We the People
WE THE PEOPLE
Unit 1 – Lesson 2 pgs 13-20
Why did the Founders believe that people needed a government?
VOCABULARY
1. consent: to agree
2. natural rights: rights you have because you are human
3. social contract: an agreement among people to set up a government
4. state of nature: a situation where there is no government, no rules, no laws
IDEAS TO DISCUSS
1. In a world without rules, laws, or government, would anyone have the right to govern you? Would you have the right to govern anyone else? Why?
2. Would you have any rights? What might they be?
3. What might people who are smarter or stronger than others try to do? Why?
4. What might people who are not as smart as others or who are weaker try to do? Why?
5. What might life be like for you, your family, and everyone else in a state of nature?
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What basic rights did the Founders believe people should have?
life, liberty, and property
2. What did the Founders think should be the main purpose of government?
to protect a person’s right to life, liberty, and property
Unit 1 – Lesson 3 pgs 21-28
What is a Republican government?
VOCABULARY
1. common good: what is best for the community as a whole
2. civic virtue: when you work to help others and promote the common good
3. republican government: people hold the power of government, they elect people to represent them
- representatives: people elected to act for others
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What is a republican government?
a government where people hold the power, people give the power to leaders who represent them.
2. How is it different from a direct democracy?
in a direct democracy people decide things for themselves – there are no representatives
3. What are the advantages of a republican government?
representatives are selected to serve the common good, representatives make laws more efficient, people have a say in government and representatives listen to the people
4. What is the role of the citizen in a republican government?
to vote, follow laws and show civic virtue
5. What is the role of a representative in a republican government?
to listen to people and make good and fair laws
Unit 1 – Lesson 4 pgs 29-38
What is a constitutional government?
VOCABULARY
1. constitution: a set of rules and laws that explain how a government is organized and how it should be run
2. constitutional government: has limits on the powers of the government
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What can you learn about a nation’s government by studying its constitution?
how citizens are treated, protected, and how powers are divided
2. Why did the Founders think it was necessary to limit the power of government?
so that no one branch could be more powerful than the others
3. How did the Founders think the power of government should be limited?
separation of powers (dividing powers among branches)
4. Explain the difference between a constitution and a constitutional government.
a constitutional government limits the power of people in the government; a constitution sets the rules and laws that explain how government is organized.
Unit 2 – Lesson 7 pg 56 - 59
What was the first National government like?
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What did the first national government accomplish under the Articles of Confederation?
it set up a loose union of states with equal powers; it kept states together during the Revolution, won the war, made a treaty, one government to conduct foreign affairs.
2. What were some problems under the Articles of Confederation?
the national government was weak, there were no courts or president; it was hard to regulate powers of the states while being fair to larger and smaller states.
Unit 2 – Lesson 8 pg 63 - 69
How was the Philadelphia Convention organized?
VOCABULARY
1. Framers: the delegates to the Philadelphia Convention who organized and wrote the US constitution
REVIEW QUESTIONS
- What type of people were the (delegates) Framers?
they were all white men with an average age of 42, none were poor, young, native American, or indentured servants.
2. Who were three important delegates?
George Washington, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin
3. Who were some Founding Fathers who were not at the convention?
Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, Patrick Henry, John Adams
4. What decisions were made at the start of the convention?
- George Washington would serve as president of the convention
- each state would have one vote at the convention
- they would not do what Congress had asked them to do which was to improve the Articles of Confederation – they would write a new constitution instead
- they would keep the discussions private (for 30 years)
Unit 2 – Lesson 9 pg 71-78
How many representatives should each state have in Congress?
VOCABULARY
1. Great Compromise: the plan that delegates accepted for representation in Congress – 2 houses, 1 based on population and 1 with 2 representatives per state
2. House of Representatives: one of the two houses of Congress, the number of representatives is based on population
3. Senate: one of the two houses of Congress, each state has two senators
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Why was it hard for the Framers to agree on the number of representatives that each state should be able to send to Congress?
they wanted to be fair to both large and small states
2. How did the Great Compromise solve the problem of representation in Congress?
it set up 2 houses of Congress, one by population (House of Representatives) and one that has 2 representatives per state (Senate)
Unit 2 – Lesson 10 pg 79-84
What did the Framers do about the problem of slavery?
