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Which of the following was true about legislative power under most revolutionary state constitutions? A). Legislatures appointed governors, and this gave legislatures a high degree of power over governors. B). There was no legislative branch under most revolutionary state constitutions. C). The legislative branch was dominated by the executive and judicial branches. D). Legislators were appointed by governors, and this gave governors a high degree of power over legislatures.

A

Which of the following statements is / are true about the process by which the Original Constitution was "ordained and established"? A). Those who supported the Original Constitution argued that the people are the highest authority in the land—i.e., that the people are supreme even over constitutions—and that this was what made the process of establishing the Original Constitution legitimate. B). The Original Constitution was established by "the people" through special popularly-elected ratifying conventions in the states. C). The Original Constitution was established through the procedure required by the Articles of Confederation. D). The Original Constitution was considered established once it was ratified by nine state legislatures.

A,B

Of the design features listed below, which were a design feature of the Original Constitution and NOT a design feature of the Articles of Confederation? A). Democratic control by the people over the central government. B). All officials in the central government tightly controlled by the state governments. C). Heavy emphasis on maximizing the authority and power of the state governments. D). A central government with power over the people (not just over the state governments.) E). Three distinct and separate (legislative, executive, and judicial) branches of government. F). An upper legislative chamber based on the principle of equal state representation and lower legislative chamber based on the principle of proportional representation.

A,D,E,F

Which of the following were design features of the Articles of Confederation? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY) A). Supermajority voting in Congress. B). Direct democratic control by the people. C). Separation of powers. D). Confederal structure E). Lack of clear supremacy of treaties and other national laws.

A,DE,E

Which of the following claims is / are made in this section of the chapter? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY) A). The constitution for the United States (i.e., for the entire union) was ratified before Americans started creating new constitutions at the state level. B). The constitution for the United States (i.e., for the entire union) between 1781 and 1788 was called the "Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union." C). The primary reason Americans created a new constitution for the union in 1787-1788 was that the first constitution created a government that was too weak.

B and C

Why, according to this section, should the Antifederalists be thought of as "co-founders of the Constitution along with the Federalists"?

Because they insisted, in exchange for their votes in favor of ratifying the Constitution, that a bill of rights be added to the Constitution immediately after ratification. Since this led to the adoption of the Bill of Rights in 1791, they deserve credit for that highly important part of the Constitution.

Which of the following claims is NOT made in this section of the chapter A). The First Continental Congress was the first time the Americans from different colonies came together to engage in self-governance on a "continental" scale. B). The British started attempting to tax the American colonists to pay off the large war debt the British accumulated during the French and Indian War. C). Americans considered the Intolerable Acts to be intolerable because they were the most severe tax the Americans had ever faced. D). American colonists resorted to unconventional political methods because the British refused to provide Americans with conventional political channels (e.g., representation in Parliament) through which to defend their rights and interests.

C

Which of the following claims was NOT made in this section? A). The Eleventh Amendment was a part of the "Founders' Constitution." B). The Critical Period provoked a movement to reform the Articles of Confederation, which led to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, which, in turn, drafted the Original Constitution that was ratified in 1788. C). The Bill of Rights was a part of the "Original Constitution."

C

Which of the following were claims made about confederacies in this section of the chapter? A). In confederacies, the people always exert tight democratic control over the central government. B). In confederacies, the central government has most of the power and authority. C). In confederacies, it is difficult (if not impossible) for the central government to prevent states from free-riding on the provision of public goods. D). The central government in a confederacy is best described as a "government over governments" instead of a "government over individuals" (or a "government over people").

C and d

Which of the following were design features of nearly all of the revolutionary-era state constitutions? A). By our 21st century standards, a highly inclusive understanding of who counted as "the people". B). Legislative dominance in theory and separation of powers in reality. C). Democratically-controlled bicameral legislatures. D). Declarations of individual rights.

C and d

Which of the following were among the contentious conflicts that led to the most important compromises at the Constitutional Convention? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY) A). Conflicts between states favoring monarchy and states favoring democracy. B). Conflicts between Protestant states and Catholic states. C). Conflicts between states with small population sizes and states with large population sizes. D). Conflicts between Northern states and Southern slave states. E). Conflicts between states with unicameral legislatures and states with bicameral legislatures.

C,D

Fill-in the blanks by clicking on them and choosing from the drop-down menus. Prior to the American Revolution, American colonists enjoyed fundamental legal rights and privileges under the , which was a

Constituition of the british empire Which was a set of fundamental laws laid out in many sources, including manga carta and the petition of rights

Which of these timelines is correct?

Critical Period -> Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia -> Ratification of the Original Constitution -> Ratification of the Bill of rights

Which of the following claims is/are made in this section about the democratic (or aristocratic) character of the Original Constitution?

