2. What was the reason Congress decided to pass the Northwest Ordinance of 1787?
3. Under the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, a territory could apply to become a state when it had
8. Why were the Articles of Confederation ineffective in solving internal problems that existed in
the United States?
9. What change to the structure of government did the Virginia Plan suggest?
10. How did the Great Compromise resolve the debate over state representation in the federal
government?
11. How did the delegates resolve the debate over how slaves should factor into representation in
government? And what was the resolution called?
13. Who were the main supporters and opponents of the Constitution?
14. What is one reason the U.S. Constitution has survived for more than 200 years?
17. What is Republicanism and how does it help protect popular sovereignty?
18. Why did the framers of the Constitution create a system of checks and balances?
19. How did the framers of the Constitution provide for separation of government powers?
24. What is the branch and function of Congress in the federal government?
25. How can the other branches check the power of the legislative branch?
26. What is the job of the executive branch in relation to the nations laws?
28. What role does the Constitution assign to the judicial branch?
29. On what grounds can a federal court strike down a state or federal law?
30. What checks do the other two branches of government have on the judicial branch?
32. What was the main reason the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution?
34. The Eight Amendment bans cruel and unusual punishments against a person convicted of a
crime. What is the Supreme Courts position on these punishments?
35. The right to keep and bear arms is found in which amendment?
36. Which amendment keeps your person and property secure from the government?
38. To which amendment do you owe your right to not languish in a prison cell?
39. The Constitution does not list all of the rights that citizens have. According to the Ninth and Tenth
Amendments, who gets to decide on other basic rights?