VOCABULARY
1. abolish: to put an end to something
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Why did the Northern and Southern states have different ideas about slavery?
the southern states needed slavery to support their economy but the northern states did not
2. What compromise did the Framers reach about slavery?
the 3/5 compromise stated that the south would count 3/5 of their slaves for voting and taxes; the government would end the slave trade in 1808
3. Why did the Framers compromise on this important issue?
they wanted the southern states to agree to be part of the new government
Unit 3 – Lesson 11 pgs 87-92
What basic ideas about government are included in the Preamble to the Constitution?
VOCABULARY
1. ordain: to give official approval
2. preamble: introduction to the Constitution
IDEAS TO DISCUSS
1. What is a purpose?
2. Why is it important to know what your own purposes are?
3. Why is it important to know what the purposes of the government are?
4. List 5 or six purposes that you think the government should have.
______
______
______
______
5. Explain why you think each of the purposes you have listed for the government is important.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Why have people said that the most important words in our constitution are the first three words of the preamble: “We the people”.
the power to govern belongs to the people, they create the government
- What are some of the blessings of liberty that you enjoy? ______
______
- How can you make sure that future generations will also enjoy them? ______
______
- How can you and other Americans show that you consent to live under the Constitution?
by obeying the laws, saying the pledge of allegiance, voting, serving on a jury, holding public
office
Unit 3 – Lesson 12 pgs 93-98
How does the Constitution limit the powers of our government?
VOCABULARY
1. branches: separate parts of the government
2. Supreme Court: highest court in the Judicial branch
3. separation of powers: divide the power of the government among its branches
- balancing power: no one branch is given so much power that it can completely control the others
- checking power: each branch can stop the other branches from making final decisions or taking certain actions
IDEAS TO DISCUSS
1. The power to make the rules is called the legislative power.
2. The power to carry out and enforce the rules is called the executive power.
3. Power to settle disagreements about the rules is called the judicial power.
4. Suppose you decide to give all the powers of your class government to one group of students. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of doing this?
5. Suppose you decide to give the power to three different groups of students. You divide the powers of your government among them. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of doing this?
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What are the three branches of the government? What power does each branch have? Who is in each branch?
branch: Legislative (senators, congressmen, representatives)
branch’s power: make laws
branch: Executive (President)
branch’s power: carry out and enforce laws
branch: Judicial (justices or judges)
branch’s power: settles disagreements about what the laws mean
2. Why did the Framers separate the powers of our government?
to limit its powers; when the government has too much power it can violate people’s rights
3. How are they separated?
the government is divided into three branches
Unit 3 – Lesson 13 pgs 99-108
What is the legislative branch?
VOCABULARY
1. bill: a proposed law given to the legislative branch for approval
2. congress: the national legislature of the U.S. – it has two houses
3. veto: the power of the president to refuse to approve a bill passed by Congress
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What information will you find in Article I of the constitution?
it lists the powers of Congress (tax people, raise an army, declare war, coin money, create a court)
2. Name the two houses of Congress. ___Senate______
___House of Representatives______
3. Make a list of some of the powers that the Constitution grants to Congress.
raise an army, declare war, coin money, and create courts
4. List and explain the steps by which a bill becomes a law.
- Write a bill – a member of Congress proposes a law
- Go to Committee – members discuss the bill
- Get a majority vote of Congress
- Get the President to approve the bill
- If the President vetoes it then 2/3 of Congress can pass it by overriding the veto
- What are some of the limits on the powers of Congress?
lists the kinds of laws Congress can make, cannot limit freedom of speech
Unit 3 – Lesson 14 pg 109-114
What is the executive branch?
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What are some duties and powers of the president of the United States?
