Khan Academy Chapter 2
Why have there been relatively few constitutional amendments?
A Constitution Amendment Bill requires more than a simple majority to be ratified
"In a pure democracy the people are the sovereign, and their will is declared by themselves; for this purpose they must all come together to deliberate, and decide. This kind of government cannot be exercised, therefore, over a country of any considerable extent; it must be confined to a single city, or at least limited to such bounds as that the people can conveniently assemble, be able to debate, understand the subject submitted to them, and declare their opinion concerning it." -Brutus No. 1 Which of the following statements best summarizes the author's argument?
A large centralized government is unable to protect individual interests and liberties
"As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed . . . The diversity in the faculties of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not less an insuperable obstacle to a uniformity of interests. The protection of these faculties is the first object of government. From the protection of different and unequal faculties of acquiring property, the possession of different degrees and kinds of property immediately results; and from the influence of these on the sentiments and views of the respective proprietors, ensues a division of the society into different interests and parties." -Publius (James Madison), Federalist No. 10 Which of the following statements best summarizes Madison's arguments?
A large republic can control the negative aspects of factions
The relationship between the states under the Articles of Confederation could best be described as which of the following?
A loose league of friendship
Which of the following is one example of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
Amending the Articles required a unanimous vote of the states, which was nearly impossible
"In a pure democracy the people are the sovereign, and their will is declared by themselves; for this purpose they must all come together to deliberate, and decide. This kind of government cannot be exercised, therefore, over a country of any considerable extent; it must be confined to a single city, or at least limited to such bounds as that the people can conveniently assemble, be able to debate, understand the subject submitted to them, and declare their opinion concerning it." -Brutus No. 1 Which of the following political parties would have agreed with the ideological perspectives in the passage when it was written?
Anti-Federalists
" To what expedient, then, shall we finally resort, for maintaining in practice the necessary partition of power among the several departments, as laid down in the Constitution? The only answer that can be given is, that as all these exterior provisions are found to be inadequate, the defect must be supplied, by so contriving the interior structure of the government as that its several constituent parts may, by their mutual relations, be the means of keeping each other in their proper places." -Publius (James Madison), Federalist No. 51, 1788 Which of the following principles of US government is most consistent with the author's argument?
Checks and balances
A president issues an executive order banning newspapers from printing articles critical of the US government. The Supreme Court declares the executive order unconstitutional because it violates the First Amendment right to freedom of the press. This is an example of which of the following principles of US government?
Checks and balances
Removal of a public official for crimes or abuse of power is an example of which of the following principles of American government?
Checks and balances
"In so extensive a republic, the great officers of government would soon become above the control of the people, and abuse their power to the purpose of aggrandizing themselves, and oppressing them. The trust committed to the executive offices, in a country of the extent of the United States, must be various and of magnitude." -Brutus No. 1 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?
Citizens cannot hold distant elected representatives accountable for their actions
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the views of the authors of Federalist No. 10 and Brutus No. 1? Federalist No. 10 Brutus No. 1 A A large republic will prevent factions from developing -Only a small republic can truly serve citizens' needs B Factions will inevitably develop, no matter the system of government-A strong central government will prevent abuses of power by local governments C A large republic will control factions by pitting them against each other-A large republic endangers personal liberties D A decentralized government will preserve liberty better than a strong federal government-The federal government is too far removed from citizens to understand their needs
Comparison C
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution? Articles of Confederation (1777) Constitution of the United States (1787) A Maintained national sovereignty over the states-Made states sovereign over the national government B Created a unicameral legislature with the power to levy taxes-Created a bicameral legislature with the power to regulate interstate commerce C Made the executive branch Commander-in-chief of the armed forces-Gave Congress the power to declare war D Created a weak central government with few independent powers-Created a strong national government with many powers
Comparison D
Why did the Framers decide to include Article V of the Constitution, detailing an amendment process?
Concerns about protecting self-government
Which of the following best illustrates the concept of "separation of powers" in the US Constitution?
Congress has authority over the federal budget, while the president appoints Supreme Court justices
Which of the following policies is an example of a present-day debate about the balance of power between the federal government and state governments?
Congress passing the Every Student Succeeds (ESSA) Act that decreased the number of standardized tests
Which of the following scenarios is an example of a present-day constitutional issue about democracy and governmental power?
FBI agents being able to obtain phone records without a judge's approval
"As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed . . . The diversity in the faculties of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not less an insuperable obstacle to a uniformity of interests. The protection of these faculties is the first object of government. From the protection of different and unequal faculties of acquiring property, the possession of different degrees and kinds of property immediately results; and from the influence of these on the sentiments and views of the respective proprietors, ensues a division of the society into different interests and parties." -Publius (James Madison), Federalist No. 10 Which of the following statements is most consistent with the author's argument in this passage?
