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What I Learned Section 1 -- Answer
the Following Questions: At the time, the federal government was following the laws established in the Articles of Confederation. These laws created a weak federal government and could not be enforced. Some of the delegates at the Constitutional Convention were George Washington, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton. Washington was the General of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, and he would later become the first President of the United States. Madison would later write the Federalist Papers and become the fourth President of the United States. Hamilton believed in a strong federal government, and he would later write the Federalist Papers and become the first Secretary of the Treasury. Did you know the Federalist Papers were a collection of 85 political essays in favor of the Constitution? The essays stated federalism (a strong central government) was the best safeguard of individual rights and state sovereignty. Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote the Federalist Papers from 1787 to 1788. After working for four long, hot months, the delegates created a new plan for the government, called the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution spells out the powers of the federal government. According to the Constitution, the federal government is divided into three branches: the Legislative Branch, the Executive Branch, and the Judicial Branch. The Legislative Branch, called the Congress, makes the laws. The Executive Branch is headed by a president who enforces the laws. This means the executive branch makes sure the laws are obeyed. The Judicial Branch interprets the laws which means it makes sure the laws are understood. The three branches of government serve as "checks and balances" on one another. This means no branch would have more power than another branch. 2. True or False: Federal
judges are called justices. Article III of the Constitution only establishes "one supreme Court." The "one supreme Court" is called the United States Supreme Court. It is the highest court in the land when deciding federal issues. The other courts are established by the Congress (legislative branch). This is an example of "checks and balances." The Constitution did not establish how many justices shall serve on the Supreme Court so the Congress makes this decision. In 1789, there were six Supreme Court justices. They were John Jay (Chief Justice), James Tredell, John Blair, William Cushing, James Wilson, and John Rutledge. Between 1863 and 1866, there were ten justices. Since 1869, there have been nine Supreme Court justices. One of the justices serves as the head, and he or she is called the Chief Justice. Each justice gets one vote, and the majority rules. A majority vote could be 9-0, 8-1, 7-2, 6-3, or 5-4. 3. True or False: Supreme
Court justices are elected by the people. This is an example of "checks and balances." The president (executive branch) chooses a Supreme Court justice (judicial branch), and the justice is approved by the Senate (legislative branch). Did you know Thurgood Marshall was the first African-American Supreme Court justice? He was appointed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1967. Did you know Sandra Day O'Connor was the first woman Supreme Court justice? She was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981. 4. How long do federal
justices serve? There are no requirements for becoming a federal justice. Most justices are lawyers. Some have been members of Congress, governors, or served in the Cabinet. Did you know President William Howard Taft was later appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court? 5. What does the "v."
stand for in Marbury v. Madison? 6. In what city is the
United States Supreme Court located? 7. When does the United
States Supreme Court convene? The justices listen to arguments by lawyers for the cases, and then they meet to discuss how the case should be decided. The justices' law clerks go to the libraries to research the law. What I Learned Section 2 -- Define the
following words: Executive: Presidential; branch of government that makes sure laws are obeyed Impeach: To try to remove someone from office Judicial: Belonging to a branch of government that makes sure laws are understood Legislative: Lawmaking Segregation: Separation of the races Bonus Questions (Answer 1 of the
Following Questions for Your FREE
Bookmark): b. Who was John Marshall? c. Describe ONE of the
following Supreme Court cases: d. Name the current
nine Supreme Court justices. e. What is judicial
review? Judicial review is not specifically spelled out in the Constitution, and therefore is not an "explicit power" given to the courts. Rather, the Supreme Court articulated it had the power to declare a law unconstitutional in its decision, Marbury v. Madison (1803). This is known as an "implied power." The Supreme Court argued judicial review is necessary to provide "checks and balances" on the legislative and executive branches. f. Use five of the words
in Section 2 in a sentence.
g. Have a parent or friend give you a spelling test with EACH of the words in Section 2. More Valuable Information about the
U.S. Supreme Court:
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The Supreme Court (True Books, Government)
Marbury v. Madison (1803): This case established
judicial review. William Marbury was a politician, and James Madison
was the Secretary of State under President Thomas Jefferson. In
this case, the Supreme Court ruled an act of Congress was unconstitutional.
The court called this power "judicial review." It was the first
time the Supreme Court had made such a determination. Marbury
v. Madison became one of the most important cases in history
because it gave the Supreme Court power to interpret the laws,
and determine whether they were constitutional. It is interesting
the Supreme Court gave itself this power!
