Building a Government
What was the name of America's first national plan of government?
The Articles of Confederation.
In what year did delegates meet in Philadelphia to create a new plan of government?
1787.
Which branch of the federal government is responsible for making laws?
The legislative branch.
What are the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution called?
The Bill of Rights.
Which Founding Father played a major role in writing the U.S. Constitution and is often called the 'Father of the Constitution'?
James Madison.
Under the Articles of Confederation, why was it difficult for Congress to collect money to pay the nation's debts?
The national government did not have the power to tax the states or their people directly.
What was the main purpose of the Great Compromise at the Constitutional Convention?
To settle the disagreement over representation between large and small states by creating a two-house Congress, equal Senate, and Population based House of Representatives.
Which branch carries out and enforces the laws passed by Congress?
The executive branch, led by the President.
What was the central disagreement between Federalists and Anti-Federalists over the Constitution?
Federalists supported ratification and a stronger national government, while Anti-Federalists feared that the new government could become too powerful and threaten rights and state authority.
Which English document, created in 1215, helped establish the idea that a ruler's power should be limited by law?
The Magna Carta.
After independence, why did some American leaders believe the country needed a stronger national government?
The government under the Articles was too weak to effectively address national problems, raise revenue, and carry out important functions.
Under the Great Compromise, how is representation determined in the two houses of Congress?
The House of Representatives is based on population, while every state has equal representation in the Senate.
Which branch interprets laws and can determine whether a law violates the Constitution?
The judicial branch, including the Supreme Court.
Why did adding the Bill of Rights help convince some opponents to accept the Constitution?
It explicitly protected individual rights and addressed concerns that the new national government might abuse its power.
What important principle did the English Bill of Rights help influence in American government?
The protection of individual rights and limits on government power.
A country has a national legislature but no independent executive to carry out its decisions. Which weakness of the Articles of Confederation does this situation illustrate?
The Articles created no executive branch to enforce or carry out national laws.
Why did the Three-Fifths Compromise give slaveholding states additional political influence?
Enslaved people were counted as three-fifths of a person for representation, increasing the number of representatives and electoral votes for slaveholding states.
Why did the Framers divide the national government into three branches instead of allowing one group to control everything?
To separate government powers and prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
A citizen argues that the government should not be allowed to take away basic freedoms without limits. Which concern raised during the ratification debate does this reflect?
The Anti-Federalist concern that a powerful national government could threaten individual liberties.
Put these events in chronological order, from earliest to latest: Constitution ratified, French and Indian War ends, Articles of Confederation adopted, Lexington and Concord.
French and Indian War ends (1763), Lexington and Concord (1775), Articles of Confederation adopted (1777; ratified in 1781), Constitution ratified (1788).
Imagine Congress wants to fund a national project, but several states refuse to contribute money. Under the Articles of Confederation, why would this be difficult to solve?
The national government could not directly tax the people or states, making it difficult to raise the money needed to fund national projects.
Delegates from large and small states threaten to leave the Constitutional Convention because neither side will accept the other's plan for representation. What lesson about the creation of the Constitution does this conflict demonstrate?
Compromise was necessary because delegates had competing interests, and reaching agreements helped them create a workable national government.
A new federal law is challenged in court because citizens believe it violates the Constitution. Which branch would decide whether the law is unconstitutional?
The judicial branch
A newspaper argues that the country needs a stronger national government, but another warns that Americans could replace one form of tyranny with another. Identify the political position represented by each argument and explain the difference.
The first argument represents the Federalists, who favored a stronger national government. The second represents the Anti-Federalists, who feared excessive centralized power and the loss of liberty.
An American leader argues that citizens should have a say in their government and that leaders should not have unlimited power. Identify one historical document that helped influence these ideas and explain its impact.
The Magna Carta helped establish the principle that rulers were subject to the law and had limited power. Alternatively, the English Bill of Rights helped influence protections for individual rights and limits on government authority.