Factions, while inevitable, can be controlled
The Three-Fifths Compromise is best defined as which of the following?
For every five enslaved Africans, three would be counted for representation
"The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States . . . The number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative . . . "SECTION 3 "The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote." Sections 2 and 3 of the United States Constitution The excerpt above is the result of which compromise in the Constitutional Convention?
Great (Connecticut) Compromise
Which two were weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation? I. The federal government could not levy taxes. II. The executive branch was more powerful than Congress. III. The federal government could not raise an army. IV. Each state had two votes in a bicameral Congress.
I. and III.
Which of the following may Congress do to limit the power of the executive?
Impeach the president
Which of the following was a way in which Shays's Rebellion demonstrated the weaknesses of the national government under the Articles of Confederation?
It could not raise money to pay a militia to put down the rebellion
Which of the following statements best explains the compromise behind the creation of the Electoral College?
It was a compromise between big and small states so that states with a larger population cannot control presidential elections
"When the Articles of Confederation were drafted, Americans had little experience of what a national government could do for them and bitter experience of what an arbitrary government could do to them. In creating a central government they were therefore more concerned with keeping it under control than with giving it the means to do its job." -Edmund S. Morgan, The Birth of the Republic, 1763-89, 1956 Which of the following concepts is most consistent with the author's argument?
Limited government
"In a pure democracy the people are the sovereign, and their will is declared by themselves; for this purpose they must all come together to deliberate, and decide. This kind of government cannot be exercised, therefore, over a country of any considerable extent; it must be confined to a single city, or at least limited to such bounds as that the people can conveniently assemble, be able to debate, understand the subject submitted to them, and declare their opinion concerning it." -Brutus No. 1 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?
Local and state governments are better equipped to deal with issues affecting people's daily lives
In 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees people of the same sex the right to marry in the same manner as opposite-sex couples. Following this ruling, the National Organization for Marriage appealed to members of Congress encouraging them to pass an amendment to the Constitution defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. This is an example of which of the following principles of American government?
Multiple access points for stakeholders to influence policymaking
Members of the National Organization for Women (NOW) protest a congressional bill that eliminates protections for pregnant workers. After the bill passes, they form a letter-writing campaign hoping to influence the president to veto the bill. This is an example of which of the following principles of American government?
Multiple access points for stakeholders to influence policymaking
"Because of our two-party system, voters often find themselves voting for the 'lesser of two evils,' rather than a candidate they really feel would do the best job. . . . "Since most states distribute their electoral votes on a winner-take-all basis, the smaller party has no chance to gain support without seeming to take this support from one of the major parties. Few people will support a party that never wins, especially when they are supporting that party at the possible expense of their least favorite candidate taking power." Which of the following governmental policies would the author of this passage most likely support?
Reforming or eliminating the Electoral College
"As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed . . . The diversity in the faculties of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not less an insuperable obstacle to a uniformity of interests. The protection of these faculties is the first object of government. From the protection of different and unequal faculties of acquiring property, the possession of different degrees and kinds of property immediately results; and from the influence of these on the sentiments and views of the respective proprietors, ensues a division of the society into different interests and parties." -Publius (James Madison), Federalist No. 10 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?
Political liberty is best protected by the fragmentation of political power in a large republic
"In a single republic, all the power surrendered by the people is submitted to the administration of a single government; and the usurpations are guarded against by a division of the government into distinct and separate departments. In the compound republic of America, the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two distinct governments, and then the portion allotted to each subdivided among distinct and separate departments. Hence a double security arises to the rights of the people. The different governments will control each other, at the same time that each will be controlled by itself." -Publius (James Madison), Federalist No. 51, 1788 Which of the following principles of US government is most consistent with the author's argument?
Separation of powers
"Given the increasing difference in size between the largest and smallest states, combined with other changes in the American political context[,] any effects of Senate apportionment are greater today than in the past. By reference to the one person, one vote standard, the Senate is the most malapportioned legislature in the world . . . Currently Wyoming, with fewer than half a million residents, enjoys the same level of representation as California, with more than 30 million." -Frances E. Lee and Bruce I. Oppenheimer, Sizing Up the Senate: The Unequal Consequences of Equal Representation, 1999 Which of the following statements best summarizes the author's argument?
The Great Compromise failed to anticipate growing population differences in small and large states, leaving matters unresolved
"In so extensive a republic, the great officers of government would soon become above the control of the people, and abuse their power to the purpose of aggrandizing themselves, and oppressing them. The trust committed to the executive offices, in a country of the extent of the United States, must be various and of magnitude." -Brutus No. 1 Which constitutional provision would the author most likely support?
The addition of a Bill of Rights
A member of the House of Representatives proposes a Constitutional amendment that would force the president and Congress to balance the budget every year. Which of the following accurately describes the amendment process?
