Question 1

The powers explicitly granted to the national government by the U.S. Constitution are usually referred to as

Accepted Answer

Expressed powers are those specifically listed in the U.S. Constitution as belonging to the national government.

Question 2

The Constitution can be amended by two-thirds vote in favor in both Houses of Congress and ratification by

Accepted Answer

The Constitution can be amended through a two-thirds majority vote in both Houses of Congress followed by ratification by three-quarters of the state legislatures. This process is outlined in Article V of the U.S. Constitution.

Question 3

The Constitutional requirement that states accept and recognize the legal proceedings of other states is embodied in the

Accepted Answer

The full faith and credit clause, found in Article IV, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution, requires that states accept and recognize the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state.

Question 4

Which of the following powers is an example of a power possessed by Congress that acts as a check on the courts?

Accepted Answer

Congress has the power to create lower federal courts, which acts as a check on the judiciary by determining the structure and jurisdiction of the federal court system.

Question 5

Which of the following powers in an example of a power possessed by the courts that acts as a check on the Congress?

Accepted Answer

Declaring a law unconstitutional is a power of the courts that acts as a check on the legislative actions of Congress, ensuring that laws adhere to the Constitution.

Question 6

The most well-known author of the Federalist Papers, responsible for writing Federalist No. 10 and Federalist No. 51, was

Accepted Answer

James Madison is most well-known for writing Federalist No. 10 and Federalist No. 51, which are among the most famous of the Federalist Papers. These essays argued for the ratification of the United States Constitution and explained the benefits of the proposed government structure.

Question 7

In Federalist No. 10, it is argued that the problem of faction may be resolved through

Accepted Answer

In Federalist No. 10, James Madison argued that the problem of faction could be best controlled in a large republic because a variety of interests and factions would prevent any single faction from dominating the government.

Question 8

The logic behind the sharing of powers and the essence of checks and balances is explained in Federalist No.

Accepted Answer

Federalist No. 51, written by James Madison, explains how the structure of the new government under the Constitution provides a system of checks and balances and a separation of powers to prevent any one branch from gaining too much power.

Question 9

The argument that "If men were angels no government would be necessary, but if angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary" is used in Federalist No. 51 to argue in favor of

Accepted Answer

Federalist No. 51 argues in favor of checks and balances as a means to prevent any one branch of government from gaining too much power, reflecting the belief that humans are not perfect and thus require a system of government that can regulate itself internally.

Question 10

Madison's most important break with traditional political theorists rests in his rejection of the assumption that

Accepted Answer

Madison believed that a well-structured government could control the effects of factions and did not rely on the virtue of its citizens, contrasting with the traditional view that virtuous people were necessary for a virtuous government.

Question 11

The most visible disagreement between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists centered on the issue of

Accepted Answer

The primary disagreement between Federalists and Anti-Federalists was over the balance of power between the national government and the states, with Federalists advocating for a strong federal government and Anti-Federalists favoring a looser federation of states or small republics.

Question 12

In 1789, each member of the U.S. House of Representatives represented approximately _____ citizens; whereas today each member of the U.S. House of Representatives represents approximately _____ citizens.

Accepted Answer

In 1789, the U.S. Constitution set the representation ratio for the House of Representatives at one representative for every 30,000 citizens. Today, due to population growth and the fixed number of 435 representatives, each member represents about 650,000 citizens.

Question 13

James Madison argued against a Bill of Rights because he believed that

Accepted Answer

Madison argued that specifying certain rights might imply that any unlisted rights were not protected, thus potentially limiting the scope of individual liberties.

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT an argument advanced by the Anti-Federalists?

Accepted Answer

Anti-Federalists were concerned that the new government proposed by the Constitution was too strong, not too weak. They feared it would overpower state governments and lacked sufficient protections for individual liberties, hence their push for a Bill of Rights.

Question 15

The Bill of Rights was ratified

Accepted Answer

The Bill of Rights, consisting of the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, was ratified after the adoption of the Constitution itself. The Constitution was ratified in 1788, and the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791, following the Constitution's adoption and addressing concerns raised during its ratification process about protecting individual liberties.

Question 16

Which two states rejected the Constitution in their initial ratification votes?

Accepted Answer

North Carolina and Rhode Island initially rejected the Constitution in their ratification votes. They were the last of the original states to ratify it, with North Carolina ratifying it in 1789 after the new government had already begun, and Rhode Island in 1790, after the Constitution had been in effect for over a year.

Question 17

The Constitution was ratified by the necessary nine states in June of

Accepted Answer

The Constitution was ratified by the necessary nine states in June of 1788, marking the official establishment of the framework of the government of the United States.

Question 18

The Twenty-Seventh Amendment to the Constitution

Accepted Answer

The Twenty-Seventh Amendment prohibits any law that increases or decreases the salary of members of Congress from taking effect until the start of the next set of terms of office for Representatives. This ensures that current members cannot vote for their own pay raises or decreases to take immediate effect.

Question 19

As president, George Washington asked _____ to serve as the country's first Secretary of the Treasury.

Accepted Answer

George Washington appointed Alexander Hamilton as the first Secretary of the Treasury, recognizing his financial acumen and vision for a strong centralized government.

Question 20

In order to become the law of the land, the new Constitution required approval by

Accepted Answer

The new Constitution required approval by special ratification conventions in 9 of the 13 states to become the law of the land. This process was chosen to ensure that the Constitution was ratified by the people, through representatives, rather than by state legislatures.

Quiz 2: Early Governance and the Constitutional Framework