Chapter 2 Midterm Review AP Gov

The first four states that ratified the Constitution did so by wider margins than did the final four.

The table supports which of the following statements?

George Washington

Who was selected as the president of the Constitutional Convention?

The danger of factions

No man is allowed to be a judge in his own cause, because his interest would certainly bias his judgment, and, not improbably, corrupt his integrity. With equal, nay with greater reason, a body of men are unfit to be both judges and parties at the same time.

-Federalist No. 10

Which of the following principles is reflected in the quote?

Federalists.

Those who supported the new Constitution and wanted a stronger national government were known as

They were generally distrustful of political elites and a distant central government.

Why might small farmers and those from rural areas opposed the Federalist position?

Representation proportional to population

Which was a characteristic of the proposed Virginia Plan?

The executive branch

A group of women's rights advocates believes women are not being paid equally to men in the workplace and are concerned that federal anti-discrimination laws are not being effectively carried out. Which branch of government should be blamed for the lack of enforcement of such laws?

They had to prove that the proposed government was more dangerous than the existing one.

Why was the Antifederalists' position more difficult than that of the Federalists during the debates over the ratification of the Constitution?

They feared what would result if any changes were made.

Why did so many Americans want to keep the Articles of Confederation as they were?

A bill of rights

The Federalists and the Antifederalists disagreed upon which major issue?

Marbury v. Madison

Suppose Congress has passed legislation that would ban American citizens from purchasing or owning firearms of any kind. The law is brought to the Supreme Court, where it is deemed a violation of the Second Amendment. The ability of the Supreme Court to make such a decision was established in

Tyranny will be prevented by establishing a system of separation of powers.

What was the main argument made in Federalist No. 51?

The prohibition of ex post facto laws.

Suppose Congress has passed a law that makes it illegal to smoke in public spaces and wants to punish those who have smoked in public spaces in the year prior to passing the law. Which constitutional protection prevents Congress from doing so?

To fix the Articles of Confederation and create a stronger national government.

What was the purpose of the Constitutional Convention in 1787?

To count an enslaved person as three-fifths of a person for the purposes of calculating a state's representation.

What was the primary function of the Three-Fifths Compromise?

That slavery was still permitted in a document based on human liberty.

What was the most significant contradiction within the Constitution?

The senator may vote against the president's chosen nominee during the confirmation hearing.

Suppose the president has nominated someone for a vacancy on the Supreme Court, but a senator in the opposing party does not approve of the president's choice. What can that senator do to change the situation?

Americans had just experienced tyranny under the rule of Great Britain and did not want to duplicate it with another powerful government.

Why was the federal government under the Articles of Confederation made to be intentionally weak?

It would have expanded the legislature and given states additional representatives.

How would the proposed Virginia Plan have created a stronger federal government?

significant changes would be made to the government.

A political scientist who was dissatisfied with the Articles of Confederation might attend the Annapolis Convention with the hope that

Articles I and II

Which of the following constitutional provisions gives Congress and the president expressed power over the national defense?

The government is susceptible to the dangers of factions.

Given that Switzerland is governed by a direct democracy, which is a critique a Federalist would have of the Swiss government?

They trusted Americans to use good judgment in interpreting the Constitution in the future.

The cartoon demonstrates which viewpoint about the founding fathers?

(right to bear arms)

Commerce clause

The following question(s) refer to the following excerpt from James Madison's March 18, 1786, letter to Thomas Jefferson.

The States are every day giving proofs that separate regulations are more likely to set them by the ears, than to attain the common object. When Massachusetts set on foot a retaliation of the policy of Great Britain, Connecticut declared her ports free. New Jersey served New York in the same way. And Delaware I am told has lately followed the example in opposition to the commercial plans of Pennsylvania. A miscarriage of this attempt to unite the States in some effectual plan will have another effect of a serious nature. . . . I almost despair of success.

Which provision in the Constitution most specifically addresses the problems described in the excerpt?

The writ of habeas corpus

Many legal challenges have been made to the arrest and detainment of suspected terrorists because they often are not told why they are being held. Which constitutional protection are these legal challenges based on?

A state with a relatively large population

Which type of state would have been in favor of the proposed Virginia Plan?

Many did not agree on how enslaved people should be counted in terms of representation.

What was the most contentious issue surrounding the question of slavery during the Constitutional Convention?

Separation of powers

After the Vietnam War, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution to prevent the president from committing the U.S. to a military conflict without the consent of Congress. Which constitutional principle was this law based on?

