gov chapter 2

A new amendment has passed a two-thirds vote in the House and Senate. Where should activists supporting the ratification of the amendment focus their lobbying efforts?

¾ of the state legislature, ¾ of the constitutionL convention

The current U.S. senate is similar to the unicameral legislature under the Articles of Confederation

Have equal representation for each state regardless of population. This would favor smaller states because they get better representation in government compared to if it was by population.

Which issue was sent to a Grand Committee to decide upon during the Constitutional Convention?

How states would be represented. (how they would handle the slavery issue for example)

Many states only agreed to ratify the Constitution on what condition?

If a bill of rights was made with it.

What was the most contentious issue surrounding the question of slavery during the Constitutional Convention?

If slaves would alter the representation

What was the main function of the Riot Act?

It absolved (set free) sheriffs and other officials from prosecution for killing rioters.

How would the proposed Virginia Plan have created a stronger federal government?

It creates 2 chambers that are a part of the federal govt. BICAMERAL Legislation

Why did smaller, less-populous states prefer the New Jersey Plan?

It proposed a unicameral legislature where each state delegation (chosen by state legislatures) would get one equal vote in that legislature.

What is the primary function of the president as outlined in the Constitution?

The president is there to execute or carry out the laws that have been passed by congress.

What was the purpose of the Constitutional Convention in 1787?

The purpose was to fix the articles of confederation.

Who held the most power under the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union?

The states

When were the Articles of Confederation formally ratified?

1781

Which argument does James Madison make in Federalist No. 10?

A large republic is better suited to control factions and represent the needs of the people

What was the main argument made in Federalist No. 51?

Addresses means by which appropriate checks and balances can be created in government and also advocates a separation of powers within the national government.

What was the main function of Article V of the Articles of Confederation?

Article V created a unicameral legislature. States could send up to seven delegates to serve in the legislature, but each state was only given one vote legislation. Limits were placed on how long delegates could serve.

Why were the Federalist Papers so effective in gaining support for the Constitution?

Because they were all over newspapers they reached their intended audience. They spoke against the Articles which were already proven flawed. They were promoted by the upper, wealthy class.

Why was the Antifederalists' position more difficult than that of the Federalists during the debates over the ratification of the Constitution?

Because they were basing their argument on the Articles of Confederation that was already failing (it was a flawed document)

A group of students is debating about whether or not America would benefit from a different form of government. One group of students believes that the Constitution gives the federal government too much power. Which paper supports that group's argument?

Brutus No. 1

When a new law is created by the legislative branch, the constitutional legality of the bill can be questioned by the Supreme Court. This scenario is an example of

Checks and balances

Which was a characteristic of the proposed Virginia Plan?

Created a three-branch govt. With a bicameral national legislature, with two houses. Members of the lower class would be directly elected by the people. The upper house would consist of representatives nominated by state legislatures and chosen by members of the lower house. More populous states would have more members in both houses of the legislature.

What was the primary function of the Three-Fifths Compromise?

Determined that a slave would count as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of calculating a state's representation.

Suppose Congress has passed a law that makes it illegal to smoke in public spaces and wants to punish those who have smoked in public spaces in the year prior to passing the law. Which constitutional protection prevents Congress from doing so?

Ex post-Facto Laws

Why might small farmers and those from rural areas oppose the Federalist position?

Feared that they would be underrepresented because they were in the periphery (rural areas) instead of the central of the state.

In the late 1700s, a wealthy educated male would have most likely been

Federalist

Who was selected as the president of the Constitutional Convention?

George Washington

The system of federal courts is part of which branch of government?

Judicial Branch

Suppose the president has signed an executive order that bans a certain type of speech and the Supreme Court determines that the president's executive order is unconstitutional. This is an example of the Supreme Court

Judicial Review

Which type of state would have been in favor of the proposed Virginia Plan?

Larger States

Suppose Congress has passed legislation that would ban American citizens from purchasing or owning firearms of any kind. The law is brought to the Supreme Court, where it is deemed a violation of the Second Amendment. The ability of the Supreme Court to make such a decision was established in

Marbury V. Madison

Which portion of the Constitution creates the potential for the legislative branch to grow too powerful?

Necessary and Proper Clause( A1 S8)

Why did so many Americans want to keep the Articles of Confederation as they were?

People that lived in the southern states feared that slavery would be outlawed if the articles were to be revised. Citizens of smaller states feared losing equal representation in congress and seeing it be replaced by a representation based on population, which would weaken their position.

After the Vietnam War, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution to prevent the president from committing the U.S. to a military conflict without the consent of Congress. Which constitutional principle was this law based on?

Separation of Powers

Those who participated in Shays's Rebellion were most likely to be

Shays rebellion was a grassroots popular uprising against a state government. Those who participate were most likely to be poor farmers who were veterans in the revolutionary war or those who were veterans.

Why was Shays's Rebellion an effective way for James Madison to lure George Washington back into public life?

Shays's Rebellion would be enough to lure Washington out of retirement and align his unequaled status among Americans with the effort to create a new political order.

What was the Antifederalists' most compelling argument against the Constitution?

That it lacked a bill of rights, a list of rights and liberties the government. Cannot take away.

A group of women's rights advocates believes women are not being paid equally to men in the workplace and are concerned that federal anti-discrimination laws are not being effectively carried out. Which branch of government should be blamed for the lack of enforcement of such laws?

The Executive Branch

Those who supported the new Constitution and wanted a stronger national government were known as

The Federalist

Why did the economy fail to thrive under the Articles of Confederation?

The national government could not tax the states and commerce was regulated between the states. In addition, in order to pay off their debts from the revolutionary war, the national government had to ask the states for money in which many states declined. The federal government did not have the power to tax.

Many legal challenges have been made to the arrest and detainment of suspected terrorists because they often are not told why they are being held. Which constitutional protection are these legal challenges based on?

The Writ of Habeas Corpus

The Federalists and the Antifederalists disagreed upon which major issue?

The adoption of the constitution (relative power of the gov)

What was the most significant contradiction within the Constitution?

The constitution was based on natural rights and liberties but still permitted slavery.

Why was the federal government under the articles of confederation made to be intentionally weak?

There was a widespread fear that a strong federal government would lead to tyranny. There were strong loyalties among Americans to their own state as opposed to any national government during the American Revolution. Wanted regional govt. to have more power.

A political scientist who was dissatisfied with the Articles of Confederation might attend the Annapolis Convention with the hope that

They could address their trade and navigation disputes between states. The hope was that the outcome of the convention might lead to significant changes in the fundamental structure of the government of the United States.

Why might a group of veterans during Shays's Rebellion have focused their efforts on local courthouses?

They focused on the courts, closing them down in the hopes of stalling the foreclosure process (taking away land to pay debt) until a solution to the debt crisis could be achieved in the state legislature.

Suppose the president has nominated someone for a vacancy on the Supreme Court, but a senator in the opposing party does not approve of the president's choice. What can that senator do to change the situation?

They need a simple majority to vote to override his vote.

The League of Friendship created by the articles of Confederation was mean to address the issue between states concerning

Tried to prevent states from placing tariffs on each other. Provided states with protection against the disputed territory. Created friendship among states.

How many votes are required in the House and Senate to propose an amendment to the Constitution?

⅔ votes of both houses