Question 1

What were the Articles of Confederation?

Accepted Answer

The first national constitution for governing the American states

Favored strong state governments over a strong national government

Question 2

What was the focus of the Articles of Confederation?

Accepted Answer

Giving the states strong individual power, and limiting national power

(Congress could not tax, draft soldiers, regulate commerce, and there was no executive/judicial branch; each state had equal votes, legislation required 9/13 votes, and amendments required 13/13 votes)

Question 3

Why did the writers of the Articles of Confederation emphasize state governments?

Accepted Answer

They had just escaped Britain, and wanted to avoid replicating Britain's tyrannical national government

Question 4

What was the primary weakness of the Articles of Confederation?

Accepted Answer

The central government was far too weak

(States could do almost whatever they wanted, and the central government's inability to tax or enact powers led to economic chaos and violence)

Question 5

What was Shays's Rebellion?

Accepted Answer

An armed farmer uprising that occurred due to aggressive debt collection

(highlighted the weakness of the Articles of Confederation, and led to the Constitutional Convention)

Question 6

What was the Constitutional Convention?

Accepted Answer

A meeting in 1787 that intended to create a new Constitution that would fix the issues in the Articles of Confederation

Question 7

What is a federal system?

Accepted Answer

A government that uses federalism (dividing powers between national and state governments)

(at the Constitutional Convention, delegates decided the constitution would be a federal system)

Question 8

What were the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan?

Accepted Answer

Two proposals at the Constitutional Conventions for the new government

(the Virginia Plan (Madison) called for a strong national government; the New Jersey Plan (Paterson) was more similar to the AoC, but with a bit more power)

Question 9

What was the Great Compromise?

Accepted Answer

An agreement in the Constitutional Convention that defined the structure of state participation

Congress would be bicameral, with representation in the lower house based on population (Virginia Plan), and representation in the upper house all equal (New Jersey Plan)

Question 10

How did the Constitution attempt to fix the Articles of Confederation?

Accepted Answer

It created a stronger national government, with the ability to tax and regulate commerce, and executive/judiciary branches to enforce/interpret laws

Question 11

What was the Three-Fifths Compromise?

Accepted Answer

Each slave would count as three-fifths of a person for a state's representation and taxation

(this gave slave states more legal representation, but also meant they needed to pay more taxes)

Question 12

What was the Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise?

Accepted Answer

An agreement between Northern and Southern states that Congress couldn't tax exports or interfere with the slave trade for 20 years

Question 13

What is the Electoral College?

Accepted Answer

A compromise between direct and elite democracy, where the President is chosen by electors rather than the popular vote

Question 14

What was the ratification of the Constitution?

Accepted Answer

The process of officially signing it and bringing it into action

(citizens were divided over this, and split into Federalists and anti-Federalists)

Question 15

Who were the Federalists?

Accepted Answer

People who believed in a stronger central government favored the Constitution and opposed the Bill of Rights

(James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay)

Question 16

Who were the Anti-Federalists?

Accepted Answer

People who favored strong state governments rather than a strong national government, opposed the Constitution, and favored a Bill of Rights to protect liberties

Question 17

What were the Federalist Papers?

Accepted Answer

A collection of 85 essays in support of the Constitution

(written by Madison, Hamilton, and Jay under the name Publius)

Question 18

What is the Bill of Rights?

Accepted Answer

The first 10 Amendments to the Constitution, which ensure basic rights and civil liberties

Anti-Federalists strongly supported the Bill of Rights, while Federalists opposed it

Question 19

What were the opinions on the Bill of Rights?

Accepted Answer

Federalists opposed it because they thought it was unnecessary (people/states already had all powers not given to the Fed. Govt.)

Anti-Federalists favored it because it clearly outlined and safeguarded individual civil liberties

Question 20

What were the opinions on the Constitution?

Accepted Answer

Federalists favored it because it created a strong national government (see the Federalist Papers)

Anti-Federalists opposed it because it took away power from local (state) governments

Question 21

What is Federalist No. 10?

Accepted Answer

An essay in the Federalist Papers that argues the Constitution stops dangerous factions and insurrection

(factions=groups of people that have a common goal; written by James Madison)

Question 22

How did Fed. #10 believe the Constitution would stop factions?

Accepted Answer

By extending the sphere of democracy, it is less likely for any one group to gain too much power

More diverse voices from a greater number of people will result in better policy

Question 23

What was Brutus No. 1?

Accepted Answer

An anti-Federalist essay that argued having a large and diverse republic would prevent effective action (believed effective republics were small and homogenous)

Allowing a large government (like the Constitution does) would take away liberties from the people

Question 24

What is Federalist No. 51?

Accepted Answer

An essay in the Federalist Papers that emphasizes the need for checks and balances, and the separation of powers

"If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself."

Question 25

What is Federalist No. 84?

Accepted Answer

An essay by Hamilton in the Federalist Papers that argues against the Bill of Rights

Including the BoR would be dangerous because including some liberties but not others allows the other liberties to be taken

"[The] bills of rights... are not only unnecessary in the proposed Constitution, but would even be dangerous. They would contain various exceptions to powers not granted; and, on this very account, would afford a colorable pretext to claim more than were granted. For why declare that things shall not be done which there is no power to do? Why, for instance, should it be said that the liberty of the press shall not be restrained, when no power is given by which restrictions may be imposed? I will not contend that such a provision would confer a regulating power; but it is evident that it would furnish, to men disposed to usurp, a plausible pretense for claiming that power."

Question 26

What compromise did the Federalists and anti-Federalists make?

Accepted Answer

The Constitution was adopted, creating a strong central government (Federalists)

It included a Bill of Rights, ensuring civil liberties (anti-Federalists)

Question 27

What was the issue with the AoC's amendment process?

Accepted Answer

It required unanimous approval (this almost never happened, making changes very slow)

Articles of Confederation, AP U.S. Government and Politics Flashcards