We The People Chapter 2 Questions

Between 1789 and 1996, more than 11,000 amendments were formally offered in Congress. Of these, only ____________ were finally ratified by the states. a. 521 b. 104 c. 53 d. 27

d. 27

An important issue dividing Federalists and Antifederalists was the threat of tyranny, meaning a. generally, unjust rule by the group in power. b. from the Antifederalists' perspective, the fear of an aristocracy. c. from the Federalists' perspective, rule by the passions of the majority. d. All of the above

d. All of the above

_____________ is a system of government in which power is divided by a constitution between a central government and regional governments. a. A confederation b. Separation of powers c. A monarchy d. Federalism

d. Federalism

Which state's proposal embodied a principle of representing states in Congress according to their population? a. Connecticut b. Maryland c. New Jersey d. Virginia

d. Virginia

What mechanism was instituted in Congress to guard against "excessive democracy"? a. bicameralism b. staggered Senate terms c. appointment of senators for long terms d. all of the above

d. all of the above

Under the original, unamended Constitution, the only person(s) elected directly by the people was/were a. the president. b. senators. c. Supreme Court justices. d. members of the House of Representatives.

d. members of the House of Representatives.

4. The first written constitution of the United States was a. the U.S. Constitution. b. the Declaration of Independence. c. the League of States. d. the Articles of Confederation.

d. the Articles of Confederation.

The Three-Fifths Compromise dealt primarily with what issue? a. A slave would count as three-fifths of a person when determining population. b. Three-fifths of the states had to ratify the current constitution. c. It now takes a three-fifths vote in Congress to propose constitutional amendments. d. It now takes a three-fifths vote in Congress to appoint Supreme Court Justices.

a. A slave would count as three-fifths of a person when determining population.

In general, it was the ____________ vision of the United States that triumphed. a. Federalist b. Antifederalist c. Jeffersonian d. Washingtonian

a. Federalist

Under the Great Compromise, small states were given an advantage in the a. Senate. b. House of Representatives. c. electoral college. d. Supreme Court.

a. Senate.

The Connecticut Compromise provided for which of the following? a. a House of Representatives apportioned by the number of inhabitants and a Senate consisting of two members from each state selected by state legislatures b. a House of Representatives apportioned by the number of inhabitants and a Senate consisting of two members from each state directly elected by the people c. a unicameral legislature consisting of two members from each state directly elected by the people d. a bicameral legislature in which both houses would be apportioned according to the number of free inhabitants plus three-fifths of the slaves

a. a House of Representatives apportioned by the number of inhabitants and a Senate consisting of two members from each state selected by state legislatures

Shays' Rebellion was significant in that it a. demonstrated the weakness of government under the Articles of Confederation. b. represents the first major battle of the Civil War. c. led to renewed fighting between the colonists and the British. d. was the last battle in the Revolutionary War.

a. demonstrated the weakness of government under the Articles of Confederation.

The Constitution's framers placed ____________ ahead of all other political values. a. individual liberty b. democracy c. equality d. civil rights

a. individual liberty

The amendment route to social change a. is, and always will be, extremely limited. b. is frequently followed. c. is hard, but has been used over 50 times in American history. d. has never been used in America.

a. is, and always will be, extremely limited.

Prior to the twentieth century, most governments relied on ____________ for revenue. a. tariffs, duties, and other taxes on commerce b. local sales taxes c. a national sales tax d. a personal income tax

a. tariffs, duties, and other taxes on commerce

When was our current constitution written? a. 1776 b. 1787 c. 1812 d. 1920

b. 1787

_____________ is a system of government in which states retain sovereign authority except for the powers expressly delegated to the national governments. a. A constitution b. A confederation c. Federalism d. Separation of powers

b. A confederation

The Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation were not sufficient to hold the new nation together as an independent and effective nation-state. Which of the following statements is FALSE? a. The central government under the Articles of Confederation was powerless to intervene to resolve trade, economic, and political disputes among the states. b. Many of the pre- and post-revolutionary radicals, small farmers, artisans, and shopkeepers wanted a strong national government to protect their economic interests. c. Many of the pre-revolutionary colonial elite favored a stronger national government to protect their economic interests. d. Competition among the states for foreign commerce allowed the European powers to play the states against one another.

b. Many of the pre- and post-revolutionary radicals, small farmers, artisans, and shopkeepers wanted a strong national government to protect their economic interests.

