American Politics and the US Constitution - C963 WGU
Questions and Answers Graded A+
natrual rights - ANSWER -Life, Liberty, is not something natural and immutable, but
and Property rather it is something created by us.
John Locke - ANSWER -17th century Labor Movement - ANSWER -the
English philosopher who opposed the Divine formation of labor unions, during the 1880's,
Right of Kings and who asserted that people for the workers to receive better treatment by
have a natural right to life, liberty, and
property.
Constitution - ANSWER -A document
which spells out the principles by which a
State of Nature - ANSWER - government runs and the fundamental laws
Hypothetical condition assumed to exist in that govern a society
the absence of government where human
beings live in "complete" freedom and
general equality. Bill of Rights - ANSWER -The first ten
amendments to the Constitution
Due Process - ANSWER -involves the
government's obligation to treat all citizens Declaration of Independence -
fairly. Such a requirement lessens the extent ANSWER -the document recording the
to which government power can be exercised proclamation of the second Continental
over the individual, making the power Congress (4 July 1776) asserting the
differential between the two more fair, and independence of the colonies from Great
ensuring a general sense of political equality Britain
Social Contract - ANSWER -A voluntary Thomas Jefferson - ANSWER -Wrote the
agreement among individuals to secure their Declaration of Independence
rights and welfare by creating a government
and abiding by its rules.
Shays's Rebellion (1786-1787) -
ANSWER -which almost resulted in
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) - potential mob rule, suggested there might be
ANSWER -One of the first individuals to too much democracy at play, and that maybe
contribute to the idea of the social contract individual liberty was going too far
was a pre-Enlightenment English philosopher
Articles of Confederation - ANSWER -A
Leviathan (1651): Thomas Hobbes - weak constitution that governed America
ANSWER -Hobbes argues that society during the Revolutionary War.
, American Politics and the US Constitution - C963 WGU
Questions and Answers Graded A+
Sixth Amendment - ANSWER -Right to a
speedy and public trial
Federalist no. 51 - ANSWER -Argues
that separation of powers within the national
government is the best way to prevent the Seventh Amendment - ANSWER -Right
concentration of power in the hands of one to a trial by jury in civil cases
person or a single group.
Eighth Amendment - ANSWER -No cruel
First Amendment - ANSWER -Congress and unusual punishment
shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof; or abridging the Nineth Amendment - ANSWER -peoples
freedom of speech, or of the press; or the rights are not just limited to those listed in the
right of the people peaceably to assemble, Constitution and Bill of Rights
and to petition the government for a redress
of grievances.
Tenth Amendment - ANSWER -
Amendment stating that the powers not
Second Amendment - ANSWER -Right delegated to the federal gov. are reserved to
to keep and bear arms the states
Third Amendment - ANSWER -The bicameral legislature - ANSWER -A law
government may not house soldiers in private making body made of two houses (bi means
homes without consent of the owner 2). Example: Congress (our legislature) is
made of two house - The House of
Representatives and The Senate.
Forth Amendment - ANSWER -It
protects people against unfair searches of
their homes; search and seizure. House of Representatives - ANSWER -
the lower house of Congress, consisting of a
different number of representatives from
Fifth Amendment - ANSWER -A each state, depending on population
constitutional amendment designed to
protect the rights of persons accused of
crimes, including protection against double New Jersey Plan - ANSWER -Proposal to
jeopardy, self-incrimination, and punishment create a weak national government
without due process of law.
Virginia Plan - ANSWER -Proposal to
, American Politics and the US Constitution - C963 WGU
Questions and Answers Graded A+
create a strong national government
enumerated powers - ANSWER -The
powers explicitly given to Congress in the
Constitutional Convention - ANSWER - Constitution.
Meeting in 1787 of the elected
representatives of the thirteen original states
to write the Constitution of the United States. reserved powers - ANSWER -Powers
given to the state government alone
unicameral legislature - ANSWER -One-
house legislature Federalists - ANSWER -Supporters of
the Constitution that were led by Alexander
Hamilton and John Adams. They firmly
Three-Fifths Compromise - ANSWER - believed the national government should be
Agreement that each slave counted as three- strong. They didn't want the Bill of Rights
fifths of a person in determining because they felt citizens' rights were already
representation in the House for well protected by the Constitution.
representation and taxation purposes
(negated by the 13th amendment)
Anti-Federalists - ANSWER -Opponents
of the American Constitution at the time
Checks and Balances - ANSWER -A when the states were contemplating its
system that allows each branch of adoption.
