Download Study Guide for Test on SOLs CE.2b, 2c, 2d, 3b, 7b, 6a, and 6b What

Study Guide for Test on SOLs CE.2b, 2c, 2d, 3b, 7b, 6a, and 6b
1. What are the three branches of government and what does each branch do?
A. legislative
What does it do? Makes the laws
B. executive
What does it do? Carries out the laws
C. judicial
What does it do? Interprets the laws
2. What are the three levels of government?
A. national (federal)
B. state
C. local
3. The U.S. Constitution has three parts:
a. Preamble b. Articles c. Amendments
CE.2b
4. The Charters of the Virginia Company of London guaranteed that the colonists would have the
rights of Englishmen.
5. The Virginia Declaration of Rights served as a model for the Bill of Rights of the U.S.
Constitution
6. The Declaration of Independence:
a. stated grievances against the king of Great Britain
b. declared the colonies independent from Great Britain
c. affirmed “certain unalienable rights” (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness)
d. established the idea that all people are equal under the law
7. The Articles of Confederation:
a. Established the first form of national government for the independent states
b. Maintained that major powers resided with individual states
c. Weaknesses of central government (e.g., no power to tax and enforce laws –LED TO
the writing of the Constitution of the United States of America)
8. What is important about the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom? Freedom of religious beliefs
and opinions
What part of the US Constitution did it influence? The religion part of the First Amendment
9. All of the above documents influenced the writing of the United States Constitution.
10. What does the Constitution of the United States of America (including the Bill of Rights) do?
a. Establishes the structure of the United States government
b. Guarantees equality under the law with majority rule and the rights of the minority
protected
c. Affirms individual worth and dignity of all people
d. Protects the fundamental freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition
CE.2c
11. What does the Preamble to the United States Constitution express? The reasons the
Constitution was written
What are the goals that are stated in the Preamble?
a. to form a more perfect union
Meaning to form a government better than that under the Articles of Confederation
b. to establish justice
Meaning to have fair laws and fair courts
c. to insure domestic tranquility
Meaning to make sure there is peace within the borders
d. to provide for the common defense
Meaning to keep the country safe from its enemies
e. to promote the general welfare
Meaning to give all the opportunity to be happy, healthy, and wealthy
f. secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity
Meaning to ensure that we and future generations keep our freedoms
12. What are the most important words in the United States Constitution? We the people
What do they mean? The people rule. (the power comes from the people)
CE.2d
13. What is the procedure used to amend the United States Constitution?
A. PROPOSAL: action by Congress (2/3 vote of both houses of Congress)
B. RATIFICATION: by ¾ of the state legislatures
The amendment process is complex.
Why? So only necessary amendments are added to the Constitution
How many amendments have been added to the Constitution so far? 27
The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution are called the Bill of Rights
14. What is the procedure used to amend the Constitution of Virginia?
A. PROPOSAL: action by the general Assembly
B. RATIFICATION: by the voters of Virginia
15. What does propose mean? suggest
16. What does ratify mean? To approve
CE.3b
17. The Constitution of the United States of America establishes and protects the citizens’
fundamental rights and liberties.
18. There are few rights, if any, that are considered absolute.
19. What are the fundamental rights and liberties that are guaranteed in the First Amendment to the
Constitution of the United States of America?
Freedom of religion
Establishment clause: The government may not establish an official religion or
endorse (say one religion is better than all) a religion.
Free expression clause: We can worship any way we want (or not).
Freedom of speech
Examples making a speech, expressing your opinion to your friends
Meaning Individuals are free to express their opinions and beliefs
Freedom of the press
Examples newspaper articles/TV news shows
Meaning The press has the right to gather and publish information, including that
which criticizes the government.
Freedom of assembly
Examples birthday parties, going to the mall, gathering together for any reason
Meaning Individuals may peacefully gather.
Freedom of petition
Examples sign a petition to send to your Congressman, email your Congressman
Meaning Individuals have the right to make their views known to public officials
EXPRESSING YOUR OPINION TO THE GOVERNMENT
20. What does the 14th Amendment do?extends the due process protections to the actions of the
states
21. What is due process? All of the procedures that the government has to follow if you are accused
of a crime
CE.7b
22. What does federalism mean? the division of power between the states and the national
government
23. What document establishes a federal form of government in this nation? U.S. Constitution
24. Under the Constitution, what level of government is supreme? national
25. The powers not given to the national government by the U.S. Constitution are RESERVED to the
states.
26. There are certain powers that are denied to both the national and state governments by the
Constitution of the United States.
27. What are the powers of the national government called? EXPRESSED
28. What do we call the powers that both the national government and the state government share?
CONCURRENT
29. What are the primary responsibilities of the national level of government?
A. Conducts foreign policy
B. Regulates commerce
C. Provides for the common defense
30. What are the primary responsibilities of the state level of government?
Promotes public health, safety, and welfare
31. When federal mandates require state actions without enough funding, tensions exist.
CE.6a
32. The legislative branch:
Our national legislative branch is called Congress.
It is a bicameral legislature, which means it has two houses.
The two houses are: Senate
and House of Representatives
Some of the powers of the legislative branch are:
A. Makes the laws of the nation
B. Approves the annual budget
C. Confirms presidential appointments
D. Raises revenue (incoming money) through taxes and other levies
E. Declares war
33. The executive branch
The executive branch is headed by President of the United States.
He is the chief executive of the nation.
Some of the powers of the executive branch are:
A. Executes (carries out) the laws of the land
B. Prepares the annual budget for congressional action
C. Appoints Cabinet officers, ambassadors, and federal judges
D. Administers (is in charge of) the federal bureaucracy
34. The judicial branch
The judicial branch consists of the federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, the
highest court in the land.
What is the difference between a judge and a justice? A justice is on the Supreme
Court. They are called judges in the other levels of the court system.
The Supreme Court exercises the power of judicial review, which is the power to
determine the constitutionality of laws and executive acts.
The federal (national) courts try two different kinds of cases:
A. Those involving federal law
B. Those involving interpretation of the Constitution of the United States.
35. What is a budget? A plan for making and spending money
CE.6b
36. The Constitution defines the powers of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of
government in Articles I, II, and III.
37. What does separation of powers mean? Each branch of government has its own special powers
38. What does checks and balances mean? Each branch of government has the power to check the
other two branches of government.
39. How can the legislative branch (Congress) check the executive branch (president)?
A. Override presidential vetoes
B. Impeach and convict a president
40. How can the legislative branch (Congress) check the judicial branch (courts)?
A. Confirm or refuse to confirm federal judges/justices
B. Impeach and convict judges/justices
41. How can the executive branch (president) check the legislative branch (Congress)?
A. Proposes legislation
B. Prepares an annual budget for Congress to approve
C. Calls special sessions of Congress
D. Vetoes legislation Congress has passed
42. How can the executive branch (president) check the judicial branch (courts)?
The president appoints judges/justices
43. How can the judicial branch (courts) check the legislative branch (Congress)?
Declare acts of Congress (laws) to be unconstitutional
44. How can the judicial branch (courts) check the executive branch (president)?
Declare executive actions to be unconstitutional
45. What does appoint mean? Pick someone to do a job
46. What does impeach mean? Formally charging a public official of misconduct in office
47. What does veto mean? To reject a bill passed by Congress