Foundations of the U.S. Government MCAP Review

One important feature of the U.S. Constitution was the creation of three branches of government. The ________ branch makes laws.

• legislative

• executive

• judicial

• administrative

What was one major weakness of the Articles of Confederation?

• A. It gave too much power to the national government

• B. It allowed the government to tax too much

• C. It did not allow the national government to enforce laws

• D. It created too many branches of government

This system is known as separation of powers, and it works alongside checks and balances to ensure that no one branch becomes too powerful. During the convention, delegates also had to solve disagreements between states. Larger states wanted representation based on population, while smaller states wanted equal representation. The Great Compromise solved this problem by creating a two-house (bicameral) legislature: the House of Representatives (based on population) and the Senate (equal representation for each state). Another major debate was about how much power the national government should have. Federalists supported the Constitution and believed a strong national government was necessary to keep the country stable and united. On the other hand, Anti-Federalists worried that a strong government could take away people's rights. To address these concerns, leaders promised to add protections for individual freedoms. As a result, the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution in 1791. These first ten amendments guarantee important rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press, as well as protections for people accused of crimes. Overall, the Constitution created a stronger and more effective government while still protecting the rights of citizens. The system developed during this time continues to shape how the United States government works today.

• A. It showed the government was too strong

• B. It proved the Articles of Confederation were effective

• C. It showed the national government was too weak to respond to problems

• D. It created the Constitution

What was the main purpose of the Constitutional Convention?

• To declare independence

• To fix the problems of the Articles of Confederation

• To elect a president

• To create taxes

Which branch of government is responsible for enforcing laws?

• Legislative

• Judicial

• Executive

• State

What problem did the Great Compromise solve?

• Slavery

• Taxes

• Representation in Congress

• Trade

Which of the following were powers the Articles of Confederation did NOT give the national government?

• Ability to collect taxes

• Ability to regulate trade

• Ability to declare war

• Ability to make treaties

Which statements describe the Constitution?

• It created three branches of government

• It gave all power to the states

• It included checks and balances

• It eliminated representation

One reason why the Articles of Confederation were ineffective was:

• They lacked the power to tax the states.

• They allowed the president too much authority.

• They created a strong central government.

• They gave Congress the ability to regulate trade.

The Constitution improved the government by __. For example, __.

• creating a stronger central government; for example, it gave Congress the power to tax

• allowing states to ignore federal laws; for example, states could refuse to pay taxes

• removing all power from Congress; for example, Congress could not make laws

• eliminating the executive branch; for example, there was no president