The Constitution and the Early Republic (Test #3)
In the 1803 case of Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court ruled that
an act of Congress had exceeded its constitutional authority
One of the major differences between the Virginia and New Jersey plans for the new US Constitution was whether
states would have equal representation in Congress
Possession of the Louisiana Territory allowed the US to gain control of
the Mississippi River and the port of New Orleans
Please define the term "Republican Motherhood"?
the belief that women should be raised to uphold the ideals of republicanism, in order to pass on republican values to the next generation
What were the origins of the first great political battles of the US?
the dispute of the interpretation of the Const
The John Marshall court was responsible for strengthening
the interests of the propertied and commerical classes
According to Hamilton, what three (3) powers does the US gov't have that would make a national bank a necessity?
the power of collecting taxes, regulating trade, and providing for the common defense
The progression of the French Revolution caused the Federalists in the US to
turn against the French b/c they overthrew the monarchy and executed the king and queen
The period of 1817 to 1821 became known as the "era of good feelings" b/c there
was only one major political party
Of which vision of the US was the National Bank a part--that of the Federalists or the Jeffersonian Republicans? Why?
- the Federalists (Hamilton) b/c the Federalists believed it would strengthen and up hold the country - plus, they believed in a loose construction and rejected a literal/strict interpretation of the Const
How does the Preamble of the US Constitution begin? What is so significant about this beginning? In other words, what do these words mean about power/authority in the US?
-"We the people..." -this is significant b/c it reflects the idea that sovereignty lay w/ the ppl + NOT the states or central gov't
During the first session under the new Constitution, Congress took the action of
-authorizing the creation of the executive departments -establishing the federal lower court system -adopting and sending to the states the Bill of Rights -filling in gaps in the Constitution
By the later 1780s, many Americans had become dissatisfied with the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. The Confederation gov't was hampered by
-instability -an inability to deal w/ economic problems -the lack of power to deal w/ uprisings -its failure to deal quickly w/ Shays's Rebellion
To protect the country from the problems of concentrated authority, the writers of the Constitution used the idea of a
-separation of powers -system of checks + balances -federal structure of gov't in which power is divided between the central gov't and the states -gov't that derived its authority from below
What does Jefferson use to oppose the establishment of a national bank? Please provide two (2) arguments:
1) the Const does not explicitly say we have the power to establish a national bank -- therefore we cannot 2) a bank is unnecessary -- it is more convenient than it is necessary
The element of the Constitution most representative of the Anti-federalist perspective is the
Bill of Rights
What is Foster's attitude about women and politics according to this excerpt? Please be specific, and briefly defend your answer:
Foster believes women deserve the same education as men and shouldn't be exluded from the topic of politics when they are just as important to society
The first president of the US was
George Washington
How does Hamilton respond to Jefferson's argument? Please provide two (2) responses:
He gives another or different definition of "necessary" and explains it is not forbidden to have a national bank in the Const; therefore the incorporation of a bank is a constitutional measure
To protect the nation from "tyranny of the people," the original U.S. Constitution provided that the ppl would directly elect only one part of the national gov't, the
House of Representatives
The man usually called the "Father of the Constitution" is
James Madison
Alexander Hamilton's programs and influence led to the creation of an opposition group known as the
Jeffersonian-Republican party
The first Vice President of the US was
John Adams
The authors of "The Federalist Papers" were
Madison, Hamilton, Jay
When Thomas Jefferson said, "I hold that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical," he was referring to
Shays's Rebellion
What did South Carolina and other southern states argue for with respect to the question of slaves and representation? Why? What was the resulting compromise called?
The Southern states argued that slaves would be counted for in determining population for representation in the House of Reps., but not counted for in determining taxation b/c the believed that slaves should be counted for as three-fifths of a person; the resulting compromise was called the Three-Fifths Compromise
What is the "implied powers doctrine"? Who advocated this doctrine, Hamilton or Jefferson?
