Civics Exam-- Lessons 8-14

What issues did the delegates have to decide regarding the organization of the executive branch of government?

(1) should there be more than one chief executive? (2) how long should the chief executive remain in office? (3) should the executive be eligible for reelection?

The Northwest Ordinance is considered the most significant measure passed by the Confederation Congress. Why were the policies that it established important?

* stated that slavery would be forever prohibited from the lands of the Northwest Territory. *required new states to provide for education by setting aside land that might be sold to fund schools *Ensured that the original colonies would not dominate or try to dominate the new states

What was Shay's Rebellion?

*A militia uprising in Massachusetts during 1786-1787 *Group of farmers that gathered under Daniel Shay *Tried to take Springfield Armory but failed and were out down by the state militia *His group, the regulators, sought to regulate the power of the state government *Farmers were against state and local enforcement of tax collection and judgements for debt. *They gathered to prevent the selling their properties *This event convinced the US that they needed a stronger central government *Although it never seriously threatened the stability of the US, the rebellion greatly alarmed politicians throughout the nation

What were the negative consequences of a limited national government?

*Gave little to no power to federal or central government *There was an inability to make state governments and their citizens obey treaties *High crime and corruption within state legislature *The government couldn't pay their debts because they couldn't impose taxes on states Weakened relations with other countries

Many people today continue to distrust the government. In your opinion, is such distrust justified? Explain your response. (Unjustified)

*Harassment of police officers by citizens without valid reasons *Overall, the government has done a good job at protecting our rights

What is Shay's rebellion historical importance?

*It led the Constitutional Convention *Made people rethink the way the government is run *Brought attention to the issues at hand

What were positive consequences of a limited national government?

*Less chance of dictatorship *Fave the US global recognition as an independent nation *Easier for the government to protect the citizen' nature rights *Decided how a territory became a state

Why did Shay's rebellion occur?

*Many former soldiers in the Revolutionary War could not pay for debts because Congress never paid them their wages so they lost their homes and farms *No national army

How did the Articles of Confederation deal with fears that some would dominate others in the national government?

*Representation and voting in Congress: Solution: Article V, which gave each state one vote regardless of its population *Territorial claims in the West Solution: In September 1780, Congress requested the "landed" states to grant part of their western lands to the United States

Many people today continue to distrust the government. In your opinion, is such distrust justified? Explain your response. (Justified)

*Since it's large government, it is hard to keep track of things (NSA) *The government has a long track record of doing shady stuff behind the scenes *Corruption has been on the rise in Washington D.C. *The Watergate Scandal **LSD from the 70s Benghazi incident *Government is physically superior citizens and feared being abused. (Kent State Shooting)

Compare the government under the Articles of Confederation with a contemporary confederation of nation, such as the United Nations, the European Union, the Organization of American States, or the Organization of African States. In what ways are they similar?

*The Articles of Confederation and the European Union are similar in that they are a loose confederation of states with a common goal. *Both lack sovereignty

What were some of the achievements of the national government under the Articles of Confederation?

*The Revolutionary War was conducted under this government. *It secured recognition of American independence by European governments. * the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 defined the Northwest Territory which laid out the process of how a territory could move to statehood. *Created executive departments to administer finance foreign relations, and military affairs

What were some of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

*The federal government, under the Articles, was too weak to enforce their laws and therefore had no power. *The Continental Congress had borrowed money to fight the Revolutionary War and could not repay their debts. *Congress didn't have the power to tax *Congress lacked strong and steady leadership *The Articles only created a legislative branch *The Articles gave the power to pass laws but no power to enforce them *Other nations did not want to trade with US Congress because they had no power regulating trade among the states *If a state did not support a federal law, they could just ignore it

What arguments can you give for the use of the Electoral College to select the president?

-Although it has issues, it is structured and for the most part worked so far -Contributes to the political stability of the nation by encouraging a two party system and maintains a federal system of government and representation

What philosophical ideas guided the Anti-Federalists' opposition to a stronger national government?

-Anti-Federalists believed in another idea that dated back to classical republicanism, that representative government could work only in a small community of citizens with similar interests and beliefs. -Anti-Federalists that a large, diverse state or nation cannot sustain a republic -in a large geographical territory many citizens live far away from the seat of government, making it difficult for them to watch over the activities of their representatives. -A stronger national government would not listen to the citizens due to the government operating at a distance -To maintain its authority, such a government will resort to force rather than popular consent. -The national will require a standing army, and it will tax the people in order to sustain that army, which, would make truly republican governments lose their power. -The distant national government's taxation of citizens also will leave little money for local governments. -tyranny

How did the delegates make sure the executive branch would have enough power to fulfill its responsibilities but not so much power that it could dominate the other branches of government?

