Constitution 8th Grade

Which provision of the Articles of Confederation represents one way that the Articles stressed the independence of the separate states?

• Congress decided how much money the country needed.

• Only individual state legislature were allowed to pass taxes

• The federal government had the right to wage war against England

• The federal government controlled all lands west of the Appalachian Mountains

Federalists who supported ratification of the U. S. Constitution generally believed that a strong central government was important for

• abolishing slavery in all states

• ensuring the country's future success

• protecting the rights of each individual state

• increasing basic rights and freedoms for citizens

How did the Framers of the Constitution design the U.S. government to reflect the differences shown on the table?

• Divided government power and responsibilities between federal and state government

• Provided for a decennial census to accurately calculate the differences of state populations

• Established an executive agency to provide demographic data for studying population growth

• Created the Senate based on statehood and House of Representatives based on population

The Constitution replaced the weaker Articles of Confederation as a framework for the newly formed United States of America. Which of the following elements was included in the Constitution?

• A bicameral legislature

• Only one vote per state

• The abolition of slavery

• Voting rights for women

The central issue of the Three-Fifths Compromise was concerning the —

• establishment of upper and lower legislative bodies

• manner in which bills and amendments would become law

• portion of federal revenues that would come large and small states

• counting of enslaved people for the purposes of determining representation

One concern of opponents to the Virginia Plan included the —

• lack of a supreme court to decide law

• creation of a tax based on income levels

• use of a single legislative body based on population

• direct election of a three-member executive committee

The Anti-Federalists argued against ratification of the U.S. Constitution because they —

• disagreed with the Great Compromise

• hoped to keep the Articles of Confederation

• wanted a parliamentary system of government

• believed that states’ rights were not being protected

In my weak judgment, a government is strong when it applies to the most important end of all governments — the rights and privileges of the people. In the honorable member's proposal, jury trial, the press and religion, and other essential rights, are not to be given up. Other essential rights — what are they? The world will say that you intended to give them up. When you go into an enumeration of your rights, and stop that enumeration, the inevitable conclusion is, that what is omitted is intended to be surrendered.

—Patrick Henry, a speech to the Virginia Assembly on the ratification of the U.S.

Constitution, June 1788

Patrick Henry opposed ratifying the U. S. Constitution because he believed that under it

• the states would surrender too much power to the federal government.

• alliances could not be formed with other countries

• the courts would not be able to hold government officials accountable

• individuals would exercise too much power over the federal government

What was one of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

• It worked perfectly and everyone was happy

• The absence of an executive branch to enforce laws passed by Congress

• Congress had no power to declare war or make peace.

• The states did not have an equal voice in Congress.

There is no Declaration of Rights, and the laws of the general government being paramount to the laws and constitution of the several States, the Declarations of Rights in the separate States are no security. Nor are the people secured even in the enjoyment of the benefit of the common law. . . . There is no declaration of any kind, for preserving the liberty of the press, or the trial by jury in civil causes; nor against the danger of standing armies in time of peace.

— Objections to the Constitution, September 1787

Who is the likely author of the excerpt above?

• Alexander Hamilton

• Thomas Lee

• Benjamin Franklin

• George Mason