This doctrine interprets the powers that aren't explicitly mentioned in the Const, but are essentially implied; Hamilton advocated this doctrine
What does it mean to be a "strict constructionist" when interpreting the meaning of the Constitution? Who was a strict constructionist, Hamilton or Jefferson?
To be a strict constructionist means that when interpreting the meaning of the Const, one does so very literally and believes that whatever is not explicitly stated in the Const should not be a power -- no interpretation or flexibility in changing the Const; Jefferson was a strict constructionist
Think about the general plot of "The Coquette". What it the overall message about women in the novel? Briefly defend your answer:
Women who recieve too much education can be dangerous and threatening
During the later 1770s and the early 1780s, the authority of the national gov't was vested in
a legislative brance
The Federalists of the 1790s believed that the US should have
a strong central gov't and a well-developed economy
All of the following were effects of the invention of the cotton gin EXCEPT: a) a strengthening of the textile industry in the North b) a decrease in the use of slave labor in the Deep South c) an increase in industrialism in the North d) a huge increase in the profitability of slavery e) the establishment of cotton as a very profitable crop in the South
b) a decrease in the use of slave labor in the Deep South
The "Great Compromise" at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 resulted in all of the following agreements EXCEPT: a) representation in the lower house of Congress would be based on population b) each slave would be counted as three-fifths of a free person in the determination of representation and direct taxation c) each state would have an equal # of votes in the lower house of Congress d) each state would have an equal # of votes in the upper house of Congress e) an assumption that slave labor was not as productive as free labor
c) each state would have an equal # of votes in the lower house of Congress
The Anti-federalists argued that the Constitution had all of the following faults EXCEPT: a) it provided for a national government that was too strong b) it did not list the natural rights of its citizens c) it allowed the state governments to become a threat to the lives and property of their own citizens d) it favored the aristocratic and wealthy interests over those of the common ppl e) it gave taxation powers that were too broad
c) it allowed the state governments to become a threat to the lives and property of their own citizens
Supporters of the Constitution enjoyed all the following advantages EXCEPT: a) they were better organized than their opponents b) supporters such as Franklin and Washington were greatly admired c) their genuine belief in a weaker central gov't was preferred by common citizens d) their label "Federalists" was more appealing than the name of their opponents e) leading supporters included some of the ablest political philosophers of the time
c) their genuine belief in a weaker central gov't was preferred by common citizens
Alexander Hamilton and James Madison joined forces in an attempt to
call for a convention to correct the defects in the Articles of Confederation
To pass his economic program, Hamilton's supporters negotiated a bargain that
called for the construction of a new national capital on the banks of the Potomac River called Washington, DC
The Federalist party enjoyed widespread support in the
commercial centers of the Northeast
In the 1770s and early 1780s, the powers of government were
concentrated in the state gov'ts
Alexander Hamilton believed in all of the following ideas EXCEPT: a) the country should be governed by an elite ruling class b) a large and permanent national debt is a good idea c) the federal gov't should assume state debts incurred during the war d) the country should remain largely rural and agricultural e) the economy should be based on manufacturing and trade
d) the country should remain largely rural and agricultural
The authors of "The Federalist Papers" wrote them for the purpose of
explaining the meaning and positive qualities of the Constitution
President Jefferson was reluctant to accept the treaty for purchasing the Louisiana Territory because
he doubted that he had constitutional authority for such a purchase
When Thomas Jefferson looked to the future, he hoped that the US would become a country dominated by
independent owners of small farms
For the new U.S. Constitution to go into effect, it had to be ratified by
nine of the state ratifying conventions
James Madison resolved the question of sovereignty by deciding that in the US political power rested ultimately w/ the
people
By 1786, even those who feared a strong centralized gov't agreed that the Confederation needed the power to
raise taxes
The Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was significant to the distribution of power b/c it
reserved to the states and the ppl all power not specifically delegated to the federal gov't
