Chapter 4

What was Shays' Rebellion?

A group of farmers who tried to shut down the courts to stop foreclosure hearings

What is a bicameral legislature?

A legislature with two houses

What were the Federalist Papers?

A series of essays written in support of the new Constitution

What is one factor that has caused the Constitution to endure more than 200 years? Why is the Constitution called a living document?

Changes can be made through amendments.

What issue did the Three-Fifths Compromise address?

Concern by Southern states (slave populations) that their populations would not be represented in Congress.

Which points did supporters of the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan both agree on?

Congress should have the ability to impose taxes.

What did most delegates to the Constitutional Convention agree about the government?

Congress should have the power to tax.

What major problems with the Articles of Confederation was the Constitutional Convention meant to address?

Congress' inability to levy taxes and regulate interstate commerce

Which statement best explains how popular sovereignty ensures that the power of the government is limited?

Elections allow the people to replace public officials who do not represent what the people want.

The idea of individual rights promoted after the American Revolution and included in the Bill of Rights was based on which ideas?

Enlightenment ideas

Which principle of the Constitution provides power between the state and federal government?

Federalism

How did Alexander Hamilton believe the government should operate?

It should contain elements of monarchy and aristocracy as well as republicanism.

The national government under the Articles of Confederation was weak mainly because it lacked the ability to do what?

Levy taxes

Following the American Revolution, Britain tried to retaliate against the United States through which policy?

Mercantilist trade policies

What did the Federalist strategy for gaining ratification include?

Promises to add protections for individual liberties once the new system was in place

Which of the following issues led delegates to the Constitutional Convention to agree to the Three-Fifths Compromise?

Slaves in the Southern states being counted as part of the population

What did the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 provided a plan for?

Statehood for territories

Which of the features of the Articles of Confederation most dramatically weakened the national government?

States had the power to tax

After the Revolution, why did the national government lack the funds it needed to repay its war debts?

The Articles failed to give Congress the power to tax.

How did the Great Compromise resolve the differences between the Virginia and New Jersey plans?

The Senate would have two senators for each state; the House of Representatives would be based on the state's population.

In Shays' Rebellion, why did struggling farmers in Massachusetts rebel?

The West Indies was cut off which led to poor economy and foreclosure of the farmers' properties.

What best summarizes the Constitution's underlying principle of popular sovereignty?

The government derives its political authority from the people.

What was the main difference between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan?

The number of representatives in Congress each state would have

What did nearly all of the delegates at the Constitutional Convention agree that the government needed?

The powers of the national government need to be expanded.

What best describes the Antifederalists' view of the new Constitution?

They feared it would give the central government too much power.

How has the Constitution been able to adapt to changing circumstances in order to endure for more than 200 years?

Through a process of amendments

How was the dispute between the Virginia and New Jersey plans resolved?

Through the Great Compromise

What did Federalists promise in order to win ratification of the Constitution in Massachusetts and other key states?

To add a Bill of Rights

Why was the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution?

To gain the support of Antifederalists during the ratification process

What power was granted to the legislative branch?

To make laws and levy taxes

According to the Declaration of Independence, what is the fundamental purpose of government?

To protect people's natural rights

What aspect of the Constitution did the Federalists emphasize to address concerns that the federal government would be too powerful under the new Constitution?

checks and balances

What major issue did the Great Compromise and the Three-Fifths Compromise both address?

representation