Colonists' Primary Complaint about the

rule of the British Crown

they were subject to heavy taxes

from the British Crown

Components of the

Coercive Acts

establishment of marital law, the requirement for the colonists to quarter British soldiers, the closure of the port of Boston, and the dissolution of the Massachusetts legislature

Event that directly resulted from the Coercive Acts

First Continental Congress

Section of the Dec. of Independence that contains arguments on the right to revolution

Second Section, based on the philosophy of John Locke

Given primary responsibility for drafting the Dec. of Independence

Thomas Jefferson

Main Ideas expressed in the Dec. of Independence

individual rights and liberties and the duty of the government to protect them

What the Dec. of Independence actually did

did not establish a new system of government, but served to dissolve colonial allegiance to Great Britain

Articles of Confederation specified that the US would be...

a republic, form of government

In drafting the Articles, the Founders were concerned with...

mob rule, arbitrary monarchial power, large territory size, and the ability of the people to check government power

NOT a component of the Articles...

a bicameral legislature

The Articles needed to be reconfigured, what led the Founders to realize this...

crises like Shays Rebellion, the inability of the national government to control financial concers and raise taxes, the disproportionate power held by the states, and the vulnerability of the new nation due to the lack of an executive.

Who was most in support of equal representation in the national government as the Constitution was being drafted...

small states such as Rhode Island most strongly supported

Plans for representation that was incorporated into the Connecticut Compromise...

incorporated a plan calling for each state to be proportionally represented in one house of a bicameral legislature

Debates at the Constitutional Convention surrounding the executive branch included which of the following?

debates surrounding the executive branch included both how many executives should serve and how to elect the executive

How did the Constitution differ from the Articles?

it gave Congress the power to establish a national court system

What did it take for Virginia and NY to finally agree to ratify the Constitution?

only after the Federalists promised to include amendments clarifying the limits on government power (Bill of Rights)

Why did the Framers choose a republican form of government when drafting the Constitution?

they both wanted to ensure that the people would be represented and to limit the potential power of factions

The principle of the separation of powers was primarily intended to do which?

to ensure that the powers of the central government would be limited

The Framers divided power among which three branches of government?

executive, legislative, and judiciary

Which of the four principles outlined in the Constitution has been a subject of ongoing debate?

federalism

How does the US Constitution differ from many state constitutions?

it has only seven articles and a much more rigorous amendment process

What are the three major sections of the Constitution?

Preamble, branches of government and the state and national governments

The powers granted to Congress are enumerated in which article of the Constitution?

Article I covers the legislative branch, including 17 enumerated powers of Congress

Article II does which of the following?

covers the executive branch, vesting "executive power" in the president

Article III gives Congress power over the judicial branch in which of the following ways?

gives Congress both the power to choose the number of justices on the Supreme Court and the power to create lower fed. courts

Why does the text describe the amendment process as a decision tree?

because it is comprised of a series of decisions made by various actors

Why did the Framers make it relatively difficult to amend the Constitution?

because they intended for all ratified amendments to enjoy widespread support

1/3 of the amendments to the US Constitution fall under which of the following categories?

deal with civil liverties

In total, how many amendments have been added to the US Constitution?

27 times

According to the text, which amendment has the Supreme Court largely ignored?

Amendment XI, pertaining to sovereign immunity

Which amendment(s) may be considered "coercive" in regard to the states?

the Civil War amendments

8 of the 17 amendments added after the Bill of Rights address which of the following issues?

issues pertaining to federal elections

Which of the following statements about the amendment process is accurate?

the failure of the Equal Rights Act demonstrates the difficulty of amending the Constitution

Which of the following does the text consider an advantage of the amendment process?

vague language because it allows for flexibility and diversity in interpretation

Which of the following government entities have powers that are or have historically been open to debate?

the states, the executive branch, the judicial branch, and the legislative branch

Which of the following accuately characterizes the necessary and proper clause?

both an enumerated power and gives Congress the authority to carry out other vague powers

The full faith and credit clause was intended for which purpose?

ensure that states respect that laws of other states

The supreme "law of the land" includes which of the following?

both treaties and the Constitution

Why did the Framers choose a republican form of government when drafting the Constitution?

they wanted both to ensure that the powers of the central government would be limited

Which of the following statements about federalism is correct? 

federalism was a subject of intense debate during the drafting of the Constitution

Madison's concept of "double security" was primarily intended to check which of the following?

the abuse of political power

Federalism is BEST described as which of the following?

division of power between the federal and state governments

With regard to the federal government, states generally felt which of the following?

states both enjoyed their sovereingty and believed that the federal government had certain responsibilities toward the states

Which of the following characterizes the evolution of the balance of power between state, local, and national governments?

by the federal government progressively assuming greater responsibility for domestic and economic issues

Which governmental institution is PRIMARILY credited with the most recent shift in the balance of power between the state and federal governments? 

Supreme Court

Which type of federalism is characterized by the national and state governments working independently of each other?

dual federalism

Which of the following characterizes the power of the national government during the age of dual federalism?

independent of the states, relatively low in comparison to the states, pertaining mainly to commerce, defense and international trade, and limited by the Supreme Court

During the age of dual federalism, the Supreme Court limited the power of the national government through its interpretation of which portion of the Constitution?

commerce clause

The issue that acted as a catalyst in the shift toward cooperative federalism was PRIMATILY of what nature?

economic and financial in nature (the stock market crash and Great Depression.)

The federal government became more involved in state and local matters through which of the following measures?

helping to provide public services, assuming responsibility for stimulating the economy, creating new federal programs, and the use of grants-in-aid

Incentives provided by grants-in-aid act as a substitute for which of the following?

constitutional authority

President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal legislation did which of the following?

ushered in an era during which the powers of the federal government were protected by the Supreme Court

Issues causing a shift from cooperative to coercive federalism were PRIMARILY of what nature?

primarily social in nature

How did the national government ensure cooperation with its policies during the era of coercive federalism?

through the Supreme Court's expanded interpretation of the commerce clause and by threatening to remove funding from programs