Name ________________________________
American Government
Comprehension Questions
The Constitution
Read chapter 3 in your textbook and answer the following questions. Identify the page and
paragraph where you found your answers
1. The Constitution is made up of the Preamble and seven articles and 27 amendments.
What is the subject of each of these parts? (Do not include individual amendments)
2. List the six basic principles of the Constitution.
3. What is popular sovereignty?
4. What is Limited Government?
5. What is Rule of Law?
6. What are checks and balances?
7. Under the system of checks and balances, how can the President check the power of the
Judicial branch?
8. Under the system of checks and balances, how can the President check the power of
Congress?
9. Under the system of checks and balances, how can Congress check the power of the
President?
10. Under the system of checks and balances, how can Congress check the power of the Judicial
branch?
11. Under the system of checks and balances, how can the court system check the power of the
President?
12. Under the system of checks and balances, how can the Judicial branch check the power of
Congress?
13. What is Judicial Review?
14. What is federalism?
15. List five powers of the Federal Government.
16. List five powers of State Governments.
17. List five powers shared by the Federal Government and the State Governments.
18. Who was William Marbury?
19. What is a writ of mandamus?
20. How does Judicial Review fit into the system of Checks and Balances?
21. What are the four methods of formally amending the Constitution?
22. Why was the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution?
23. What is the First Amendment of the Constitution?
24. What is the Second Amendment to the Constitution?
25. What is the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution?
26. What is the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution?
27. What is the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution?
28. What are five different ways that the Constitution can be changed without a formal
amendment?
29. How has Congress expanded the meaning of the Constitution?
30. How have Supreme Court decisions changed the Constitution?
31. How have political parties changed our constitution?
32. How have Customs and Usage changed the Constitution?