Amendment

• How did the Supreme Court How did the Supreme Court rule in 1896 in the case of rule in 1896 in the case of Plessy v. FergusonPlessy v. Ferguson??

• Racial segregation was Racial segregation was constitutional (legal).constitutional (legal).

• What doctrine was established What doctrine was established by the Supreme Court’s by the Supreme Court’s decision in decision in Plessy v. FergusonPlessy v. Ferguson??

• The “Separate But Equal” The “Separate But Equal” DoctrineDoctrine

• What is another word What is another word for the right to vote?for the right to vote?

• SuffrageSuffrage

• Who were the Muckrakers?Who were the Muckrakers?

• Progressive writers who Progressive writers who wrote about social and wrote about social and political evils in late 19th and political evils in late 19th and early 20th century America.early 20th century America.

What legislative body ratifies

treaties?•United States Senate

What vote is needed in the Senate to ratify a treaty?

•2/3

• What political scandal forced President Nixon to resign from office?

• Watergate