AP US Government and Politics Chapter 1 Quiz

where in the article states that Congress lacked the sole power to regulate commerce under the Articles? (Articles of Confederation)

"...nor appoint a commander in chief of the army or navy, unless nine States assent to the same: nor shall a question on any other point, except for adjourning from day to day be determined, unless by the votes of the majority of the united States in congress assembled." (Congress does not have the power to enforce any commerce unless all/majority of the states agree upon doing so.)

What is Madison's claim about human nature? (Federalist No. 51)

"Ambition must be made to counteract ambition. The interact of the man must be connected with the constitutional rights of the place. It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government." "But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary."

Highlight or underline the claim Madison makes regarding a pure democracy's ability to handle factions. (Federalist #10)

"Can admit of no cure for the mischiefs of faction. ... Hence it is that such democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have been in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths. ... erroneously [supposing] that by reducing mankind to a perfect equality in their political rights, they would, at the same time, be perfectly equalized and assibilated in their possessions, their opinions, and their passions."

Highlight or underline what the document (Articles of Confederation) says here about the powers of the states.

"Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this confederation expressly delegated to the United States" (the states can keep the sovereignty, freedom, independence, power, etc. that is not given to the Congress.)

how many votes each state had under the Articles? (Articles of Confederation)

"Each state shall have one vote."

Circle the clues in this article (Articles of Confederation) that help explain the founders' idea of a confederation.

"Enter into a firm league of friendship with each other" "binding themselves to assist each other, against all force offered to, or attacks made upon them, or any of them"

what is Madison saying about how factions will be better managed in a large republic than in a small one? How is that connected to protecting the rights of the people? (Federalist #10)

"Extend the sphere, and you take in a greater variety of parties and interests; you make it less probable that a majority of the whole will have a common motive to invade the rights of other citizens; or if such a common motive exists, it will be more difficult for all who feel it to discover their own strength, and to act in unison with each other." This connects to protecting the rights of the people since multiple factions are said to oppose and cause the corruption of the rights of the people; however, a larger republic would decrease the chance of creating such factions in which would prevent any harm to the rights of the people. Therefore, the advantages of a large republic over a smaller one implies that it also protects the rights of the people.

James Madison

"Father of the Constitution," Federalist leader, and fourth President of the United States. 34 year old Virginia lawyer who developed the plan for a new government and supported it during the ratification process at the Independence Hall. Wrote the Virginia Plan that had a three-branch system with 15 resolves.

Highlight or underline the claim Madison makes about why a republic is the best form of government. (Federalist #10)

"The delegation of the government, in the latter, to a small number of citizens elected by the rest; secondly, the greater number of citizens, and greater sphere of country, over which the latter may be extended."

Which branch is the most powerful in a republic, according to Madison? (Federalist No. 51)

"The legislative authority" (The legislative branch is the most powerful in a republic)

where does Brutus use the size of the United States to support his argument. (Brutus I)

"The territory of the United States is of vast extent; it now contains near three millions of souls, and is capable of containing much more than ten times that number. Is it practicable for a country, so large and so numerous as they will soon become, to elect a representation ..."

Brutus's claim about the government established by the Constitution? (Brutus I)

"This government is to possess absolute and uncontroulable power, legislative, executive and judicial, with respect to every object to which it extends." "It appears from these articles that there is no need of any intervention of the state governments, between the Congress and the people, to execute any one power vested in the general government ... The government then, so far as it extends, is a complete one, and not a confederation."

Circle the evidence on this page that Madison uses to support his claim about the best form of government. (Federalist #10)

"Under such a regulation, it may well happen that the public voice, pronounced by the representatives of the people will be more consonant to the public good than if pronounced by the people themselves, convened for the purpose." "Hence, the number of representatives in the two cases not being in proportion to that of the two constituents, and being proportionally greater in the small republic, it follows that, if the proportion of fit characters be not less in the large than in the small republic, the former will present a greater option, and consequently a greater probability of a fit choice."

