Chapter 2 Reading Guide Name: ______
1. Define constitution:
2. Briefly summarize what was going on in the colonies to cause the Continental Congress to adopt the Declaration of Independence.
3. Who wrote The Second Treatise of Civil Government?
4. What did he say were natural rights?
5. Locke argued that government must be built on the consent of the governed. Define this.
6. What is limited government?
7. What was our first constitution called?
8. Describe the government this first constitution created. (Describe what we consider now to be our three branches and also state who had the most authority.)
9. What were some of the problems of the Articles? List at least three.
10. Describe the changes occurring in the States after the Revolutionary War.
11. What happened with Shays’ Rebellion?
12. What happened at the Annapolis meeting in September 1786?
13. What was the purpose of the Philadelphia Convention?
14. Who wrote Leviathan and what was it about?
15. Define faction:
16. What does your book give as the three critical issues of the Constitutional Convention?
A.
B.
C.
17. Describe the New Jersey Plan:
18. Describe the VA Plan:
19. How did the Connecticut Compromise settle matters?
20. Who does the textbook say this compromise actually gives more power to? How?
21. What did the delegates decide about slavery? What about counting slaves in determining representation?
22. What did the delegates decide about voting?
23. What group did the Framers intended to have as the chief economic policymaker?
24. Define writ of habeas corpus:
25. What is a bill of attainder?
26. What are ex post facto laws?
27. What were Madison’s three proposals to prevent the possibility of a tyranny of the majority?
A.
B.
C.
28. What was the only element of government that was originally directly voted on by the people?
29. Who originally elected the Senate?
30. Define separation of powers:
31. Define checks and balances:
32. How did the Supreme Court obtain the power of judicial review?
33. Define republic:
34. What had to happen before the Constitution could go into effect?
35. Who were the Federalists? The Anti-Federalists?
36. Who wrote the Federalist Papers? What was the purpose?
37. What were some of the Anti-Federalists’ objections?
38. List the two ways to propose an amendment.
39. List the two ways to ratify an amendment.
40. What are some informal ways to change the Constitution?
41. Define judicial review