The Senate was designed in part to promote the "aristocratic virtues" of knowledge, wisdom, experience, and patience. The House of Representatives was the institution of the national government that was designed to be the most closely accountable to (i.e., most tightly controlled by) the people.

Which of the following statements is true about the accommodations made to slave states in the Original Constitution?

The Three Fifths Clause protected slave states by giving them more representatives in the House of Representatives than they would get if slaves were not counted at all for purposes of apportioning seats in the House.

Which of the following claims is NOT made in this section about the system of separation of powers and checks and balances built into the Original Constitution? A). An important purpose of the system of checks and balances was to make sure that each branch obeyed the fundamental law of the Constitution. B). Congress' role in impeachments is designed to both protect Congress from the other branches and, more broadly, to uphold rule of law. C). The Constitution grants the President the veto power in part so that presidents can protect themselves from legislative attacks by Congress. D). The Constitution seeks to make the separation of powers work in practice in part by having the President selected through the Electoral College (instead of Congressional appointment) and by giving federal judges tenure "during good behavior." E). Based on their experience with the revolutionary state constitutions, the Founders believed that the judiciary is naturally the most powerful branch of government in a democracy and, thus, that the other branches need extra checks to protect themselves from that branch.

D

The Three Fifths Clause was supposed to help form a "more perfect union" by assuring Southern slave states that an anti-slavery Northern majority would not control the House of Representatives or the Presidency. Which of the following statements accurately describes the failure of the Three Fifths Clause to do this (which ultimately led Southern slave states to secede from the union)?

Even though the Three Fifths Clause never enabled Southern slave states to control a majority of seats in the House of Representative, before the 1840s Southern slave states held on to half of the seats in the Senate, but this started to change in the 1840s as new states started to more often be admitted as non-slave-states. By 1861, slave states held only 45% of the seats in the Senate (in addition to only 38% of seats in the House). The Electoral College system, combined with the Three Fifths Clause, initially worked as intended: i.e., to prevent an openly anti-slavery candidate from being elected president. Southern slave states seceded when Abraham Lincoln was elected President partly because he was the first to be elected who did not win electoral votes in any slave state and the first to successfully campaign on an openly anti-slavery platform.

Although the Original Constitution had only a short list of civil liberties, the list included all the civil liberties everyone deemed to be most important, including protecting the freedom of religion and freedom of speech.

False

The Supremacy Clause was designed to take all power away from the state governments.

False

True or false: Americans opposed the Stamp Act and other taxes levied by Parliament by famously arguing "all taxation is theft."

False

True or false: Thomas Paine's Common Sense (published in 1776) had no influence on public opinion about independence and monarchy

False

Which of the following were design features of the Original Constitution? Federalism Direct Democracy No Civil Liberties Bicameralism Separation of Powers / Checks and Balances Unitary National Government

Federalism Biracialism Separation of powers/ checks and Balances

Why, according to this section of the chapter, does the Creed help us to understand the American way of government and/or politics?

It reflects the philosophy of government upon which America's state and federal constitutions are based and justified

Which of the following claims is / are made in this section of the textbook about slavery and the Civil War?

Most of the soldiers who died in the Civil War probably did NOT view the war as about slavery or the principle of white supremacy. When the Southern slave states seceded, their leaders made it clear that the reason was that Abraham Lincoln's Republican Party was opposed to slavery and endorsed the idea that literally "all men" (regardless of race) are "created equal."

Which of the following alternatives to the Three-Fifths Clause would have given less power to slave states?

Not counting slaves as persons at all (Zero-Fifths).

Which of the following statements is / are true about the Civil Rights Era Amendments?

One of the Civil Rights Era Amendments outlawed poll taxes. One of the Civil Rights Era Amendments guaranteed Electoral College votes to Washington D.C.

Which of the following is / are true about the Cold War Amendments?

One of the Cold War Amendments extended voting rights to 18-year-olds. One of the Cold War Amendments provided clear constitutional procedures for determining when a President is no longer fit to serve.

Which of the following statements is / are true about the FDR Amendments?

One of the FDR Amendments mandated that Congress convene in January instead of December of the year after the most recent congressional election. One of the FDR Amendments repealed the 18th Amendment and thereby ended Prohibition.

Which of the following statements is / are true about the Progressive Era Amendments?

One of the Progressive Era Amendments ended the practice of having state legislatures appoint U.S. Senators. One of the Progressive Era Amendments guaranteed women the right to vote everywhere in the United States.

Besides fears of disunion due to the weakness of the central government under the Articles of Confederation, what else happened during the Critical Period that led Americans to believe the Articles of Confederation were in need of reform? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)

State governments were printing money in order to pay down their debts, and this created inflation. The central government under the Articles of Confederation was unable to build a navy that could be used to protect American ships attempting to trade with other countries; and this contributed to poor economic conditions. The central government seemed incapable of intervening to restore peace in states where armed uprisings (like Shay's Rebellion) were taking place..

