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VUS.5 Questions
VUS.5 Essential Information on the Early American Government
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Why were American political leaders fearful of a strong central government? | They didn’t want a strong government like England’s |
| What document created the first national government in the U.S.? | The Articles of Confederation |
| What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation? | they provided for a weak national government gave Congress no power to tax or regulate commerce among the states provided for no common currency gave each state one vote regardless of size provided for no executive or judicial branch |
| Is federal or state law the supreme law of the land? | Federal |
| How did the delegates to the Constitutional Convention balance competing interests? | By establishing a bicameral legislature (two house legislature) |
| What is the basis for membership in the Senate? | Two from each state |
| What is the basis for membership in the House of Representatives? | Population |
| What is the Three-Fifths Compromise? | It placated the Southern states by counting slaves as three-fifths of the population when determining representation in the U.S. House of Representatives |
| How did the new government avoid a too powerful central government? | By establishing three co-equal branches with checks and balances |
| What are the three branches of the government? | legislative, judicial, executive |
| How are the federal government’s powers limited? | They are limited to those identified in the Constitution |
| Who was the President of the Convention? | George Washington – he presided but seldom participated in the debates – he lent his prestige to the proceedings |
| Who was Father of the Constitution? | James Madison – a Virginian and political philosopher |
| What is significant about the notes James Madison took at the Convention? | Historians consider them to be the best record of what happened at the Constitutional Convention |
| What was the Virginia Plan and who authored it? | James Madison – it proposed a federal government of three separate branches and became the foundation for the new government – it proposed that membership in Congress be based on population |
| What was the Great Compromise? | Satisfied both large and small states by having the Senate with equal representation and the House based on population |
| Who authored the Bill of Rights? | Madison |
| Who were the Federalists? | They favored a strong national government and promoted economic development and public improvements. Today they see the role of the government as a problem solver for national problems. Ex. George Washington and James Madison |
| What keeps one branch of the government from becoming too strong? | The checks and balances |
| Why did the Federalists believe that a strong national government was necessary? | To facilitate interstate commerce and to manage foreign trade, national defense and foreign relations |
| What were the reasons the Federalists gave to convince people that a republic could survive in such a large territory? | the numerous political factions would check each other, thereby preventing any one faction from gaining too much power |
| Why did the Federalists feel a Bill of Rights was not necessary? | It would be redundant because the Constitution protects basic rights and because most states already had bills of rights that clearly defined basic rights that the government could not abolish |
| Who were the Anti-Federalists? | They believed a strong national government would usurp the powers of the state governments and feared an overly powerful central government would be destructive of the rights of individuals and states. Ex. George Mason and Patrick Henry |
| What did they want added to the Constitution? | Bill of Rights |
| How did the Federalists convince the Anti-Federalists to ratify the Constitution? | They pledged that the first order of business of the new government would be to establish a Bill of Rights |
| What was the Virginia Declaration of Rights? | It reiterated the notion that basic human rights should not be violated by the governments |
| Who authored the Virginia Declaration of Rights? | George Mason |
| What was the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom? | It outlawed the established church – that is, the practice of government support for one favored church |
| Who authored the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom? | Thomas Jefferson |
| Who authored the Bill of Rights? | James Madison |
| What two documents did he consult when writing the Bill of Rights? | The Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom |
| Who was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who expanded the power of the federal courts? | John Marshall |
| What is significant about the Marbury v. Madison decision? | It established judicial review |
| What is significant about the McCulloch v. Maryland decision? | It prohibited the states from taxing agencies of the federal government “the power to tax is the power to destroy” Federal law is supreme to state law. |
| What is significant about the Gibbons v. Ogden decision? | The court strengthened the power of the U.S. government to regulate interstate commerce. |
Created by:
jfleming
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