Review for Third Six Weeks Test

1. Review for Third Six Weeks Test Constitution Handbook and Ch. 9

2. What document do these apply to? • Cannot enforce laws • Cannot levy taxes, so cannot fund an army • Changes require unanimous agreement • States held most of the power • First document to set up the government • Held the new country together through the Revolution

3. Compare the Virginia and New Jersey Plans • Representation in the New Jersey Plan is equal for all: each state gets one vote • Representation in the Virginia Plan is based on population • New Jersey Plan calls for one house for legislation • Virginia Plan has two houses for legislation • Both have three branches

4. Seven Principles of the Constitution • Popular Sovereignty: people rule and have the power over government • Republicanism: people vote for representatives who then make decisions for the country • Federalism: power is shared between the central govt. and the states • Separation of powers: gives us the three branches so that power cannot be concentrated in any one branch • Checks and Balances: each branch has a way to check the power of the other two • Limited Govt.: ALL people are subject to the same laws • Individual Rights: these are almost the same as unalienable rights

5. Straight Democracy vs. Republican Govt. • Straight democracy is when we all vote for EVERYTHING • Republican Govt. is when we vote for representatives to make decisions for us

6. Parts of the Consitution • Preamble: introduction • Body: articles that set up the branches and the powers of each branch • Amendments: includes the Bill of Rights and all other amendments

7. Major Powers of Executive Branch • Appoints judges • Can grant pardons for federal crimes • Can veto acts of Congress (laws passed by Congress • Can call special sessions of Congress

8. Major Powers of the Legislative Branch • Can impeach and remove the President and judges • Can override a veto with 2/3 vote • Controls the spending of money with a budget • Senate can refuse to confirm presidential appointments (judges and cabinet members) or treaties that the President has signed

9. Major Powers of the Judicial Branch • Can declare executive acts (stuff the President does) unconstitutional • Can decide if a law passed by Congress is constitutional or not

10. Bill of Rights • Included to give guarantees of individual rights and get the anti-federalists to support ratification • 1 - freedom of speech, press, religion, the rights to assemble and petition • 2- right to own and use a gun • 3-people can’t be forced to house troops in their homes • 4- no searches without a warrant

11. These amendments are about trials (still Bill of Rights): • 5- people cannot be on trial without sufficient evidence and people cannot be forced to testify against themselves • 6-people should have a speedy and public trial; no secret stuff or being stuck in a dungeon somewhere for years • 7- people can have a jury trial for civil complaints against each other (your tree fell on my car) • 8- people cannot have too much in the way of fines and punishment

12. (the rest of the Bill of Rights) 9- the govt. cannot take the peoples’ rights away 10.- any powers not given directly to the central govt. go to the states

13. 19th amendment • Women get the right to vote

14. Impeachment of the President • House of Representatives formally accuses the president of crimes and collects information • Senate holds a formal trial of the President and the Chief Justice presides

15. How old to vote? • 18

16. Electoral College • Number of Electors for a state is the number of representatives + senators (always two) • Example: if your state has 10 electors, then it has 8 representatives+2 senators

17. What is the cabinet? • President picks advisors • They are not elected, but approved by the Senate • The number of cabinet members can change depending on the needs and wishes of the president

18. Federal Judiciary Act • Established the Supreme Court • 5 justices and one Chief Justice • We now have 8 justices and one Chief Justice

19. Hamilton’s Financial Plan • Pay off debts • Raise revenues through tariffs • Establish a national bank

20. Taxes Cause Problems • Boston Tea Party • American Revolution • Shea’s Rebellion • Whiskey Rebellion

21. Important Decisions by Washington • No political parties (groups of people that try to promote a point of view and influence govt.) • Stay out of other countries’ business (no foreign alliances • Support Hamilton’s plan • You WILL pay taxes

22. Madison and Jefferson on States’ Rights • States can decide if a law is constitutional or not • States can refuse to obey a law if they feel it is unconstitutional