Gov 3 Constitution

Textbook

Summaries

Objectives:

Discuss the history and purpose of government.

Analyze ideas and historical documents and events that shaped the US Constitution.

Describe the structural features of the Constitution.

WICOR: Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization and Reading

Standards:

Strand: Civics and Government

Content Standard III: Students understand the ideals, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship and understand the content and history of the founding documents of the United States with particular emphasis on the United States and New Mexico constitutions and how governments function at local, state, tribal, and national levels. Students will:

9-12 Benchmark 3-A: compare and analyze the structure, power and purpose of government at the local, state, tribal and national levels as set forth in their respective constitutions or governance documents:

2. Analyze and explain the philosophical foundations of the American political system in terms of the inalienable rights of people and the purpose of government, to include:

a. Iroquois league and its organizational structure for effective governance;

11. Compare and contrast characteristics of Native American governments with early United States government;

1. What two generalizations can be made about North America at the time of European “discovery”?

2. Approximately how many people lived within present US borders when Europeans arrived?

3. Who were the first Europeans to explore North America and what were they looking for?

4. How did the Spanish and southwestern natives clash?

5. What is encomienda?

6. What is the Black Legend and what is the trouble with its use?

1. Why is it problematic to use the term “primitive” when describing a group of people or a

civilization, particularly one that existed for millennia prior to “discovery”?

Standard:

10. Compare and contrast the characteristics of representative governments;

b. essential principles of a republican form of government;

3. Analyze the fundamental principles in the declaration of independence;

4. Analyze the historical sources and ideals of the structure of the United States government, to include:

a. principles of democracy;

c. code of law put forth in the Code of Hammurabi;

7. Analyze the ways powers are distributed and shared in a parliamentary system;

American Government: Class Guide

Principles and Origins to the Three Branches

Gov 3 Principles of Government

a. Essential question: What is government? Why do we need government? What are the different types of government? What roles do these different types of government play in the daily lives of their citizens?

b. John Locke, “State of Nature,” Authoritarianism, Totalitarianism, the political state, democracy and democratic values, “Lord of the Flies” 2

Gov 3 The Origins of American Government

a. Essential question: How did the United States system of government come to be? What role did the Founding Fathers play in creating our country’s government? What are our country’s political beginnings? How was the United States Constitution created?

b. Articles of Confederation, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, Constitutional Convention, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, 13 original Colonies and the “Bill of Rights”

Gov 3 The United States Constitution

a. Essential question: What is the role of the U.S. Constitution throughout the country? What are the basic principles found in the Constitution?

b. Basic principles of the Constitution, important clauses, the “Bill of Rights,” 27 Amendments, the amendment process and articles of the Constitution

What is the significance of the Six Big Ideas in the Constitution historically and for Americans today? The Six Big Ideas are:

1. limited government

2. (r)epublicanism

3. checks and balances

4. federalism

5. separation of powers

6. popular sovereignty

The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America.

Originally comprising seven articles, delineates the national frame of government.

First three articles entrench the doctrine of the separation of powers, whereby the federal government is divided into three branches: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Congress; the executive, consisting of the President; and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts.

Articles Four, Five and Six entrench concepts of federalism, describing the rights and responsibilities of state governments and of the states in relationship to the federal government.

Article Seven establishes the procedure subsequently used by the thirteen States to ratify it.

Sample Quiz Questions 1 2 3

In politics and government, the word state means _____.

Which theory about the origin of states evolved from the need to resist an enemy?

Which government purpose is met when government inspectors enforce housing codes?

In which type of system does the central government hold all key powers?

Why did James Madison fear special-interest groups?

Which type of government did Joseph Stalin implement in Soviet Russia?

In a democracy, government decisions are based on _____.

A traditional economy is most closely related to the political ideology of _____.

Which of the following acts as an "invisible hand" in a free market economy?

The seeds for the idea of limited government first appeared in the _____.

What was the qualification for voting rights in all thirteen colonies?

Who developed the idea of separation of powers?

Which event led Britain to first tax the colonists?

Which document emerged from the Second Continental Congress?

According to the Declaration of Independence, from whom does government get its power?

Which of these actions occurred under the Articles of Confederation?

Who is often called the Father of the Constitution?

Which problem did the Connecticut Compromise settle?

What did Federalists promise in order to turn the tide in favor of ratifying the Constitution?

Which branch of government is discussed in Article I?

What does federalism mean?

The _____ is the final authority on the meaning of the Constitution.

Which gives Congress the ability to meet unanticipated situations?

In which of the following actions does the president need consent of the Senate?

Who establishes federal "inferior" courts?

Which is the most common way of proposing an amendment?

Which policy was followed by the Warren Court in the 1950s and 1960s?

Which amendment prevents prior restraint of information?

What does it mean when someone "takes the Fifth?"

Chapter Sample Questions:

1. In politics and government, the word state means _____.

A) a common history and government

B) a political community in a precise territory

C) a territory smaller than a country

D) a population that shares a consensus

2. Which theory about the origin of states evolved from the need to resist an enemy?

A) force theory

B) divine right theory

C) evolutionary theory

D) social contract theory

3. Which government purpose is met when government inspectors enforce housing codes?

A) maintaining social order

B) providing public services

C) providing national security

D) making economic decisions

4. In which type of system does the central government hold all key powers?

A) provincial

B) unitary

C) confederate

D) federal

5. Which country has an unwritten constitution?

A) United States

B) Kenya

C) United Kingdom

D) People's Republic of China

6. Why did James Madison fear special-interest groups?

A) They are corrupt.

B) They seek benefits without the cost.

C) They threaten national security.

D) They do not promote the general welfare.

7. Which type of government did Joseph Stalin implement in Soviet Russia?

A) oligarchy

B) direct democracy

C) confederacy

D) autocracy

8. In a democracy, government decisions are based on _____.

A) the will of the majority

B) the authority to use force

C) the will of the minority

D) the political party in power

9. A traditional economy is most closely related to the political ideology of _____.

A) capitalism

B) communism

C) fascism

D) socialism

10. Which of the following acts as an "invisible hand" in a free market economy?

A) government regulation

B) competition

C) welfare benefits

D) property rights

1. What act did the British pass in 1765 and what was the reaction of the colonists?

2. What was one of the most effective ways colonists could protests against the British?

3. By the time of the Declaration of Independence, what was the reaction of American colonists?

4. During the war, about how many colonists remained loyal to Great Britain?

5. What was pretty revolutionary about the American Revolution?

6. What two themes were central to the revolution?

7. What was the Enlightenment?

1. Was the American Revolution what the historian Jonathan Israel called, “A revolution of the mind?”

Why or why not? What examples can you provide to support your answer?

1. What was the first government established by the Continental Congress? Describe it.

2. What were the limitations of the government?

3. What two things did The Articles accomplish?

4. What did the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 accomplish?

5. Why is the Articles of Confederation government considered a disaster?

6. What was Shay’s Rebellion?

7. What was the first conflict of the Constitutional Convention?

8. What was the Great Compromise? What were the terms under it?

9. What is the Three-Fifths Compromise?

10. What was problematic about the Fugitive Slave Clause?

11. What two principles were embraced to avoid tyranny? What are the Federalist Papers?

12. What was the position of the Anti-Federalists?

13. What was the Great Compromise? What were the terms under it?