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The Constitutional Era

The Constitutional Era. 1781-1789. What is a republic?. A representative democracy. How does a republic work?. The people elect representatives Representatives make the laws. What was the first attempt at workable government in the United States?. The Articles of Confederation.

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The Constitutional Era

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  1. The Constitutional Era 1781-1789

  2. What is a republic? • A representative democracy

  3. How does a republic work? • The people elect representatives • Representatives make the laws

  4. What was the first attempt at workable government in the United States? • The Articles of Confederation

  5. What was the basic problem with the government under the Articles of Confederation? • Too weak

  6. What does the Constitution provide? • The basic framework for the U.S. government

  7. For what two reasons had Americans fought the Revolutionary War? • Unfair taxation by Parliament • King George III had ruled like a tyrant

  8. How did the Articles of Confederation limit Congress’ lawmaking power? • No power to tax • No power to regulate interstate commerce

  9. What is a synonym for commerce? • Trade

  10. What is currency? • Paper money

  11. Where did the Constitutional Convention meet? • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  12. What is a compromise? • An agreement in which both sides get part of what they want, but neither side gets all of what it wants

  13. What two Virginians played important roles at the Constitutional Convention? • George Washington • James Madison

  14. What position did George Washington hold at the Constitutional Convention? • President (chairman) of the Constitutional Convention

  15. Who wrote the “Virginia Plan”? • James Madison

  16. Who often led the debate and kept a written record of the Constitutional Convention? • James Madison

  17. Who is considered the “Father of the Constitution”? • James Madison

  18. What is another name for national law? • Federal law

  19. What does it mean to say that federal law is the supreme law of the land? • When state law conflicts with federal (national) law, then the federal law overrides the state law.

  20. What clause of the Constitution says that federal law is the supreme law of the land? • The supremacy clause

  21. What type of national legislature did Madison’s “Virginia Plan” propose? • A two-house legislature • Population would determine a state’s representation in both houses of Congress

  22. What effect would the “Virginia Plan” have on the smaller states’ influence in the government? • Reduce it greatly

  23. How did the small states respond to the “Virginia Plan”? • Rejected it • Proposed the “New Jersey Plan”

  24. What did the “New Jersey Plan” say about representation in the national legislature? • Each state would have equal representation, regardless of population.

  25. Which states would have been hurt by the “New Jersey Plan”? • The large states

  26. What solved the large state/small state disagreement about representation in Congress? • The Great Compromise

  27. How did the Great Compromise solve the big state/small state disagreement about representation in the national legislature?

  28. Congress would be a two-house legislature: the Senate and the House of Representatives • Each state would have two U.S. Senators • Population would decide a state’s membership in the House of Representatives

  29. What balanced power in Congress between the large and small states? • The Great Compromise

  30. What states had decided to abolish (end) slavery in the years right after the Revolution? • The Northern states

  31. What states had decided to keep slavery after the Revolution? • The Southern states

  32. Did the North want slaves counted in figuring a state’s representation in the House of Representatives? • No

  33. Did the South want slaves counted in figuring a state’s representation in the House of Representatives? • Yes

  34. What was the 3/5 Compromise? • Compromise between the North and the South • Slaves would count as 3/5 of a person in figuring a state’s representation in the House of Representatives

  35. Define the term separation of powers? • The division of power among different branches of government

  36. What three branches of government did the Constitution create? • Legislative • Executive • Judicial

  37. What is the name of the legislative branch of the federal government? • Congress

  38. What does the legislative branch do? • Makes the laws

  39. What official leads the executive branch? • The President

  40. What does the executive branch do? • Enforces the laws

  41. What court leads the judicial branch of the federal government? • The Supreme Court

  42. What does the judicial branch do? • Interprets or explains the meaning of the laws

  43. Define checks and balances system. • A government in which each branch can stop or check the actions of the other branches

  44. How many states had to ratify the Constitution before it could take effect? • 9

  45. What does ratify mean? • Approve

  46. Why was the ratification debate in Virginia very important? • Virginia was the largest state in population and located on the Atlantic coast right in the center of the United States.

  47. Who were the Federalists? • Supporters of the Constitution

  48. Who were the Anti-Federalists? • Opponents of the Constitution

  49. Who were the two leading Federalists in Virginia? • George Washington • James Madison

  50. Why did the Anti-Federalists fear a powerful national government? • Believed it would destroy the rights of individuals and the power of the states

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