In the Revolutionary struggles, which of the following groups was allied with the New England merchants? a. artisans b. Southern planters c. Western speculators d. laborers

b. Southern planters

According to your textbook, which of the following statements best articulates the motives of the framers at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia? a. The framers were a collection of securities speculators and property owners whose main aim was self-interest and personal gain. b. The framers' interests were reinforced by their principles. c. The framers were primarily interested in philosophical and ethical principles. d. The framers were most concerned about the expansion of democracy to all new Americans.

b. The framers' interests were reinforced by their principles.

The First Continental Congress met in 1774. Which of the following actions did the delegates at the Congress take? a. They declared independence from Great Britain. b. They called for a total boycott of British goods. c. They elected George Washington as general of the Continental Army. d. They wrote the pamphlet Common Sense, which argued for independence from British rule.

b. They called for a total boycott of British goods.

Antifederalists wanted a. to remain a British colony. b. a more decentralized government. c. more power in the hands of the national government. d. the right to spit in their opponents' faces.

b. a more decentralized government.

An amendment to the U.S. Constitution may be proposed in which of the following ways? a. a majority vote in both houses of Congress and the president's signature b. a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress c. a majority vote in both houses of Congress and a ruling by the Supreme Court that the measure is constitutional d. a constitutional convention called by one-half of the state legislatures

b. a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress

The Virginia Plan was favored by a. small states, since it emphasized the importance of population. b. large states, since it emphasized the importance of population. c. small states, since it treated all states equally. d. slave states, since it allowed slaves to be counted toward the population of the states.

b. large states, since it emphasized the importance of population.

How did the British attempt to raise revenue in the North American colonies? a. income tax b. taxes on commerce c. expropriation and government sale of land d. government asset sales

b. taxes on commerce

Which of the following statements is true about the constitutional ratification process? a. Ratification of the Constitution was a speedy and uncontroversial process. b. The Constitution was ratified in state legislatures. c. The struggle for ratification was carried out in 13 separate campaigns. d. The so-called Federalists opposed ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

c. The struggle for ratification was carried out in 13 separate campaigns.

Which of the following statements is true about the Three-Fifths Compromise? a. It settled the question of how many senators each state would get. b. It created a system to elect the president of the United States. c. Under this compromise, five slaves would count as three free persons in apportioning seats in the House of Representatives. d. Only three-fifths of all slaves would be allowed to vote in national elections.

c. Under this compromise, five slaves would count as three free persons in apportioning seats in the House of Representatives.

By dumping the East India Company's tea into Boston Harbor in the famous Boston Tea Party event, Samuel Adams and his followers succeeded in a. forcing Britain to rescind the Tea Act, but only the Tea Act. b. forcing Britain to rescind the Tea Act., the Stamp Act, and the Sugar Act. c. goading the British into taking actions that would alienate its remaining colonial supporters and pave the way for a rebellion. d. unifying the shopkeepers, laborers, and small farmers in the Boston area for the first time.

c. goading the British into taking actions that would alienate its remaining colonial supporters and pave the way for a rebellion.

Which of the following concepts best explains the underlying reason for the Bill of Rights? a. checks and balances b. separation of powers c. limited government d. rule by government

c. limited government

Most of the constitutional amendments ratified since the Bill of Rights in 1791 have been directly or indirectly concerned with a. due process of law. b. equal protection of the law. c. structure or composition of government. d. civil liberties.

c. structure or composition of government.

Which of the following was NOT a reason that the Articles of Confederation seemed too weak? a. the lack of a single voice in international affairs b. the power of radical forces in the Congress c. the impending "tyranny of the states" d. the power of radical forces in several states

c. the impending "tyranny of the states"

Which governing body was in charge of executing and enforcing laws under the Articles of Confederation? a. the presidency b. Congress c. the states d. the expanding federal bureaucracy

c. the states

The power of judicial review a. allows the Senate to confirm presidential judicial appointments. b. is defined in Article III of the U.S. Constitution. c. was assumed by the Supreme Court. d. was declared unconstitutional by Chief Justice John Marshall in Marbury v. Madison.

c. was assumed by the Supreme Court.