A more perfect union

Read the passage:

John Locke was a 17th-century English philosopher who formulated important theories about governments and humankind. Locke’s ideas were extremely influential on the Founding Fathers: America might not be America without him.

Locke’s ideas influenced the Age of Enlightenment, also called the Age of Reason. Writers during the Enlightenment era, which lasted from the 1650s to the end of the 1700s, asked profound questions: what makes humans human? Why do governments exist and what is their role? Enlightenment thinkers didn't automatically accept conventional wisdom or the teachings of the church. Instead, they championed reason and science. Like Locke's writings, the theories and ideas of the Enlightenment were instrumental to the American Revolution.

Based on the passage, Enlightenment thinkers...

• were inspired by the American Revolution

• believed that the church was always right

• challenged some traditional beliefs

• thought emotions mattered more than reason

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Why were the colonists frustrated with the British government before the American Revolution?

• the government declared war on them

• the government forced them to follow the Articles of Confederation

• the government taxed them without paying attention to their interests

• the government demanded they return to Great Britain

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Which detail from the following passage best explains why Montesquieu argued for the separation of government powers?

Montesquieu was an 18th-century French philosopher. He was another important figure in the Enlightenment. In his writings, he discussed the separation of government powers into an executive, legislative and judicial branch. He was inspired by the British system, but he imagined a system even better where no one person or branch could have all the power.

The reason behind the separation of power was that a person or group of people who gain too much power can start making decisions that don't benefit all of society. They can use the government to benefit themselves or their friends instead. One way of keeping this in check is by separating powers in the government. Different responsibilities fall to different branches of government. This keeps any one branch from having too much power. One branch of government may promote a bad idea. But hopefully, the other branches will limit their power.

• "He was inspired by the British system but he imagined a system even better where no one person or branch could have all the power."

• "He was another important figure in the Enlightenment"

• "In his writings, he discussed the separation of government powers..."

• "...a person or group of people who gain too much power can start making decisions that don't benefit all of society."

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Read the following passage: Locke advocated religious tolerance. He supported this over an enforced single religion. Locke argued that it simply makes more sense to allow people to believe and practice what they want than it would to try to force everyone to believe the same thing. His writings on the topic paved the way for religious freedom in the United States. Indeed, for hundreds of years people have come to the United States in search of religious freedom

Based on the passage, Locke would most likely agree with which of these statements about religion?

• Governments should promote religious tolerance because it is a matter of respecting human rights.

• It's easier for a government to promote religious tolerance than it is to try and force everyone to believe the same thing.

• Governments should support religious tolerance because it encourages more people to move to a country.

• Governments should promote and enforce a single state religion.

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Read the following sentence: Locke argued that the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are innate, or existing from birth and natural to all people.

Which of the following could be described as "innate"?

• the ability to blink

• the ability to read

• a strained ankle

• the ability to walk

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Read the following paragraph about Thomas Jefferson. Then, select the main idea.

But even though he was a brilliant thinker, he was full of contradictions. For example, he was at first a big advocate of states' rights and limiting federal powers. But then as president, he used the power of the federal government and its national bank, which he had originally opposed, to make the Louisiana Purchase, a major territorial acquisition.

• Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence.

• Thomas Jefferson was a brilliant thinker who often contradicted himself.

• Thomas Jefferson advocated for states' rights.

• Thomas Jefferson made the Louisiana Purchase.

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Read the following passage:

In the time leading up to the American Revolution, many colonists felt that the British Parliament did not represent their interest. Even more frustrating, the British government taxed them. It used their taxes to support a government that, many felt, ignored them. These colonists adopted a slogan to describe their opinion: “No taxation without representation.” These colonists believed that the British Parliament was denying them of their rights.

Based on the passage, in the time leading up to the American Revolution, many colonists would agree that

• the British government worked hard to represent the colonists’ interests.

• a government should not be allowed to use citizens' taxes if it will not look out for their interests.

• taxes should be used to support the government even if that government is not supporting its citizens.

• the British government respected the rights of the American colonists.

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Read the passage, and then choose its purpose:

The concept of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” as natural rights of human beings is rooted in Enlightenment thought. This part of the Declaration of Independence can be traced very directly to Locke's writings. The idea is that we are born with these rights. If governments do not respect them, the people have the right to overthrow that government. That's what the Americans did.

• to describe the history of the writing of the Declaration of Independence

• to explain how the Declaration used the ideas of John Locke and the Enlightenment

• to detail how the American colonists won the Revolutionary War

• to support the claim that Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence

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James Madison drafted the US Constitution, the document that forms our government. His draft was changed and tweaked by other members of the Constitutional Convention, but he's still considered its primary author. He later became the fourth president of the United States.

The Constitution outlines the principles of the United States government. It establishes the three branches of government, describes the relationship of the states to the federal government and allows for amendments as necessary. There have been twenty-seven amendments so far. The first ten are known as the Bill of Rights, which describe and protect the rights of the people.

According to the passage, the US Constitution...

• allows for amendments

• can never be changed

• describes the United States' early history

• was written only by James Madison

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The Articles of Confederation was the United States' first attempt at a constitution. It was a plan of union for the original thirteen states. It set up the government and was in use from 1781 until 1789. The Articles of Confederation put all the power in the hands of the states and not much power in the federal government. For example, the federal government couldn't charge taxes and couldn't raise an army. It had to rely on the states and their militias. In 1787, the Constitutional Convention met to improve the Articles. Instead, they wound up drafting a whole new document and establishing a much stronger national government.

According to this passage, the Articles of the Confederation:

• created a strong federal government

• are still in use today in the United States

• did not allow the federal government to collect taxes

• established a national, professional army to defend the country

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