Brutus's claim and evidence. (Brutus I)

"constant clashing of opinions; and the representatives of one part will be continually striving against those of the other ... will retard the operations of government and prevent such conclusions as will promote the public good ... we shall be convinced that it forbids that we should be one government." Evidence -> "The laws and customs of the several states are, in many respects, very diverse, and in some opposite; ... composed of such heterogeneous and discordant principles, as would constantly be contending with each other." "the legislature cannot attend to the various concerns and wants of its different parts. ... it is impossible it should have sufficient time to attend to and provide for all variety of cases." "the great officers of government would soon become above the control of the people, and abuse their power to the purpose of aggrandizing themselves, and oppressing them." "they will use the power, when they have acquired it, to the purposes of gratifying their own interest and ambition, and it is scarcely possible, in a very large republic, to call them to account for their misconduct, or to prevent their abuse of power."

What does Madison claim is necessary for liberty to be maintained? (Federalist No. 51)

"separate and distinct exercise of the different powers of government, which to a certain extent is admitted on all hands to be essential to the preservation of liberty."

how many states would have to agree to any changes (amendments) to the Articles? (Articles of Confederation)

"unless such alteration be agreed to in a congress of the united States, and be afterwards confirmed by the legislatures of EVERY STATE."

how taxes will be assessed and collected under the Articles? (Articles of Confederation)

(How taxes are assessed) "All charges of war, and all other expenses that shall be incurred ... be defrayed out of a common treasury, which shall be supplied by the several States in proportion to the value of all land within each state." (How taxes are collected) "The taxes for paying that proportion shall be laid and levied by the authority and direction of the legislatures of the several States."

Declaration of Independence

1776 statement, issued by the Second Continental Congress, explaining why the colonies wanted independence from Britain.

Articles of Confederation

1st Constitution of the U.S. 1781-1788 (weaknesses-no executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade). listed the functions of the newly established government of the United States. The document gave states had much power while retaining its sovereignty, freedom, and independence; however, the national government was weakened to prevent the same influence from the British rule.

popular sovereignty

A belief that ultimate power resides in the people.

Federalist Papers

A collection of 85 articles written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison under the name "Publius" to defend the Constitution in detail. Essays that are written to explain the framers' intentions and to assure the citizens that the federal system they created did not dismiss the importance of states. This was also meant to mitigate the fears surrounding whether the national government would abuse the people in the states.

Restate the conclusion of the argument. (Brutus I)

A free republic cannot last in a large country. Therefore, the new constitution should not be ratified to unite the thirteen individual states.

Electoral College

A group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president. Number of electors depend on the number of representatives the state had in Congress.

republicanism

A philosophy of limited government with elected representatives serving at the will of the people. The government is based on consent of the governed.

elite democracy

A political system in which the privileged classes acquire the power to decide by a competition for the people's votes and have substantial freedom between elections to rule as they see fit.

Federalism

A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments

participatory (direct) democracy

A system of democracy in which members of a group or community participate collectively in making major decisions. People are eligible to cast votes to laws and issues directly instead of indirectly through representatives.

checks and balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power

Bicameral

A two-house legislature or chambers. The system includes the House of Representatives and the Senate that make up the U.S. government.

pocket veto

A veto taking place when Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting a bill to the president, who simply lets it die by neither signing nor vetoing it.

Define commerce using the context of this article. (Articles of Confederation)

According to the context of this article, commerce is defined as making trades or deals or contracts, or negotiating between states and foreigner countries.

Impeachment

Accusing the president, a federal judge, or another public official of wrongdoing. The senate votes by a two-thirds majority to determine whether the individual is guilty or not.

The statement of beliefs is important in the Declaration. In one sentence, summarize the beliefs the writers held that compelled them to write the Declaration.

All men are created equal with unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and they have the right to abolish a destructive government for their future security.

judicial review

Allows the court to determine the constitutionality of laws

Bill of Rights

Amendments ratified in 1791 where it included rights that were mainly violated by the British rule. Freedom of religion, speech, press, peaceable assembly, right to petition, right to express political ideas, etc. were all declared under the 10 amendments.

