Articles of Confederation & Shays' Rebellion
Under the Articles of Confederation, which had more power: the states or the national government?
The states.
Which branch makes federal laws?
The legislative branch, or Congress.
What system does the United States use to choose the president?
The Electoral College.
What is the meaning of the word "ratification?"
To approve of something, or pass it.
The first political parties developed while this president was in office. Who was he?
George Washington.
Congress needed money to pay the country’s debts. Why couldn’t it collect taxes directly from people?
The Articles did not give Congress that power. Congress had to ask the states for money.
Which branch enforces laws?
The executive branch enforces laws.
In the late 1700s, most states allowed only which group of people to vote?
White men who were over 21 and were land-owners.
Which group supported ratifying the Constitution: Federalists or Anti-Federalists?
Federalists.
Alexander Hamilton helped lead which political party?
The Federalist Party.
During Shays’ Rebellion, why did farmers close courts?
To stop debt cases that could cause farmers to lose their farms.
The national government and state governments share power. What is this system called?
Federalism.
Most states use the “winner-take-all” method. If a candidate wins 51% of a state’s popular vote, how many of that state’s electoral votes does the candidate receive?
All of that state’s electoral votes.
What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
The Bill of Rights
Thomas Jefferson helped lead which political party?
The Democratic-Republican Party.
How did Shays’ Rebellion increase support for a stronger national government?
It made people fear that the national government was too weak to respond to unrest.
What is the difference between separation of powers and federalism?
Separation of powers divides power among three branches. Federalism divides power between national and state governments.
Why did the framers choose electors instead of having people directly elect the president? Give one reason.
Some distrusted direct voting or believed electors would know more about the candidates.
What is an amendment?
A change or addition to the Constitution.
Which party favored a stronger national government?
Federalists favored a stronger national government.
Under the Articles of Confederation, 12 states wanted to change the government, but one state disagreed. Could the change happen?
No. All 13 states had to agree to change the Articles, so one state could block the change.
The president vetoes a bill passed by Congress. Congress then overrides the veto. What principle does this show, and why is it important?
Checks and balances. It helps prevent one branch from becoming too powerful.
Can a candidate win the most popular votes nationwide but lose the presidential election? Why?
Yes. The winner is decided by electoral votes, so winning the most votes nationwide does not guarantee victory.
How did the promise to add a Bill of Rights help the Constitution get ratified?
It convinced some Anti-Federalists to support the Constitution because people’s rights would be protected.
The political parties disagreed about the economy. Which wanted an economy based mainly on farming?
Democratic-Republicans favored farming.