The Federalist Debate

What was the first attempt at nation building in the United States after the Revolutionary War called?

• Articles of Confederation

• Constitution of 1787

• Bill of Rights

• Emancipation Proclamation

According to the passage, what was one major weakness of the Articles of Confederation?

• It created a very weak central government and left most of the power to the states. There was no way to enforce the laws Congress wrote, and they did not have the power to tax.

• It established a strong executive branch with too much power over the states.

• It allowed Congress to easily collect taxes from the states without their consent.

• It required all states to use the same currency, causing economic problems.

What does the term 'ratification' mean as used in the passage?

• The act of signing a written agreement to make it official.

• The process of rejecting a proposal.

• The act of delaying a decision.

• The process of amending a document.

Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

• The Articles of Confederation gave the central government a lot of power.

• The Constitution created three branches of government.

• The Articles of Confederation allowed Congress to tax the states.

• The Constitution was immediately accepted by all 13 states.

Why did the new nation under the Articles of Confederation find itself floundering?

• Because there was not much cooperation among the states and the central government was too weak to enforce laws or collect taxes.

• Because the nation had too much money and resources.

• Because the states were too eager to give up their independence to a strong central government.

• Because foreign countries refused to recognize the new nation.

Who were the main authors of The Federalist Papers?

• George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams

• James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay

• Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, and Samuel Adams

• Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, and George Mason

According to the Federalists, why were the government powers outlined in the Constitution necessary?

• To protect liberty and solve the problems experienced under the Articles of Confederation.

• To increase the power of the states over the federal government.

• To limit the influence of the executive branch.

• To ensure that only wealthy citizens could participate in government.

What did the Anti-Federalists believe about the new Constitution?

• They believed it would give the central government all the important governing powers, leaving little for the states, and that it threatened individual rights and state power.

• They believed it would create a monarchy similar to Britain.

• They believed it would abolish all state governments immediately.

• They believed it would guarantee unlimited rights to all citizens without any restrictions.

True or False: The Anti-Federalists supported a strong central government.

• True

• False

What was the main concern of the Anti-Federalists regarding the 'Necessary and Proper' and 'Supremacy' clauses?

• They worried these clauses would allow the central government to take even more power than directly stated.

• They believed these clauses would weaken the power of the states to tax.

• They thought these clauses would prevent the creation of a national army.

• They feared these clauses would limit the rights of individual citizens.