-By using a system of checks and balances -The president could only serve 4 years in office -Congress could also impeach the president

What arguments did Federalists make to support the ratification of the Constitution?

-Civic virtue can no longer be relied on as the sole support of a government that can protect people's rights and promote their welfare. -The way the Constitution organizes the government, including the separation of powers and checks and balances, is the best way to promote the goals of republicanism. -The representation of different interests in the government will protect basic rights.

Why did the delegates decide to create the Electoral College?

-Delegates decided to create it so that citizens could vote without voting directly due to thinking that citizens of such a large country would not know the best candidates and the populous states were unlikely to agree on the same candidates -worried that indirect election would lead to corruption

What process did the Philadelphia Convention devise for ratifying the Constitution, and why?

-Due to not all states agreeing to draft the Constitution and Rhode Island not sending a delegate, James Madison devised a plan that stated "The ratification of the conventions of nine states, shall be sufficient for the establishment of this Constitution between the states." - The Constitution would be presented to special ratifying conventions in each state, rather than to the existing state legislatures -Delegates to the conventions would be elected by popular vote for the sole purpose of debating and approving the Constitution.

What arguments can you give against the use of the Electoral College to select the president?

-Each elector would vote for two people, at least one of whom had to be a resident of a state other than the elector's state. This forced the elector to vote for at least one person who might not represent his particular state's interests. -Candidates who win the popular vote have the chance of not becoming president due to losing the electoral college -The electoral college system further distorts the one vote principle of democracy because electoral votes are not distributed according to population

How did the Three-Fifths Compromise and the census help delegates resolve issues of representation?

-For purposes of apportioning representatives, a state's population would be equal to its entire population of free persons (including indentured servants) plus three-fifths of "all other persons," meaning slaves -The south got more representation, but not more than they deserved -It resolved the population problem with the states that had a mass amount of slaves

What were the major arguments against proportional representation of states in the national government?

-From Madison's perspective, states should not be represented as states in the national government. -Many of these delegates believed that the United States was a confederation that derived from and represented the states, not the people as a whole. -Unless everyone was equal, the larger states would dominate due to more voted

What prominent political leaders attended?

-George Washington (1732-1799) of Virginia -James Madison -Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania -Alexander Hamilton of New York, -James Wilson of Pennsylvania -Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania -Edmund Randolph, Virginia's governor -Connecticut's Roger Sherman

What are the disadvantages of conducting some governmental matters in secrete?

-If a secrete slips out of one of the delegates, citizens may become interested and demand to know what is going on which could lead to many detrimental events -It may not be what the people want or for what's best for them

What constitutional provisions might threaten that independence?

-It can't execute the laws or principles that it outs in place -Membership is the permit by the other two branches(the executive branch appoints the judicial member when the legislators approve

Why is the supremacy clause important?

-It's important because it shows people what they must follow and cannot go against -It's important because Congress is given the power to create and appeal laws that may not be beneficial to the common good, but seems necessary in their opinion

The Framers designed the national judiciary with the goal of making it independent of partisan politics. What constitutional provisions contribute to judicial independence?

-Only courts that Congress can abolish -They can decide conflict regarding the national government -Justices are there for life

Why didn't Patrick Henry attend the Philadelphia Convention?

-Patrick Henry (1736-1799), the Revolutionary leader, refused to attend the convention, supposedly saying "I smell a rat." - He opposed the development of a strong national government and was suspicious of what might happen at the convention.

Why did Rhode Island refuse to participate in the Philadelphia Convention?

-Rhode Island's legislature did not want a stronger national government. -Rhode Island believed that it could exercise veto power over whatever was proposed by simply refusing to participate. -Didn't want federal government to control trade

Virginia Plan

-Said that a state with a larger number of people would have more votes in both houses of Congress. -Bicameral -Focused around the Executive branch and wanted a strong central government -Larger states preferred this plan

Are there any groups whose interests do not need to be represented? Explain your reasoning.

-Terrorist -Mentally ill people / mentally unstable -Hate group -KKK

Why did they choose to take the approach on slavery they did?

-The Constitution provided that the national government would not interfere with the importation of slaves to the United States earlier than 1808 -the "fugitive slave clause," which stated "No person held to service or labor in one state, under the laws thereof." showed that the delegates did not intend to make slavery legal on a national level or in abstract terms. Instead, this clause reinforced the fact that slavery was a state institution, but it gave slaveholders the right to claim escaped slaves. -If they interfered with slavery, some slave states would secede and make their own confederation

(1) should there be more than one chief executive?

