american government ch 2 test

Who were the main leaders of the Anti-Federalists?

George Clinton, Patrick Henry, Edmund Randolph, George Mason, and Richard Henry Lee

How did a knowledge of human nature help the framers of the Constitution?

Knowing humans' tendency to be corrupted by power, the framers divided authority within the national government and included checks and balances.

Which political philosopher is remembered for "separation of powers" and "checks and balance" ?

Montesquieu

What event firmly established the supremacy of the federal government?

the end of the Civil War

What was the crucial weakness of the Articles of Confederation?

the inability of the national government to enforce its policies

Identify the three major areas in which delegates to the Constitutional Convention had to compromise, and explain the reasoning behind those compromises.

1)representation (Some wanted representation based on state population, but others wanted equal representation, so the delegates compromised by establishing a bicameral legislature in which one house had equal representation and the other house had representation by population.) 2)slavery (Some wanted to count slaves toward representation, but others did not, so the delegates compromised by counting three-fifths of any state's slaves toward representation but taxing them at the same rate.) 3)commerce (The delegates reached compromises to make interstate and international trade easier.)

What factors led to the final approval of the Constitution in the two most crucial states?

A few undecided Virginia delegates were swayed by Madison's promise to do everything possible to obtain a bill of rights, and some New York Anti-Federalists switched sides after the Virginia Anti-Federalists failed to block ratification.

What is the difference between a strict constructionist and a broad constructionist?

A strict constructionist relies on a close adherence to the text of the Constitution, with a minimum of expanded interpretation; a broad constructionist broadly interprets the Constitution, reading into it things that the text does not explicitly say.

Who were the main leaders of the Federalists?

Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay

What event between 1740s and 1750s unified the 13 colonies?

America's First Great Awakening

What are the various ways an amendment may pass through these phases?

An amendment is proposed either by a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress or by a special national convention called by two-thirds of the states. An amendment is ratified either by three-fourths of the states' legislatures or by three-fourths of special state ratification conventions.

What are block grants?

Block grants involve broader categories, fewer restrictions, and hence, less federal control

Give examples of federal grants and some issues with these grants?

Education and meeting the needs of the homeless

Explain why the necessary and proper clause is sometimes called the elastic clause.

Explain why the necessary and proper clause is sometimes called the elastic clause. because it enlarges the scope of national power and because Congress has been able to stretch its meaning to sanction congressional actions

How did Shay's Rebellion impact America?

Fear of anarchy spread throughout the states; many became convinced that the Articles of Confederation must be revised to handle the problems with governing.

Provide a basic description of categorical grants.

Categorical grants are funds given to state and local governments for specified purposes if certain requirements are met. This kind of grant is the most common, and it is either administered according to a formula or targeted to certain projects in such a way that the federal government controls its use.

What is the obvious disadvantage of checks and balances? What benefits overshadow this disadvantage?

Checks and balances make the government inefficient, but they limit government power and protect personal liberty.

What two important pieces did Thomas Paine write and what significance did they have on the revolution?

Common Sense encouraged the people to declare for independence and American Crisis was read before the troops crossed the Delaware.

What two political forces help preserve the division between the state and national levels of government?

Congressmen are responsible to the states and districts that elected them. Political parties are built on the state level and are somewhat independent of their national organizations.

Why is it often difficult to reverse states' and districts' reliance on federal grants and to reduce federal budgets?

Each area that benefits from federal grants is usually very concerned about keeping the funding it receives and thus opposes cuts even if a reduction in federal spending is needed.

Why did the British attack Lexington and Concord?

Kill the leaders of the revolution and capture the weapons

How does the role of states today differ from their role in the early years of the American Republic?

In the early years of the Republic, states played a more important role in the lives of citizens than did the national government. This was due to a number of factors - the relative weakness of the federal government, the reserved powers noted in the Constitution, and the state legislatures' ability to elect US senators. (pp. 129-130)

Who is known as the Father of the Constitution?

James Madison

What is the difference between separation of powers and checks and balances?

Separation of powers divides the national government into three distinct branches. "Checks and balances" refers to the power that each branch exerts over the others.

Explain the "necessary and proper" clause.

The "necessary and proper clause" gives Congress the authority to make laws that are necessary to complete its tasks.

Briefly describe the New Deal and the Great Society and explain how they impacted federalism.

The New Deal was a series of programs created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to address the poverty and unemployment of the Depression. The Great Society was a number of initiatives from President Lyndon Johnson aimed at eliminating poverty, supervising voting rights, and promoting greater federal involvement in education and health care. Both of these programs expanded the national government's power and prominence.

What major agreement did the Constitutional Convention reach after only five days of meeting?

The convention would establish a new national government - restructured and redefined.

Explain what is meant by the Supremacy Clause?

The federal government is supreme in powers the constitution gives to the federal government

What four constitutional obligations does the national government have in relation to the states?

The national government must honor the states' territorial rights, must guarantee each state a republican form of government, must protect states from foreign invasion, and may intervene if a state needs help in suppressing domestic violence.

What is the basic point James Madison is making in the excerpt from The Federalist Papers at the conclusion of this chapter?

The power still lies in the hands of the people. The governments, both state and national, are agents of the people.

What two key procedural rules, established at the beginning of the Constitutional Convention, greatly facilitated the convention's progress?

a rule of secrecy outside the convention hall; organization of the convention as a committee of the whole

Define federalism.

a system in which government power is divided into two or more levels, usually a national government and component state governments

What six basic principles are the foundation of the Constitution?

limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, judicial review, federalism, and popular sovereignty

Which level of government is not mentioned in the Constitution?

local government

In what three major areas did England influence American colonial government?

local government, legislative government, and limited government

What are the two major phases in the amendment process?

proposal and ratification

Which two levels of government are mentioned in the Constitution?

state and national governments

Beginning in 1773, what were some actions Americans took in an attempt to obtain relief from Britain's tightening control?

tea boycott began; First and Second Continental Congress convened

What event in America's history significantly shifted Americans' perception of the federal government?

the Great Depression

Which constitutional amendment guarantees the reserved powers of the states and the people?

the Tenth Amendment

What were the two most crucial state conventions in the ratification of the Constitution?

the conventions in Virginia and New York