Unit #1 – Foundations of American Government Study Guide
(Chapters 1.1, 1.2, 2.1 – 2.4, and 5.2 in Civics textbook; Supplemental Reading Packets)
Please complete this study guide in preparation for the test over this material. This study guide is due on
Tuesday, February 7. On this day, study guides will be checked for completion AND for effort. If it looks as
though you put little to no effort into your study guide, then you will receive little to no credit. After all study guides
have been checked, answers will be distributed. LATE WORK ON STUDY GUIDES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
The test over this material will be on Wednesday, February 8(7th hour)/Thursday, February 9 (4th hour). You
should use your notes, handouts, vocabulary sheets, class readings, and textbook to complete this study guide.
Answers should be written on a separate sheet of paper.
1. What are the two ways that someone can become a citizen of the United States? Where are
each of these referenced in the Constitution?
2. What are the steps in the naturalization process?
3. What are the benefits of US citizenship? What are the responsibilities of US citizenship?
4. What are the four basic functions of government? Be able to give an example of each one.
5. Who was John Locke?
6. According to John Locke, why are governments necessary?
7. What did John Locke mean by “natural rights?” What did he identify as the three natural
rights?
8. What did John Locke mean by a “social contract?”
9. What was the Magna Carta and what important concept did it introduce to government?
10. What is the difference between a limited government and an unlimited government? How is
the US government limited today?
11. What is Parliament and what important concept did it introduce to the American government
system?
12. How and where are Americans represented in government today?
13. What specific rights did British citizens (including colonists) expect to enjoy during the
colonial period?
14. Describe the structure of colonial governments and their relationship with the British
government.
15. What was the goal of mercantilism? How did it work between Britain and the American
colonies?
16. What problems did the French and Indian War create between the British government and the
American colonists?
17. What did each of the following British laws do?
- Stamp Act
- Townsend Acts
- Declaratory Act
- Intolerable Acts
18. Why did the Patriots feel justified in protesting laws like the Stamp Act, Townsend Acts and
Declaratory Act? Specifically, how did the Patriots protest these laws?
19. Explain the phrase, “No taxation without representation.”
20. Why was the 1st Continental Congress formed? Where did it meet?
21. Who primarily wrote the Declaration of Independence? When was it adopted by the 2nd
Continental Congress?
22. What natural rights are identified in the DOI? What phrase in the DOI best reflects the idea of
“natural rights?”
TURN OVER 
23. How does the DOI reflect John Locke’s ideas of the social contract theory and the right to
revolution theory? Be specific.
24. Who was the “He” that is referred to in the Declaration of Independence’s “List of
Grievances?”
25. What is the difference between a republic (representative democracy) and a democracy? Which
one does the U.S. have?
26. What was the document that created the first government of the United States? What type of
government did this document create?
27. What were the writers of the Articles of Confederation most afraid of when creating a new
national government? How did they attempt to prevent this?
28. What powers did the state governments have under the Articles of Confederation? What
powers did the national government have under the Articles of Confederation?
29. Identify and explain the four main problems that the national government had under that
Articles of Confederation.
30. Know what each of the following terms means:
Legislature
Colony
Boycott
Repeal
Ratify
Consent
Inalienable
Constitution
Charter
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