Which of the following claims is / are made in this section about the Founders' first effort at constitution-making during the Revolutionary era?

The Founders sought guidance from Enlightenment-era contributors to the "science of politics," especially Montesquieu.

Which of the following statements about the Great Compromise is / are true?

The Great Compromise broke the stalemate created by the disagreement between large states and small states over whether representation in Congress should be based on the principle of equal state representation or over the principle of proportional representation. The Great Compromise made the Senate based on the New Jersey Plan's principle of representation and made the House of Representatives based on the Virginia Plan's principle of representation.

Which of the following are constitutional rights or privileges Americans believed they were entitled to when they were British colonists?

The right to not be taxed without being allowed to vote for representatives who serve in a legislature that has sole authority to raise taxes The right to the freedom of the press

True or false: After the French and Indian War, Parliament imposed taxes on the colonies to pay for the heavy debt Britain incurred paying for that war

True

True or false: Due to being denied representation in Parliament, Americans--most notably the secret society called the Sons of Liberty--resorted to unconventional political action, such as boycotts and street demonstrations.

True

Which of the following was the most similar to the U.S. Constitution produced at the Constitutional Convention?

Virginia Plan

Article IV ...

declares that the federal government has a responsibility to guarantee each state a "Republican Form of Government" and also a responsibility to protect states from "Invasion" and "domestic Violence." stipulates that each state must respect and honor the state laws and court orders of other states. establishes Congress' authority to regulate U.S. territories and to admit new states into the union.

Article II ...

enumerates the powers and responsibilities of the President. establishes that the executive power is vested in a single individual who serves four-year terms and is selected by the vote of Electors through the system we call "The Electoral College."

Article VII ...

established the methods and requirements for the Original Constitution to be ratified.

Article III

establishes that Congress is responsible for the design of the lower federal court system and determining the number of Supreme Court justices. guarantees individuals the right to trial by jury in federal criminal cases and lays out the basics of federal court jurisdiction. focuses on the judiciary.

The Preamble

expresses the general aspirations of the Constitution.

Gregory Watson's Amendment ...

is the 27th (and most recent) amendment to the U.S. Constitution. says that when Congress votes to raise the pay of Congress members, the pay increase cannot take effect until after the next congressional election.

Article 1

is the longest part of the Constitution and its primary topic is the legislative branch of the federal government. contains Congress' "enumerated powers" and the Necessary and Proper Clause. establishes bicameralism. lists some limits on the powers of the federal government and of the state governments.

Article VI ...

mandates that all legislators, judges, and executive officers of both the federal and state governments must take an oath (or affirm) to support the U.S. Constitution. establishes that federal law is supreme over state law. prohibits the use of "religious tests" for determining who is eligible to serve in office.

During the Critical Period, many Americans were worried that the union would dissolve and the states would create their own separate confederacies. They thought this would be a disaster because they thought staying together as one union was necessary for their ...

security. liberty. peace. prosperity.

Article V ...

singles-out two parts of the Constitution that may not be amended. describes the four different pathways by which the Constitution may be amended.

The Reconstruction Era ...

was a brief period (~1865-1877) in the wake of the Civil War in which the federal government, led by "Radical Republicans" in Congress, worked to abolish slavery and secure the rights of former slaves and their descendants. left, as a lasting constitutional legacy, the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments.

Why, according to this section of the chapter, does the Creed help us to understand the American way of government and/or politics?

Since the basic principles of the Creed are shared by the mainstream of American politics, the Creed helps us to see what unites the otherwise divided mainstream.

A). Which of the following claims is false? American colonists believed they had a constitutional right to not be subjected to ex post facto laws. B). For most of colonial history, English colonists in North America lived under the "Constitution of the British Empire," which was a single, written document that listed all of the fundamental laws governing the relationship between the colonists and government of Great Britain. C). American colonists believed they had a constitutional right to the freedom of the press. D). American colonists believed they had a fundamental constitutional right to not be subjected to any tax unless they get to vote for representatives who serve in a legislature that levies the tax.

B

Which of the following is NOT a part of America's Creed? A). If government is destructive of rights, the people have a right to rebel against the government and seek to create a new one that is more likely to secure rights. B). Justice requires that everyone contribute to society according to ability and that each receive according to need. C). For government authority to be legitimate, it must be based on the consent of the governed. D). A purpose of government is to secure natural rights. E). All men are created equal.

B

Which of the following is NOT a way that the Constitution expresses or reflects the principle of popular sovereignty? A). The Article II claim that "In the United States of America, the people, and only the people, are the supreme sovereign power in the land." B). The Preamble's expression that it is "We the People" who "ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." C). The procedure established in Article VII for ratifying the Original Constitution through popular ratifying conventions (rather than by state legislatures). D). The procedures provided in Article V by which the people can participate in amending the Constitution.

The Article II claim that "In the United States of America, the people, and only the people, are the supreme sovereign power in the land."