Origins of American Government

Question 1

Who is the primary author of the Declaration of Independence

Answer 1

Thomas Jefferson

Question 2

Who is the audience of the Declaration of Independence?

Answer 2

The King, colonists

Question 3

How is the Declaration of Independence Structured?

Answer 3

The introduction, the preamble,

Question 4

What is the intent of the Declaration of Independence

Answer 4

Declare independence

Question 5

What are the three parts of the Declaration of Independence?

Answer 5

1) Begins with a statement of human rights rooted in the Enlightenment
2) Moves on to a justification of the rebellion by detailing how the King and Parliament had broken the “social contract” with the Americans
3) Ends with a statement of the colonists determination to break with the British

Question 6

What does each part of the Declaration of Independence do?

Question 7

What kind of powers did the government have under the Articles?

Answer 7

Conduct foreign affairs, make treaties, declare war, maintain an army and navy, coin money

Question 8

What was the key weakness of the government under the Articles?

Answer 8

There was a weak central government

Question 9

What was the structure of the government under the Articles?

Answer 9

a national government that has a legislative branch and one house

Question 10

How did Congress make decisions?

Question 11

How were the states represented under the Articles?

Answer 11

each state has one vote in Congress

Question 12

What were the events that led decision makers in the US to conclude the government under the Articles had failed?

Answer 12

They don’t have any money and were unable to maintain an army.

Question 13

What was the general background of the delegates to the Philidelphia Convention?

Answer 13

Extremely experienced, successful delegates sent from 12 of 13 states (Rhode Island did not attend). Leaders are George Washington, Ben Franklin, James Madison, Gouverneur Morris. Delegates elect Washington as presiding officer, each state gets one vote, all proceedings kept secret. All delegates want a limited and representative government. Want a govt with three branches—legislative, judicial, executive. Want a stronger national govt. Want protection for creditors and limitations on states rights to coin money

Question 14

What did they all agree on?

Answer 14

Needed a government with 3 branches (legislative, executive, and judicial). stronger national government and protection

Question 15

What was the Virginia Plan?

Answer 15

strong government with 3 branches (legislative, executive, and judicial)

Question 16

What was the New Jersey Plan?

Answer 16

maintain state equality under Articles, give central govt more power, weak executive, limited national judiciary

Question 17

How did the delegates reconcile the two plans?

Answer 17

Conneticut Compromise

Question 18

3/5ths Compromise

Answer 18

slaves counted as 3/5th of the human population

Question 19

Slave Trade/Commerce

Answer 19

Congress given the ability to regulate interstate commerce (the Commerce Clause) and the slave trade will be abolished by 1808

Question 20

Presidential Election

Answer 20

Electoral College elects president, president gets four year term with no limit on reelection

Question 21

what were critical compromises that were made at the convention?

Answer 21

Virginia Plan, New Jersey Plan, 3/5ths Compromise, Slave Trade/Commerce, Presidential Election

Question 22

Who were the Federalists and what did they believe in?

Answer 22

These were people who were in favor of the Constitution. They believed that without Constitution, US will descend into anarchy. To take issue away from Anti-Federalists, Federalists agree to a Bill of Rights

Question 23

Who were the Anti-Federalistd and what did they believe in?

Answer 23

These were people in were against the Constitution. They argued that document drafted in secret, convention exceeded its authority, takes power away from the states