chapter 2

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the enumerated powers and concurrent powers?

Enumerated Power: create a judicial system; concurrent power: regulate interstate commerce

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

To enforce the laws written by Congress

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?

writ of habeas corpus

which type of state would have been in favor of the proposed virginia plan?

A state with a relatively large population

Why was the federal government under the Articles of Confederation made to be intentionally weak?

Americans had just experienced tyranny under the rule of Great Britain and did not want to duplicate it with another powerful government.

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

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution?

Declaration of Independence: reflects basic American political culture; The Constitution: creates the framework for national government

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?

Executive Branch

The ability of an American citizen to enact change by getting either Congress or their state legislature to pass legislation is an example of

Federalism

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

Federalists

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

It lacked a bill of rights to protect the rights of individuals.

What would James Madison argue is the best check on the power of the current political parties in the United States?

Its large size and diversity of the us

which of the following pairs correctly illustrates the most often used path for the proposal and ratification of an amendment to the constitution?

Most often used proposal method: A two-thirds vote by both chambers of Congress propose an amendment Most often used ratification method: Three-fourths of state legislatures vote to ratify the proposed amendment

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

That a bill of rights would be added

What was the most significant contradiction within the Constitution?

That slavery was still permitted in a document based on human liberty.

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

That the key to mitigating the dangers of factions is a republican government.

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

The events that happened during Shays's Rebellion demonstrated how broken the system under the Articles of Confederation was.

Given that Switzerland is governed by a direct democracy, which is a critique a Federalist would have of the Swiss government?

The government is susceptible to the dangers of factions.

why did smaller, less-populous states prefer the new jersey plan?

The plan proposed a unicameral legislature with equal representation.

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?

The senator may vote against the president's chosen nominee during the confirmation hearing.

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

They had to prove that the proposed government was more dangerous than the existing one.

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

To count an enslaved person as three-fifths of a person for the purposes of calculating a state's representation.

What was the stated purpose of the constitutional convention of 1787?

To fix the Articles of Confederation and create a stronger national government

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

Two-thirds in both the House and the Senate

According to the graphic, which of the following is correct about how to propose an amendment to the Constitution?

a two-thirds vote by both chambers of Congress is necessary to propose an amendment.

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?

checks and balances

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

exercising judicial review

The current U.S. Senate is similar to the unicameral legislature under the Articles of Confederation in that both

favor less populous states over more populous ones.

Which of the following is a correct comparison of the powers of the legislative and executive branches in the context of the system of checks and balances?

legislative check: override a veto; executive check: veto a legislative act

which portion of the constitution creates the potential for the legislative branch to grow too powerful?

necessary and proper clause

Those who participated in Shays rebellion are most likely to be

poor farmers

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

poor farmers

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

representation

which was a characteristic of the proposed virginia plan?

representation based on each state's population

a political scientist who was dissatisfied with the articles of confederation might attend the annapolis convention with the hope that

significant changes would be made to the government.

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

state legislatures

Who held the most power under the Articles of Confederation?

states