-The Framers agreed that there would be one president of the United States. -They also assumed that there would be an executive branch composed of departments.

What were the key elements of the Great Compromise?

-The House of Representatives should be elected by the people on the basis of proportional representation -There should be equal representation of each state in the Senate. -Each state legislature should select two senators -The House of Representatives should have the power to develop all bills for taxation and government spending -The Senate should be limited to accepting or rejecting bills.

In what ways do the limitations on the national and state governments promote the common good?

-The limitations promote the common good because they ensure that citizens will be protected from wrongful actions of the government -It prevents power abuse of state and federal officials

What arguments did the Anti-Federalists make with regard to the need for a bill of rights?

-The organization of the national government does not adequately protect rights. -Only the House of Representatives is chosen directly by the people. -The national government is too far removed from average citizens to understand or reflect their concerns. -The national government's power could be used to violate citizens' rights. -The national government's powers are so general and vague as to be almost unlimited. -The necessary, proper, and general welfare clauses seem particularly dangerous. -There is nothing in the Constitution to keep the national government from violating all the rights that it does not specifically protect. -There is no mention of freedom of religion, speech, press, or assembly. Therefore, the Anti-Federalists reasoned, the national government is free to violate them. -State constitutions contain bills of rights. -If people need protection from their relatively weak state governments, then they certainly need protection from a vastly more powerful national government. -A bill of rights is necessary to remind the people of the principles of our political system.

What strategies did Federalists employ to win the struggle for ratification of the Constitution?

-They encouraged their associates in the states to organize as quickly as possible because they believed that if the state conventions acted quickly, then the Anti-Federalists would have little time to oppose ratification. -The essays in The Federalist rebutted Anti-Federalist arguments and to convince people to support ratification. -They did not stress the conflicts and compromises that had taken place during its development. Instead, they argued that the Constitution reflected a "new science of politics" that made the Anti-Federalist critique obsolete.

In what ways do the limitations on the national and state governments protect individual rights?

-They protect individual rights against abuse that the delegates remembered from British history, in their colonial state state governments and also in their national government under the Articles of Confederation -The national government may not suspend the Writ of Habeas Corpus unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it -The national government cannot change the meaning of treason

In what ways were the Framers not representatives of the American people in 1787?

-They were secretive during discussions -They were not supported by Rhode Island

Why did they eventually give in to the demand of adding a bill of rights?

-To allow for the Anti-Federalists states Virginia and New York to both ratify the Constitution -Each independent branch represents a different aspect of the people and all three branches are equal to where no group can take control over another

How did the Virginia Plan propose to change the structure and powers of the national government under the Articles of Confederation?

-Under the Virginia Plan the national government would have the power to make and enforce laws and to collect taxes, both actions that would directly affect individuals. -The national government would have three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. -The national legislature, Congress, would have two houses. -The number of representatives from each state in both the House and the Senate would be based on the size of its population or on the amount of its contribution to the federal treasury. -Congress would have power to make all laws that individual states were not able to make, such as laws regulating trade between two or more states. -Congress would have power to strike down state laws that it considered to be in violation of the national constitution or the national interest. -Congress would have power to call forth the armed forces of the nation against a state, if necessary, to enforce the laws passed by Congress.

. What are the advantages of conducting some governmental matters in secrete?

-citizens would not interfere so they couldn't cause conflict -Secrete from enemy nations or other countries

What proceedings, if any, do you believe should be conducted in secret?

-debating a death of a criminal -debating wars -Such as military attacks on enemies -Surveillance in foreign countries

In what ways were the Framers representatives of the American people in 1787?

-every individual came from one of the 13 colonies -they were not the very rich, nor the very poor. -They were relatively middle class to admirably affluent farmers and thinkers with a strong sense of patriotism. -They were prominent and/or had important roles in the Revolution

What would be the advantages of selecting people to represent the interests of their states?

-input in each state's consent/opinion on matters -Various issues on topics can be bought about Various ways to solve national and state problems

What would be the disadvantages of selecting people to represent the interests of their states?

-may be a lot of disagreeing due to each state having different cultures and beliefs -Some representatives make decisions based on only their knowledge rather the interests of the state they represent

How would you describe the delegates to the Philadelphia Convention?

-ranged in age from 26 to 81; the average age was 42 -About three-fourths of them had served in Congress. -Most were prominent in their states, and some had played important roles in the Revolution. -Some were wealthy, but most were not. -All came from political backgrounds

What arguments did Federalists make to resist the demand for a bill of rights?

