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Articles of Confederation

Total questions: 10

Worksheet time: 5mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which statement best illustrates the principle of federalism?

a)

The president has the power to veto bills.

b)

Congress is divided into two houses.

c)

The Supreme Court has the power to review laws.

d)

Power is divided between the states and the national government.

2.

• Congress could not levy and collect taxes.

• Congress could not regulate interstate or foreign trade.

• There was no national court system to settle disputes.

• The thirteen separate states lacked national unity.


Which document is characterized by these statements?

a)

Articles of Confederation

b)

Federalist Papers

c)

Northwest Ordinance

d)

United States Constitution

3.

Which weakness of the Articles of Confederation is shown in this cartoon?

a)

lack of a bill of rights

b)

requirement of a two-thirds majority to pass laws

c)

states had too much power

d)

lack of central courts to interpret laws

4.

Shay's Rebellion, the depression in 1786, and the states' use of tariffs and trade regulations against each other were factors leading to the

a)

calling of the constitutional convention in 1787

b)

writing of the Articles of Confederation

c)

establishment of separation of powers in the Constitution of the Unites States

d)

passage of the American Bill of Rights

5.

The authors of the Article of Confederation established a decentralized political system mainly to

a)

cancel state debts incurred during the Revolutionary War

b)

assist the southern states in their efforts to gain a manufacturing base

c)

promote the common goal of national sovereignty

d)

prevent the abuses of power that had existed under British rule

6.

Which governmental problem occurred under the Articles of Confederation?

a)

Congress constantly overrode the President's vetoes.

b)

The Supreme Court issued a series of unenforceable decisions.

c)

The states frequently did not cooperate with each other.

d)

The President often ignored the advice of his Cabinet.

7.

The main weakness of the government of the United States under the Articles of Confederation was that the government

a)

gave larger states more power than smaller states

b)

had no authority to borrow or coin money

c)

did not have enough power to rule effectively

d)

depended too heavily on the military for support

8.

In which way could the United States Government under the Articles of Confederation be considered a success?

a)

It established a strong, widely respected foreign policy.

b)

It created an open market that fostered interstate trade.

c)

It set the nation on a sound financial base.

d)

It provided a system for governing the Western territories that aided the nation's expansion.

9.

The years between the end of the American Revolution and the ratification of the Constitution are sometimes called the “critical period” because

a)

the western territories were left ungoverned

b)

the United States fought a war with France

c)

Spain refused to sell Florida to the United States

d)

the central government failed to solve many economic problems

10.

The presence of European powers on this map meant that

a)

nearly all coastal trade was blocked

b)

no new states could be added to the union

c)

Americans had to learn French

d)

Americans needed to be concerned about security