The Constitutional Framework Of US Governments: The Nature And Significance Of The US Constitution

Question 1

Following the American Revolution, what was the first attempt at creating a new government based on?

Answer 1

The Articles of Confederation

Question 2

What is the Articles of Confederation?

Answer 2

An agreement between the 13 original US states served as the first Constitution, providing a loose commonwealth of colonies, with very little by way of central government and authority and no president

Question 3

What event in 1787 showed the remote central governments weaknesses?

Answer 3

Shays’ Rebellion

Question 4

What was the Shays’ Rebellion?

Answer 4

Soldiers-turned farmers who opposed Massachusetts economic polices which had led tp poverty and property seizures

Question 5

What met between May to September 1787 which addressed the tension in America at the time?

Answer 5

The Constitutional Convention

Question 6

How may attendees (founding fathers) turned up at the Constitutional Convention?

Answer 6

55

Question 7

What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

Answer 7

The drawing up of the US Constitution by the founding fathers, which then had to be raided by 9 of the 13 states before it came into effect, which happened in June 1788 when New Hampshire became the 9th state to ratify

Question 8

What did the US Constitution emphasis about democracy?

Answer 8

‘Representative government not democracy’

Question 9

What did the US Constitution general fear about democracy?

Answer 9

That of mass democracy with Hamilton writing ‘Nothing but a permanent body can check the imprudence of democracy’ the permanent body being the Constitution

Question 10

What was the US Constitution a product of?

Answer 10

Its time, culture and authors, with al the founding fathers being white Christian male slave owners who had no desire to undertake a fundamental shift in power away from a wealthy elite

Question 11

What was intrinsic to the economy and society of several sates in the 18th century which can be seen in the US Constitution?

Answer 11

Slavery, with the constitution being silent on the issue of slavery

Question 12

What is the US Constitution mainly about?

Answer 12

It was about the framework and structure of government and was not about individual rights, with individual rights appearing in the ‘Bill of Rights’ in 1791

Question 13

Why is the order of the articles in the US Constition important?

Answer 13

It was not by chance, and suggest the nature of government with Congress first suggesting it was seen as the principal player, the president second and was envisaged as more of a trouble shooter and an internal representative and a focus for unity than a powerful authority figure

Question 14

In what ways was the US Constitution a compromise?

Answer 14

The Connecticut Compromise delay with the clash between small and large states, both of which feared being dominated or held politically ransom to the other, leading to the two chambers.
There was also a compromise between States with large populations of enslaved people, such as Virgina, and others via the three-fifths clause
There was compromise between the founding fathers such as Hamilton, who wanted a strong central government and those such as Jefferson, who wanted most power still to lie with individual states

Question 15

How did the US Constitution base political relations?

Answer 15

Around negotiation and cooperation, not confrontation and competition

Question 16

What was most of the founding fathers thought on power?

Answer 16

There was an implicit fear of power, the framers accepted that some power was required but that power was also dangerous, as seen with the principles of the separation of powers and limited government, both in the balance between individual rights and those of government

Question 17

What did the US Constitution leave?

Answer 17

It left much unsaid and plenty that was vague, with powers that are only outlined vaguely becoming implied powers, as best seen with ‘provide for the common defence and general welfare of the United States’ with this going in many ways, and enumerated powers being powers explicitly spelt out in the US Constitution

Question 18

What was the future proof of the US Constitution designed to be like?

Answer 18

Designed to be long lasting and enduring and not to be easily changed or overturned

Question 19

What is the Constitution meant to be?

Answer 19

Sovereign