Based on this reading, what are your thoughts about the structural weaknesses of the Articles? (Articles of Confederation)

Based on the reading, I thought the structural weaknesses of the Articles were what made the sovereignty of the country out of control. Having independent rulings within a country without a central government who can regulate laws and economy creates unbalance and separation instead; this is the opposite of what the United States of America was striving to achieve. By eliminating the congress's power to tax people, regulate commerce, force meeting military quotas, enforce laws, and lacking the judicial system is lethal because it simply allows each state to act on their own wish and does not help unite the nation nor take action based on justice when a federal law is violated. Therefore, I believe the structural weaknesses presented in the Articles were essentially a hazard in developing a new government in which part of the original objective was to create a UNITED states of America.

Why does Brutus think that people should care about the form of government? (Brutus I)

Brutus thinks people should care about their form of government because the happiness of the future depends on the government and if the people give them more power, they will possess the absolute controlling power and nullify the state and people's laws. Hence, Brutus enforces the idea that people must be careful how the power will be given to the government.

Explain how the Brutus uses the "great thinkers" to support his argument? (Brutus I)

Brutus uses the "great thinkers" to bolster his argument by appealing to authority ("greatest and wisest men who have ever thought or wrote on the science of government") to stress that it is not practicable to practice government under representation as trusted figures also state the same that a republic cannot succeed in a large land. This adds a new perspective and reasoning to the argument, which provides further evidence to support the claim.

explain how the author uses these clauses to support his sub-claim here. (Brutus I)

Brutus uses these clauses to support his claim that the government will become dominant of the government once the Constitution is ratified, and the states and the people will have relatively less or no voice and power in the government. In other words, the clauses support the idea of the potential totalitarianism that could form due to the new constitution.

Describe Brutus' claim that states are better at protecting individual rights. (Brutus I)

Brutus' claim that states are better at protecting individual rights says that with the state government, the people are more perceived, protected, and understood because they are more closer to them. However, when a central government is given the power to govern the individuals, men who seek to pursue their interest against others would gather and conduct legislation while violating people's rights. This is what is being described in Brutus' claim that states are better at protecting individual rights.

Paraphrase Madison's definition of a faction in the space below the text. What danger does Madison say factions present to the rights of other citizens? (Federalist Paper #10)

By a faction, Madison is referring to the "political party" or people who gather to advocate their interests. These groups are defined to be going against the rights of others and the community or the public interest. Because the faction directly contrasts with the rights of other citizens, Madison believed this presented a danger where democracy or government could be threatened/taken over to be ruined.

What is meant by a confederation?

By confederation, the article is referring to the whole affiliation (united group of states) of states that includes New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Great Compromise

Compromise made by Constitutional Convention in which states would have equal representation in one house of the legislature and representation based on population in the other house. This created the two-house Congress, three-fifths compromise (to determine the representation of enslaved Africans), and the electoral college to elect the President of the United States.

full faith and credit clause

Constitution's requirement that each state accept the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state

national supremacy

Constitutional doctrine that whenever conflict occurs between the constitutionally authorized actions of the national government and those of a state or local government, the actions of the federal government will prevail.

Summarize the structure of the Congress as outlined in the Articles (Articles of Confederation).

Delegates will be appointed every year for a meeting at the Congress on the first Monday of November, and each state will be represented by more than two or less than seven members over the course of their term. Delegates cannot hold office for their benefit, however.

Describe the difficulties the powers not granted to Congress in this section of the Articles would likely have caused to the function of the government. (Articles of Confederation)

Difficulties the lack of powers to Congress could cause to the function of the government would include not being able to manage the economy nor enact laws unless the majority of the states who have the granted power all agree on the same matter. This made assembling states and controlling rules of the land almost impossible and out of the hands of the Congress.

natural law

God's or nature's law that defines right from wrong and is higher than human law. It obligates the people to fight against any rulings by the king in which does not recognize the will and consent of the popular.

