US Government and Constitution Quiz

The principle of dividing power between the national government and the states.

The section of the Constitution that establishes the supremacy of federal law over state law.

A government in which citizens elect representatives to make decisions for them.

A government that has the independent power to govern itself.

Powers given to the national government by the states.

Powers that are specifically kept by the states.

A special gathering where lawmakers come together to create a constitution.

The US Constitution designed a Congress with two parts, the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The Anti-Federalists were concerned that the Constitution did not specifically protect individual rights.

A clause in the Constitution that allows Congress to pass laws that aren't explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, as long as they are 'necessary and proper'.

The Articles of Confederation, the first government of the United States, lacked the power to effectively enforce taxes on states, leading to financial instability.

Shays' Rebellion, an uprising of farmers in Massachusetts protesting unfair taxes and debt, exposed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and prompted calls for a stronger national government.

The Virginia Plan, proposed at the Constitutional Convention, favored larger states by proposing representation in Congress based on population.

The Anti-Federalists opposed the ratification of the Constitution, arguing that it lacked a bill of rights and gave too much power to the federal government.

A system where different branches of government (like the executive, legislative, and judicial) have the power to limit each other, preventing any one branch from becoming too powerful.

A law that set up a standardized system for selling land in the western territories, allowing settlers to buy plots.

A law that outlined how new territories in the west would become states, ensuring they would have representative governments.

The first government of the United States, which had a weak central authority and faced challenges in enforcing laws and collecting taxes.

Madison believed that institutions could be designed to encourage good behavior in people while limiting negative tendencies.

A bicameral legislature with the House of Representatives based on population and the Senate having equal representation for all states.

A decision to count three-fifths of the enslaved population for representation and taxation purposes.

The agreement to prohibit the importation of enslaved people from Africa after 1808.

A series of 85 essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay to defend the Constitution and persuade the states to ratify it.

The Anti-Federalists feared the government's structure would prevent the representation of the people's interests.