U.S. Government Principles and Compromises

The lecture covers the Constitutional Convention, starting with Shay's Rebellion, which highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. The Annapolis Convention led to the Philadelphia Convention, where delegates decided to draft a new Constitution. Key compromises included the Virginia and New Jersey Plans, leading to the Connecticut Compromise. The lecture also explains the system of checks and balances and the Electoral College's role in presidential elections.

What event highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and led to the Constitutional Convention?

• Shay's Rebellion

• The Boston Tea Party

• The Stamp Act

• The Battle of Bunker Hill

Who was the president of the Constitutional Convention?

• Thomas Jefferson

• John Adams

• Benjamin Franklin

• George Washington

What was the main goal of the delegates at the Constitutional Convention?

• To elect a new president

• To declare independence from Britain

• To draft a new Constitution

• To revise the Articles of Confederation

What is the principle of federalism?

• A system where the national government holds all power

• A government led by a monarch

• A balance of power between state and national governments

• A system where states have more power than the national government

Which plan proposed a bicameral legislature based on state population?

• The New Jersey Plan

• The Virginia Plan

• The Connecticut Plan

• The Delaware Plan

What was the Great Compromise?

• A compromise on the issue of slavery

• A system where the president is elected by Congress

• A two-house Congress with equal representation in the Senate

• A plan for a unicameral legislature

What was the Three-Fifths Compromise about?

• Counting slaves as three-fifths of a person for representation

• Allowing three-fifths of Congress to override a veto

• Allowing three-fifths of states to pass a law

• Counting three-fifths of the population for tax purposes

What powers were reserved for state governments?

• Coining money and regulating commerce

• Supervising education and marriage laws

• Foreign affairs and national defense

• Declaring war and maintaining an army

What is the purpose of checks and balances?

• To ensure the president has more power than Congress

• To allow the judicial branch to make laws

• To prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful

• To give the states more power than the national government

How does the Electoral College function?

• It allows citizens to vote directly for the president

• It assigns electors based on the number of representatives and senators

• It is a system where the president is chosen by Congress

• It gives each state an equal number of electors