ch 2

How many Senators were there in the first Congress?

26

Which constitutional amendment extended the right to vote for nearly all citizens over the age of 18?

26

Which state had the smallest population in 1790?

Delaware

Which of the following states benefited the most from the Great Compromise?

Rhode Island

According to President Trump's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, what would be the consequence of the president issuing himself a pardon?

impeachment

Which constitutional amendment extended the right to vote for nearly all citizens over the age of 21?

nineteenth

How many Senate seats did Virginia get under the Great Compromise?

2

The method of securing, enacting, or maintaining the Constitution's principle of separation of powers is known as

Checks and balances- Separation of powers is nothing but mere words on parchment without a method to maintain that separation. The method became known by the popular label "checks and balances."

This clause in the Constitution makes it illegal for the state of Michigan to purposely discriminate against citizens in Michigan from the state of Georgia:

Comity Clause----Article IV includes provisions for comity (reciprocity) among the states and prohibits a state from discriminating against the citizens of other states in favor of its own citizens.

What role did compromise and negotiation play in the Constitutional Convention? Contrast that with modern politics.

Compromise and negotiation were of the upmost importance as these two tools resulted in the most fair outcome as a whole. Today our politicians struggle to compromise and often negotiations fall through because of one or both parties refusing to see a common ground. Individual political opinions are blasted on the news instead of debated in the chamber effectively.

If you lived in America in 1783, what type of government would you have lived under?

Confederation- In November 1777 the Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, which comprised the first written constitution of the United States. Although it was not ratified by all the states until 1781, it was the country's operative constitution until the final months of 1788.

What is the name of the clause that is understood to give Congress the power to pass any law that is necessary to carry out its expressed powers?

Elastic Clause-Because the framers intended to create an active and powerful government, they included the necessary and proper clause, sometimes known as the elastic clause, which gave Congress the power to pass all the laws that were "necessary and proper" for carrying out its expressed powers.

With some exceptions, every citizen in American age 18 or older has the right to vote. Do you think the vote should be expanded further? Contracted? What implication would that have on American politics?

I believe that voting, smoking, gambling, drinking, and any other restrictions or allowances by the government should coincide with the age of enlistment. If soldiers are allowed to make long-term decisions such as going to war on behalf of our country then they should be able to do the other things as well. If we intend to keep smoking, drinking and gambling at 21 we should move voting and enlistment to that age as well.

Do you think the Great Compromise succeeded in balancing the interests of small states and large states? Do you think this balance between small states and large states is still fair?

I do think it succeeded in balancing power and creating another layer of checks and balances. I do believe that the balance of representation is fair.

Which of the following statements about the Declaration of Independence is accurate?

It specifically identified and focused on grievances, aspirations, and principles that might unify the various colonial groups.--- In political terms, the Declaration was remarkable because it identified and focused on grievances, aspirations, and principles that might unify the various, and very diverse, colonial groups.

The inspiration behind the focus of the Declaration of Independence's on "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" was most inspired by which political philosopher?

John Locke- In philosophical terms, the Declaration of Independence was remarkable for its assertion of unalienable rights, including the assertion that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness could not be abridged by governments. This philosophical view was heavily influenced by the works of the philosopher John Locke, one of England's foremost liberal theorists of the seventeenth century.

If you were asked to advise on how to create a "living" constitution, which of the following judicial powers would you be most likely to recommend?

Judicial Review--- Though it was not mentioned in the Constitution, the Supreme Court has taken for itself the power of judicial review, which is the power to render the final decision when there is a conflict of interpretations of the Constitution or federal law among the courts, Congress, the executive branch, or the states. Proponents of the concept of a "living" constitution, or one that can change as the times need it to change, would likely support this right to judicial review.

The representation in the first session of Congress is depicted in this figure. The population data that were used are based on the first federal census (1790) and are only approximate with respect to populations in 1787, the year the federal Constitution was drafted. In the first Congress, __________ had the fewest members in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Rhode Island

Which of the following demonstrated the weakness of the Articles of Confederation, leading to the Constitutional Convention?

Shays's Rebellion-Under the Confederation, Congress had been unable to act decisively to deal with the crisis of Shays's Rebellion. This provided critics of the Articles of Confederation with precisely the evidence they needed to begin the process of constitutional revision.

Which types of states had the least influence in the House of Representatives?

Small States

Both New England merchants and southern planters were harmed economically by which of the following?

Stamp and Sugar Acts- The Stamp Act and the Sugar Act most heavily affected New England merchants and southern planters. United under a slogan that became famous, "No taxation without representation," the merchants and planters sought to organize opposition to these new taxes.

If you were a member of Congress and wanted to change the structure of the U.S. government, what mechanism would you most likely use?

Suggest an amendment to the Constitution that addresses the structure of government.--- Successful amendments to the Constitution have been concerned with the structure or composition of government. This is consistent with the definition of "constitution" as the makeup or composition of something.

Which of the following stipulated that powers not specifically granted by the Constitution to the federal government were reserved to the states or to the people?

Tenth Amendment--- In response to the charge that they intended to give the national government too much power, the framers included language in the Tenth Amendment stipulating that powers not specifically granted by the Constitution to the federal government were reserved to the states or to the people.

Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison wrote which of the following documents that argued in favor of adopting the Constitution?

The federalist papers-The best-known pieces supporting ratification of the Constitution were 85 essays written between fall 1787 and spring 1788 by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the name of "Publius."

Which states would have been happiest with the new Constitution? Which states were likely happier with the old Articles of Confederation?

The smaller states would have been happiest with the new Constitution as it meant they got equal representation while the larger states would have been more happy with the Articles of Confederation because it gave them more control politically.

Which of the following describes the Great (or Connecticut) Compromise?

The states agreed to have one house be apportioned by population and the other be composed of two senators from each state.

What type of tyranny did the Federalists fear the most?

Tyranny of the majority- The Antifederalists feared the tyranny of a central government with too much power, but the Federalists believed that the danger that was particularly associated with republican governments was not aristocracy, but rather majority tyranny.

Which of the following statements is true about the Three-Fifths Compromise?

Under this compromise, five slaves would count as three free persons in apportioning seats in the House of Representatives.- Under the Three-Fifths Compromise, the seats in the House of Representatives would be apportioned according to a "population" in which five slaves would count as three free persons. Slaves would not be able to vote in this system.

According to the 1790 Census, Virginia had nearly twice as many residents as Massachusetts. Yet Virginia only had two more representatives in Congress than Massachusetts. What does this tell us about the impact of the Three-Fifths Compromise?

Virginia had more slaves than Massachusetts

Which of the following groups was eligible to vote in the national elections of 1869?

all men over the age of 21

The Bill of Rights eased concerns about

an overly powerful central government.---A set of limitations on federal power, in the form of the Bill of Rights, was added to the Constitution to help secure its ratification when opponents of the document charged that it created an overly powerful central government and paid insufficient attention to citizens' rights.

Which of the following principles of American government would President Trump most violate, according to his critics, if he were to issue himself a pardon?

checks and balances

What power does the Supreme Court possess that is not expressly given to it by the Constitution?

conducting judicial review-The power of judicial review, which is not mentioned anywhere in the Constitution, gives the Supreme Court the power to render the final decision when there is a conflict of interpretations of the Constitution or federal law among the courts, Congress, the executive branch, or the states.

The process of amending the Constitution is __________, leading to a __________ proportion of proposed amendments succeeding.

difficult; very small---FEEDBACK: The Constitution has proved to be extremely difficult to amend. Of the more than 11,000 amendments that have been formally offered in Congress, only 27 were eventually ratified by the states.

The ability for the president to issue pardons is based on which of the following?

executive branch checks over the judicial branch

During America's Founding, if you believed in a unified, centralized government powerful enough to defend its interests, you were mostly likely a(n)

federalist-The Constitution that was adopted in 1789 created the framework for a powerful national government that has only grown more powerful in defending the nation's interests, promoting its commerce, and maintaining national unity, which was a general triumph for the Federalist vision of the country.

Federal government shutdowns often occur when the House and Senate cannot agree on the national budget. Although many citizens view this as incompetence, the Founders would likely argue that

government shutdowns are a consequence of the necessary function of the theory of separation of powers and checks and balances that the Founders purposely put into the Constitution.--- Americans can become impatient with aspects of the constitutional system such as the separation of powers, which often seems to be a recipe for inaction and gridlock. The framers, however, believed that a good constitution not only created a government with the capacity to act forcefully but also promoted compromise and deliberation, sometimes delaying action until tempers cooled and a variety of viewpoints could be heard.

The core component of the Virginia Plan was that

it provided for a system of representation in the national legislature based on the population of each state, the proportion of each state's revenue contribution to the national government, or both.---The first plan proposed for the foundation of the new Constitution called for representation in the national legislature based on the population of each state. Because the states varied enormously in size and wealth, the Virginia Plan was thought to be heavily biased in favor of the large states.

Which of the following concepts best explains the underlying reason for the Bill of Rights?

limited gov- Antifederalists demanded that a Bill of Rights be added to the Constitution to place limits on the government's exercise of power over the citizenry.

Congress' ability to pass laws needed to carry out its expressed powers is known as the __________ clause.

necessary and proper- Also known as the elastic clause, this part of the Constitution signified that the expressed powers were meant to be a source of strength to the national government, not a limitation on it. It provides Congress with the authority to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out its expressed powers.

Which of the following groups was eligible to vote in national elections back in 1789?

only white men over the age of 21 who owned property

The Three-Fifth Compromise related to which issue?

slavery

If you were an Antifederalist, which of the following would most concern you about the central government having too much power?

the elastic clause--- : Antifederalists bitterly attacked the elastic clause, which allowed Congress to make laws considered necessary for the carrying out of its expressed powers, as an unlimited and dangerous grant of power to the national government.

Which of the following states had the most influence in the House of Representatives?

virginia

Under the terms of the Great Compromise, the House of Representatives

was based on proportional representation.--- Under the terms of the Great Compromise, the House of Representatives would be apportioned according to the population in each state. In the Senate, each state would have equal representation regardless of its size, allowing large and small states to compete on equal footing.

As a political value, individual liberty

was the most important value for the Constitution's authors.--- The Constitution's framers placed individual liberty ahead of all other political values, a concern that led many of the framers to distrust both democracy and equality and to fear the development of majority tyranny.