The Structure & Principles of the Constitution

How did the US Constitution solve a problem created by the Articles of Confederation?

• It stopped the national government from imposing taxes
• It gave the national government the power to raise an army
• It required unanimous consent of the states to pass amendments
• It prevented acts of priacy against American ships off the coast of Africa

The illustration on the left, from a popular almanac in 1787, show Captain Daniel Shays. Why did his rebellion send a wave of fear among wealthy merchants and landowners?

• Officers worried about losing their back pay
• Shays planned to take money from the rich and give it to the poor
• There was no national army to put down domestic unrest if it spred
• Bankers and other lenders feared the loss of loans to their national government

Which weakness of the Articles of Confederation was addressed by the Constitution?

• The continuation of slavery
• The lack of a national court system
• The absence of a balanced budget
• The need to strengthen the power of the states

Below are two opposing views expressed at the Constitutional Convention. Which feature of American government today was the outcome of this disagreement at the Constitutional Convention?

• A Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution to protect individual rights
• Each state can decide how its own representation in Congress is determined
• Representation in both our federal and state legislatures is now based on population
• States have equal representation in one house of Congress and representation based on their population in the other.

Why did the Preamble to the Constitution begin with the phrase, “We the People”?

• To indicate that the national government had limited powers
• To indicate that the states had been associated in a confederation
• To indicate that federal power was separated among three branches
• To indicate that the American people were the ultimate source of its authority

Which identifies on of the goals of government listed in the Preamble?

• To guarantee employment to all citizens
• To expand the nation’s frontiers westward
• To establish independence from Great Britain
• To protect the rights and freedoms of all citizens

The chart below shows the organization of the government of the United States, based on the Constitution. Which constitutional principle is illustrated by the chart?

• Federalism
• separation of powers
• checks and balances
• popular sovereignty

When the President nominates an individual to serve as Secretary of State, the Senate must confirm and approve the appointment before the individual is given the job as Secretary of State.

Which constitutional principle does this illustrate?

• Limited government
• Popular sovereignty
• separation of powers
• checks and balances

The list below provides three example of actions by the US government. Which constitutional principle do these examples illustrate?

• Limited government
• popular sovereignty
• separation of powers
• checks and balances

Which of the following is an example of Social Contract found in the Declaration of Independence?

• "certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"
• "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed"
• None of the above