government to limit the powers of the other
branches in order to prevent abuse of power
Ratification - ANSWER -Formal
approval, final consent to the effectiveness of
Separation of Powers - ANSWER - a constitution, constitutional amendment, or
Constitutional division of powers among the treaty
legislative, executive, and judicial branches,
with the legislative branch making law, the
executive applying and enforcing the law, and Republic - ANSWER -A form of
the judiciary interpreting the law government in which citizens choose their
leaders by voting
federal system - ANSWER -A
government that divides the powers of Habeas Corpus - ANSWER -
government between the national Constitutional protection against unlawful
government and state or provincial imprisonment
governments
, American Politics and the US Constitution - C963 WGU
Questions and Answers Graded A+
Federalist Papers - ANSWER -A thirds vote in both chambers
collection of 85 articles written by Alexander Must approve treaties by a two-thirds vote in
Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison the Senate
under the name "Publius" to defend the Control of funding activities of the executive
Constitution in detail. branch
Presidential nominees must be approved by
the Senate
Federalist No. 10 - ANSWER -An essay Only Congress can declare war
composed by James Madison which argues House can impeach the president or vice
that liberty is safest in a large republic president and the Senate can remove them
because many interests (factions) exist. Such by a two-thirds vote
diversity makes tyranny by the majority more By Judiciary
difficult since ruling coalitions will always be
unstable. Can overturn actions of the president with
judicial review if the actions violate the
Constitution
Legislative Branch (Congress) - Serve during good behavior to maintain
ANSWER -makes laws, imposes taxes, independence of judiciary
and declares war
Checks on Congress - ANSWER -By
Judicial Branch (Supreme Court) - President
ANSWER -interprets the constitution
and other laws, reviews lower-court Can veto legislation
decisions Can use executive agreements
Can use executive orders
Negotiates treaties (not Congress)
Executive Branch (President) - By Judiciary
ANSWER -has the power to enforce the
Can overturn acts of Congress as
law
unconstitutional if they violate the law
Can influence laws by interpretation
Serve during good behavior to maintain
Executive Orders - ANSWER -Formal independence of judiciary
orders issued by the president to direct
action by the federal bureaucracy.
Checks on Judiciary - ANSWER -By
President
checks on the executive branch -
ANSWER -By Congress Nominates judges
Power of pardon
Can override a presidential veto by a two- By Congress
Questions and Answers Graded A+
natrual rights - ANSWER -Life, Liberty, is not something natural and immutable, but
and Property rather it is something created by us.
John Locke - ANSWER -17th century Labor Movement - ANSWER -the
English philosopher who opposed the Divine formation of labor unions, during the 1880's,
Right of Kings and who asserted that people for the workers to receive better treatment by
have a natural right to life, liberty, and
property.
Constitution - ANSWER -A document
which spells out the principles by which a
State of Nature - ANSWER - government runs and the fundamental laws
Hypothetical condition assumed to exist in that govern a society
the absence of government where human
beings live in "complete" freedom and
general equality. Bill of Rights - ANSWER -The first ten
amendments to the Constitution
Due Process - ANSWER -involves the
government's obligation to treat all citizens Declaration of Independence -
fairly. Such a requirement lessens the extent ANSWER -the document recording the
to which government power can be exercised proclamation of the second Continental
over the individual, making the power Congress (4 July 1776) asserting the
differential between the two more fair, and independence of the colonies from Great
ensuring a general sense of political equality Britain
Social Contract - ANSWER -A voluntary Thomas Jefferson - ANSWER -Wrote the
agreement among individuals to secure their Declaration of Independence
rights and welfare by creating a government
and abiding by its rules.
Shays's Rebellion (1786-1787) -
ANSWER -which almost resulted in
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) - potential mob rule, suggested there might be
ANSWER -One of the first individuals to too much democracy at play, and that maybe
contribute to the idea of the social contract individual liberty was going too far
was a pre-Enlightenment English philosopher
Articles of Confederation - ANSWER -A
Leviathan (1651): Thomas Hobbes - weak constitution that governed America
ANSWER -Hobbes argues that society during the Revolutionary War.
, American Politics and the US Constitution - C963 WGU
Questions and Answers Graded A+
Sixth Amendment - ANSWER -Right to a
speedy and public trial
Federalist no. 51 - ANSWER -Argues
that separation of powers within the national
government is the best way to prevent the Seventh Amendment - ANSWER -Right
concentration of power in the hands of one to a trial by jury in civil cases
person or a single group.