The bill must pass both the House and the Senate with a two-thirds majority
In Federalist No. 10, Madison argues that the Constitution delegates authority to elected representatives. Which of the following constitutional provisions does this?
The election of members of the House of Representatives in Article I
Which of the following was a strength of the Articles of Confederation that the Constitution retained?
The federal government could negotiate treaties with other countries
"When land-forces are raised by any state for the common defence, all officers of or under the rank of colonel, shall be appointed by the legislature of each state respectively, by whom such forces shall be raised, or in such manner as such state shall direct, and all vacancies shall be filled up by the State which first made the appointment." -Articles of Confederation, Article VII, 1777 Which of the following is a consequence of the policy described in the passage above?
The federal government did not have the power to create a centralized military during peace times
"When the Articles of Confederation were drafted, Americans had little experience of what a national government could do for them and bitter experience of what an arbitrary government could do to them. In creating a central government they were therefore more concerned with keeping it under control than with giving it the means to do its job." -Edmund S. Morgan, The Birth of the Republic, 1763-89, 1956 Which of the following pieces of evidence would best support the author's conclusion?
The lack of centralized military power under the Articles of Confederation
"The insurgents who were assembled at Worcester in Massachusetts have disbanded. The people at Boston seem to be glad at this event and say it was the effect of fear. But the fact is that the insurgents effected their object . . . "The commotions of Massachusetts have wrought prodigious changes in the minds of men in that State [with regard to] the Powers of Government. Everybody says they must be strengthened and that unless this shall be effected there is no Security for liberty or Property. Such is the State of things in the east, that much trouble is to be apprehended in the course of the ensuing year." -Henry Knox, letter to his former commander George Washington, 1786 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?
The lack of centralized military power under the Articles of Confederation poses a serious threat to the stability of the United States
Challenges of the Articles of Confederation Problem "Our Debts being unfunded and unprovided for, the Interest cannot be paid. Those therefore who trusted us in the Hour of Distress are defrauded. To expect that under such Circumstances others will confide in the Government would be Folly, and to expect that Foreigners will Trust a Government which has no Credit with its own Citizens must be madness . . . "The United States have call'd for eight Million of Dollars early in November last, of which the first quarterly Payment was to have been made on the first Day of April next. But I cannot find that a single State has laid the Taxes." -Robert Morris, letter to the president of Congress, 1782 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?
The national government under the Articles lacks necessary tax enforcement power
Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the concept of "separation of powers" in the US Constitution?
The president commands the nation's armed forces, while Congress has the power to ratify treaties
Which of the following is the most immediate consequence of impeaching a president?
The president is tried in the Senate
"To what expedient, then, shall we finally resort, for maintaining in practice the necessary partition of power among the several departments, as laid down in the Constitution? The only answer that can be given is, that as all these exterior provisions are found to be inadequate, the defect must be supplied, by so contriving the interior structure of the government as that its several constituent parts may, by their mutual relations, be the means of keeping each other in their proper places." -Publius (James Madison), Federalist No. 51, 1788 Which of the following statements best summarizes Madison's argument?
The structure of the government itself should limit its powers
"Our Debts being unfunded and unprovided for, the Interest cannot be paid. Those therefore who trusted us in the Hour of Distress are defrauded. To expect that under such Circumstances others will confide in the Government would be Folly, and to expect that Foreigners will Trust a Government which has no Credit with its own Citizens must be madness . . . "The United States have call'd for eight Million of Dollars early in November last, of which the first quarterly Payment was to have been made on the first Day of April next. But I cannot find that a single State has laid the Taxes." -Robert Morris, letter to the president of Congress, 1782 Which of the following statements best summarizes the author's argument? Choose 1 answer:
The taxation structure under the Articles poses a serious threat to the economic well-being of the United States
Which of the following is a consequence of the principle of separation of powers?
There are multiple access points for stakeholders and institutions to influence public policy
Why are the compromises that were necessary to secure ratification of the Constitution still debated today?
They left some matters unresolved
"As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed . . . The diversity in the faculties of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not less an insuperable obstacle to a uniformity of interests. The protection of these faculties is the first object of government. From the protection of different and unequal faculties of acquiring property, the possession of different degrees and kinds of property immediately results; and from the influence of these on the sentiments and views of the respective proprietors, ensues a division of the society into different interests and parties." -Publius (James Madison), Federalist No. 10 According to the author, what is the purpose of government?
To control factions
Which of the following procedures results in the addition of an amendment to the Constitution?
Two-thirds of state legislatures propose a Constitution Amendment Bill, which is ratified by three-fourths of the states
In Federalist No. 10, Madison argues that the Constitution disperses power between the federal government and state governments. Which of the following describes a constitutional provision in the newly-ratified Constitution that does that?
US senators were chosen by state legislatures