AP Gov: Topic 1.5 - Ratification of the U.S. Constitution Study Guide

Virginia Plan

proposed by VA governor Edmund Randolph; three-branch system and bicameral legislature; people would elect lower house whose members would elect members of upper house; made national government supreme over states and set clear limits for each branch; authored largely by James Madison and created blueprint for first draft of Constitution

bicameral legislature

two-house legislature

New Jersey Plan

assured states their sovereignty through a national government with limited and defined powers; had no national court system and each state would have one vote in a legislative body

Great (aka Connecticut) Compromise

Roger Sherman's proposal created a 2-house Congress composed of a House of Representatives and a Senate; satisfied both those wanting population as the criteria for awarding seats in the legislature and those wanting equal representation because the Senate would receive 2 Senators from each state

Three-Fifths Compromise

Roger Sherman and James Wilson; used formula from Madison's proposed but failed tax bill; North and South delegates agreed to count only ⅗ of enslaved population to determine representation and taxation in the House for states with slaves

Electoral College

states could decide how their electors would be chosen; each state would have the same number of electors as representatives in Congress and the people would vote for the electors

Article V

amid all the compromises was the realization that the framers would not get everything right or design the perfect system, so the amendment process is included in this

ratification

formal consent

Bill of Rights

amendments protecting personal rights; James Madison persuaded it would complete the new government; compiled many suggestions of amendments into this; fully ratified by 1791

USA PATRIOT Act

Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism; response to 9/11 attacks and how to prevent future attacks; covered intelligence gathering and sharing by executive branch agencies, points of criminal procedure, and border protection; allowed government agencies to share info about significant suspects, and it widened authority on tapping suspects' phones; passed in October 2001

No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)

passed in 2002; called for improvements in teaching methods, testing to measure progress, and sanctions for underperforming schools

Race To The Top

offered incentives, rather than the sanctions of the NCLB, for states to adopt new national standards or develop their own that require students to be college and career ready by graduation; Obama's initiative

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

passed in 2015 by Congress and Obama; states are free to determine their own standards for educational achievement, while still upholding protections for disadvantaged students; the Federal Department of Education must still approve each state's plan, assuring the states live up to the federal law requirements

What was the primary goal of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 when it was originally called?

To address and shore up the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Who authored the blueprint for the Virginia Plan and what system did it propose?

James Madison authored it; it proposed a three-branch system and a bicameral legislature where representation was based on population.

How did representation work under the New Jersey Plan?

Each state received equal representation with one vote in a single-house legislature, preserving state sovereignty.

How did the Great (Connecticut) Compromise balance representation between large and small states?

It created a bicameral Congress: the House of Representatives apportioned seats by population, while the Senate gave each state equal representation with 2 senators.

What formula did the Three-Fifths Compromise use, and how did it affect representation and taxation?

It counted 3/5 of the enslaved population to determine a state's representation in the House of Representatives and direct federal taxation.

What compromise was reached at the Constitutional Convention regarding the foreign slave trade?

Delegates agreed that Congress could not prohibit or touch the importation of enslaved persons for 20 years (until 1808).

How is the number of electors each state receives in the Electoral College determined?

Each state gets a number of electors equal to its total number of representatives and senators in Congress.

Which article of the U.S. Constitution outlines the formal amendment process?

Article V

What vote threshold is required in both houses of Congress (or state conventions) to propose a constitutional amendment?

A two-thirds (2/3) vote.

What percentage of states must approve a proposed constitutional amendment for it to achieve ratification?

Three-fourths (3/4) of the states.

Why did James Madison persuade Congress to add the Bill of Rights, and when was it fully ratified?

To protect personal liberties and complete the new government structure; it was fully ratified in 1791.

What major historical event prompted the passage of the USA PATRIOT Act in October 2001?

The September 11 (9/11) terrorist attacks.

What major provisions and powers were expanded under the USA PATRIOT Act?

It expanded intelligence sharing among executive agencies, updated criminal procedure, strengthened border protection, and widened authority to wiretap suspects' phones.

How did the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2002 attempt to improve public education?

By mandating standardized testing to measure progress, improving teaching methods, and applying sanctions to underperforming schools.

How did Obama's Race to the Top initiative differ from the No Child Left Behind Act?

It offered financial incentives to states to adopt national standards rather than using penalties/sanctions.

How did the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 change state educational authority?

It restored states' freedom to set their own achievement standards while maintaining federal oversight and protections for disadvantaged students.