Brutus raised concerns about the elements of the Constitution that proposed moving from a confederation to a federal system. Evaluate the evidence the author used to support these concerns. How well does it support his claims? (Brutus I)

In raising his concern, Brutus utilized evidence from the Constitution and the "great thinkers" in order to support the idea. With the Constitution, Brutus managed to point out directly where the faults were in the document and how it poses a threat to the people as the government will hold supremacy over the states once ratified. Because he used the actual words written in the Constitution to argue against that fact, this supports his claim well for the reader is able to directly see what exactly the concern is about adopting this new government. In addition, the evidence collected from "great thinkers" was also a trustworthy source to prove Brutus' own idea. By quoting the founding fathers' words regarding how a free republic cannot last in a large country, Brutus acquires credibility as his claim is backed up by an expert source; the authorities are also those who are respected by the people, so this also contributes to persuading the citizens to believe his claims. Through evaluating these evidence provided by the author, I believe they effectively bolster the overall argument with its straightforwardness and credibility.

How is power divided between the states and the national government in Article VIII? (Articles of Confederation)

In the Article VIII, more power belongs to each of the states to direct where and how taxes will be managed and paid; the states can also refuse to pay their expenses to the national government. Therefore, the power is divided in such a manner that it centers around the states more than the central government.

Why is it significant that he describes them as "great thinkers"? (Brutus I)

It is significant that he describes the men as "great thinkers" because the people are one of the founding fathers of the country and by utilizing their title to credit his sources, Brutus acquires an expert piece of evidence to bolster his argument.

Relate Madison's argument about this power of the president relative to Congress to current political behavior. (Federalist No. 51)

Madison argues that the power of the president may need to be strengthened as the legislative authority is weakened through its power being distributed. However, he thinks that depends on the occasion because in some circumstances that may succeed but in others, abused. In today's political behavior, the power of the president is perceived more stronger than the branches, but the function they do are balanced with the branches. Even if the president doesn't reside with a law, the other branches can still enforce a veto through their votes if necessary. As such, the power of the president relative to Congress is almost held equal in current politics.

What does Madison assume about the nature of people that makes the system of checks and balance necessary? (Federalist No. 51)

Madison assumes that the nature of people is not like an angel and is what formed society; they will pursue their own interests from greed and potentially abuse other's rights and liberty from their own individual pursuits. This makes the system of checks and balances necessary because this keeps human nature under control to provide what is better for the public good, while also avoiding that concentration of power in factions or the government.

Why does Madison claim this document is being written? (Federalist No. 51)

Madison claims the document was written to explain how the idea of separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism included in the proposed form of government could guard the liberty of the people against abuse of power.

How does Madison continue to develop the idea he introduced earlier regarding the "just right" proportion of representatives to citizens of constituents? (Federalist #10)

Madison develops the idea of the "just right" proportion of representatives by explaining that too many representatives will result in lack of acquaintance with local circumstances and fewer interests, and lack of representatives would result in attaching too much to the interests and the population.

Compare Madison's argument in this paragraph to our government today. How do the branches resist being controlled by another? (Federalist No. 51)

Madison states that factions will naturally counter each other and therefore resist the control of one another, but our government today prevents branches from overpowering each other through checks and balances. So, the modern government structure allows for one branch to limit the other two branches' power in order to maintain the balanced power among the three distinct departments or throughout the whole government in general.

How does Madison use comparison to bolster his argument? (Federalist #10)

Madison uses comparison to bolster his argument by explicitly describing the faults and weaknesses of the other option to explain how his idea of a large republic would solve those potential dangers. This raises the persuasiveness in claiming that the republic would be the best form of government to adapt in order to avoid factions invading the rights of the people.

What was Madison's purpose in defining terms such as faction, pure democracy, and republic? How does this strategy help to further his purpose? (Federalist #10)

Madison's purpose of defining the terms is to give the definitions that relate and refer to what he is presenting in the document. This furthers his purpose because the reader would be able to comprehend the concepts to see how they compare to one another or how one would be more beneficial than the other (republic>pure democracy).

What is Madison's reasoning for separation of powers and checks and balances? (Federalist No. 51)

Madison's reasoning for separation of powers and checks and balances is to protect the liberty of the people. By limiting the extent of power of each branch of the government, once department will not overpower the other and will maintain a balanced Congress in which the right and the liberty of the people will not be abused by authority.

where does Brutus reference the "Necessary and Proper" clause and the Supremacy clause? (Brutus I)

Necessary and Proper clause -> "the Congress shall have power to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this constitution, in the government of the United States; or in any department or office thereof." Supremacy clause -> "This constitution ... under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, any thing in the constitution, or law of any state to the contrary notwithstanding."

