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Jason Sheu

Period 4
Chapter 2: The Constitution (p. 28-58)

Introduction: The Constitution


1. Give 3 examples of failed Constitutional amendments?
In 1861, an amendment was proposed that prevented congress from interfering with any domestic
programs of state, including slavery.
In 1926, an amendment was put into motion that allowed Congress to put restrictions on child labor
(anyone under 18)
In 1978, an amendment was proposed that would give the citizens of Washington DC the same
representation as a state.
Roots of New American Nation
2. Describe three differences between traditional British society and life in the colonies.
British society was based on a monarchal system, with a king at the head, while the colonies had
representation in state legislatures. The Colonies had a system of religious tolerance, while Britain
had no tolerance. There was a guild system in Great Britain, but none in the colonies.
3. Recreate and complete chart.
Date Act Description Colonial Response
1764 Sugar Act Taxed sugar, wine and coffee Resentment
1765 Stamp Act All paper items must have a Protests, Stamp act
stamp congress
1765 Quartering Act Made colonial families keep Protests, meetings
soldiers at home and letters
1767 Townshend Act Taxes on many colonial imports Boycotts, protests
1773 Tea Act Gave monopoly to east India Boston Tea Party
company
4. What was the impact of Common Sense by Thomas Paine on colonial opinion?
It made the common American be against Britains unfair treatment of the colonies. This lead to the
call for independence from Britain.
5. How does Thomas Jeffersons Declaration of Independence echo the ideas of John Locke?
Lots of its Jeffersons writing was inspired by the ideas of John Lockes writing, and the that all men
are created equal was prominent in both of their writings. They also had the similar beliefs that all
men

The First Attempt at Government: The Articles of Confederation


6. Give two synonyms for the Articles of Confederation?
Two synonyms are: the first form of government and a league of friendship
7. Give 10 problematic weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
10 weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation are:
Government had to ask states for money
Government needed 9 of 13 votes to pass laws, making it difficult
No courts to interpret laws
No head official to ensure laws were carried out
Government could not collect taxes
No stable currency
Could not be changed without unanimous vote
No national army
Jason Sheu
Period 4
Government could not make a state obey
Government could not regulate trade
8. How did Shays rebellion exemplify the weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
Due to the limits on the government, they could not quell the rebellion quickly, as they had to go
through an inconvenient way to raise money for an army through the states, most of which did not
cooperate.

The Miracle at Philadelphia: Writing the US Constitution


9. What was the sole purpose of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787? What did
Randolph and Madison propose?
The purpose of Convention was to revise the Articles of Confederation into a suitable form of
government.
10. Describe Beards take on why the framers created the Constitution they did?
Beard believes that the framers were simply scared rich people who were afraid that a weak
central government would hinder their personal economic growth.
11. What is Woods theory on what the framers wanted?
Wood theorizes that the Framers were a part of the social class that preferred a more stable
government, which is why they advocated a strong central government. The commoners were the
ones who were more accustomed to an unstable government.
12. Summarize the Virginia Plan.
It was a government with three branches: legislative, judicial and executive, and a 2-house
legislature. There would be checks and balances on each branch.
13. Summarize the New Jersey Plan.
A plan that would strengthen the Articles of Confederation, where each state would have one vote
in the main legislature. There would be a supreme court appointed by the main leader of the
country.
14. How did the Great Compromise rectify the differences between the Virginia Plan and New Jersey
Plan?
The great compromise took the different legislative systems of the Virginia and New Jersey plans
and combined them into a bicameral legislature, with one house representative of population and
the other with equal representation of every state.
15. Describe how slavery was addressed in the US Constitution.
Slavery was addressed by making the North states wait to address slavery for 20 years. They also
created three-fifths compromise, which states Slave states can only count 3/5 of the slaves in the
state.
16. What fears were on the minds of the framers as they created the Executive Branch?
They were afraid that the head executive of the Executive Branch would turn out to be like the King
of England, a tyrant.
17. According to Alexander Hamilton, why was the Electoral College selected as the means of electing
a president?
The framers created the Electoral College to select the president so that they could avoid mass
disorder if every person voted to select the president.
Jason Sheu
Period 4
The US Constitution
18. How did the final edit of the preamble boldly proclaim a change in where the new government
derived its power?
It announced that the government would derive its power from the common people.
19. What is federalism?
The idea that the government would be divided between a national and state governments.
20. How do James Madisons words on ambition connect to the Constitutions principle of the
separation of powers?
The constitution separates the power so that there will not be one branch more powerful than
another. Madisons words Ambition must be made to counteract ambition means that one must
take steps to prevent one from taking too much power.
21. What are three key features of the separation of powers?
There are three branches: Judicial, Executive, and Legislative.
The three branches carry out their own jobs.
Each branch is equal under the constitution and is independent of each other.
22. Recreate the chart on page 47, selecting what you believe to be the most powerful check each
branch possesses over one another.