Commander-in-Chief of the military; makes treaties, appoints ambassadors and judges, grants pardons
2. Explain four ways that Congress can check the power of the president.
- Senate has to approve the president’s appointments and treaties
- Congress declares war, but the president conducts it
- Congress can override a president’s veto with a 2/3 vote
- President can be impeached (charged with wrongdoing)
3. What does the president’s cabinet do?
advises the president
4. Name the 4 departments that were created in Washington’s cabinet and what their function was.
- State Department: handles relations with other countries
- Treasury Department: handles the money
- Department of War (now called Department of Defense): handles the defense of our nation
- Justice Department: Attorney General heads up law enforcement
Unit 3 – Lesson 15 pg 115-122
What is the judicial branch?
VOCABULARY
1. judicial review: power of the courts to say that the Constitution does not allow the government to do something
2. interpret: to explain the meaning of something
3. federal: national
IDEAS TO DISCUSS
1. What could you do if the government took away some of your rights?
2. What could you do if you felt you were unfairly sent to jail?
3. What does the U.S. Supreme court do?
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What is the role of the judicial branch of our government?
it interprets the laws
2. What is the highest court in the judicial branch?
the Supreme Court
3. Why are Supreme Court justices appointed and not elected?
if they were elected they might favor the people who voted for them
4. What is judicial review?
the power of the courts to decide whether the constitution allows a certain law of government action
5. Why is it one of the most important powers of the judicial branch?
they can declare a law made by Congress unconstitutional, declare an action by the president unconstitutional, declare state law unconstitutional if it conflicts with the constitution or Congress
Unit 3 – Lesson 16 pg 123-130
How did the Constitution create a federal system of government?
VOCABULARY
1. delegate: entrust to someone else
2. federal government: a form of government where the power is divided between the central and state governments
3. federal system: another name for our national and state government which come from the people
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What is a federal system?
a system of government where the power is divided between the state and national government
2. Where does power come from in our federal system of government?
it comes from the people
3. Why do you think the Framers chose a federal system of government?
to ensure that people could keep the government from being too powerful
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the federal government?
advantage: no one level of government is too powerful
disadvantage: it is not always clear which level of government has the final say on a matter
Unit 4 – Lesson 17 pgs 133 – 138
How does the Constitution protect your right to freedom of expression?
VOCABULARY
1. amendment: change to or addition to a document
2. Bill of Rights: the first 10 amendments to the constitution (protects people’s rights – from unfair treatment by the government
3. freedom of speech: the right to talk about your beliefs, ideas, or feelings
4. freedom of press: the right to read and write whatever you wish
5. freedom of assembly: the right to meet with others to talk about your beliefs, ideas, and feelings
6. freedom of petition: the right to ask your government to correct tings that are wrong and do things you believe are needed
IDEAS TO DISCUSS
When are other rights and interests more important than freedom of expression? – pg 139
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. List some of the rights in the Bill of rights?
freedom of speech and religion, right to a speedy trial, right not to have to allow illegal search and seizure, right to bear arms
2. What is freedom of expression?
freedom to express yourself in what you say, feel, and believe
Unit 4 – Lesson 18 pgs 143 – 144, 145 (last section)
How does the Constitution protect your right to freedom of religion?
VOCABULARY
- discriminate: to treat some people unfairly
Unit 4 -- Lesson 20 pgs 159 – 161
How does the Constitution protect your right to due process of the law?
VOCABULARY
1. right to due process of law: the right to be treated fairly by your government
IDEAS TO DISCUSS
- Why is due process important in criminal trials?
Unit 4 -- Lesson 21 pgs 165 – 167
How does the Constitution protect your right to vote?
IDEAS TO DISCUSS
- Should the right to vote be given to all people?
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Why did the Framers limit the right to vote to white male property owners?
they could not agree about who should vote so they left it up to the states to decide; state governments thought that white men with property would have a lot to lose if the government did not do a good job. For 50 years after the constitution was written, states let all white men (over 21) vote whether they owned property or not, but did not let African Americans, Native American or women vote.
Unit 5 – Lesson 23 pgs 183 – 186
What are some important responsibilities of citizens?
VOCABULARY
1. citizen: a member of an official body such as a state or nation
2. naturalized citizen: someone born outside the US, living in the US legally, who has passed a test on the constitution and US history
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Who are considered citizens of the United States?
people who are born in the US and naturalized citizens