Chapter 2 Questions Flashcards
(25 cards)
What was the primary goal of the American Revolution?
to protect individual libertites
Which commonly held colonial belief about politicians was a major guiding force in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence?
a belief in politicians’ tendency towards corrpution
What key belief, a belief that John Adams referred to as the “radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people,” is essential to the vision laid down in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution?
Because rights are unalienable, the government’s job is not to grant them, but to protect them. Therefore, legitimate government is possible only with the consent of the governed.
Which branch did colonists believe should be the superior force in government?
the legislative branch
What requirement had to be met in order to amend the Articles of Confederation?
Amendments had to be supported by all thirteen states
Given conditions in the new nation under the Articles of Confederation, which of the following best describes the importance of individual gun ownership to citizens of the thirteen states?
The national army was small and depended on support from independent state militias.
What lesson did those familiar with the Pennsylvania constitution take with them into the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia?
There is a danger, even in a democracy, of concentrating too much power in the hands of too few.
Why did Shays’ Rebellion galvanize delegates to the Constitutional Convention?
Massachusetts’s relatively weak response to the rebellion suggested that a stronger, better-organized national government might be needed.
What proposal was at the heart of the Virginia Plan?
Establishing three branches of government, with the strongest being the legislative branch, which would consist of two houses and would choose the executive and judicial branches
What problem did the Great Compromise address?
Equitable representation in Congress
Why did the Framers favor a republic over a direct democracy?
They believed that the government should mediate rather than mirror popular views.
What aspect of American government, in addition to the moderate republic the Framers attempted to create, is a way of limiting the power of popular majorities?
judicial review
What term describes systems where national and state governments share power?
federalism
What term is used to describe those powers that are given exclusively to the states?
reserved
What name is given to powers, like collecting taxes, building roads, borrowing money, and maintaining courts, that are shared by national and state governments?
concurrent
What aspect of the government prescribed by the Constitution was intended to be effective not in spite of the imperfections of human nature, like the tendency to act in one’s own best interests, but because of them?
separation of powers
What allows multiple branches of government to limit each other’s power?
checks and balances
When the Constitution was presented for ratification, what position did Antifederalists take?
They wanted a weaker national government.
The population of the United States is very diverse, with people of different races, classes, religious beliefs, and cultural traditions dispersed in different regions around the country. What aspect of the government system prescribed in the Constitution would James Madison say is designed to ensure that no one element or interest in this diverse population dominates all the others?
Checks and balances
Suppose a politically radical Latino student is trying to decide where to move after graduation. If Madison were alive today, how might he advise this student, based on his writings in Federalist No. 10 and No. 15?
He would advise the student to move to a large urban area where people of many different views and experiences live in close proximity.
What effect did the three-fifths compromise have on antebellum American national government?
It is the primary reason why Southern-born presidents, House leaders, and Supreme Court justices often dominated antebellum American national government.
What did the Federalists believe was required to ensure a reasonable balance of liberty, order, and progress?
a strong national government
What most influenced the Framers regarding economic matters?
Their states’ economic interests
What did the Framers of the Constitution believe regarding the ideal size of government for preventing what they viewed as the worst inequality?
The Framers believed it was important to limit the size and scope of the government in order to prevent political privilege.