Impeach Executive Branch


Legislative
Branch Veto

Judicial Branch

23. How did the 17th Amendment change the accountability of a senator?
The 17th Amendment changes the accountability of a senator by making their term 6 years.
24. Give 2 examples of how the separation of powers have become what one scholar has called
separate institution sharing powers.
The three governmental branches work together to form the central government that has all the
power in the nation.
25. What are checks and balances?
They are certain powers that one branch has over another to keep them in line.
26. What is the difference between enumerated and implied powers?
Enumerated powers are listed in the constitution, implied powers are powers that will be needed in
the future.
27. What is so special about the final paragraph of Article I, section 8?
It allows congress to pass any law that they need to carry out the Enumerated powers.
28. What are the most important powers given to the President in Article II?
It is the commander in chief of the military, can sign and veto legislation, and has the power to
appoint ambassadors.
29. Whose job is it to determine what the Constitution actually meant?
The job to interpret the Constitution falls under the Supreme Court.
30. What is the Full Faith and Credit Clause? Where is it found?
The Full Faith and Credit Clause is a clause that makes the States respect the laws of other states.
It is found in the first section of Article IV.
Jason Sheu
Period 4
31. Why is the supremacy clause the linchpin of the entire federal system?
The supremacy clause is the linchpin of the system because without the Constitution, the
government would have little actual political power.
32. What does ratification mean?
Ratification means to sign a formal document to make it valid.

The Drive for Ratification of the US Constitution


33. Describe two fears of those who did not support the Constitution?
They feared that there would be a too powerful central government that would inhibit the rights of
states, and they also feared that a big central government would be disconnected would
miscommunicate with the common people.
34. Describe the typical Federalist, Anti-Federalist and their main beliefs.
A Federalist were those who would favor a strong central government with a two-house legislature.
They were usually wealthy people who didnt trust commoners.
An Anti-Federalist were those who favored a stronger system of state governments and a single
house legislature that would provide more representation for the people. These people were
usually farmers and commoners.
35. What are the federalist papers? Who wrote them?
The federalist papers are a series of papers written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and
John Jay that defended the Constitution.
36. What was the purpose of the Bill of Rights? Who wanted these included?
The bill of rights were the first ten amendments that were written to protect the rights of the people,
including freedom of speech, right to bear arms, no cruel punishment, and more. The Anti-
Federalists wanted these to be included to protect the people.

Toward Reform: Methods of Amending the US Constitution


37. Why did the framers want changing the Constitution to be a slow process?
They wanted the process to be slow because they wanted to prevent people from changing the
Constitution on a whim.
38. Describe the process that is commonly used to propose and ratify amendments to the Constitution.
Amendments are proposed by a 2/3 vote in Congress or a 2/3 request by the state legislatures.
Amendments are ratified by votes by the states or by conventions in of the states.
39. How does judicial interpretation continue to amend the Constitution?
The Judicial Branch can check if acts of other branches of government are constitutional or not,
allowing them to nullify them if they were unconstitutional. This allows them to change
interpretations of the Constitution.
40. How does social and cultural change continue to amend the Constitution?
As society and culture changes, different interpretations of the Constitution must be made to
conform to the changes. Changing circumstances leads to change in the Constitution as it forces
the Supreme Court to reevaluate the meaning of it.

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