Eighth Amendment - ANSWER -No cruel
First Amendment - ANSWER -Congress and unusual punishment
shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof; or abridging the Nineth Amendment - ANSWER -peoples
freedom of speech, or of the press; or the rights are not just limited to those listed in the
right of the people peaceably to assemble, Constitution and Bill of Rights
and to petition the government for a redress
of grievances.
Tenth Amendment - ANSWER -
Amendment stating that the powers not
Second Amendment - ANSWER -Right delegated to the federal gov. are reserved to
to keep and bear arms the states
Third Amendment - ANSWER -The bicameral legislature - ANSWER -A law
government may not house soldiers in private making body made of two houses (bi means
homes without consent of the owner 2). Example: Congress (our legislature) is
made of two house - The House of
Representatives and The Senate.
Forth Amendment - ANSWER -It
protects people against unfair searches of
their homes; search and seizure. House of Representatives - ANSWER -
the lower house of Congress, consisting of a
different number of representatives from
Fifth Amendment - ANSWER -A each state, depending on population
constitutional amendment designed to
protect the rights of persons accused of
crimes, including protection against double New Jersey Plan - ANSWER -Proposal to
jeopardy, self-incrimination, and punishment create a weak national government
without due process of law.
Virginia Plan - ANSWER -Proposal to
, American Politics and the US Constitution - C963 WGU
Questions and Answers Graded A+
create a strong national government
enumerated powers - ANSWER -The
powers explicitly given to Congress in the
Constitutional Convention - ANSWER - Constitution.
Meeting in 1787 of the elected
representatives of the thirteen original states
to write the Constitution of the United States. reserved powers - ANSWER -Powers
given to the state government alone
unicameral legislature - ANSWER -One-
house legislature Federalists - ANSWER -Supporters of
the Constitution that were led by Alexander
Hamilton and John Adams. They firmly
Three-Fifths Compromise - ANSWER - believed the national government should be
Agreement that each slave counted as three- strong. They didn't want the Bill of Rights
fifths of a person in determining because they felt citizens' rights were already
representation in the House for well protected by the Constitution.
representation and taxation purposes
(negated by the 13th amendment)
Anti-Federalists - ANSWER -Opponents
of the American Constitution at the time
Checks and Balances - ANSWER -A when the states were contemplating its
system that allows each branch of adoption.
government to limit the powers of the other
branches in order to prevent abuse of power
Ratification - ANSWER -Formal
approval, final consent to the effectiveness of
Separation of Powers - ANSWER - a constitution, constitutional amendment, or
Constitutional division of powers among the treaty
legislative, executive, and judicial branches,
with the legislative branch making law, the
executive applying and enforcing the law, and Republic - ANSWER -A form of
the judiciary interpreting the law government in which citizens choose their
leaders by voting
federal system - ANSWER -A
government that divides the powers of Habeas Corpus - ANSWER -
government between the national Constitutional protection against unlawful
government and state or provincial imprisonment
governments
, American Politics and the US Constitution - C963 WGU
Questions and Answers Graded A+
Federalist Papers - ANSWER -A thirds vote in both chambers
collection of 85 articles written by Alexander Must approve treaties by a two-thirds vote in
Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison the Senate
under the name "Publius" to defend the Control of funding activities of the executive
Constitution in detail. branch
Presidential nominees must be approved by
the Senate
Federalist No. 10 - ANSWER -An essay Only Congress can declare war
composed by James Madison which argues House can impeach the president or vice
that liberty is safest in a large republic president and the Senate can remove them
because many interests (factions) exist. Such by a two-thirds vote
diversity makes tyranny by the majority more By Judiciary
difficult since ruling coalitions will always be
unstable. Can overturn actions of the president with
judicial review if the actions violate the
Constitution
Legislative Branch (Congress) - Serve during good behavior to maintain
ANSWER -makes laws, imposes taxes, independence of judiciary
and declares war
Checks on Congress - ANSWER -By
Judicial Branch (Supreme Court) - President
ANSWER -interprets the constitution
and other laws, reviews lower-court Can veto legislation
decisions Can use executive agreements
Can use executive orders
Negotiates treaties (not Congress)
Executive Branch (President) - By Judiciary
ANSWER -has the power to enforce the
Can overturn acts of Congress as
law
unconstitutional if they violate the law
Can influence laws by interpretation
Serve during good behavior to maintain
Executive Orders - ANSWER -Formal independence of judiciary
orders issued by the president to direct
action by the federal bureaucracy.
Checks on Judiciary - ANSWER -By
President
checks on the executive branch -
ANSWER -By Congress Nominates judges
Power of pardon
Can override a presidential veto by a two- By Congress
