Question 1

What is federalism?

Accepted Answer

Dividing the government between a central authority (Federal Government) and local powers (State Governments)

Question 2

What are the basic principles of the Constitution?

Accepted Answer

Limited Government

Popular Sovereignty

Separation of Powers

Checks and Balances

Federalism

(also sometimes individual rights, judicial review, and republicanism)

Question 3

Why are checks and balances important?

Accepted Answer

Each branch keeps the other branches in check so that none of them become too powerful

(Federalist No. 51 believes it is human nature to seek power, and that checks and balances protect against this)

Question 4

Why are there three branches of the Federal Government?

Accepted Answer

To ensure separation of powers and so that power isn't concentrated in too few hands

Question 5

What are the three parts of the Constitution?

Accepted Answer

Preamble (opening paragraph that states goals)

Articles (seven articles that explain the branches, amendments, and other things)

Amendments (additions to the Constitution)

Question 6

How did the Constitution attempt to fix the AoC's amendment process?

Accepted Answer

By providing an easier process to propose and ratify amendments

Usually: 2/3 of each house of Congress votes to propose and 3/4 of the state legislatures vote to ratify

(there are other methods, but they are almost never used)

Question 7

What are formal amendments?

Accepted Answer

Written changes to the Constitution (add/modify/delete parts of the Constitution)

(only 27 formal amendments in total, the first 10 being the BoR)

Question 8

What are the three branches of the Fed. Govt.?

Accepted Answer

Legislative: makes laws (Congress)

Executive: carries out laws (president, vice president, Cabinet, and other fed. agencies)

Judicial: evaluates laws (Supreme Court and other courts)

Question 9

What is the Legislative Branch?

Accepted Answer

Congress, which represents the people and...

makes laws

declares war

regulates commerce

controls taxing

Question 10

What is the Executive Branch?

Accepted Answer

The President and their cabinet, who are responsible for enforcing and enacting laws

Question 11

What is the Judicial Branch?

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court and all other courts, which interpret laws

Decide whether federal laws are constitutional and resolved all other disputes about federal laws

Question 12

What checks does the Legislative Branch have?

Accepted Answer

Over Executive: can override President's veto with 2/3 vote from each house and can impeach the president

Over Judicial: Creates lower federal courts, can refuse judicial appointments, and can impeach judges

Question 13

What checks does the Executive Branch have?

Accepted Answer

Over Legislative: may veto acts of Congress, call special sessions of Congress, and recommend legislation

Over Judicial: appoint federal judges and refuse to follow court decisions

Question 14

What checks does the Judicial Branch have?

Accepted Answer

Over Legislative: can rule legislative acts as unconstitutional

Over Executive: can rule executive acts as unconstitutional

Question 15

What are informal amendments?

Accepted Answer

Changes in the way the government works, without changing the constitution

(e.g., legislative actions, executive actions, judicial review, custom and usage)

Question 16

What was Marbury v. Madison (1803)?

Accepted Answer

A Supreme Court case that established judicial review (courts can strike down unconstitutional laws)

(Outgoing Federalist president John Adams attempted to slow his rival, the incoming Democratic-Republican president Thomas Jefferson, by creating lots of judge positions that his party (the Federalists) would fill.  Jefferson ordered his Sec. of State, James Madison, to not deliver these positions.  William Marbury, one of the judges that would've gotten a position, filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court.  The SC found Madison's actions illegal but didn't make him change anything.  Instead, it decided the act (the Judiciary Act of 1789) that allowed Marbury to bring his claim to the SC was unconstitutional.  This established the principle of judicial review.)

The Constitution, AP U.S. Government and Politics Flashcards