US Government reading questions
Match each philosopher (on the left) with the social contract theory he created (on the right). 1.Thomas Hobbes 2.John Locke
1. People enter into a social contract to create a government that provides peace and order. People enter into a social contract to create a government that provides peace and order. 2. People enter into a social contract to create a government that protects their natural rights. People enter into a social contract to create a government that protects their natural rights
Why did the French and Indian War change the relationship between Britain and the American colonies?
After the war, the British maintained a standing army in the colonies, creating a financial burden on Britain. After the war, the British believed the colonists should pay the war debts because the debts had been incurred protecting the colonists.
The New Jersey Plan called for keeping two major features of the ______.
Articles of Confederation
America's first formal constitution, also known as a charter, was called the ______.
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
Identify the achievements of the Confederation.
It signed a peace treaty with Britain, recognizing American independence. It established a fair and consistent policy for settling and developing lands west of the Appalachian Mountains. It set a precedent for the creation of cabinet departments under the Constitution.
Why was the Mayflower Compact significant? (Check all that apply.)
It was the first written plan for colonial self-government and a precursor to the Constitution. It helped the Pilgrims survive to establish the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636. It allowed the Pilgrims to choose their own leaders and make their own laws.
The final draft of the Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4, 1776 and signed first by _________ __________and eventually by all 56 delegates.
John Handcock
What were the effects of the embargo and boycott of British goods imposed by the First Continental Congress? (Check all that apply.)
King George III declared the New England governments to be in a state of rebellion. British redcoats clashed with colonial militiamen at Lexington and Concord, starting the Revolutionary War.
The Federalist Papers were published in an effort to convince ______ to ratify the Constitution.
New york
Identify the reasons why Great Britain and the colonies coexisted peacefully for over a hundred years. (Check all that apply.)
The colonists were allowed to develop their political institutions without much interference from Britain. The distance between Britain and the colonies made it hard for anyone but colonial governors and legislatures to deal with problems in the colonies. The British government was content to let the colonies govern themselves and act as markets and sources of raw materials for Britain.
Why did Congress have trouble funding the national government and repaying war debts during the Confederation Period?
The states viewed these as the national government's problem.
Select the statements that a supporter of limited government would be likely to agree with.
There should be no taxation without representation. The government should not be able to imprison people without a fair trial. It is wrong for the police to confiscate people's property if they haven't been convicted of a crime.
Identify the issues that the delegates to the Constitutional Convention found consensus on when crafting America's new form of government. (Check all that apply.)
They believed in separation of powers between legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. They believed in a stronger national government. They favored limited and representative government.
What restrictions did the Coercive Acts place on the Massachusetts colonists after the Boston Tea Party?
They closed Boston Harbor and withdrew the colony's right to govern itself.
How did democracy in colonial times differ from democracy in the United States today? (Check all that apply.)
Women could not vote. People who did not own land could not vote. Voting was often reserved for members of specific churches.
During the Confederation Period, most people identified themselves primarily as _____.
citizens of their state
The _____ were organizations that formed to enable colonists to keep in touch with each other and urge resistance to the British.
committees of correspondence
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention gave Congress the power to regulate interstate and foreign commerce in order to _____ with Northern and Southern states over the issues of the _____ trade and commerce.
compromise slave
The Stamp Act of 1765 generated resentment among colonists and prompted protests because it imposed the first direct tax on the colonies, which applied to items such as _____, _____, and _____.
dice and playing cards newspapers legal documents
The King of England ______ with the American colonists over the issue of whether the English Bill of Rights gave the colonists the same rights as people living in Britain.
disagreed
The idea of ______ is that a government's power is not absolute.
limited government
The Anti-Federalists claimed the Constitution was extralegal, meaning ______.
not sanctioned by law
A major difference between the democracy of colonial times and the democracy of the United States today is that most colonies had some type of ______ qualification for voting.
property
The Three-Fifths Compromise settled the dispute between the Northern and Southern states over how to count enslaved African Americans for purposes of _____ and _____
representation taxes
The Mayflower Compact was the first of many colonial plans for ______.
self government
select the characteristics of the early european colonists that influenced the founding principals of early American government.
their juedo-christian values their ideas derived from biblical law their familiarity with the old and new testaments of the christian bible
The Northern and Southern states resolved their dispute over how to count enslaved African Americans by agreeing to count only ______ of them for tax and representation purposes.
three-fifths
True or false: A bicameral legislature has two houses.
true
The Connecticut Compromise suggested that the legislative branch be bicameral, meaning that it should have ______.
two houses
The Virginia Plan proposed a national government with a two-chambered legislature that could bar any _____ state laws, a strong Blank _____ chosen by the legislature, and a _____ appointed by the legislature.
unconstitutional executive judiciary
Colonial charters were ______.
written constitutions
Match each person (on the left) with the contribution he made to moving the colonies toward declaring independence (on the right). 1. Thomas Paine 2.Samuel Adams 3.Richard Henry Lee 4.Thomas Jefferson
1. Wrote a pamphlet called Common Sense that explained how monarchy was a corrupt form of government and that George III was an enemy to liberty 2.Wrote essays, letters, and articles on the struggle with the British 3.Introduced a resolution urging the Continental Congress to approve a decision to break with Great Britain 4.Worked with a committee named by Congress to write the Declaration of Independence
List the events of Shays's Rebellion in the order they occurred.