List at least two categories of comparison that could be used to compare the arguments in Federalist No.10 and Brutus No.1.

One category of comparison could be about how the government was viewed in terms of its role. Madison stated that the government, when it holds the power, would be able to listen to the minority factions and thus protect the people's rights from being abused by dominating interest groups. Opposing to this, Brutus claimed that the government must be kept in a small area so those small groups can voice their interests without clashing with others. Another category of comparison could be about the power of the government. In the Federalist No.10, Madison argued for a strong national government to make decisions for all factions to be voiced and included. However, Brutus argued the opposite by saying a central government would simply cause them to have absolute power to abuse them and take the people and states' freedom and rights. So, he said the government should be kept small to prevent this cause. These two categories of comparison could be used to compare the arguments in Federalist No.10 and Brutus No.1.

Senate

One of the United States Congress's chamber where two delegates from each state are chosen by the lower house (the House of Representatives). Contributes to the ratification/amendment process and consents to president's decision on the court judges.

Describe one way in which the powers granted to Congress under the Articles caused problems for the young republic. (Articles of Confederation)

One problem that was caused by the powers granted to Congress was that they only had rights such as to control wars and foreign affairs; hence, since states have their own granted powers that is independent of those from congress, the country lacked the authority to enforce unity to form the "United States of America." In other words, the Congress possessed no control to govern the young republic for they were not granted the power to do so in the Articles of Confederation. Since the only powers granted to congress had to do with foreign affairs, this did not aid to an overall unity of the states.They could not tax states. They had very little or no support from the states They couldn't raise funds on their own They also couldn't regulate trade and commerce in America.

reserved powers

Powers given to the state government alone. Political power that is not stated in the Constitution. Any powers that are not listed in the document are reserved for the states to keep.

What is a "pure democracy" according to Madison? (Federalist #10)

Pure democracy is a society where the government is administered by every individual or citizen. In the document, it is defined as a democracy where a small number of people gather to administer the government. Madison regards this democracy as the cause of danger to the major factions.

Paraphrase what Madison means by a republic in the space below the text. (Federalist #10)

Republic defines the government in which elected representatives or delegates administer the rulings on behalf of the citizens. Madison believes such government, unlike the pure democracy, will "cure" the danger of factions.

Difference in Structure of Government in Republic and Pure Democracy (Federalist #10)

Republic: Governed by men elected by the people, representing various interests including the minorities to protect the rights of the people. Reduces the risk of factions. Pure Democracy: Government administered by the citizens, individual voices and interests could clash and destroy the function of the government while invading the rights of the people.

Difference in Dealing with Factions in Republic and Pure Democracy (Federalist #10)

Republic: Protects and incorporates the minor factions and interests too, making it less probable for the majority to invade the rights of other citizens. Pure Democracy: The majority will obscure the minority factions, reducing equality in the people's political rights.

Madison's claim about the best form of government? (Federalist #10)

Since Madison's best form of government refers to the large republican government that cures the danger of factions: "Extend the sphere, and you take in a greater variety of parties and interests; you make it less probable that a majority of the whole will have a common motive to invade the rights of other citizens; or if such a common motive exists, it will be more difficult for all who feel it to discover their own strength, and to act in unison with each other."

what the "great thinkers" the author quotes have to say about a republic governing a small area and a large area? (Brutus I)

Small area -> "In a small one, the interest of the public is easier perceived, better understood, and more within the reach of every citizen; abuses are of less extent, and of course are less protected." Large area -> "In a large republic there are men of large fortunes, and consequently of less moderation; there are trusts too great to be placed in any single subject; he has interest of his own; he soon begins to think that he may be happy, great and glorious, by oppressing his fellow citizens; and that he may raise himself to grandeur on the ruins of his country. In a large republic, the public good is sacrificed to a thousand views; it is subordinate to exceptions and depends on accidents."

define sovereignty and jurisdiction.

Sovereignty means the power the state has to govern its own place, while jurisdiction means the authority and legitimacy in order to enforce that power into action.

Federalists

Supporters of the U.S. Constitution at the time the states were contemplating its adoption.

