The U.S. Constitution Name ______________________________

Class Review

History 8

2004

The first plan for a national government in the United States was the ____________________________________, which were approved by the Second Continental Congress in 1781. This plan of government had little power because the people, having lived through the __________________________________, were extremely unwilling to part with any of their ___________________. States were also very unwilling to surrender any of their ___________________ or ultimate authority. Following the Declaration of Independence, states had written their own constitutions in an effort to limit _____________________________. These constitutions generally gave very little power to the ______________________ and attempted to expand the concept of democracy by outlawing the practice of ___________________________, expanding the right of _____________________ to most male property owners, and eliminating _____________________ churches.

The weaknesses of the national government were numerous. The government could not collect _____________ or regulate _______________. In addition, there was no _________________________ to see that laws were carried out, nor any system of national __________________, or provisions for a standing ________________. It was also very difficult to pass any laws because ___________________________.

The new government’s main method of raising money was intended to be ________________________________________. To facilitate this, the Land Ordinance of 1785 ________ the land for sale and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 provided for a system of _________________ and the means by which __________________ could eventually become states. These plans failed mainly due to a lack of an _______________ to combat the threat of __________________. In addition, the country was harmed by competition from British ____________________, high rates of ___________________, and disputes between the states. After several years of struggle, demands for a stronger form of national government arose after __________ _______________ in Massachusetts frightened many wealthy Americans. The biggest advocates of a stronger national government were northern businessmen, led by __________________________ of New York and southern aristocrats led by ______________________________ of Virginia.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

The constitutional convention was held in the city of _________________________ during the summer of _________. The expressed purpose of the convention was to ____________________________________,and there was no immediate plan to ____________________________________. The greatest problem was attempting to balance national and ______________ power as well as to arrive upon a general compromise between the liberty of the individual and the need for _____________________, which is described in the preamble of the Constitution as “domestic tranquility.”

The relationship between the states and national government is referred to as _____________________. The use of the term “_________________________” in the preamble indicated a fundamental strengthening of the power of the national government and a loss of state ________________________.

The constitution refers to five general types of governmental powers. There are those that are exclusively the domain of the national government such as to coin _______________, maintain an ________________, declare ____________, regulate ____________________ and foreign trade, and control _____________________ and determine the qualifications for citizenship. Powers that are shared between the national and state governments are to ___________, establish _________________, and build ______________. Powers that are by implication reserved to the states include __________________________________, _________________________________, and ____________________________________. The national government was expressly prohibited from passing ex post facto laws (meaning ___________________________), and suspending habeas corpus (meaning _____________________________________). Some powers are not explicitly granted to the national government but implied in the _______________ clause, which gives the government the power to "make all laws which shall be “necessary and proper” for carrying out its expressed powers. This clause has made it possible to ___________________ ______________________________________ but also raised the danger of the national government ______________________________.

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Most of the compromises made at the convention were between the ___________and ___________ states. Slavery was considered to be exclusively a _________________ issue; however, Congress could control it in the territories and ban the ______________________ in twenty years. The counting of slaves for purposes of congressional representation and taxation was established at a ratio of ________. To protect ____________________ fears concerning trade, while Congress could tax ________________, it could not tax _______________. As a further protection for the South, all treaties must be ratified by 2/3 of the __________________.

Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law.

The Great Compromise at the convention settled a dispute between the _______________________ and ________________________ states, and created the two houses of _____________________. Every state has two representatives in the _______________. Representation in the _____________________ is determined on the basis of ____________________ as established by the decennial ____________________. Because of this, _______________ has 53 representatives, while the smallest states have only ____. Indiana elects ____ members to the House. Central Indiana is represented by ___________________________ and ____________________________ in the House of Representatives. The drawing of political districts by the ______________________________ is extremely influential in determining who gets elected. The drawing of these boundaries in a grossly unfair manner is known as _________________________. Indiana's two senators are ______________________ and ___________________________.

