DIRECTIONS: During this unit, we will discuss basic concepts surrounding “How the Constitution Works”. Complete the essential questions for each topic using classroom discussions, class notes, your text book, and www.mrgigliotti.com. This guide through the material can be used to help you compose your History Journal short essay questions, study for tests and quizzes and answer questions during classroom review sessions.

The Basic Concepts behind the Constitution:

A. Introduction:

1. The ___________________ is a formal document created by the Founding Fathers in 1787

that established the way our government runs and operates even today.

2. The Constitution creates a system of government known as a Representative

_______________.

3. A Representative Democracy is: _______________________________________________?

4. The Constitution establishes the foundation for our society by protecting the _____________

of citizens, managing _______________, and establishing ___________________ within

society.

5. The Founding Fathers wanted to create a strong federal government, but wanted to

_______________ the power of the government to respect the rights of citizens.

B. Separation of Powers:

1. The government of the United States is divided or separated into _______________ equal

branches. This is known as _________________.

2. List the THREE branches of government below:

A. B. C.

3. Complete separation of powers chart below:

Branch of Government	What does it do with laws?	Name at the federal Level?
Legislative
Executive
Judicial

4. The Constitution assigns each of these branches of government specific _______________ or

are allowed to perform certain actions within the government which the others are not in order

to separate the total powers of government.

C. Powers Assigned to each Branch of Government:

1. Complete the chart below by listing the powers of government assigned to each branch:

Legislature (Congress)

Executive (President)

Judicial (Federal Courts)

2. As you can see above, each branch has specific powers which the others do not. This system

of _______________ ensures that each branch may “check” the others power so that one

branch does not become too powerful and the powers of government remain “balanced”

between the three branches.

3. “Checks and Balances” are: ___________________________________________________.

Information about each branch:

D. How does Congress work? (Legislature):

1. Congress is a “bicameral” legislature made up of _______________ parts. These parts

include the _______________ and the _______________.

2. “Bicameral” means: _________________________________________________________.

3. Senators serve a _____ year term, while congressmen (House) serve a _____ year term.

4. A legislature is a group of people who make _______________.

5. To divide up the large workload, both the House of Representatives and the Senate use

_______________ to handle certain issues.

6. Only a member of Congress can _______________ a _______________ or purpose a new

law to the legislature.

7. “Bills” are usually ______________ on the floor with the other delegates.

8. A _______________ is then taken to see if the bill will approved in the legislature. Some bill

need only a _______________ vote to pass while others need a _______________ vote to

pass.

E. How does the President do his Job? (Executive)

1. The President must wear many hats and do many _______________.

2. The president serves a term of _____ years. The president may only serve _____ terms for a

total of _____ years.

3. As the “Chief Executive” the president’s main job is to _______________ enforce the nation’s

laws.

4. The president is also the “Head of _______________” which means that he is the chief foreign

diplomat and meets with the leaders of other nations.

5. The president is also the “Commander in _______________” of the nation’s armed forces.

6. Thinking Question: Why would the Founding Fathers have put a civilian in charge of the armed

forces? Think about Ancient Rome.

7. The president maintains a _______________ or group of advisors to help him perform his

duties.

F. The National Courts (Judicial):

1. The judicial branch of government at the national level is made up of many ______________.

2. Cases in federal courts begin in a _______________ court and then may be

_______________ to an appeals court. Ultimately, federal court cases may end up in the

____________ or the highest court in the nation.

3. The Supreme Court is made up of _____ justices and _____ chief justice. Supreme Court

justices serve on the court for _______________ during good behavior.

4. Thinking Question: Why do you think the Founding Fathers would have wanted justices on the

Supreme Court to serve for so long?

5. The Supreme Court hears most of its cases on _______________ from lower courts.

F. How a Bill Becomes a Law (Government at work):

1. All new laws begin as a _______________.

2. A “bill” is: _________________________________________________________________.

3. A bill can begin in either the ______________ or in the _______________ and must be

introduced by a _______________ of that body.

4. The bill is then _______________ by an appropriate committee which later presents their

findings to the entire House or Senate.

5. Members in each house then _______________ the merits of the bill.

6. After the debate, a _______________ is taken to see if the bill will pass. If the bill does pass,

it is then sent to the other _______________ and the same process begins again.

7. If and only if the bill passes in both the House of Representatives and the Senate it is then

sent to the _______________.

8. The President may _______________ the bill into law or _______________ the bill preventing

it from becoming a law.

9. If the President vetoes the bill, the bill is sent back to _______________ for another vote.

Congress can _______________ the veto and pass the law themselves if both houses pass

the bill once again by a _____ vote.

G. Amending the Constitution:

1. Changes to the Constitution are known as _______________.

2. There are currently _____ amendments to the United States Constitution.

3. A new amendment must be proposed by either _____ of the Congress or _____ of the state

legislatures.

4. The proposed new amendment must then be _______________ by ¾’s of the states.

H. The Bill of Rights:

1. The Bill of Rights was a document written in 1791 that includes the first _____ amendments to

the Constitution.

2. List the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment below:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

3. The Constitution also guarantees every citizen _______________ under the law.

4. “Due Process” is: __________________________________________________.

5. The Sixth and Seventh Amendment guarantee the every citizen trial by ______________ and

the right to a _______________.

6. Complete the Chart Below:

Amendment	Description of the Amendment
1^st Amendment:
2^nd Amendment:
3^rd Amendment:
4^th Amendment:
5^th Amendment:
6^th Amendment:
7^th Amendment:
8^th Amendment:
9^th Amendment:
10^th Amendment:

I. Other Important Amendments:

1. Complete the chart below:

Amendment	Description of the Amendment
12^th Amendment:
13^th Amendment:
14^th Amendment:
15^th Amendment:
19^th Amendment:
24^th Amendment:
25^th Amendment:
26^th Amendment:

J. Federalism:

1. The power of government in the United is also divided into _____ levels which include

_______________, _______________, and _______________.

2. The power of government is shared between the _______________ and _______________

governments. This is known as _______________.

4. The Constitution gives the _______________ government specific powers. These powers

are known as _______________ powers.

5. List THREE “delegated” powers below:

A. B. C.

6. Powers not given to the federal government in the Constitution are granted to the

_______________. These powers are known as _______________ powers.

7. List THREE “reserved” powers below:

A. B. C.

8. Both the federal government and state governments _______________ some of the same

powers. These are known as _______________.

Space for additional notes: