Unit 7: The Story of Our Constitution

The passage below is from The Federalist, No. 1, written by James Madison in 1788:

"But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature?...In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself."

How did the proposed Constitution address the problem identified by Madison in the passage?

• It included a bill of rights to protect individual liberties.

• It allowed the slave trade to continue for twenty more years.

• It included checks and balances to prevent abuses of power by government.

• It prevented the federal government from waging war without the support of the states.

The headlines below appeared in American newspapers in 1787:

1. Senate Rejects the President's Choice of Supreme Court Justice
2. Florida Gains Two Seats in the Unite States House of Representatives
3. Broward County Receives $4 Million from Congress for Transportation Development

Which conclusion about the Constitutional Convention is supported by these headlines?

• It was controlled by states with large enslaved populations.

• Its members were able to compromise on important issues.

• Most of its members wanted the President to be chosen directly by the people.

• It gave states that were small in population the most power in the new Constitution.

The excerpts below are from the Constitution of the United States.

Article I Section I

All legislative powers...shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

Article II Section I

The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America...together with the Vice President, chosen for the same term...

Article III Section I

The judicial power of the United States, shall be vested in one Supreme Court, and in [other lower] courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish...

Which important constitutional principle is illustrated by these excerpts?

• federalism

• individual rights

• popular sovereignty

• separation of powers

Which statement describes the debate between the Federalists and Antifederalists?

• They argued over the question of establishing a national bank

• They disagreed over whether slavery should continue in the new nation

• They disagreed over whether the national executive should be a single person or a group

• They disagreed over the distribution of power between the federal and states governments

The information below lists several weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

• No power to collect taxes
• No national court system
• No national currency

How did the delegates to the Constitutional Convention attempt to correct these weaknesses?

• They gave greater power to state governments

• They drafted a plan for a stronger national government

• They drafted a bill of rights to protect individual liberties

• They encouraged states to enter in to their own agreements

The excerpt below is from the Sixth Amendment

A person accused of a crime in the United States "shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury."

Why was this amendment included in the Bill of Rights?

• to override a decision of the Supreme Court

• to remedy a weakness of the Articles of Confederation

• to approve an amendment recently added to most stated constitutions

• to satisfy the demands of Anti-Federalists for greater protection of individual liberties

At the Constitutional Convention, how did the New Jersey Plan differ from the Virginia Plan?

• The New Jersey Plan favored the direct election of the President by the people

• The New Jersey Plan favored equal representation for each state in a Congress

• The New Jersey Plan favored proportional representation in two houses of Congress

• The New Jersey Plan proposed the selection of the President by the Electoral College

Citizens attend a public demonstration against government policies. Speakers at the demonstration criticize the government and print flyers to distribute to listeners and the general public.

Which rights in the Bill of Rights are exercised in this scenario?

• Freedom of speech, press, and assembly

• Freedom of speech, religion, and the right to bear arms

• Freedom from unreasonable search, and the right to trial by jury

• Freedom of assembly, religion, and the right to petition

The discussion below took place between four delegates to the Constitutional Convention.

Delegate 1: Our national government should be strong. State governments should have only limited powers.

Delegate 2: A bicameral legislature will allow Congress to represent the interests of both large states and small states.

Delegate 3: Any further expansion of our national government may lead to tyranny

Delegate 4: The executive branch should have more power than the other branches because it can act the most quickly in emergencies.

Which delegate expresses ideas included in the "Great Compromise"?

• Delegate 1

• Delegate 2

• Delegate 3

• Delegate 4

Which disagreement led to the "Three-Fifths" Compromise?

• Delegates at the Constitution Convention argued over whether to tax trade. Southern delegates feared this would hurt landowners who exported cash crops to England.

• Delegates at the Constitutional Convention discussed whether to include women in determining a state's representation in Congress. Some feared this would end in giving women the right to vote.

• Delegates at the Constitutional Convention debated whether to count enslaved people in calculating a state's representation in Congress or the taxes it should pay to the federal government.

• Delegates at the Constitutional Convention discussed how each state should be represented in Congress. Smaller states proposed equal representation for states, while larger states proposed proportional representation.