What "foundation" is Madison laying here?

The "foundation" laid advocates and regulates the need of checks and balances by differentiating the powers and practices conducted under each department of government in order to protect the liberty of the people.

How does the Constitution address this concentration of power in Congress? (Federalist No. 51)

The Constitution addresses the concentration of power in Congress by dividing the power into different branches with different principles and functions to create a system of checks and balances. This prevents the power from being concentrated into one authority that could dominate the other parts of the government.

How does the amendment process reflect the division of power between the Confederation Congress and the states? How might the amendment process impact the functions of the government? (Articles of Confederation)

The amendment process reflects the division of power between the Confederation Congress and the states because it reveals how states are being granted more power in deciding or altering amendments because all their matching opinions are required in issuing the idea, not the national government's. This amendment process impacts the function of the government because it makes laws almost impossible to enact, for it becomes difficult for every single state to agree upon the same idea. If one state declines, then the whole amendment process fails. As such, the process creates conflicts and problems within the functions of the government for its increase in difficulty of not only processing the amendments, but enacting laws in general.

necessary and proper (elastic) clause

The authority granted Congress in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution "to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper" for the implementation of its enumerated powers.

What were the characteristics of Congress outlined in the Articles of Confederation?

The characteristics of Congress outlined in the Articles of Confederation include not having the power to tax the people, not having the power to regulate commerce among states or foreign countries, not having the power to enact laws, having the right to enforce peace and war, being able to maintain an army although not being able to force states to meet their military quotas, being able to request states for money, etc. As said, the congress could declare war and coin money, but had no power in forcing the people to join the military nor collect taxes because the states had the power in issuing such matters and could reject if they did not agree with it. Such characteristics are part of what defines the Congress that is being outlined in the Articles of Confederation.

What is the chief check on governmental power? According to Madison, is this chief check adequate? (Federalist No. 51)

The chief check on governmental power is dependent on the people. The people are the ultimate source to check and balance the distribution of power. However, according to Madison, this chief check is not as adequate as experience has shown that a secondary precaution is necessary in order to sufficiently control the government.

commerce clause

The clause in the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 1) that gives Congress the power to regulate all business activities that cross state lines or affect more than one state or other nations.

Going beyond the text, what challenges were or might have been faced by a government in which the national government is designed to be weak? (Articles of Confederation)

The government where the national government is designed to be weak would face economic challenges the most. From the text, it said the government could not force tax pays; therefore, going beyond the article, I think this leads to a conflict where the government would go in debt from the state/people's lack of contribution to finance and thus cannot pay for anything. This would mean that trade would be difficult to conduct too, which weakens international relations and eliminates another way in which the government can retrieve financial and economic resources. In addition, the national government being weak also makes the nation's defense weak too. Without the ability to lead the states (for they each have independent rulings and their own power) and have every one of them agree to cooperate, the country cannot issue any actions even if they were to be in a war. Because the government is too weak to force states to support the nation, such problems would arise and create an unbalanced environment.

Preamble

The introduction of a document that states the mission of the proposal.

According to Madison, how does the larger number of voters lead to a better class of representatives? (Federalist #10)

The larger number of voters allows men who with the most attractive merit and established characters (worthy men) to be selected than those who are unworthy and dangerous to represent the people.

extradition

The legal process by which a fugitive from justice in one state is returned to that state

Anti-Federalists

The people or delegates that opposed the system of government or the new constitution where power was divided between the united nation and the state government instead of it being unbalanced with most of the power in the states' hands (Articles of Confederation).

advice and consent

The power of the Senate to consult and approve the presidents treaties and appointments.

enumerated powers

The powers explicitly given to Congress in the Constitution including the ability to tax, borrow money, raise an army, create a postal system, address piracy on seas, define immigration process, etc. These privileges are granted under the Constitution.

New Jersey Plan

The proposal at the Constitutional Convention that called for equal representation of each state in Congress regardless of the state's population. advocated for keeping the sovereignty of the states, limited and defined powers for the national legislature, and no supply for the national court.

What do you think is the purpose of this document? (Articles of Confederation)

The purpose of the document was to enforce a new government function in the newly titled "The United States of America," where power would be divided among the states and the central government while preserving the "sovereignty, freedom, and independence."

