What Do You Know About Federal Government of the United States

A nation's basic law. It creates political institutions, assigns or divides powers in government, and often provides certain guarantees to citizens, Constitutions can be either written or unwritten.

The document approved by representatives of the American colonies in 1776 that stated their grievances against the British monarch and declared their independence.

Rights inherent in human beings, not dependent on governments, which include life, liberty, and property. The concept of natural rights was central to English philosopher John Locke's theories about government and was widely accepted among America's Founders.

The idea that government derives its authority by sanction of the people.

The idea that certain restrictions should be placed on government to protect the natural rights of citizens.

A series of attacks on courthouses by a small band of farmers led by Revolutionary War Captain Daniel Shays to block foreclosure proceedings. Shays' Rebellion, in which farmers physically prevented judges from foreclosing on farms, helped spur the birth of the Constitution. News of the small rebellion spread quickly around the country, and some of the Philadelphia delegates thought a full-fledged revolution would result. The event reaffirmed the framers' belief that the new federal government needed to be a strong one.

The document written in 1787 and ratified in 1788 that sets forth the institutional structure of U.S. government and the tasks these institutions perform. It replaced the Articles of Confederation.

Interest group arising from unequal distribution of property or wealth that James Madison attacked in Federalist Paper No.10. Today;s parties or interest groups are what Madison had in mind when he warned of the instability in government caused by factions.

The proposal at the Constitutional Convention that called for equal representation of each state in Congress regardless of the State;s population.-Favored by small states-Gave Congress the power to lay and collect taxes.-Executive branch was elected by Congress.-Made national laws more important than state laws.-Created a Judiciary branch that would serve.

The proposal st the Constitutional Convention that called for representation of each state in Congress in proportion to that state's share of the U.S. population.-Proposed by the Governor of VA-Favored by large-states-Very powerful bicameral (two houses) legislature.-Legislators would be determined proportionality.-Lower house elected by the people; upper house elected by the lower house.-Executive Branch had very little power.-Created a Judicial Branch.

The compromise reached at the Constitutional Convention that established two houses of Congress: the House of Representatives, in which representation is based on a state's share of the U.S. population, and the Senate, in which each state has two representatives.-Bicameral legislature-Congress:-Senate= Equal representation, -house: Proportional representation

A court order requiring jailers to explain to a judge why they are holding a prisoner in custody.

A feature of the Constitution that requires each of he three branches of government- executives, legislative, and judicial- to be relatively independent of the others so that one cannot control the others. Power is shared among these three institutions.

Features of the Constitution that limit government's power by requiring that power be balanced among the different governmental institutions. These institutions continually constrain one author's activities.

A form of government in which the people select representatives to govern them and make laws.