Part 1 Review – The United States Constitution
Use both your textbook and notes to guide you through answering the questions. Please highlight any
questions you are unclear on and we will review them in class.
***If more than 3 questions are not answered, points will be removed.***
1. What are the Articles of Confederation and how are they related to the Constitution?
2. What are the three branches of government which are laid out in our Constitution?
3. What is the difference between a democracy and a republic?
4. What were two causes of Shay’s Rebellion? Why is this an important catalyst for a new
Constitution?
5. What was the Constitutional Convention and where did it meet?
6. Why did the writers of the constitution allow for amendments?
7. What was the Great Compromise? What was the difference between the New Jersey Plan and
the Virginia Plan?
8. Why was the Three Fifths Compromise implemented? What did it deal with?
9. Why is the Constitution of the Unites States considered to be a lasting document?
10. What does a system of checks and balances ensure?
11. What two bodies make up Congress? Why are there two sides making up one body?
12. How many people make up the House of Representatives?
13. How many people make up the Senate? How many from each state? Why?
14. Why is an odd number always utilized in the House?
15. What are the qualifications for someone to be in the House of Representatives?
16. How frequently are members of the house elected?
17. How do we determine how many reps will represent every state in the house of reps?
18. What are the qualifications for someone to be in the Senate?
19. How frequently are members of the Senate elected?
20. What is the role of the Vice President in the Senate?
21. What happens if the President is convicted by the Senate in an impeachment case?
22. Explain the three ways in which a Bill can become a law.
a.
b.
c.
23. What is the role of a Presidential Veto and how can it be bypassed?
24. What are the three reasons taxes can be used?
Remember that congress can borrow money, that they can regulate INTERSTATE trade and that they
must use a uniform system of weights and measures.