The Preamble and the Constitution's big principles

Grade 8 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   The Preamble (1787)

   Box We, the people of the United States: the source of the government's power: popular sovereignty. Box Six goals: form a more perfect union; establish justice; insure domestic tranquillity [peace at home]; provide for the common defence; promote the general welfare; secure the blessings of liberty. Box This Constitution: is ordained and established by the people. Arrows: from We, the people of the United States to This Constitution: ordain and establish; from This Constitution to Six goals: aims at. Line 1 (Constitution of the United States (1787), Preamble; as printed in 1840, p. 5): "We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America."

2. 1.

   Who ordains and establishes the Constitution, by the Preamble, Zee asks?

   • The Supreme Court
   • The thirteen state governors
   • The king of Britain
   • We, the people
3. 2.

   Which goal is about peace at home, Ari asks?

   • Form a more perfect union
   • Provide for the common defence
   • Insure domestic tranquillity
   • Establish justice
4. 3.

   How many goals does the Preamble list, Bo asks?

   • Six
   • Seven
   • Three
   • Thirteen
5. 4.

   Esme reads the words popular sovereignty. What do they mean?

   • Power comes from the courts alone
   • Power comes from the people
   • Power belongs to the most popular person
   • Power comes from a king
6. 5.

   Jun reads the word preamble. What is a preamble?

   • An introduction stating the purpose
   • A court's ruling
   • A list of amendments
   • A vote count
7. 6.

   Kira reads promote the general welfare. What does it mean?

   • Work for everyone's well-being
   • Help only the army
   • Help other countries first
   • Help one general
8. 7.

   Which goal is about fair courts and laws, Milo asks?

   • Form a more perfect union
   • Provide for the common defence
   • Establish justice
   • Secure the blessings of liberty
9. 8.

   Which goal shows the Constitution was meant to fix the weak union of the Articles, Noah asks?

   • Provide for the common defence
   • Form a more perfect union
   • Establish justice
   • Secure the blessings of liberty
10. 9.

    Which way do the arrows run in the Preamble diagram, Ren asks?

    • Goals to people to Constitution
    • Constitution to king
    • People to Constitution to goals
    • There are no arrows
11. 10.

    Does the Preamble itself give anyone a power, Tala asks?

    • Yes; it makes the president
    • No; it states the purposes
    • Yes; it sets the taxes
    • Yes; it names the courts