Government/WEAVER
Chapter 2 & 3 Test Study Guide
Remember: Topics from previous tests are fair game!
Explain how Britain’s policies contributed to the growth of self-government in the colonies. Text pp 34-35
Describe Great Britain’s control of the colonies up until the mid 1950s.
Identify some of the steps that led to growing feelings of colonial unity. Text pp 35-36
Analyze the ideas in the Declaration of Independence. Text p 38 and 40-43
What ideas about the nature and origin of government are found in the declaration of Independence?
What individual and collective rights are mentioned in the Declarations?
What are the 3 main sections of the Declaration? What section is largest and what is its content?
Describe the structure of the government set up under the Articles of Confederation. Text pp 44-45
What ideas found in the Articles of Confederation were found in the States’ constitutions?
Explain why the weaknesses of the Articles led to a critical period for the government in the 1780s. Text pp 45-46
Why was there a move toward revising or replacing the Articles?
Compare and contrast the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan for a new constitution. Text p 51
Summarize the major compromises that the delegates agreed to make. Text pp 51-53
Identify some of the sources from which the Framers of the Constitution drew inspiration. Text p 53
Identify the opposing sides in the fight for ratification and describe their major arguments. Text pp 56-58
What were the Federalist papers? Why are they like a campaign document?
List the six basic principles of the Constitution. Text pp 65-70
Explain how the Preamble to the Constitution describes the six basic principles.
What is the purpose of the separation of powers? Describe how it works.
Describe and explain limited government. What is meant by Rule of Law?
Describe the system of checks and balances and give examples.
What is federalism?
Outline the amendments of the Constitution. Text pp 75-77
What is the Bill of Rights and how did it come to be part of the Constitution?
Once an amendment has been ratified, how can it be overturned?
What rights are guaranteed in the Bill of Rights? Text pp 771-773
Identify how basic legislation has changed the Constitution over time. Text pp 79-80
How can the Constitution be changed without formally amending it (informal amendment)?
Describe the ways in which the Constitution has been altered by executive and judicial actions. Pp 79-81
How did the Framers outline the election of the President in the Constitution?
Review the ways in which the Constitution has been amended ‘informally.’ Give examples for each category.
What is Judicial Review? How has it been used? What is the usual result of judicial review?
People and Vocabulary to Know
Limited government
Representative government
Magna Carta
Petition of Right
English Bill of Rights
Bicameral
Unicameral
Confederation
Delegate
Boycott
Repeal
Popular sovereignty
Articles of Confederation
Ratification
Framers
Virginia Plan
New Jersey PlanConnecticut Compromise
Three-Fifths Compromise
Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
Federalists
Anti-Federalists
Quorum
Preamble
Articles
Constitutionalism
Rule of law
Separation of powers
Checks and balances
Veto
Judicial review
Unconstitutional
Federalism
Amendment
Formal amendment
Bill of Rights
Executive agreement
Treaty
Electoral College
Cabinet