-that the Constitution allowed the national government to exercise only enumerated powers. -Nothing gave the national government authority over individuals. -Adding a bill of rights would imply that the national government had powers that the Constitution did not give it. -Hamilton also claimed that a bill of rights is unnecessary in a nation with popular sovereignty. -Previous bills of rights, such as the English Bill of Rights, protected people from a monarch over whom they had no control. -Under the U.S. Constitution the people can remove elected officials who abuse their power.

In the New Jersey Plan

-the national government represented and acted on the states, rather than representing or acting on the people. -Unicameral -It planned to keep the framework of the Articles of Confederation -Every state received one vote -The failure of this plan ended the idea of keeping a unicameral national legislature -Smaller states preferred this plan

What criteria would you use to select a group of people to draft a constitution today?

-they would have to know every individual's inalienable rights -each would have to come from one state -Make sure that they're american lives -Good listeners

How does the Constitution balance state powers with powers granted to the national government? ***How does it limit each set of powers?

It listed what each government could and couldn't do

Why didn't John Adams attend the Philadelphia Convention?

John Adams was serving as U.S. ambassador to Great Britain.

Why didn't John Hancock attend the Philadelphia Convention?

John Hancock because he was facing health issues and was later a key part of the ratification of the new Constitution

Has the checking and balancing relationship among the three branches intended by the Framers been maintained? (No)

Many federal government functions are shut down due to the lack of compromise

Why did many of the writers in the debates over the Constitution use pseudonyms?

Most of them employed pseudonyms so that their arguments would be read for their value, rather than on the reputations of the authors.

Why did the Articles of Confederation create only a legislative branch of government?

The Articles only created a legislative branch because American colonists feared a national executive or judicial branch with too much power due to their experience with British rule

(2) how long should the chief executive remain in office?

The Committee on Postponed Matters changed the term to four years, and the convention adopted that proposal.

Why do you think Congress did not enumerate the powers of the executive and judicial branches in the same detail?

The delegates agreed with Locke that the power to make laws is the greatest power a government possesses.

.Compare the government under the Articles of Confederation with a contemporary confederation of nation, such as the United Nations, the European Union, the Organization of American States, or the Organization of African States. In what ways are they different?

They differ in that the European Union shares a currency and has a weak, but present, executive

Why didn't Thomas Jefferson attend the Philadelphia Convention?

Thomas Jefferson was in Paris as U.S. minister to France.

In what ways can secrete proceedings protect or threaten individual rights and common good?

Threaten: Since keeping citizens in the dark is in infringement of their rights

(3) should the executive be eligible for reelection?

Under the Committee on Detail's proposal for a seven-year term of office, the president would not have been eligible for reelection. When the term was reduced to four years (Article II, Section 1), the Framers decided to allow the president to serve more than one term

How does the Constitution balance state powers with powers granted to the national government?

While the national government's powers and limitations are enumerated, state powers are not as specifically listed since it is not known when national power ends and state powers begin

Would you select people to represent other interests?

Yes because more topics or viewpoints can be brought up

What were the major arguments for proportional representation of states in the national government?

a government that both acted on and represented the people should give equal voting power to equal numbers of people.

What is the supremacy clause?

says that the Constitution and all laws and treaties approved by Congress is a supreme law of the land

How, if at all, has equal representation in the Senate affected the principle of majority rule?

the senate does not represent the majority of American citizens, but the majority of states instead

In what ways can secrete proceedings protect individual rights and common good?

Common good: By keeping things under control

Has the checking and balancing relationship among the three branches intended by the Framers been maintained? (Yes)

Each of the branches still have restrictions and powers that can cancel each other out

What is the Electoral College?

Electoral College consists of the popularly elected representatives (electors) who formally elect the President and Vice President of the United States

What is The Federalist?

Essays written by Federalists that were used in the Virginia ratification debates and are an important source of information about the conflict over the Constitution

Why didn't Samuel Adams attend the Philadelphia Convention?

Samuel Adams the was opposed to expanding the power of the federal government

In what ways did the Great Compromise not address the problem of representation?

Slavery

In what ways did the Great Compromise address the problem of representation

The small states received their equal representation in the Senate that their delegates wanted in order to protect their interests.

How did the delegates at the Philadelphia Convention deal with the issue of slavery?

They did not interfere with it for the fear of loosing North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia

Why did the delegates enumerate the powers of Congress?

to prevent the sort of "corruption" that Americans remembered from colonial times, when members of Parliament often received additional appointments from the King.