Name: __________________________________________
Date: _____________________
History: Chapter 8  The Constitution Study Guide
Period: ______
Vocabulary
1. Due Process the legal rules and procedures the government must observe before depriving a person
of life, liberty, and property
2.Equal Protection the equal application of the law regardless of a person’s race, religion, political
beliefs, or other qualities
3. Popular Sovereignty the belief that government is subject to the will of the people
4. Administrate to carry out
5. Enumerated Powers powers that are specifically given to Congress in the Constitution
6. Separation of Powers a principle by which powers are divided among different branches of
government to make sure no one branch has too much power
7. Implied Powers powers not enumerated in the Constitution but suggested in its language
8. Diminish reduce, make smaller
9. Contradict to go against or state the opposite
10. Limited Government government with limited power strictly defined by law
11. Involve to include
12. Judicial Review power of the court to judge whether or not actions of other branches are
constitutional
13. Reserved Powers powers belonging only to the states
14. Concurrent Powers powers shared by the state and federal government
15. Naturalization the process of becoming a citizen of another country
KEY FACTS
1. What was the purpose of the system of Checks and Balances?
So that no one branch becomes too powerful
2. The Americans formed a republic, a government in which people rule through Represenatatives .
3. A state’s number of representatives may increase or decrease depending on changes to what?
Population
4. How many justices make up the Supreme Court?
Nine (9)
5. What is the difference between a duty and a responsibility? Why should citizens fulfill both?
A Duty is something a person must do, while a responsibility is something a person should do. Citizens
should fulfill both to be an active member government and to keep the quality of government from
diminishing.
6. Who developed the Virginia Plan, which provides the basic framework and central ideas of the US
Constitution?
James Madison took notes on both the VA and NJ plan, then altered the VA plan to fit the needs of the
US government
7. How is the Constitution able to change over time?
Through Formal Amendment process
8. Justices of the Supreme Court listen to legal arguments about a case and then present and explain a
decision called what?
Courts Opinion
9. The process of changing the Constitution is started how?
Formal proposal of an amendment
10. For an amendment to ratified, it must be approved by what fraction of the state?
¾’s of the states
11. Who are there no term limits for?
Supreme Court Justices
12. What is federalism?
Sharing powers between the federal and state governments
13. Which of the following delegates to the House of Representatives is a voting member?
Any state, no territories
14. What parts of the Constitution discuss the establishment and duties of the three branches of
government?
Article I – Legislative, Article II – Executive, Article III – Judicial
15. What is the name of the first ten constitutional amendments?
Bill of Rights
16. What are the two houses of Congress?
Senate and House of Representatives