The Bill of Rights & Constitutional Change — Drills · Grade 7 Social Studies
Chapter: Constitutional Government & Its LimitsWhat these drills covers
By the end of The Bill of Rights & Constitutional Change you should be able to:
- I can explain why Federalists first opposed a bill of rights.
- I can name what the first ten amendments protect and from whom.
- I can describe how the amendment process works and how rarely it succeeds.
4 questions, written answer, each with a worked explanation.
Vocabulary used: context, primary source, interpretation, federalism, incorporation.
Problem 1
Answer and explanation
The first ten amendments were ratified in 1791, after the Constitution’s drafting and ratification debates.
Problem 2
Answer and explanation
No. Its initial federal scope and later developments in application must be distinguished. Do not project later protections backward as if their reach and enforcement never changed.
Problem 3
Answer and explanation
Federalism concerns the allocation of authority between national and state governments; separation of powers concerns legislative, executive, and judicial functions. A dispute may ask whether a state or Congress has authority and whether an executive action follows a valid law. These are related questions about different divisions of power.
Problem 4
Answer and explanation
A recognized right establishes a legal basis for a claim, while a remedy concerns what an institution can actually do when it is violated. Jurisdiction, procedure, enforcement, and access may affect the result. The existence of constitutional words alone cannot establish that every affected person obtained effective protection.