1. armed groups of farmers shut down courts hearing foreclosures proceedings on famers property 2. Daniel shays led a group of men who closed the Massachusetts state supreme court and advanced on a federal arsenal. 3. Massachusetts militia troops fired on the rebels and ended the rebellion. 4. Furious creditors and frightened leaders demanded a strong national government to prevent
Which of the following were included in the Articles of Confederation? (Check all that apply.)
A unicameral legislature State control of all governmental functions not mentioned in the Articles Congressional control of all aspects of the central government
After the Intolerable Acts, a growing number of colonists began to consider themselves not subjects of the king but _______ united against the British.
Americans
What were the Virginia Plan's principles for national government? (Check all that apply).
The government should have a strong national legislature with two chambers. A national judiciary should be appointed by the legislature. A strong executive should be chosen by the national legislature.
How did the colonists react to the Intolerable Acts?
The harsh British policies sparked a new American sense of community among the colonists. Colonists began to think of themselves as Americans united by their hostility toward British authority. Colonial leaders began to work together to take political action against British oppression.
What things did the English people, including American colonists, believe the Magna Carta protected them from?
The levying of taxes without popular consent Unjust punishment by the government
Identify the key points made in the Federalist Papers to convince the states to ratify the Constitution. (Check all that apply.)
The more different people with different views a republic governs, the less likely it is that the majority will agree to oppress the minority. A republic is a government that derives its powers from the people and is administered by persons holding office for a limited time.
Identify the proposed provisions of the New Jersey Plan. (Check all that apply.)
The nation would continue as a confederation of sovereign states. Congress would be empowered to impose taxes and regulate trade. A national judiciary with limited power would be appointed by the executive. A weak executive would be elected by Congress. The government would have a unicameral legislature, with one vote for each state.
What were some of the roles of colonial charters?
They gave the people the right to elect representatives to make laws. They were instruments through which the colonies practiced a great deal of self-government. They divided the power of government between the governor, the legislative assembly, and the courts. They acted as formal constitutions.
Identify the roles of the committees of correspondence.
To urge resistance to the British To act as a communications network between different colonies and leaders
The American colonists believed that the _______ Bill of ______ gave them the same rights as people living in England.
english bill
Britain imposed ______ burdensome laws on the colonists after the French and Indian War, creating tension between the colonists and British authorities.
financially
While the Federalists supported the Constitution, the Anti-Federalists opposed it because they feared a strong national _____ and didn't like the fact that the Constitution had been drafted in _____
government secret
The Connecticut Compromise resolved the issue of the representation of states in Congress by proposing a bicameral legislature in which the larger states would have an advantage in the _____ and the smaller states would be protected in the _____
house senate
At the Constitutional Convention, the Southern delegates agreed to give Congress the right to regulate foreign commerce only when the other delegates agreed to ban Congress from _____
imposing export taxes
After the First Continental Congress imposed an embargo on Britain and a boycott of British goods, King George III declared that the New England governments were ______.
in a state of rebellion
In general, relations between the colonies and Great Britain were peaceful for over a century because the colonists ran their affairs with ______ interference from Britain.
infrequent
The first European colonists to migrate to North America brought with them ______ values that contributed to the founding principles of the United States.
judeo-christian
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention all believed it was necessary to ______ the power of the states to coin money or interfere with creditors' rights.
limit
John Locke believed that people have "________ __________ "simply because they are human beings, and that people made a contract among themselves to create a government to protect those rights.
natural rights
In the aftermath of Shays's Rebellion, delegates demanded and Congress consented to a convention for the purpose of ______ the Articles of Confederation.
revise
The first direct tax on the colonists, known as the ________ ________ of 1765, caused political protests.
stamp act
The English people, including colonists who settled in North America, viewed ______ as guaranteeing limited government.
the Magna Carta
Which department did Congress establish under the Confederation?
Department of the Treasury
Arrange the four parts of the Declaration of Independence in their correct order.
1. The Preamble, stating the source of Americans basic rights 2. statement of purpose of basic human rights 3. Specific complaints or grievances against King George III 4. statement of the colonist's determination to separate from great Brittian
A key problem of the judicial system under the Articles of Confederation was that ______.
Congress could not enforce its own laws
Identify the provisions of the Connecticut Compromise. (Check all that apply.)
Congress would be able to impose taxes. Representation in the Senate would be equal, protecting the smaller states. Representation in the House of Representatives would be based on population, giving the larger states an advantage.
After Shays's Rebellion, Congress authorized a convention to revise the Articles of Confederation, but after months of debate, they decided to write a new plan for government called the _____
Constitution
During an economic depression in the 1780s, currency thought to be worthless was not accepted by creditors, causing some farmers to be forced to give their property to the government or go to debtor's prison. This caused an uprising known as _____ _____
Shays's Rebellion (make sure you put the apostrophe or it will mark it wrong)
Identify the four parts of the Declaration of Independence. (Check all that apply.)
The conclusion, stating the colonists' determination to separate from Great Britain The statement of purpose and basic human rights derived from the laws of nature The Preamble, describing the source of Americans' basic rights Specific complaints or grievances against King George III
What types of problems did the national government have under the Articles of Confederation? (Check all that apply.)
The government had no national court system, making it difficult for the central government to settle disputes between the states. Congress passed few laws because it was too easy for the states to block them. The national government appeared weak in the eyes of foreign countries. Congress could not force the states to give it money.