A Weak Confederation
What was the purpose of the Articles of Confederation?
To unite the colonies under one national government.
What was the original purpose of the Constitutional Convention of 1787?
To revise the Articles of Confederation.
The purpose of the Federalist Papers was to......
Explain and defend the Constitution.
The three branches of government as described in Articles I-III of the Constitution illustrate the principle of........
Separation of Powers.
Why is James Madison considered to be the 'Father of the Constitution'?
His ideas about democratic government influenced the writing of the Constitution.
Who was in charge of enforcing the laws Congress passed under the Articles of Confederation?
The states.
What was the main subject of debate among delegates to the convention?
How the legislature would be structured.
Patrick Henry was specifically concerned about too much power resting with.........
The President.
The term 'judicial review' means that the Supreme Court has the ability to determine if........
A law passed by congress is unconstitutional.
What effect did the Three-Fifths Compromise have on the southern states?
It gave those states more representation in Congress.
Congress privatized much of the Northwest Territory by.......
Selling pieces of land to settlers.
Why was the Great Compromise so important?
It created a legislative system everyone could accept.
Why did the Antifederalists believe that it was important for the Constitution to include a Bill of Rights?
They feared that a strong central government would ignore basic rights.
What does the principle of separation of powers make possible in American government?
It provides for a system of checks and balances among branches of government.
How did the Great Compromise peacefully settle the debate of the Virginia and New Jersey plans?
It created a two house legislature including the House of Representatives and the Senate, equally representing the population and states.
Shays Rebellion invovled a group of farmers who were angry about.......
Losing their farms due to low crop prices and high state taxes.
What did the Three-Fifths Compromise do?
Determined how enslaved people would be counted in the population.
What finally persuaded the delegates at the Virginia convention to ratify the Constitution?
They believed a bill of rights would be added to the Constituion.
****Essay Question**** Give a detailed step by step process of how a bill becomes a law...........
committee, starts in HOR/Senate, majority, goes to HOR/Senate, president
What was the original purpose of the Constitutional Convention of 1787?
To revise the Articles of Confederation.
Why were the laws that Congress passed relating to the Northwest Territory considered a success?
The laws granted essential rights and civil liberties to settlers.
Some delegates refused to sign the Constitution because they thought that it.............
Gave too much power to the national government.
Why did the Federalists think it was dangerous to leave too much power to the states?
An imbalance of power would make it difficult for the central government to function.
What was the main subject of debate among delegates to the Convention?
How the legislature would be structured.