AOC & Federalists vs Anti-Federalists (1.7 & 1.10)

The postage stamp on the left shows a committee of the Second Continental Congress drafting the Articles of Confederation. Why did this committee create a weak central government?

• To encourage more trade between states

• To preserve the powers of the individual states

• To promote national security against foreign invasion

• To permit the taxation of citizens to pay the nation's debts

How did Americans’ experience under British rule influence the form of government they established under the Articles of Confederation?

• The new legislature had two houses, just like the British Parliament.

• The states were sovereign, just as the colonies had been under British rule.

• The new central government was not given any power to direct the military.

• The new central government was not able to tax citizens as the British government had tried to do.

Why did the members of the Constitutional Convention decide to create a national government with three separate branches?

• This system made it easier for government officials to specialize.

• This was as a compromise since some delegates wanted four branches.

• Having separate branches gave the government greater flexibility in wartime.

• This structure would prevent any one branch of government from becoming too strong.

Which of the following identifies a weakness of the system of government under the Articles of Confederation?

• The government lacked a national executive to provide central leadership.

• The government had no means for amending the Articles of Confederation.

• The government often failed to act when the different branches were unable to agree.

• People felt insecure because a distant national government had the power to tax them.

How did the U.S. Constitution solve a problem created by a weakness of 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 piracy against American ships off the coast of Africa.

Why did Daniel Shays' 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 spread.

• Bankers and other lenders feared the loss of their loans to the 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

What was one of the Anti-Federalists' strongest arguments against the Constitution?

• It did not create a national executive.

• It did not include a list of protected rights for individuals.

• The new central government would be too dependent on the states.

• The new central government would be too weak to protect American interests abroad.

What was one outcome of the debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists over the ratification of the Constitution?

• the addition of the Bill of Rights

• the state governments won the right to secede

• the creation of a second house in Congress

• the Federalists agreed to weaken the powers of the Presidency