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U.S. Constitution Exam|88 Questions & Answers (Online course from Notre Dame de Namur)
U.S. Constitution Exam|88 Questions & Answers (Online course from Notre Dame de Namur)
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U.S. Constitution Exam|88 Questions &Answers (Online course from Notre Dame de
Namur)
What is the Constitution? - --Organizing document and framework for public
life in the U.S.
-Supreme law of the U.S.
-Symbol, artifact, set of meanings
-What 6 things does the Constitution do? - --Provides new framework for
national government
-Grants, defines, and assigns power and responsibilities (most importantly
provides limits on power )
-Protects individual rights from government encroachment
-Protects states from centralized power
-Stands as the supreme law
-Balances: granting enough power to govern, but not enough to oppress and
rights of the community vs. rights of the individual
-What are the central principles of the Constitution? - -1. Recognize inherent
rights
2. Recognize democratic principles
3. Limit government powers
4. Separate and balance powers in the central government
5. Create a Federation of States (Federalism)
6. Judicial Review
7. Confirm civilian supremacy
8. Define and secure individual rights
-Why do we need a constitution? - -Communal life needs organization--there
will always be a government. Therefore, the government needs a framework
and controls and limits on its power.
-Where did the Constitutional Convention take place? - -Independence Hall,
Philadelphia, PA
Summer 1787
-What were the primary issues of the Constitutional Convention? - -Primary
issues:
-What is to be the relationship between states and the central government?
-What is the relationship of the central government's branches to one
another?
-Who should participate in decision making? How will they be represented?
-What rights and responsibilities shall citizens have?
,-How will officials be selected and removed?
-How much power should be given to the new gov?
Special points of contention:
-Representation in congress
-Slavery
-Elections, voting and democracy
-Rights of citizens
-What were the "Battleground states" during the ratification of the new
Constitution? - -New York, Massachusetts, Virginia
-When were the Articles of Confederation ratified? - -They were finished in
1777, but not ratified until 1781 because of a territorial dispute with
Maryland
-How did the Articles of Confederation set up the government? - -Under the
authority of the Articles, the states created a national Congress comprised of
annually elected delegates from all thirteen states. Each state had one vote
in Congress, and, in most cases, decisions were made based on majority
rule. There was no executive and no national judiciary.
-What were the main weakness of the Articles of Confederation? - -1.
Frontier lands faced threats from Spain & England, and the government had
no national authority to regulate and protect frontier territories or to solve
disputes over which states had control over what western territories.
2. No national currency. Continental dollars used during the war lost their
value due to inflation after the war
3. National gov needed taxes from states but had no authority to do so
4. National government did not regulate foreign or interstate trade, needed
some power to!
-Why was the government made under the AOC made so weak? - -The AOC
made the national Congress too weak on purpose, as most Americans were
fearful of falling under a new King (like Britain) and the federal gov abusing
their power to impose federal taxes.
-Virginia Plan - -"Large state" proposal for the new constitution, calling for
proportional representation in both houses of a bicameral Congress. The plan
favored larger states and thus prompted smaller states to come back with
their own plan for apportioning representation.
-New Jersey Plan - -A constitutional proposal that would have given each
state one vote in a new congress
, -The Connecticut Compromise - -Compromise agreement by states at the
Constitutional Convention for a bicameral legislature with a lower house in
which representation would be based on population and an upper house in
which each state would have two senators.
-Why was the 3/5 Compromise necessary? - -Southern states wanted their
slaves to be counted for population & representation purposes but NOT
taxes.
Northern states wanted the South's slaves to be counted for taxation
purposes but NOT representation. This created a huge divide between North
& South in Congress that prevented the Constitution from being ratified
-What is the 3/5 compromise? - -Slaves in the south would be counted as
3/5 for the house of representation and taxes
-What did the Constitutional Convention decide about slavery in general? - -
Southern states made it clear that Congress would be denied the power to
regulate or limit slavery. Southern states would only participate if there was
no talk of limiting slave trade or slavery, and it was decided that there would
be a set date in 20 years where slavery would be discussed.
-What was one of the main objections to the Constitution? - -One of the
main objections to the Constitution was the absence of a section which
specifically enumerated the liberties of individuals
-Who were the Federalists and what did they believe? - -supporters of the
constitution
Many wrote what was later published as The Federalist Papers in attempts to
sway people in favor of the new Constitution
-Who were the Anti-Federalists? - -people who opposed the Constitution due
to their fears of the branches of government abusing their power and the
absence of the rights of individuals in the Constitution. They believed in state
rights, opposed increased taxes.
Preferred AOC
-Why was the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution? - -Federalists agreed
to add TBOR to the Constitution if the Southern states voted to ratify. It was
the first act of the first congress, adding the first 10 amendments to the
constitution.
-Federalism - -A system of political organization; a union is formed of
separate states or groups that are ruled by a central authority on some
matters but are otherwise permitted to independently govern themselves
Multiple Levels of government, each with specific powers
-national
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