The evidence in the text supports the idea that the national government relied on a large majority of the states to take action. How does this feature of the Articles of Confederation influence the balance of power between the states and the national government? (Articles of Confederation)

The reliance on the states to take action influences the balance of power between the states and the national government because the authority and all decision-making would then fall completely in the hands of the independent states and the government would practically have no control over the nation's affairs. For instance, if the country were to process an amendment, the government would play no role in making decisions because the Article claims that the states' opinions are what decides the matters. Even if the government believed a law should be enacted, it will fail to be executed if a state disagrees since they have more power in their actions. As such, if the government relies on a large majority of the states to pursue acts for the country, there would be a large unbalance between the two parties where the states would hold supremacy in power over the government.

Translate the declaration portion of the document into your own words.

The representatives of the United States of America have agreed upon making the United Colonies independent states and separate from the British crown ruling. All political connection between United States and Great Britain will be removed, and the free states will now act based on the right that each independent states possess. The Declaration claims to make such movement for the lives, fortune, and honor of the people of the United States of America.

What steps had the colonists already taken to try to "make up" with England? Were they successful or not? How do we know?

The steps the colonists have already taken are warning for their overuse of authority, reminding of the circumstances of emigration and settlement, appealing to their own native justice and generosity, and conjuring them to reject further violations that would lead to the corruption of the connections and correspondence among the colonists and England. They were not successful for the Declaration claims of England being deaf of the voice of justice or their steps taken to make the change and enforces the fact that they will be independent from the British crown in the concluding statement. The fact that the United States are not part of the British colony anymore is also an evident that the colonists' effort to make up with England was not successful.

How is Madison's view on human nature connected to his theory that checks and balances are necessary to avoid a concentration of power? (Federalist No. 51)

The view connects to the theory that checks and balances are necessary to avoid a concentration of power because humans by nature will not enforce a perfect and balanced government while having their own interests and motives. By dividing power, the power is internally controlled in the government which aids in preventing any potential invasion of other's liberty and rights.

Looking at the complaints, how do we know that the Declaration was made for ideological (or political) purposes rather than economic ones as some historians claim?

We know that the Declaration was made for ideological purposes rather than economic ones because all the griefs listed point out to the government's flaws in lacking to protect the people's rights. Although some points claim the flaws related to tax and trade, every statement stresses the failure to listen to the people's desires and voices (For example, "For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:"). By identifying these aspects in which illustrates how the British rule is unfit to be the ruler of a free people, the Declaration bolsters the idea that these mistakes must be avoided in order to promote the ideological and rational political rulings in the United States of America.

How is what Madison describes on this page evident in the structure of the U.S. Government? (Federalist #10)

What Madison describes on this page is evident in the structure of the U.S. Government for we have the delegates or the representatives in the Congress today. These people were voted by the people to govern on behalf of the individual citizens, which is the republican structure that Madison describes in the Federalist No. 10 document.

What is Madison saying in the beginning of Federalist No. 51?

Why is it necessary to practice the equal division of power among the branches as written in the Constitution? Because by integrating this structure in the government, it keeps each department balanced and in check or in their "proper places." Through the document, Madison will further explain his observations that may clarify the means and how the convention could form the better structure of their government.

representative republic

a collection of sovereign states to gather for the national interest, national needs, and national defense. Promoted citizen representation in democracy at a national level.

Grand Committee

a committee at the Constitutional Convention that worked out the compromise on representation. A group chosen to settle disputes between power in states. Led by Benjamin Franklin

pluralist democracy

a model of democracy that stresses vigorous competition among various interests in a free society. interest groups can attempt and compete to influence political decision-making and public opinion.

What is a preamble? What is its purpose?

an introduction that explains why the constitution was written and spells out the purposes of government. The introductory sentence states the Declaration's main purpose, to explain the colonists' right to revolution. The purpose of the Declaration of Independence is to explain to foreign nations and King George III why the colonies had chosen to separate themselves from Great Britain and become independent.

House of Representatives

the lower house of Congress, consisting of a different number of representatives from each state, depending on population