Chapter 2
According to your text, which of the following statements best articulates the motives of the framers at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia?
The framers' interests were reinforced by their principles.
Which of the following statements is true about the Constitutional ratification process?
The struggle for ratification was carried out in thirteen separate campaigns.
The First Continental Congress met in 1774. Which of the following actions did the delegates at the Congress take?
They called for a total boycott of British goods.
An important issue dividing Federalists and Antifederalists was the threat of tyranny, meaning,
generally, unjust rule by the group in power. from the Antifederalists' perspective, the fear of an aristocracy. from the Federalists' perspective, rule by the passions of the majority. All of the above
When was our current constitution written?
1787
Since 1789, more than 11,000 amendments were formally offered in Congress. Of these, only ____________ were finally ratified by the states.
27
Which of the following concepts best explains the underlying reason for the Bill of Rights?
Limited government
What is a limitation (drawback) of liberty as a political principle?
Limits on government action can inhibit effective government.
The Tenth Amendment
reserves power not granted to the national government to the states.
Under the Great Compromise, small states were given an advantage in the
Senate.
What or who were Publius and Brutus?
The pen names used in essays written defending ("Publius") and attacking ("Brutus") the proposed U.S. Constitution
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.
The New Jersey Plan
called for each state to have equal representation in the national legislature.
The Shays's Rebellion was significant in that it
demonstrated the weakness of government under the Articles of Confederation.
Under the original, unamended Constitution, the only person(s) elected directly by the people was/were
members of the House of Representatives.
The Constitution's framers placed ____________ ahead of all other political values.
individual liberty
One of the key underlying themes of the original Constitution was
promoting cooperation between branches of government.
The purpose of the first ten amendments was to
provide clear limitations on the powers of national government.
Most of the seventeen Constitutional amendments ratified since the Bill of Rights in 1791 have been directly or indirectly concerned with
structure or composition of government.
Prior to the twentieth century, most governments relied on ____________ for revenue.
tariffs, duties, and other taxes on commerce
The United States' first written constitution was
the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union.
Proponents of the idea of the "living Constitution" argue that
the judiciary is the institution best qualified to adjust the Constitution's principles to new problems and times.
The power of judicial review
was assumed by the Supreme Court.
Antifederalists wanted
a more decentralized government.
The Connecticut Plan provided for which of the following?
A House of Representatives apportioned by the number of free inhabitants plus three-fifths of the slaves and a Senate consisting of two members from each state selected by the state legislatures
___________ is a system of government in which states retain sovereign authority except for the powers expressly delegated to the national government.
A confederation
The Three-fifths Compromise dealt primarily with what issue?
A slave would count as three-fifths of a person when determining population.
An amendment to the U.S. Constitution may be proposed in which of the following ways?
A two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress
Which of the following constitutional provisions were meant to curb "excessive democracy"?
Checks and balances
______________ is a system of government in which power is divided, by a constitution, between a central government and regional governments.
Federalism
In general, it was the ____________ vision of the United States that triumphed.
Federalist
The Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation were not sufficient to hold the new nation together as an independent and effective nation-state. Which of the following statements is false?
Many of the pre- and post-revolutionary radicals, small farmers, artisans, and shopkeepers wanted a strong national government to protect their economic interests.
The amendment route to social change
is, and always will be, extremely limited.
According to the text, the story of the Founding is important because
it was a story of political choices, and Americans continue today to make tough political choices.
The Virginia Plan was favored by
large states, since it emphasized the importance of size and wealth.
According to your text, _________ inevitably leads to the growth of political activity and the expansion of political participation.
liberty
The Equal Rights Amendment
was formally approved by Congress but failed to be ratified by three-quarters of the states.
