Chapter 2

Why was the Declaration of Independence a remarkable philosophical statement for its time?

It asserted that there were "unalienable rights" that could not be abridged by governments.

The 1787 convention to draft a new constitution was held in ________.

Philadelphia

What did the New Jersey Plan propose for Congress?

Representation would be equal for each state.

The Three-fifths Compromise

determined that three out of every five slaves would be counted for purposes of representation and taxation.

As a constitution, the Articles of Confederation were concerned primarily with

limiting the powers of the central government.

The Stamp Act was a

tax on commerce.

The Boston Tea Party resulted in all of the following EXCEPT

the Boston Massacre.

What led British officials to raise taxes on the American colonists during the 1760s?

the amount spent on fighting the French and Indian Wars

Only one-third of the Senate is up for re-election during any single election year because the framers believed that

this was the only way to protect the Senate against radical changes.

Which of the following statements best describes the framers' view of liberty?

Government is needed to create liberty by maintaining order.

________ defended the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre.

John Adams

Each of the following was an Antifederalist EXCEPT ________.

John Jay

Who orchestrated the Boston Tea Party?

Samuel Adams

Which of the following was a way the framers tried to make the Senate a check against excessive democracy?

Senators were originally appointed by state legislatures

Why did the delegates at the Philadelphia Convention turn down the idea of including a list of citizens' rights in the Constitution?

They believed that since the federal government was already limited to its expressed powers, further protection of citizens was not needed.

At the Philadelphia Convention, the proposed plan to create a Congress where representation was distributed according to population was called the ________.

Virginia Plan

Succesful amendments to the constitution

are most commonly concerned with the structure or composition of the government.

All of the following are constitutional powers of the president EXCEPT the power to ________.

regulate commerce between the states

Which of the following powers is NOT explicitly given to Congress by the Constitution?

to abolish state boundaries

Which of the following was NOT discussed as a purpose of government in the Constitution's Preamble?

to guarantee an equal distribution of wealth for all citizens

A ________ vote by both houses of Congress and a ratification vote of ________ of the states are required to amend the U.S. Constitution.

two-thirds; three-fourths