Congress is the ________________ branch of the government, with the responsibility to _____________________. Senators serve for ______ years while members of the House serve for two. Members of Congress may serve ___________________ terms.

The president heads the _______________________ branch. It is the largest branch because it contains all the federal _______________________ such as ________________, ______________, ________________, ________________, and ________________. These are headed by members of the president's _______________.

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

Presidential candidates are nominated by party ________________________ made up of delegates selected in _____________________ or ___________________. The president is elected by the ___________________________. Each state has one elector for each ___________________________. As a result, the number of electoral votes varies from California's 55 to Alaska’s ______. If no candidate can secure a ___________________ of the electoral votes, the president is chosen by the _______________________________. This, however, has not happened since 1824. Unlike members of Congress, the president is limited to a serving _____ terms. The president has many responsibilities. Among these are to serve as _______________________________ of the military, see that laws are _____________________________, and appoint federal _________________________, as well as to negotiate ____________________. In addition, the president exerts enormous influence over Congress due to ____________________ _________________________________.

The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour …

The responsibility of the ______________________ branch is to ___________________ the laws. In addition, the courts settle disputes over ______________________________. The federal court system consists of a _______________________________, 13 _____________________________ and 94 _________________________________. Justices are nominated by the _______________________ and approved by the _________________________. They serve for ______________.

On the state level, Indiana’s legislature is divided into a _____________________ whose members serve for four years and a _________________________ where members serve for two years. The state legislature in Indiana is known as the Indiana ______________________________. Like the president, the governor is elected for _______ years and may only serve _______ consecutive terms. Unlike the federal government, members of the cabinet such as the ________________________________ and ________________________________ are elected. The current governor is ____________________________. His term is up in 2004, and he is expected to face a tough election battle against Republican ________________________. Like the federal court system, the state system is divided into _____ parts with a _________________________ at the top. The biggest difference between the federal and state courts is that state judges are either ____________________ or ______________________ and serve for ________________________. The legislative authority in Marion County is called the _____________________________________________. The mayor of Indianapolis is ____________________________ who has a ______ year term, which expires in _____. Indianapolis is relatively unique in its governmental structure due to _________________, which means that _______________________________________.

Because of the writers of the Constitution were very afraid of government power, they devised the System of ______________________________ to avoid any branch ________________________________________.

Examples of the system are:

The President on Congress

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Congress on the President

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The Courts on Congress

The Courts on the President

The President on the Courts

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Congress on the Courts

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The strongest checks are exercised by the ___________________________ because its decisions can only be overridden by a ___________________________________, which must be proposed by 2/3 of ____________________ and ratified by _____ of the _________________. This is why there have been only _______ in 210 years. The only other way of reversing a ___________________________ decision is if _________________________________________ which is fairly rare. An example of this would be ______________________________. ________________________ is a power of the _________________ to remove members of the ______________________ branch and ______________________ branch for serious crimes. Charges are brought by the ___________________________________ and a trial is conducted in the ____________________. Guilt must be established by a ______ vote. President Clinton was only the second president to be impeached as Andrew Johnson escaped conviction in the Senate by a single vote in 1868. _______________________________ resigned the presidency in 1974 to avoid certain impeachment and removal from office due to the _________________________ Scandal.

James Madison is sometimes referred to as “The Father of the Constitution.”

It required approval of ______ of the states to _______________ the constitution. Its primary opponents were poorer ________________ and the most radical of the revolutionary leaders such as _______________________ and ________________________. Their main objections were that the new government was far too __________________________ and would destroy personal ________________________. These people probably constituted a ___________________ of the population. The Constitution was eventually ratified because the problems of the ___________________________________ were so great; the supporters of the Constitution (known as ______________________) were _____________________ and better organized, as evidenced by the famous ________________________________________ written by ________________________, _______________________, and John Jay; and the agreement that a ___________________________ would be added later.

Jeffrey T. Stroebel, The Sycamore School, 1998, Revised 2004.