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OhioPolitics

Module 2: The US Constitution and Federalism

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What basic principles define the United States government under the Constitution?

Explain that, as the supreme law of the land, the US Constitution incorporates basic principles that define the United States as a federal republic, including popular sovereignty, limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, and the rule of law (Ohio AG content statement 5: Basic Principles of the US Constitution).
An Ohio American Government EOC answer on the basic principles of the US Constitution: popular sovereignty, limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, and the rule of law, and how they define the United States as a federal republic, with worked EOC-style questions.
13 min answer →

How does federalism divide power between the national and state governments?

Explain federalism as the division of power between the national and state governments, including delegated, reserved, and concurrent powers, the Supremacy Clause, and how power is shared (Ohio AG content statement 5: Basic Principles of the US Constitution, federalism focus).
An Ohio American Government EOC answer on federalism: delegated, reserved, and concurrent powers, the Tenth Amendment and the Supremacy Clause, and how the national and state governments share power, with worked EOC-style questions.
13 min answer →

How did the Federalist and Anti-Federalist debate shape the Constitution?

Explain how the Federalist Papers and the Anti-Federalist Papers framed the national debate over the basic principles of government in the Constitution, including the dispute over a strong national government and a bill of rights (Ohio AG content statement 6: Basic Principles of the US Constitution).
An Ohio American Government EOC answer on the Federalist and Anti-Federalist debate: who they were, their arguments over a strong national government and a bill of rights, the role of the Federalist Papers, and the compromise that secured ratification, with worked EOC-style questions.
12 min answer →

How has the Constitution changed over time beyond formal amendments?

Explain that constitutional government has changed over time through formal amendments, Supreme Court decisions, legislation, and informal practices, and give examples of each (Ohio AG content statement 7: Basic Principles of the US Constitution).
An Ohio American Government EOC answer on how constitutional government changes: formal amendments, Supreme Court decisions, legislation, and informal practices such as political parties and executive agreements, with worked EOC-style questions.
12 min answer →

How is the US Constitution formally amended?

Explain the formal amendment process in Article V, including proposal by Congress or a national convention and ratification by the states, and why the process is deliberately difficult (Ohio AG content statement 7: Basic Principles of the US Constitution).
An Ohio American Government EOC answer on the amendment process: the two ways to propose and the two ways to ratify an amendment under Article V, why the bar is set high, and how it has produced 27 amendments, with worked EOC-style questions.
12 min answer →

Why was the Bill of Rights added, and what does it protect?

Explain that the Bill of Rights was drafted in response to the national debate over ratification, and summarize the protections in the first ten amendments and the limits they place on government (Ohio AG content statement 8: Basic Principles of the US Constitution).
An Ohio American Government EOC answer on the Bill of Rights: why it was added during the ratification debate, what the first ten amendments protect, and how they limit government power, with worked EOC-style questions.
12 min answer →