Question 1

Slavery was protected in the Constitution by the

Accepted Answer

The Three-fifths Compromise counted each slave as three-fifths of a person for representation purposes in Congress. The agreement to not end the slave trade until after 1808 gave slave owners time to continue importing slaves. The requirement of returning runaway slaves, known as the Fugitive Slave Clause, required northern states to cooperate in returning escaped slaves to their owners. All three of these provisions protected slavery in the Constitution.

Question 2

Which was not an elite preference for the new Constitution?

Accepted Answer

The elites generally favored a stronger central government, which often conflicted with the emphasis on states' rights.

Question 3

The majority of the Founders at the Constitutional Convention had training in which professional field?

Accepted Answer

Many of the Founders at the Constitutional Convention were trained as lawyers, which influenced their approach to drafting the Constitution.

Question 4

Which of the following best describes the men who wrote the Constitution?

Accepted Answer

All of the options are true. The men who wrote the Constitution were mostly from the educated elite class, had experience in government or politics, and had a strong belief in a united, national government.

Question 5

Under the Constitution, taxation of the states by the national government was based on

Accepted Answer

The Constitution established that taxation of the states by the national government was based on population, as determined by the decennial census. This is laid out in Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution, which states that "Direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers."

Question 6

The Constitution sets up a system where the role of the masses is

Accepted Answer

The Constitution sets up a system of representative democracy where the masses select elected officials to make decisions on their behalf. This means that the role of the masses is limited and indirect, as they do not directly make decisions.

Question 7

The idea of government as a contract suggests that people give their allegiance or obedience to government in exchange for

Accepted Answer

The idea of government as a contract suggests that people give their allegiance or obedience to government in exchange for protection of persons and property.

Question 8

The preeminent elite in the early United States is best described by which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The preeminent elite in the early United States was very small in number, consisting mainly of wealthy landowners, merchants, and political leaders.

Question 9

Delegates to the Constitutional Convention were selected

Accepted Answer

Delegates to the Constitutional Convention were selected through appointment by state legislatures.

Question 10

Leveling away inequalities in wealth was seen by the Founders as

Accepted Answer

The Founders generally viewed the protection of property rights as essential and were wary of measures that would redistribute wealth, seeing them as a threat to individual liberty and property rights.

Question 11

The Founders believed that political authority rested with

Accepted Answer

The Founders of the United States believed in the principle of popular sovereignty, meaning that political authority rests with the people. This is reflected in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

Question 12

The text describes nationalism as which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The text describes nationalism as which of...

Question 13

What was the reason the Constitutional Convention met behind closed doors?

Accepted Answer

The delegates believed that secrecy would allow for more open and honest debate, leading to more effective negotiations and compromises.

Question 14

The powers granted the federal government under the Constitution that had been lacking under the Articles of Confederation were

Accepted Answer

The powers granted to the federal government under the Constitution included the regulation of commerce, the ability to levy taxes, and the power to create a navy. These were lacking under the Articles of Confederation, which had severely limited the power of the federal government. By granting these powers to the federal government, the Constitution allowed for a stronger, more centralized government that could better govern the nation.

Question 15

The Constitution does not have a property qualification for voting or holding office because the Founders

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Constitution does not have a property...

Question 16

The Constitutional proposal that each state should have one vote and that the national government should have three separate branches of government was presented by delegates from

Accepted Answer

The New Jersey Plan proposed that each state should have one vote in Congress, regardless of size, and it also suggested a government with three branches.

Question 17

Which power was reserved for the states in the Articles of Confederation?

Accepted Answer

Under the Articles of Confederation, the power to regulate commerce was reserved for the individual states, not the central government. This meant that each state could establish its own trade policies, which often led to conflicts and inefficiencies in interstate commerce.

Question 18

The Constitution limits the power of government because the Founders viewed government as

Accepted Answer

The Founders viewed government as a potential threat to individual freedom and liberty, so they designed the Constitution to limit its power and prevent tyranny.

Question 19

Elite consensus among the Founders included

Accepted Answer

The Founders generally agreed on the importance of protecting individual liberty, as evidenced by the Bill of Rights and other foundational documents.

Question 20

Which of the following ideas made the elite principles of the United States' government different from most other countries in 1787?

Accepted Answer

The elite principles of the United States' government were different from most other countries in 1787 because they included all of the above ideas: the consent of the governed, equal rights, and human rights. These principles emphasized the importance of individuals' rights and freedoms, as well as the idea that the government existed to serve and protect the people, rather than the other way around. This was a departure from many other countries at the time, which were still governed by monarchs or other ruling elites who held power without regard for the rights of their citizens.

Quiz 2: The Elite Consensus of the Founding Fathers: Us Political Principles