Identify:
The 3 Founding Documents.
Identify:
3 important documents that influenced American democracy.
Explain:
How does the Declaration of Independence represent popular sovereignty?
It supports a government “by the people, for the people.”
As a legal doctrine, it emphasizes the importance of citizens having the ultimate power, in contrast to the British monarchy, which vested power in a queen or king.
Explain:
Development of the Declaration of Independence.
Describe:
Significance of Articles of Confederation.
Explain:
Challenges under Articles of Confederation.
Explain:
How did the Articles of Confederation lead to Constitution?
This new framework provided a more effective and stable government for the United States.
Identify:
3 main parts of the Constitution.
Explain:
Significance of the Preamble.
The opening words “We the People” emphasize that the Constitution derives its authority from the people themselves, making it a document of popular sovereignty.
Identify:
7 Articles in Constitution.
Explain:
Significance of Article I in the U.S. Constitution.
Explain:
Significance of Article II in the U.S. Constitution.
Establishes the presidency and defines the powers and duties of the president, such as being commander-in-chief of the armed forces, signing bills into law, and conducting foreign policy.
Explain:
Significance of Article III in the U.S. Constitution.
Explain:
Significance of Article IV in the U.S. Constitution.
Outlines the relationship between states, including:
Explain:
Significance of Article V in the U.S. Constitution.
Describes the process for amending the Constitution, requiring approval by two-thirds of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states.
Explain:
Significance of Article VI in the U.S. Constitution.
Declares the Constitution, federal laws, and treaties to be the supreme law of the land.
Explain:
Significance of Article VII in the U.S. Constitution.
Specifies that the Constitution would go into effect once ratified by nine of the thirteen states.
Explain:
Why is the Amendments section of the Constitution important?
Explain:
Significance of the Bill of Rights.
Identify:
First 10 amendments (Bill of Rights).
Explain:
3 outcomes of Constitutional Convention (1787).
Define:
The Great Compromise
(or Connecticut Compromise)
Settled the dispute over representation in Congress, creating a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives based on population and a Senate with equal representation for each state.
Define:
Three-Fifths Compromise
Compromise reached among state delegates during the 1787 Constitutional Convention that determined that three out of every five slaves were counted when determining a state’s total population for legislative representation and taxation.
Explain:
Compromise concerning Electoral College.
The Electoral College’s origins were influenced by concerns over executive power and slavery. The Three-Fifths Compromise allowed slave states to count enslaved people as part of their population for allocating electors, giving those states more influence. Over time, however, the system’s assumptions about electors voting independently and the role of the House of Representatives in deciding elections became outdated.