That the key to mitigating the dangers of factions is a republican government.

Which argument does James Madison make in Federalist No. 10?

It lacked a bill of rights to protect the rights of individuals.

What was the Antifederalists' most compelling argument against the Constitution?

poor farmers.

Those who participated in Shays's Rebellion were most likely to be

in favor of the newly proposed Constitution.

In the late 1700s, a wealthy educated male would have most likely been

Two-thirds in both the House and the Senate

How many votes are required in the House and Senate to propose an amendment to the Constitution?

Its large size and diversity

What would James Madison argue is the best check on the power of the current political parties in the United States?

State power is protected by a strong national defense.

The powers reserved to the several States will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people, and the internal order, improvement, and prosperity of the State. The operations of the federal government will be most extensive and important in times of war and danger; those of the State governments, in times of peace and security. As the former periods will probably bear a small proportion to the latter, the State governments will here enjoy another advantage over the federal government. The more adequate, indeed, the federal powers may be rendered to the national defense, the less frequent will be those scenes of danger which might favor their ascendancy over the governments of the particular States.

-James Madison, Federalist No. 45

Which of the following best summarizes Madison's argument in Federalist No. 45?

To absolve sheriffs and officers from prosecution for killing rioters.

What was the main function of the Riot Act?

1781

When were the Articles of Confederation formally ratified?

That a bill of rights would be added

Many states only agreed to ratify the Constitution on what condition?

land.

The "league of friendship" created by the Articles of Confederation was meant to address issues between states concerning

To prevent them from operating effectively.

Why might a group of veterans during Shays's Rebellion have focused their efforts on local courthouses?

checks and balances.

When a new law is created by the legislative branch, the constitutional legality of the bill can be questioned by the Supreme Court. This scenario is an example of

federalism.

The ability of an American citizen to enact change by getting either Congress or their state legislature to pass legislation is an example of

International and interstate trade must be regulated by the central government.

The following question(s) refer to the following excerpt from James Madison's March 18, 1786, letter to Thomas Jefferson.

The States are every day giving proofs that separate regulations are more likely to set them by the ears, than to attain the common object. When Massachusetts set on foot a retaliation of the policy of Great Britain, Connecticut declared her ports free. New Jersey served New York in the same way. And Delaware I am told has lately followed the example in opposition to the commercial plans of Pennsylvania. A miscarriage of this attempt to unite the States in some effectual plan will have another effect of a serious nature. . . . I almost despair of success.

Which of the following best describes the author's perspective and reasoning?

exercising judicial review.

Suppose the president has signed an executive order that bans a certain type of speech and the Supreme Court determines that the president's executive order is unconstitutional. This is an example of the Supreme Court

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.

Which of the following concepts was not included in the original Constitution as drafted in 1787 and ratified in 1788?

The state legislatures

A new amendment has passed a two-thirds vote in the House and Senate. Where should activists supporting ratification of the amendment focus their lobbying efforts?

The necessary and proper clause

Which portion of the Constitution creates the potential for the legislative branch to grow too powerful?

To establish a unicameral legislature

What was the main function of Article V of the Articles of Confederation?

The states

Who held most of the power under the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union?

The plan proposed a unicameral legislature with equal representation.

Why did smaller, less-populous states prefer the New Jersey Plan?

States hindered commerce by imposing trade restrictions on one another.

Why did the economy fail to thrive under the Articles of Confederation?

federalism

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; provided that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate.

-United States Constitution, Article V

Which of the following principles is reflected in Article V?

Representation

Which issue was sent to a Grand Committee to decide upon during the Constitutional Convention?

To enforce the laws written by Congress

What is the primary function of the president as outlined in the Constitution?

They addressed concerns with the Constitution by pointing out flaws in the Articles of Confederation.

Why were the Federalist Papers so effective in gaining support for the Constitution?

The judicial branch

The system of federal courts is part of which branch of government?

favor less populous states over more populous ones.

The current U.S. Senate is similar to the unicameral legislature under the Articles of Confederation in that both

The events that happened during Shays's Rebellion demonstrated how broken the system under the Articles of Confederation was.

Why was Shays's Rebellion an effective way for James Madison to lure George Washington back into public life?

Brutus No. 1.

A group of students is debating about whether or not America would benefit from a different form of government. One group of students believes that the Constitution gives the federal government too much power. Which paper supports that group's argument?

balance liberty with the protection of social order

According to the cartoon, the founding fathers wrote the Constitution to achieve which goal?

(democracy but not too much democracy)